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"First vaccine to fully immunize against malaria builds on pandemic-driven RNA tech . Malaria researchers have invented a promising blueprint for a vaccine with properties similar to the novel RNA-based vaccine for Covid-19. Making a vaccine for the disease has been challenging due to a protein produced by its associated parasite. The new vaccine design allows the body to produce T-cells even when the protein is present. It has not been tested yet on humans, but studies have demonstrated high levels of protection in mice."
"Use third-party data to simplify mobile app personalization (Sponsor). In highly competitive sectors, it’s not enough to build user-friendly applications. As end-user savvy increases, so does the expectation for immediate and effortless personalization. Join this webinar to hear how industry thought leaders are successfully deploying Foursquare data with AWS solutions to stay up to date with customer demand and maintain the best app experiences."
A New Type Of COVID-19 Vaccine Could Debut Soon . Protein subunit vaccines have been used for a while for diseases like hepatitis and pertussis. Novavax is looking to become the first company to release a protein subunit vaccine for Covid-19. The vaccine will contain the spike protein with an adjuvant that enhances the immune system's response. The spike protein can be grown using vats of cells or with genetically modified plants. There are currently at least three types of Covid-19 protein subunit vaccines in development.
Exclusive: This is our first look at Android 13 “Tiramisu” and some of its upcoming features . A source with access to a very early Android 13 build has shared screenshots showing several upcoming features and changes. Users will be able to set languages on a per-app basis and notifications could become an opt-in feature rather than turned on by default. A new setting has been added to settings for users to toggle the layout of the clock on the lock screen. Android 13 will lay the foundations of a feature called TARE (The Android Resource Economy) that focuses on energy-use management.
"Walmart is piloting a pricier 2-hour ‘Express’ grocery delivery service . Walmart has introduced a new service that allows customers to receive grocery deliveries in two hours or less for an extra $10 on top of the usual delivery fee. The service has been tested across 100 stores since mid-April and will be expanded to up to 2,000 stores in the next few months. During the pilot, customers received deliveries within 55 minutes. To ensure stock levels for physical shoppers, Walmart will remove stock from the online grocery service when stock becomes limited."
"Disney CEO Bob Iger has resigned from Apple’s board . Disney CEO Bob Iger resigned from Apple's board on September 10, the same day that Apple unveiled the launch date and subscription price for the Apple TV Plus. The introduction of the Apple TV Plus service officially makes Apple and Disney competitors, with Disney launching Disney+ on November 12. Iger's departure from Apple's board is similar to when Google CEO Eric Schmidt left after Android became a competitor to the iPhone. Apple TV Plus will launch on November 1 with nine titles for $4.99 a month."
"Twitter Is Finally Doing Stories . Twitter has started testing a feature called Fleets that allows users to post photos, videos, and text that disappear after a short period of time, similar to 'stories' from other social media platforms. Snapchat first invented stories in 2013 and the feature has since been copied by Facebook, YouTube, Netflix, Tinder, and LinkedIn. People are more willing to share casual, everyday thoughts through stories as the messages disappear. Users will not be able to retweet or like Fleets."
"Mastercard is phasing out magnetic stripes on its cards starting in 2024 . MasterCard will phase out the use of magnetic stripes on its cards over the next decade. The transition will start in 2024 in regions like Europe where chip cards are already widely used. Magnetic stripes will be completely gone from MasterCard cards by 2033. The technology dates back to the 1960s and it was a huge improvement to how cashiers used to record card details. The global EMV chip standard was introduced in the 1990s, but the US hasn't adopted the technology to the same extent as the rest of the world. Contactless payments have exploded in popularity during the pandemic."
"Apple delivers a new redesigned Maps for all users in the United States . Apple has released a new version of Maps with faster and more accurate navigation and comprehensive views of landmarks. The update will be rolled out to Europe in the coming months. Maps was rebuilt from the ground up with privacy at its core. The new version of Maps allows users to view interactive street-level imagery, favorite and share locations, view real-time transit information, share estimated time of arrival, and more. Maps is not connected to users' Apple ID in any way. Personalized features are created using on-device intelligence. Any data that is transmitted by the app is associated with random identifiers that continually reset."
"Learning COBOL: A Journey For The Modern Programmer (12 minute read). This article is an introduction to learning COmmon Business Oriented Language (COBOL). COBOL is a domain-specific language for business. It excels in managing and manipulating heterogeneous data in record structures, using true fixed point decimal arithmetic, and fast access to externally stored record structures. COBOL is different from what most programmers are used to as it is mostly used to operate on records. Working with COBOL likely means that the developer will need to learn how to operate a mainframe."
"Samsung and LG preview the future of weird phone displays . Samsung and LG showed off new folding screen technologies during the annual Display Week conference this week. LG Display had an 8-inch foldable touchscreen that can fold both inwards and outwards. The 360-degree Foldable OLED can survive being folded over 200,000 times. Samsung Display showed off a display that can fold twice in the same direction and another that can fold once inwards and once outwards. It also had displays that can unfurl horizontally or vertically. Videos showing what the displays look like are available in the article."
"Google is letting some users test its AR navigation feature for Google Maps . Google is testing a new feature on their Google Maps app that will allow users to receive directions though their phone camera in real time. The feature will create an augmented reality overlay over the camera so that directions will be visible alongside real world objects. The idea is still in early testing stages, as Google is still coming up with ways to keep users from focusing too much on the screen instead of what is in the real world, as well as other practical use issues."
"Scooter startup Lime is laying off 14 percent of its workers and exiting 12 markets . Lime, an electric scooter-sharing company, will be leaving 12 cities and firing 100 workers as part of its goals to reach financial independence in 2020. Scooter sharing companies have struggled to become profitable. Most experts agree that the market is oversaturated and needs to consolidate. Lime lost approximately $300 million in 2019, likely due to the depreciation of its electric scooters and the cost of repairs. Joe Kraus, Lime's president, claims that Lime is close to being profitable, and he denied rumors that Lime was seeking a new round of venture capital investment. Other scooter-share companies have also laid off employees in recent months."
"Pinterest is talking to bankers and has hired a key exec as it readies itself for a 2019 IPO . Pinterest is preparing for IPO as early as April. It's expected to IPO for $12 billion, which is the valuation they last raised money at. They made $1 billion in revenue this year, and announced in September that they had 250 million monthly users."
"The 7 biggest announcements from Apple’s Peek Performance event . Apple announced a new version of the iPhone SE, a new desktop Mac, an external monitor, and more at its Peek Performance event. The new iPhone SE, which will launch on March 18, has 5G and will start at $429. Apple's new 27-inch 5K Studio Display costs $1,599 and can reach up to 600 nits of brightness. The display will support P3 wide color and work with macOS's TrueTone feature. The Mac Studio is similar to a Mac Mini but aimed at creative professionals. Customers will be able to choose between an M1 Max version starting at $1,999 or an M1 Ultra version starting at $3,999. More details about the announcements from the event are available in the article."
Evidently (GitHub Repo). Evidently generates interactive reports for analyzing machine learning models during validation or production monitoring. It can currently produce six types of reports. Screenshots and examples are available.
"3D Printing Bone Directly Into the Body . Bones are a mixture of living and inorganic compounds in a highly structured mineral matrix, which presents a huge challenge for bioengineers trying to 3D print the material. A team in Australia has developed a ceramic ink that could eventually be used to print bone directly inside a patient's body. The technology has many medical and research applications. The team is currently working on printing larger samples and it has begun to start animal testing."
"The Canadian innovation that pulls drinking water out of thin air . A Canadian invention uses technology inspired by a cactus and thorny devil lizards to pull drinking water from the air. The species that inspired the Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) come from Malta, where water is scarce and the land is surrounded by the salt water of the sea. On the island, the cactus uses tiny hairs to collect water from the air and the thorny devil lizard's skin has a texture that pulls moisture from the air into the lizard's mouth. The AWG uses a special material that is able to absorb moisture from the air using principles learned from nature and it uses 20 to 70 times less energy than other current AWGs."
"A Huge Alien World Is Forcing Astronomers to Rethink How Planets Form . A new planet with a mass greater than 10 Jupiters combined has been discovered in an area that theoretically shouldn't have any planets. The planet was found in the b Centauri binary system, a solar system with a mass of nearly 10 suns. Every other planet discovered so far was found in solar systems that weighed less than three solar masses. The discovery implies an astounding diversity of exoplanets and will require scientists to reconsider what conditions allow the formation of planets."
"Loki (Github Repo). Loki is a horizontally-scalable, highly-available, multi-tenant log aggregation system (similar to Prometheus for analytics if you're familiar with that). Because it only indexes metadata and not the actual contents of logs, it's really lightweight."
"iOS 14 is available today . iOS 14 is now available as a free software update. The update brings major changes to the Home Screen, with Widgets and a new App Library. Incoming calls and Siri interactions have a new compact design. FaceTime now has Picture-in-Picture support, so users can watch videos while on a call. App Clips are features of apps designed to be discovered when they are needed. They can be discovered and accessed through App Clip codes, NFC tags, QR codes, and links. Messages received an update that allows users to better organize their chats. Maps now has new cycling directions, electric vehicle routing, and curated Guides. Users will have more access and control to their privacy settings. There are many other changes in the update. A list of additional iOS 14 features is available in the article."
Amazon offers to help U.S. with vaccine in letter to President Biden . Amazon has offered to help with the US efforts involving the COVID-19 vaccine in a letter addressed to President Joe Biden. The retailer has an agreement with a healthcare provider to administer vaccines at its facilities. It is prepared to leverage its resources to assist the Biden administration's vaccination efforts.
"Summer camps use facial recognition so parents can watch from home (11 minute read). Facial recognition software is a concern for privacy advocates due to its ability to identify people from a distance without their knowledge or consent, a power which has the potential to be abused by authorities. Some cities have banned the use of the technology by public officials and police. However, many citizens enjoy the benefits of facial recognition technology in their daily lives. Many summer camps are now using the technology to help parents keep an eye on their children when the children themselves don't have access to their phones. The children are usually unaware that they are being monitored. This technology has helped relieve separation anxiety from parents and also allows them to feel like they are not missing out on an important time in their children's lives. There are currently no laws to regulate facial recognition software, but the Federal Trade Commission is considering rules that would designate kids' faces as personal information, protected under federal law."
"Memray (GitHub Repo). Memray is a memory profiler for Python. It can help developers discover the cause of high memory usage, find memory leaks, and find hotspots in code that cause a lot of allocations. Memray can be used both as a command-line tool or as a library."
"Google introduces a new way to search that combines images and text into one query . Google Lens will soon be upgraded with the ability to add text to visual searches in order to allow users to ask questions about what they see. It will use Multitask Unified Model (MUM), a new AI technology that can understand information across a wide range of formats and draw insights and connections between topics, concepts, and ideas. MUM is also being used across Google Search and video searches. Examples of how the feature would work are available in the article."
"Startup Aims to Drill 12 Miles Into Earth’s Crust to Tap the Boundless Energy Below . Quaise Energy, a startup that spun out of MIT in 2018, recently secured $40 million in funding for their deep-drilling energy project. The startup plans to drill holes as deep as 12 miles into the Earth's crust where it reaches temperatures of over 700 degrees Fahrenheit. It plans to use the holes to convert water into supercritical steam to drive turbines and produce electricity. If successful, the technique could be used anywhere in the world to produce nearly 100 percent renewable energy at terawatt levels."
"Bill Gates played secret Santa for a lucky person on the internet — here's everything she got in her 81-pound package . Users on the SecretSanta subreddit organize a gift exchange every year, and this year, a woman named Shelby was the lucky recipient of a package from Bill Gates. Shelby received an 81-pound box on December 18 along with a donation to the American Heart Association to honor her late mother. Gates has been participating in Reddit's Secret Santa gift exchange for more than five years. He makes it a point to find personal gifts for each recipient based on the questionnaire they fill out when signing up for the exchange. Shelby's mother had died unexpectedly in March, so Gates' donation to the AHA was the most meaningful gift to her. Inside the 81-pound box, Shelby found a personal placard with a written message from Gates and a collection of gifts based on her interests."
"Controversial ‘Gene Drives’ Just Worked in Mammals for the First Time . Gene Drives are customized snippets of genetic code that can be inserted into an organism in order to create a certain trait. It had previously only been used in insects, such as mosquitoes, due to ethical and technological issues. However, a team of scientists in California has successfully inserted a gene drive into mice, opening up new possibilities with the technology."
The world's first operational 'sand battery' can store energy for months . Polar Night Energy has set up the world's first commercial-scale sand battery in a town in western Finland. Sand batteries are towers of sand that store and discharge heat energy. Sand is a relatively inexpensive alternative to other battery materials and it can store heat for months. Polar Night Energy's battery currently powers the central heating system for the town.
"Burger King unveils design for future restaurants, including touchless features, outdoor dining . Burger King has unveiled updated restaurant designs that feature dedicated mobile order and curbside pick-up areas, drive-in and walk-up order areas, an enhanced drive-thru experience, exterior dining spaces, and sustainable design elements. The new stores will have a physical footprint 60% smaller than traditional Burger King buildings and sites. A one-minute video that shows off the design is available at the end of the article."
"MASSCAN (GitHub Repo). MASSCAN is a TCP port scanner that can scan the entire Internet in under 5 minutes from a single machine. It uses parameters similar to nmap. MASSCAN can send 300,000 packets per second on Windows and 1.6 million packets per second on Linux. It randomizes target IP addresses, so it shouldn't overwhelm any distant networks."
"Huawei has been building a Play Store alternative in plain sight . Huawei’s App Gallery has been available on Huawei devices for a while now as an alternative to Google’s Play Store. It appears that Huawei had plans for the likely scenario that they had to stop doing business with Google, as is the situation at the moment. While the US ban on companies dealing with Huawei will damage the business, it will not completely stop developers from distributing apps to Huawei users. Using Huawei’s App Gallery, developers now have a marketplace targeted to Huawei users, with 50 million users in Europe alone."
"Eleventy (Website). Eleventy is a simple static site generator. It can transform a directory of templates of varying types into HTML. Eleventy works with HTML, Markdown, JavaScript, Liquid, Nunjucks, Handlebars, Mustache, EJS, Haml, and Pug. Examples of sites built with Eleventy are available."
"Hotjar - See Like Your Users (Sponsor). At Hotjar, we’re building product experience insights tools for the world's leading product teams, including Microsoft, Nintendo, and HubSpot.We go beyond product analytics so product teams can empathize with and understand their users, connecting the dots between what's happening and why it happens. Sign up today to see how users actually experience your site!"
"Asynchronous Communication: The Real Reason Remote Workers Are More Productive (13 minute read). Studies have shown that remote workers are more productive than office-bound workers. Remote workers are able to avoid commutes, have more control over their workdays, and are able to dedicate more time to family, friends, and hobbies. Asynchronous communication may be a large factor in productivity and it can be applied to office work. Being able to respond to messages at your own pace means that workers have more control over their workday, communications are more thought out, employees are able to plan better, and people are able to focus more on deep work rather than constantly be on the lookout for communications. Synchronous communication is still necessary for some tasks, but in general, asynchronous communication is better for a more productive, happier work environment."
Scoop: Facebook establishing a venture arm to invest in startups . Facebook is starting a new multimillion-dollar investment fund aimed at startups. It recently filled the position of 'head of investments' in its New Product Experimentation team. Investing in startups could help the company catch the next big social app before it becomes big. Acquiring small startups before they become successful would help Facebook avoid being accused of buying out rivals. It is unknown how large the fund will be.
"Deep Learning Enables Real-Time 3D Holograms On a Smartphone . Researchers from MIT have developed a way to produce holograms nearly instantly using a deep-learning based method. Holograms require an extraordinary amount of data to create the illusion of depth in an image. The new convolutional neural network learns shortcuts to generating holograms, which reduces total operations by orders of magnitude. It can produce new holograms from images with depth information, which can be provided from a multi-camera setup or with lidar sensors. The system uses less than 620 kilobytes of memory. It can generate 60 1920x1080 color holograms per second on a single consumer-grade GPU. The system can run on an iPhone 11 Pro at the rate of 1.1 holograms per second."
"Surgeons at Duke University First to Implant New Total Artificial Heart Into Patient . Surgeons at Duke University were the first to implant a new generation of Total Artificial Heart (TAH) after receiving FDA approval for human trials. The TAH has a variable heart rate that adjusts based on patient activity and can be used as a complete replacement for living donor hearts. Each device costs around $190,000, plus the costs of critical care staff and other medications. The device could solve long waitlists and high costs so that a heart will always be available for any patient in need."
"Crypto enthusiasts want to buy an NBA team, after failing to purchase US Constitution . Krause House DAO is a new decentralized autonomous organization that aims to purchase an NBA franchise. The group of around 2,000 members raised the equivalent of $4 million in six days. While the funds are currently nowhere near what they will need to buy even the least-valuable NBA team, the organization has plans to invest the funds into future projects so that it can become a serious bidder one day. The group offers an NFT that comes with voting power in the community, but it does not guarantee future ownership of a team."
"Hello IPv6: a minimal tutorial for IPv4 users (24 minute read). IPv6 was published in 1998 and ratified as a standard in 2017. It does more than just provide for a larger address space than IPv4. Many of the terms and protocols in IPv4 either radically changed or disappeared in IPv6. This article explains how IPv4 concepts work in IPv6, with a focus on home and small office networks. It aims for a practical understanding and is not a complete description of IPv6."
"Rich CLI (GitHub Repo). Rich CLI is a command-line toolbox for fancy output in the terminal. It can highlight file types, highlight syntax in files, render Markdown and JSON files, and markup and format text from the command line. Many file formats are supported. Screenshots and examples are available."
"Elon Musk Confirms SpaceX Ocean Spaceport Deimos Under Construction for Starship Launch Next Year . SpaceX's Ocean Spaceport Deimos is under construction and its first launch will take place next year. The site is intended for Starship and its Super Heavy rocket booster. SpaceX has finally landed a Starship, so its next step is to land one with the Super Heavy. There is no set date for SpaceX's Mars mission, but it aims to launch by 2030."
"Growing gold nanoparticles inside tumors can help kill cancer . Researchers have found a way to grow gold nanoparticles directly inside cancer cells. The particles can help with imaging and can be heated up to kill the tumors. Scientists have previously tried to use gold to fight cancer, but it is a challenge to get the material inside tumors. The new method uses polyethylene glycol as a delivery vector for ionic gold. The acidic cellular microenvironment in cancer converts the gold from its ionic form into plasmonic gold nanoparticles. After the initial tests, the scientists in the study used an existing technique to heat the gold nanoparticles up with lasers to kill the cancer cells."
"Amazon to pay $500 million in bonuses to workers most exposed to coronavirus . Amazon recently announced that it will pay out a one-time bonus to its front-line employees who worked for the company through June. The company had cut its $2-an-hour hazard pay for workers at the start of June. Front line workers will get between $150 to $3,000 depending on hours worked and their position in the company. The e-commerce giant has been criticized heavily for its health and safety response to the virus. While it has instituted a variety of safety measures to protect employees, it has also eliminated programs designed to support workers during the pandemic."
Ask HN: Tesla is making us move or quit. Would I get severance? (Hacker News Thread). Tesla has told its employees to return to the office or leave the company. The announcement could be intended to make workers quit so that the company doesn't have to pay severance. Employees affected by the new rules should seek legal advice. They should also not quit their jobs and continue to work while documenting any interactions with management.
"nbdev (GitHub Repo). nbdev allows developers to fully develop a library in Jupyter Notebooks. It is a true literate programming environment where you can put all your code, tests, and documentation in one place. Developers can easily debug and refactor code."
"Watch Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin test fly the latest upgrades to its space tourism rocket New Shepard . Blue Origin launched the fourteenth test flight of its New Shepard rocket booster and capsule on January 14. There were no passengers on board, but the capsule can carry up to six people. The mission aimed to test a number of astronaut communication and safety alert systems. New Shepard is designed to carry people to an altitude of more than 340,000 feet and spend as much as 10 minutes in zero gravity before returning to Earth. Jeff Bezos personally funds Blue Origin's development, selling Amazon stock to fund the space company."
"Programming-Idioms (Website). Programming-Idioms contains a collection of standard methods for coding standard things in several popular programming languages. Developers are encouraged to contribute by submitting implementations in their favorite language. All the information is crowdsourced and free, so there is no guarantee regarding the quality of the implementations as well as the identity of contributors."
"Waymo to Start First Driverless Car Service Next Month . Waymo (Google's self-driving car division) is launching the world's first driverless car service in early December. It will use a separate name and will compete directly with Uber and Lyft. The service will launch only in the suburbs of Phoenix at first, but it shows how far ahead of the competition Waymo is. GM (who acquired self-driving startup Cruise) is probably in second place and analysts believe they're at least a year away from launching something like this. When the program launches there will be backup drivers in the cars to ease customers in, but they will be phased out eventually. The pricing will be competitive with Uber and Lyft."
"TikTok Has a Cult Leader; Meet the Mother Hen . Melissa Ong started the 'Step Chickens Cult' in early May after announcing on TikTok that she wanted to start a cult and asking for suggestions for names. Ong now has almost two million followers, with celebrities and organizations joining the 'cult'. 'Step Chickens' members have been changing their profile pictures to the same picture of Ong, also known as 'Mother Hen'. Ong has monetized her newfound following by selling merchandise, releasing a song, and also releasing an app."
"Research Opens the Door to Fully Light-Based Quantum Computing . A team of researchers have announced the development of a fully photonics-based approach to quantum computing. The team's approach could lead to the development of rack-sized, mostly maintenance-free large-scale quantum computing systems. Photonics-based quantum computing takes advantage of emerging quantum properties in light. The new design allows for a reduction in required raw materials without the complexity of controlling multiple quantum computing units."
"TLDR's Crypto Newsletter (Signup Form). Here is a sign up form for TLDR Crypto, a new newsletter by TLDR dedicated to following tech and innovation in the crypto ecosystem. Please let me know if you have any feedback, ideas, or requests in terms of content, I'm still in the very early stages of putting this together!"
"China Building “Artificial Moon” Facility That Simulates Low Gravity With Magnets . Chinese researchers are developing a facility to simulate the gravity of the lunar surface. The artificial Moon will be built in only a few months. It will create low gravity environments using a vacuum chamber and a powerful magnetic field. The chamber will only be 60 centimeters in diameter, but that will be big enough for researchers to test certain equipment and tools to see how they react to the Moon's low-gravity environment. The artificial Moon was inspired by an experiment that earned a Russian physicist an Ig Nobel Prize in Physics."
"Apple will stop selling some iPhone models in its stores in Germany following ruling in Qualcomm patent case . Germany has granted Qualcomm an injunction against Apple in a patent case, forcing Apple to stop selling the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 in its stores in Germany. Qualcomm was already successful in getting several iPhone models banned in China earlier this month. The iPhones will still be available through third party stores. Apple says ""Qualcomm's campaign is a desperate attempt to distract from the real issues between our companies...Their tactics, in the courts and in their everyday business, are harming innovation and harming consumers. We are of course disappointed by this verdict and we plan to appeal."""
"Reddit is bringing back r/Place, its April Fools’ Day art experiment . Reddit is bringing back r/Place for four days beginning on April 1 at 9 AM ET. r/Place launched on April 1, 2017, as an April Fools' Day experience. It featured a large white grid on which Reddit users could place colored pixels one at a time every five minutes. The project attracted more than one million users who put down some 16 million tiles. An image of the original r/Place artwork is available in the article."
"A Rare Deep-Sea Fish With a Transparent Head Can See Through Its Forehead . Researchers with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) recently captured footage of the super-rare barreleye fish. These fish live thousands of feet beneath the surface and not much is known about them. Their large set of eyes are thought to be used to spot shadows of their prey above them, with the green pigment in their eyes filtering out sunlight reflecting from the ocean surface. The species has only been spotted by the team at MBARI nine times out of more than 5,600 dives. A minute-long video of the fish captured by the researchers is available in the article."
"Buzzfeed to take over online news site HuffPost . Buzzfeed is taking over HuffPost, with seller Verizon Media becoming a minority shareholder in Buzzfeed as part of the deal. The two companies will create new revenue opportunities by joining together for advertising and sharing content. HuffPost, formerly Huffington Post, was founded in 2005 as a site for liberal bloggers. Digital firms have been struggling against tech giants such as Facebook and Google. In recent years, Buzzfeed has shed staff, closed some of its newsrooms, and slashed staff pay. HuffPost is expected to remain a standalone brand, but Buzzfeed has declined to comment on the possibility of job losses."
"Basque (GitHub Repo). Basque is a game engine for top-down 2D games. It features map editing, sprite sheet animations, the ability to add background music, collision detection, and some frame-rate limiting. There are two GIFs that show quick snippets of Basque in action."
"Scientists Grow Bigger Monkey Brains Using Human Genes, Replicating Evolution . Scientists from Germany and Japan recently published a study detailing an experiment where they inserted a specific human gene into monkey fetuses to make their brains bigger. The insertion of the gene resulted in folding of the brain, an increase in the size of the monkeys' neocortex, an increase in the number of cells that produce neurons, and an increase in the number of upper-layer neurons. Due to ethical reasons, the fetuses were removed through C-section after 100 days of growth."
"AI Expert Roadmap (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a set of flow charts showing different career paths and the technologies required to enter into those fields. The charts were designed for people interested in becoming experts in data science, machine learning, or artificial intelligence. A link to an interactive version with additional resources is available."
"A Single Shot Restored Vision to a Blind Child for an Entire Year . Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is an eye disorder that affects the retina, causing severe visual impairment from infancy. It has a genetic component, and the associated mutation has been identified. A team of scientists recently injected a short RNA molecule into a group of LCA patients' eyes, which reversed the effects of the mutation and improved their retinal function and perception in daylight. Some improvements in visual acuity remained for more than 15 months. The method is a major step towards developing ways to improve vision in people who are genetically predisposed to suffer from eye-related diseases."
Realtime Face Movement Tracking (GitHub Repo). This repository contains code for basic face movement tracking that can convert face movement into keyboard commands. Two demo games are available.
"DeepFaceLab (GitHub Repo). DeepFaceLab is a tool that uses machine learning to replace faces in videos. It includes a working standalone Windows binary. A gallery of examples is available, as well as a series of links with materials and examples of deepfakes, both SFW and NSFW."
"Ex-SpaceX Engineers Are Building a Cheap, Portable Nuclear Reactor . Radiant is a startup made up of a team of former SpaceX engineers that is developing portable nuclear microreactors aimed at commercial and military applications. The microreactors will each be able to power approximately 1,000 homes for up to eight years. They will use an advanced particle fuel that does not melt down and is capable of withstanding higher temperatures than traditional nuclear fuels. The technology will allow people in remote locations to use clean energy without needing constant shipments of fuel."
"Samsung's Galaxy S10 and S10+ leaked yet again in new pictures . Samsung will be releasing the Galaxy S10 and S10+ in less than a month. Detailed pictures of the front, back, and sides are now available which show the dual-lens, hole-punch camera, sim card slot, USB-C port, headphone jack, and a new UI."
"Dashcam video shows Tesla steering toward lane divider—again . A bug in Tesla's Autopilot driving program would sometimes pull cars towards lane dividers in specific spots on a Reddit user's commute. Despite reporting the issue to Tesla many times, he received no response. There have been several software updates since the user started reporting the issue, with some updates fixing the issue temporarily, but dashcam footage confirms that it still occurs. Tesla owner Walter Huang died in a crash at a site similar to the one where this bug occurs last year, and there is evidence that the vehicle veered towards a lane divider and sped up while on autopilot prior to the crash. Tesla maintains that Autopilot is meant to assist drivers and that drivers must still be attentive while using the program."
"MIT Scientists Develop New Regenerative Drug That Reverses Hearing Loss . Frequency Therapeutics is seeking to reverse hearing loss by regrowing hair cells in the inner ear. It has developed a drug candidate that can be injected into the ear to regrow hair within the cochlea. The treatment has improved people's speech perception in clinical trials. Some participants saw significant improvements after a single injection, with the effect lasting up to two years. Frequency is now recruiting for a new trial from which the results should be available early next year."
"Researchers Say Newly-Discovered Particle Could Help Create “Exercise in a Pill” . A team of researchers from Australia has identified a molecular signal that is sent to our brains and eyes immediately after exercise. The signals travel via lipid particles to the central nervous system. The team originally set out to discover the effects of exercise on the retina, as exercise seems to keep eyesight healthy. It may be possible to use these molecules to create a pill that can provide the benefits of exercise to those who can't exercise normally."
"Valve’s gaming handheld is called the Steam Deck and it’s shipping in December . Valve's Steam Deck is a Switch-like handheld gaming device that will start shipping in December. There will be three storage tiers, and customers will be able to insert a microSD card for more storage. The Steam Deck has a huge number of control options, and it will be able to provide several hours of playtime for most games. It will be a full-fledged Linux computer, so users will be able to run software on the desktop if they want. The article contains many more details, as well as pictures and a video of the device."
Elon Musk says Twitter deal ‘on hold’ after spam / fake account report . Elon Musk's deal to buy Twitter has been put temporarily on hold while Musk waits for the company to show how it calculated the number of false or spam accounts on its platform. Musk is still committed to the acquisition and it will proceed after Twitter provides satisfactory information on its numbers. Twitter has miscalculated the number of daily users on its platform in past reports. The number of false or spam accounts could be higher than estimated. Cutting down on false and bot accounts is a key part of Musk's pitch for improving the business.
"The State of Ruby 3 Typing . Ruby 3 will ship with the ability to write type signatures for Ruby programs and will have built-in type signatures for the Ruby standard libraries. This will make type definitions in Ruby code portable between type checkers. The language and the library for type signatures for Ruby 3 will be called RBS. It features duck typing and non-uniformity. RBS will help developers by finding more bugs, giving IDEs a better understanding of the Ruby code, guided tuck typing, and more."
"With Big Stars and Paid Subscriptions, Luminary Aims to Be the Netflix of Podcasts . Luminary is a platform for podcasts that will be launching in June. The new podcast app will focus on subscriptions and will be ad-free. Many big names have already signed up to the platform, with more than 40 exclusive shows already in the works. The subscription will be $8 a month and content creators will be paid upfront for their work, receiving a bonus if their audience numbers reach a certain threshold."
"Microdiff (GitHub Repo). Microdiff is a zero-dependency object and array comparison library. It is fast, extremely lightweight, and easy to use. Microdiff features support for Deno, Node, the web, service workers, TypeScript, and more."
"Self-driving homes could be the future of affordable housing . Honda recently announced the IeMobi Concept, an autonomous mobile living room that attaches and detaches from your house. When parked, the vehicle becomes a 50-square-foot living or workspace. Volvo just unveiled its 360c concept vehicle that serves as either a living room or mobile office. These self-driving mobile homes could offer an unlikely solution the housing crisis, allow new modes of nomadic living, and completely change the way we organize society. In Los Angeles alone, it is estimated that 15,000 people are already living in their cars and in most countries you are allowed to live in your vehicle."
"Zero-gravity space fridge could keep astronaut food fresh for years . Refrigerators aren't able to work in space as they rely on gravity to distribute oil through the compressor system that regulates temperature. Purdue University researchers and Air Squared are creating an oil-free version of the traditional fridge that can work independent of gravity. The project was funded by NASA and it tested its first flight-ready prototype last month. The prototype worked in simulated microgravity on a parabolic plane flight. While the test was limited, it was able to help work out an issue with the device. The next test could be a longer-term installation aboard the ISS."
Fleet (GitHub Repo). Fleet is a build tool for Rust. It can compile up to five times faster than cargo. Fleet works by optimizing builds using existing tooling available in the Rust ecosystem. It is still in beta.
"'Twitter Blue' is the company's upcoming subscription service . Twitter Blue is a subscription service that Twitter is working on that features a new function called Collections and an Undo Tweet button. Collections will let users save and organize their favorite tweets. The Undo Tweet button will let users cancel tweets up to a few seconds after sending the message. Twitter may bundle Scroll with Twitter Blue, which would remove ads from the subscriber's feed. The service is still in development, so details may change before launch."
"Google’s auto-complete for speech can cover up glitches in video calls . Google's video-calling app Duo uses an artificial intelligence called WaveNetEQ to mimic speech in order to fill up gaps caused by connection issues. Almost all Duo calls have to deal with jumbled or lost packets, causing a tenth of calls to lose more than 8% of their audio. WaveNetEQ was developed by DeepMind. It was trained in 48 different languages and it can auto-complete short sections of speech based on common patterns in the way people talk. As Duo is end-to-end encrypted, the AI runs on the device. For now, WaveNetEQ can only generate syllables rather than whole words or phrases. Samples are linked in the article."
"HQ Trivia is back less than two months after the app was shut down . HQ Trivia has returned two months after the app was shut down. The company was acquired by a private investor. Episodes will start to air more regularly in the future, but the schedule is still being figured out. HQ Trivia was a live interactive quiz app that gave out cash prizes. It was very popular, but it faced a series of incidents that led to its demise. Co-founder Rus Yusupov negotiated a deal to bring the app back that involved paying severance to the 25 employees at HQ and paying out players who still had cash winnings pending."
"Searching the web for < $1000 / month . QuickWit was founded with the aim of creating a new type of full-text search engine that would be 10 times more cost-efficient on very large data sets. This article follows the QuickWit team as they create a solution that is entirely stateless, cost-efficient, and easy to operate. The resulting engine costs less than $1,000 per month to run, with room to lower costs even further. The engine will be open-sourced in the next few months."
"The Psychological Trap of Freelancing . Freelancing may provide freedom from having to go to a workplace every day for a certain amount of hours in exchange for a paycheck, but this freedom may come with some unforeseen problems. One of those problems is that once you start freelancing, your livelihood is completely dependent on your own effort and your time becomes significantly more valuable than if you just got a steady paycheck. This results in freelancers becoming increasingly more anxious as they monitor their time more closely. In the end, the article suggests that freelancers need to have stronger boundaries with themselves and their time in order to have a healthy work-life balance."
"Scientists: We kept pig brains alive 10 hours after death. Bioethicists: “Holy shit.” . The line between life and death has been blurred by recent research, where scientists were able to revive the cells in dead pig’s brains and keep them alive hours after death. Brain death was thought to occur 15 minutes after the organ stops receiving oxygen, but the scientists saw signs of life in brains that had been ‘dead’ for more than four hours, after hooking them up to a special system called BrainEx. BrainEx supplied the brains with oxygen, nutrients, and protective chemicals. While the cells showed signs of life, brain monitors showed no signs of activity, indicating that there was no consciousness. As the lack of consciousness was chemically induced, it may be possible that the brain activity could have been restored, but researchers did not want to cross that line."
Copii. Ready to use fully functional copy button for GitHub README files . Copii is a button you can add to your README files in GitHub to easily copy code to the clipboard. An example is available on the page.
Scientists Discover the Long-Lost Continent ‘Balkanatolia’ . Balkanatolia is a landmass that existed 40 million years ago between the Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas. Fossil records suggest that it helped Asian mammals migrate into Europe. The temporary land bridge paved the way for an extinction event known as the Grande Coupure that reshaped the fauna of Europe around 34 million years ago. Scientists are still uncovering fossils to understand the wildlife and geographic significance of Balkanatolia.
"‘Infinite leverage’ — some Robinhood users have been trading with unlimited borrowed money . A bug in the Robinhood stock-trading app has allowed users to trade with 'infinite leverage'. Using Robinhood Gold, users can borrow money to buy stocks. The glitch allowed users to overstate the amount of money users had in their accounts to borrow against. One user claimed they were able to take a $1,000,000 position in stock using only a $4,000 deposit. Robinhood is aware of the issue and is communicating directly with customers. The company has a $7.6 billion valuation with 6 million users."
"Disney Made a Skinless Robot That Can Realistically Stare Directly Into Your Soul . A team of researchers at Disney has created a robot that uses subtle head motions and eye movements to seem more lifelike, despite it lacking skin. The robot consists of a static torso and a highly animated and articulated head. Humans make a lot of subtle movements when engaging with other people that aren't always immediately obvious. Robots and animatronic characters tend to freeze, causing an uncanny valley effect. Disney's new robot can identify when someone is trying to engage with it and it can also react to other stimuli. A one-minute video of the robot is available in the article."
Unmasking China's invisible fleet (11 minute read). An investigation based on satellite data collected over two years has found that China's armada of illegal industrial fishing boats has displaced smaller North Korean boats and caused a sharp decline in the squid population. The Chinese vessels appear to violate UN sanctions imposed in 2017. Chinese Captains who were investigated by South Korean Coast Guard authorities have presented fishing permits signed by North Korean authorities. China has denied allegations of illegal fishing.
Facebook exposed up to 6.8 million users' private photos to developers in latest leak . Facebook accidentally exposed the private photos of 6.8 million users to 1500 apps using their API between the dates of September 12th to September 25th. Users affected by the breach should get a notification telling them that their data has been breached. They are working with the developers to get these photos removed.
"This is my new favorite (free). GitHub Actions is a continuous integration tool that also works as a general-purpose code execution platform. It is built into a website that people use to manage their everyday projects. Projects can be deployed and run using GitHub Actions. This tutorial will show you how to build a weather bot and deploy it using GitHub Actions. It will show you how to securely store environment variables, configure details within repositories, and more."
"A New Hurricane-Resistant Floating Solar Farm Could Help Replace Fossil Fuels . The Demonstrator is a solar platform from SolarDuck that can withstand the hurricane forces experienced in and around Bermuda and Florida. It is optimized for natural harbors, estuaries, and other near-shore regions. These types of platforms could help power many significant communities around the equator, where there is constant sun but low wind, making wind power impractical. SolarDuck aims to eventually build a plant that can generate 10-MW, which will require 100 platforms connected together."
FortuneSheet (GitHub Repo). FortuneSheet is a drop-in JavaScript spreadsheet library based on Luckysheet. It uses a data structure that is compatible with Luckysheet and has features that make it comparable to Excel and Google Sheets. An online demo is available.
"NASA Is Going to Test Drive an Alien-Hunting Robot in Antarctica . NASA will test drive a robot underneath Antarctica’s sea ice in preparation for a mission in the subsurface oceans of Jupiter's moon, Europa. Buoyant Rover for Under-Ice Exploration, or BRUIE, is a two-wheeled robot that uses buoyancy to anchor itself upside-down on the bottom edge of ice in order to study the zone where ice crusts and the ocean environment interact. Life is often found at interfaces, for example, where the ice meets water. Europa likely contains more water than all of Earth's oceans combined, and it might have the potential for life. There are still many challenges to overcome before a mission to Europa will be possible."
Node.js Developer Roadmap (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a roadmap to becoming a Node.js developer. There are linked resources for most topics.
"Slack launches Huddles, Discord-like audio calls you can hop in and out of . Huddles is a new feature in Slack that allows team members to jump in and out of a persistent call freely at all hours. The feature is designed to replace the informal office conversations that colleagues used to have across their desks. There is a screen-sharing feature, so teams can use it for spontaneous meetings. Huddles can be created in any channel or DM, including between companies. Slack will introduce voice, video, and screen recordings in the coming months."
"Thammasat University – the largest urban rooftop farm in Asia . Thammasat University, situated a short trip away from Bangkok, features the largest rooftop farm in Asia. It incorporates modern landscape architecture with agricultural ingenuity, a green roof, urban farming, solar roof, and green public space. The roof of the building mimics traditional rice terraces, forming cascading farm levels that absorb and store rainwater while using it to grow food. This article talks about the rooftop farm at Thammasat University and describes the technologies used in the project. It includes many photos of the farm and diagrams explaining how parts of the farm function."
"Vultr's New Plans are Truly EPYC (Sponsor). Vultr's New Plans are Truly EPYC . Tired of Big Tech's unpredictable and convoluted pricing models? You're not alone. Vultr now offers Optimized Cloud Compute plans, powered by 3rd Gen AMD EPYC processors, for as low as $28.00/mo. Get started with $200 toward your first 30 days with this TLDR-exclusive offer."
"Japanese scientists produce first 3D-bioprinted, marbled Wagyu beef . Scientists from Japan's Osaka University have produced lab-grown Wagyu beef. The team used two types of stem cells harvested from Wagyu cows, coaxing them to become the required types of cells and then arranging them into a 3D stack to resemble marbled beef. The process is highly customizable and can produce cultured meat with highly controllable amounts of fat. A picture of the meat with a diagram showing how the different fibers are stacked is available in the article."
"CS106A - Code in Place (Website). CS106A - Code in Place is the first half of CS106A, a popular course at Stanford University that teaches the fundamentals of computer programming through Python. It assumes no previous background in programming and is open to everyone.The course will run for free (subject to availability) between April 13th and May 22nd. Students should expect to spend around 15 to 20 hours per week on the course. There will be a videoconferencing component for students to meet up in small discussion groups once a week with someone on the teaching team. There is no grade or university credit for completing the course."
"Google makes emails more dynamic with AMP for Email . Today marks Google’s official launch for AMP support for email, more than a year after they first announced their intentions of supporting the format. AMP will allow emails to become more interactive, so instead of having to complete work in a separate window, users can complete forms and questionnaires, RSVP to events, browse through a store’s inventory, or respond to comments right from a web-based email client itself. Many companies already support AMP emails, so users can expect to start seeing these kinds of emails in the coming weeks."
Jack Dorsey leaves Twitter's board of directors . Jack Dorsey has left the board of Twitter. Dorsey resigned from his CEO position last fall. He is friendly with Elon Musk and has discussed rolling over his 2.4% ownership stake in Twitter into Musk's takeover deal. Dorsey's next move remains unclear.
'Longevity gene' responsible for more efficient DNA repair . A gene that is responsible for more efficient DNA repair has been discovered. SIRT6 produces proteins that are able to aid in repairing the inevitable DNA breaks that occur due to age. It was found that mice with more copies of the gene lived longer and aged slower. Longer-living rodents such as naked mole rats and beavers with different versions of the gene produced higher quality gene-repairing proteins. The next step in this research is to study animals with longer life-spans than humans to see if it is possible to prevent age-related diseases in people.
"BioNTech mRNA Cancer Treatment Moved To Human Trials After Huge Success In Mice . BioNTech has been testing the use of mRNA vaccines against cancer. Animal trials have shown great promise, so the technology is now in human trials to see if they can bring the same success. Cytokines are proteins with anti-tumor effects. Research has shown that they can shrink tumors and even eradicate them, but they have a short half-life, and high levels of cytokines in the body results in adverse effects. The experimental vaccines encode cytokines directly into the tumors, creating them in large quantities without adverse effects."
"Google launches new tool to help cities stay cool . Google has released a tool that maps out where trees are needed most. Cities warm up in areas around buildings, and an easy way to cool these areas down is to plant more trees. Google's Tree Canopy Lab uses aerial imagery and AI to locate every tree in a city. The data is then plotted on a map along with additional data on population density and area temperatures. When tested in Los Angeles, the Tree Canopy Lab found that more than half of residents lived in places where trees shaded less than 10 percent of the neighborhood. Los Angeles has faced more and more intense heat waves over the last 50 years. The city has now set a goal of planting 90,000 trees across the city by 2021."
"gotify/server (GitHub Repo). gotify/server is a self-hosted server for sending and receiving messages in real time. While there are plenty of free and commercial push services available, they are not open-source, self-hosted, or customizable. Server admins are able to manage users, clients, and applications, and create and install plugins. Users can access the server through a web-UI or Android app."
"Beyond Meat and KFC partner to test fried plant-based ‘chicken’ . KFC customers at one Atlanta location on August 27 will receive a free sample of fried plant-based nuggets and boneless wings when they purchase something on that day. Beyond Meat and KFC are testing the product with customers before broader testing or a potential national rollout. Many fast-food chains have tested and implemented plant-based food options recently, including Burger King, Subway, Carl's Jr., and White Castle. Beyond Meat also sells plant-based meat products in grocery stores. Its main competitor, Impossible Foods, has just had its key ingredient approved for consumption by the FDA."
"Qualcomm To Launch Its Own Premium Snapdragon Branded Phones That Will Raise The Bar . Qualcomm is looking to enter into the smartphone market, partnering with ASUS to manufacture and distribute smartphones globally. It intends to create ultra-premium Snapdragon Android phones. ASUS already produces its own line of gaming smartphones. While Qualcomm chips are found in the majority of Android smartphones sold in the US, the company doesn't have direct sales channels with carriers, so it will be interesting to see how Qualcomm intends to market their devices. The official announcement is expected during the Snapdragon Tech Summit in December."
"'Black neutron star' discovery changes astronomy . Black neutron stars are astronomical objects that are more massive than collapsed stars but have less mass than black holes. They were previously thought to be impossible, but an international team of scientists has recently observed one in space, meaning that ideas on how neutron stars and black holes form will need to be rethought. It was observed colliding with a black hole using gravitational wave detectors based in the US and Italy."
"Microsoft tests Super-Duper Secure Mode for Edge . Super Duper Secure Mode is a new feature being tested by Microsoft's Edge Vulnerability Research team. It makes Edge more secure without negatively impacting performance by removing Just-In-Time compilation from the V8 processing pipeline, reducing the attack surface that can be used to hack into Edge systems. JITs exist to optimize JavaScript performance, but Microsoft's researchers did not see much of a change in performance by disabling it. Disabling the JIT would mean less frequent security updates and fewer emergency patches for users."
"Microsoft to permanently close all of its retail stores . Microsoft has announced plans to permanently close all of its store locations, except for four locations that will be 'reimagined' as experience centers that no longer sell products. No layoffs will result from the decision. Many retail store associates shifted to remote work or moved to corporate facilities after the stores closed for lockdown. Microsoft had originally planned to close its stores next year, but the pandemic has moved the schedule forward."
"Awesome Personal Blogs (GitHub Repo). This repository contains links to personal blogs written by people in tech. From automation to web development, these blogs contain a ton of information to keep you up to date on the latest developments in technology. As well as providing technical information, the blogs also tell a story of the personal and professional development of the writers, with many writers posting thoughts and reflections on their careers."
"Pope Ponders Universal Basic Income as World Economy Withers . Pope Francis advocated for a form of universal basic income in a letter from the Vatican City on Sunday. As the world faces great anxiety and hardship, it might be time to acknowledge the hardships being felt by people everywhere. Markets around the world have been heavily affected by the coronavirus pandemic and millions of people are now feeling the significant economic strain. The Pope expressed hope that this event will lessen the idolatry of money."
Botnet that hid for 18 months boasted some of the coolest tradecraft ever . A botnet group called UNC3524 has spent the past 18 months breaking into networks with unusual stealth. It uses a unique backdoor that runs on devices that don't support antivirus or endpoint detection. The backdoor uses file names and creation dates similar to legitimate files on the infected device and favors common Windows programming interfaces and tools over custom code. It also used an unusual method to connect to attacker-controlled infrastructure. Details about the botnet are available in the article.
"Microsoft launches Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with PC and Xbox games for $14.99 per month . The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription is out of beta and is now available to everybody for $14.99 per month. Gamers will be able to access Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass for both Xbox and PC with the subscription. Separately, the Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Game Pass for Xbox, and Xbox Game Pass for PC are $9.99 each. A special introductory offer of $1 for the first month is available for the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription."
"Triton is the world’s most murderous malware, and it’s spreading . Triton was discovered in a petrochemical plant in Saudi Arabia in 2017, after a couple of incidents where the safety systems in the plant were triggered and caused shutdowns. The malware targets the safety systems of the plant, granting attackers remote control over the systems. Fortunately, no damage was done, but such an attack could have caused the release of toxic gases or created explosions, putting people’s lives at risk. This is the first time that a cyber attack was deliberately designed to endanger human beings, and there is evidence that the hacker group that built the malware is looking for new targets."
"NASA announces SpaceX crewed flight June 2019 . NASA has announced that it will be sending the first manned flight with a SpaceX rocket to the International Space Station in June 2019. They will also be sending a similar manned flight in a Boeing rocket in August 2019. The crews will be using new lighter space suits designed by SpaceX and Boeing. These flights are considered tests, and astronauts will only be at the ISS for a couple of weeks. If all goes well NASA will be sending astronauts regularly for 6 months at a time."
"system-design-resources (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of resources for System Design. Categories include video processing, intra-service messaging, service mesh, practical system design, rate limiting, API design, caching, and much more."
"Artificial Intelligence is Helping Old Video Games Look Likes New . AI upscaling is the name of the technique where AI is used to convert low-quality images into higher quality images. It is able to produce drastically improved graphics and has been used to make older, lower resolution games look new. Creating the right algorithm takes time and effort, but a single modder is able to upgrade the graphics in a game within a few weeks of work. AI Upscaling uses Generative Adversarial Networks to train algorithms to tell the difference between low-quality and high-quality images. The generated images are not perfect, and many require post-processing."
"Salesforce is buying data visualization company Tableau for $15.7B in all-stock deal . Salesforce will buy Tableau, a data analytics platform, for $15.7 billion in an all-stock deal. At the close of trading on Friday, Tableau was valued at $10.79 billion, according to Google Finance. Trading has stopped for the stock due to the announcement. The purchase of Tableau will allow Salesforce to extend its engagement and data intelligence for customers. Data analytics is becoming an area that all major tech companies are starting to focus on. Google has recently purchased Looker, another data analytics company. Tableau will continue to operate independently under its own brand and with its current leadership team."
"Walmart’s unannounced cloud gaming service detailed in confidential Epic emails . Project Storm is Walmart's attempt at a cloud gaming service. It is unclear if it will ever launch. Back in 2019, Walmart pitched the service to Epic Games to get Fortnite on board. Epic co-founder Mark Rein reported a positive experience when trying out a demo of the service on an Android phone. Epic ended up partnering with Nvidia to launch Fortnite on GeForce Now, which is currently the only way to play the game on iOS."
"What's it like as a Senior Engineer? . Problems become more ambiguous as you get more experienced. As a senior engineer, most of your work goes into research rather than programming, and this includes talking to many people until you get the information you need. It can take some digging to get to clients' real needs. Solutions can sometimes have downsides and you will need to learn how to balance the tradeoffs. Skills like risk management, learning to fail, and receiving feedback become important for development. Working at a higher level involves getting people to agree with you. It all comes down to learning from your experiences, so you need to take opportunities as they show up and look for feedback at the end of projects."
"'Radically new' wing from NASA and MIT automatically changes shape . A new type of wing created by NASA and MIT is made from hundreds of small identical pieces. This design allows the wing to change shape using motors and cables. Different maneuvers require different wing shapes, and modern wings are usually a compromise. The new wing design can respond to changes in aerodynamic loading by changing shape, making the wing perform more optimally. Researchers aim to apply this technology to other structures, such as turbines, bridges, and space antennas."
"What’s a five-letter word for “acquire”? NYT buys Wordle for “low 7 figures” . The New York Times has announced that it will purchase Wordle for a number in the low seven figures. It will remain free to play and no changes will be made to its gameplay. Current players' win records and streaks will be retained. While NYT has many free games that can be played without signing in or registering, some games require a subscription to play a full version or for more features."
"Telegram ‘Premium’ subscription is showing up in beta builds of the app . Beta testers for Telegram's iOS app have discovered new features that are only accessible through a subscription to Telegram Premium. The subscription will likely involve adding features like premium stickers, reactions, and other features for business teams or power users. It will also likely remove ads for subscribers. The free parts of Telegram will continue to be free. Telegram only needs a small percentage of its users to subscribe in order to become the break-even business it wants to be."
"Apple’s board of directors reportedly tried out its upcoming AR / VR headset . A mixed reality headset capable of both augmented and virtual reality has been presented to Apple's board of directors. Apple engineers are now developing an operating system for the device called Reality OS, or rOS. The device will feature AirPods Max-like fabric mesh and a headband that looks almost like an Apple Watch loop. It will be powered by an M1-class chip. The device is not likely to be ready for an announcement at WWDC next month."
"Space balloon company offers first look at luxury cabins . Space Perspective plans to lift luxury cabins into the upper atmosphere with giant balloons by the end of 2024. The company has sold more than 600 tickets at $125,000 each so far for the experience. The luxury cabins will feature Wi-Fi connectivity and a drinks bar. The balloons will reach altitudes of 20 miles. Guests won't need to complete any special training. Renderings of the luxury cabins are available in the article."
"JavaScript Performance in the Wild 2020 (14 minute read). This article analyzes the top 1 million pages on the web to find out what makes the web slow. A scripted web browser was used to browse to the root page of the top 1 million domains and log render times, request counts, repaints, JavaScript errors, libraries used, and other data. The analysis provided support for several optimization tricks, such as making as few requests as possible, using HTTP2 or greater, and avoiding render blocking requests and using async where possible. JQuery is the most popular library, but the data says it significantly slows down performance."
"Microsoft's Chromium-based Edge browser rolls out through Windows Update . Microsoft Edge was first released in 2015 to replace Internet Explorer. Last year, Microsoft rebuilt the browser with Google's Chromium framework. The complete version is now available as part of Windows Update. It features improved compatibility with websites, better performance, and the ability to run extensions."
"France passes tax on tech giants despite US threats . France has approved a three percent digital services tax for any digital company that generates more than €750m of revenue if €25m of the revenue is generated in France. The law will be retroactively applied from early 2019 and will generate an estimated €400m this year. While the US has threatened to impose tariffs in retaliation, France argues that these companies have a large presence in their country and benefit by not paying little or no tax, as most profits are claimed in the home country. The EU has previously proposed a similar tax but there were objections to the law. France will rescind the new laws if an international agreement is made in regards to taxing digital services, and hopes that the US will be incentivized to participate in talks."
"One of the World's Most Powerful Supercomputers Uses Light Instead of Electric Current . France's Jean Zay supercomputer is the first HPC to have a photonic coprocessor, meaning it transmits and processes information using light. The breakthrough was made through a collaboration by LightOn, GENCI, and IDRIS. The technology will be offered to select users of the Jean Zay research community over the next few months. The fastest supercomputer in June last year was Japan's Fugaku supercomputer."
"Uber says it will start delivering fast food by drone in San Diego this summer . Uber will begin fast food deliveries using drones in San Diego later this year, pending approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. The drone deliveries will not be made directly to customers’ houses. Instead, deliveries will be sent to ‘designated safe landing zones’. Uber couriers will then take the package from the landing zone and deliver it to the customer. Costs for drone delivery will be about the same as regular fees, but deliveries will be much faster. Uber predicts that drone deliveries will be so common in 10 years time that fast food restaurants will redesign their kitchens around them."
"Eight big takeaways from CES 2020 . CES is over, and while there doesn't seem to be a clear 'Next Big Thing', there is an abundance of new ideas. TV makers are continuing to look for the next expensive thing to encourage consumers to upgrade. Rolling TVs, 8K, and radical bezel-less or ultra-thin designs were common at CES. While foldable screens still seem to be a while away, flexible screen technology has improved significantly. The battle between AMD and Intel seems to be ramping up, with both companies striving to create hardware for new form factors. Many companies presented concept designs at CES, but most didn't seem to have a firm purpose or direction. Smaller companies are feeling the pressure from large companies like Google, and some lawsuits were filed just hours after CES opened. Sex technology is becoming less taboo at the show. AI, 8K, and 5G are becoming more normalized and less worshipped as a technology."
"Building electronic devices via chemical reactions . Almost all demonstrations of atomically small machines are essentially assembled by hand. A team of scientists has successfully used a chemical reaction to bind two atomically thin materials, graphene and molybdenum disulfide, potentially paving the way for mass production. The bridge molecule can be used to alter graphene's behavior in different ways. Details about the technique are available in the article."
"Plant-based burger battle heats up as culinary rivals roll out new products . Two plant-based burger companies, Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, are set to launch the next versions of their burgers. While both burgers are plant-based, their formulas are quite different. Beyond Meats’ burger is based on pea and mung bean protein, whereas Impossible Foods’ burger using a soy-based protein. Previously, Beyond Meat had mainly targeted grocery stores while Impossible Foods targeted restaurants, but both companies now aim to compete directly with each other for customer loyalty."
"Elon Musk reveals updated design for future SpaceX Mars rocket . Elon Musk gave an update on SpaceX's Big Falcon Rocket (BFR), which will be able to take up to 100 tons of payload all the way to Mars. It can also be used to send the Big Falcon Spaceship (BFS), which can hold up to 100 passengers comfortably, to Mars. Musk thinks the BFR could make its first flight to Mars in 2022, and the first manned trip to Mars could happen as early as 2024. There are diagrams of the rockets inside."
"Ubuntu market-share is in a nosedive . Ubuntu came out in 2004 and became the most popular Linux distribution in less than 12 months. It has remained popular throughout the years, but its popularity has started to wane. Gamers and other users have moved to platforms like Arch and Manjaro. The drop in popularity may give the Ubuntu team the motivation it needs to make significant changes to its system to make it more appealing to the users they are losing."
"Message Platform Slack Moves Ahead Amid Direct Listing Plans . The popular messaging platform, Slack, filed with US regulators to go public without disclosing the details of its share-sale plans. Slack plans to sell its shares directly to investors without an Initial Public Offering (IPO). The estimated value of the company is more than $7 billion. While it is rare for a company to forgo an IPO, other companies such as Spotify have successfully gone public through this route."
"A CCTV Company Is Paying Remote Workers in India to Yell at Armed Robbers . Live Eye Surveillance is a surveillance camera system that lets a remote human operator intervene whenever they see something suspicious. The operators can speak through store speakers to interact with people in the store. Live Eye's system has caused some concern with workers, especially as it could potentially make dangerous situations worse. A link to a 2-minute sample video from Live Eye demonstrating the system is available in the article."
"What part of the developer experience is hardest for companies to get right? . In this article, Protocol interviews developers to find out what part of the developer experience is hardest for companies to get right. Companies are often lacking in tools, documentation, and communication. Not getting these things right slows down development. The best companies work to create environments that help developers build products."
"BrainNet is The World's First Non-Invasive Brain-to-Brain Interface . Researchers have created the world's first non-invasive brain-to-brain interface called BrainNet. It uses EEG to record brain signals and transcranial magnetic stimulation to deliver information to the brain. In an experiment, one person sees a game of Tetris and decides whether to keep or rotate the block. They then send this information through BrainNet to a second person who can't see the game screen, who must then decide whether to turn the block or keep it in position. The players were able to play the game with 81.3% accuracy. The researchers believe that this technology could eventually be used to create a '""social network"" of connected brains.'"
"MySpace Says It Lost Years Of User-Uploaded Music . Since 2003, people have used Myspace as a platform for uploading and sharing their music. As one of the most popular sites in 2006, it had helped launch the music careers of stars such as Lily Allen, the Arctic Monkeys, and Kate Nash. Since 2018, users have been finding that they could not access older music from the social media site. It has recently been revealed that due to a server migration, all photos, videos, and audio files uploaded before 2016 were lost and is no longer available. While MySpace claims it lost the files in an accident, skeptics say that the real reason was due to the cost and effort of migrating and hosting a large amount of old data and that the claims of incompetence were just for PR."
"Spotify Teams Up With Ancestry to Create DNA-Curated Playlists . Spotify is partnering with Ancestry.com to create playlists based a user's DNA. Anybody who has taken one of Ancestry.com's home DNA tests can now link their account to Spotify, and Spotify will generate a playlist based on your own tastes and music that is popular or culturally significant from your ancestral homelands."
"Elon Musk Raises More Questions About Twitter's Approach, Which Could Lead to a Big Shake-Up . Elon Musk made a series of tweets on Saturday night, raising questions about the platform and the future of the company. He noted that the most popular accounts on Twitter are not very active and that bots were skewing Twitter's active user numbers. Musk suggested that Twitter Blue subscribers should get an authentication checkmark and be excluded from seeing ads. He also suggested that Twitter's home base be converted to a homeless shelter. More about Twitter's past, its current state, and what the future may be like for the company, is available in the article."
"How Amazon automatically tracks and fires warehouse workers for ‘productivity’ . Around 300 full-time employees, an estimated 10% of the workforce, were fired from a warehouse in Baltimore between August 2017 and September 2018. A former worker disputed their termination, claiming that they were fired for participating in legally protected activity. In response, Amazon produced a report detailing its productivity measuring processes and termination rates. Amazon measures productivity in their warehouses using an automated tracking system, which categorizes employees according to productivity rates and suggests retraining or termination if an employee fails to meet requirements. Employees have criticized the system, claiming that it is too robotic and doesn’t take human factors into account. A redacted version of the report is available to read."
"Amazon ‘destroyed the retail industry across the US’ says Treasury Secretary Mnuchin . According to the US Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, Amazon has destroyed the retail industry across the United States and should be investigated alongside other tech giants in the broad antitrust review that the Justice Department recently announced. The DOJ will be investigating big tech companies to see whether online platforms have reduced competition, stifled innovation, or otherwise harmed consumers. Amazon responded to Mnuchin's comments by pointing out that Amazon represents less than four percent of US retail sales and that 90 percent of retail sales still occur in brick-and-mortar stores."
"Earth Microbes Can Survive on the Surface of Mars, Study Suggests . A team of scientists launched a box containing four types of bacteria and fungus into the stratosphere to expose them to several hours of Mars-like conditions. The experiment found that some species of fungi could be resistant to the Martian surface if accidentally delivered by spacecraft missions. This finding has implications for human Mars missions, as mission planners will have to figure out a way to prevent organisms in our microbiomes from spreading into the Martian environment."
"Meta goes into lockdown (10 minute read). Meta has started pulling talks at its summits due to risks of leaks. The company had always adhered to an open culture, but leaks have become an increasing problem in recent years. Meta recently rolled out a new Integrity Umbrella system designed to thwart leakers by limiting access to private Workplace groups. Employees who need access to a group can request it through a specific form. Employees at Meta claim that isolating company discussions will harm users in the long run."
"2020 Startup Themes . It is easier than ever for entrepreneurs to develop and pitch new products. As giants like Facebook and Google become more profit-driven, lowering the quality of user experience as a result, the field is ripe for competitors to join the market. Software development is becoming simpler and more easily accessible, and new types of software will need to be developed as the industry evolves. Some software has already been banned in countries due to political reasons, and this is likely to become a larger issue in the future. Privacy is an increasingly growing sector, but adoption is still slow. AI is on the rise, and it is beginning to be able to complete more and more complicated tasks. Radio technology is becoming cheaper and more accessible, with new types of detection technology currently being developed. The office is changing, with remote teams becoming common. More startups are focusing on the environment and redesigning industries to become sustainable."
"Icons 8 Ouch (Free Illustrations). This is a set of free illustrations neatly categorized for web developers. The categories are things like page not found, no comments, payment processed, as well as topics like education, relationships, and medicine."
"Google Contractors Are Unionizing With a Steel Workers Union . Contract workers at Google's office in Pittsburgh have joined forces with the Pittsburgh Association of Technical Professions to ask the National Labor Relations Board for a vote on union representation. The workers at HCL America Inc. work side-by-side with Google employees with far less compensation and few perks. Tech companies such as Google, Uber, and Lyft have been criticized by employees as their classifications for temps, vendors, and contractors allow companies to abdicate their responsibilities to the majority of their workforce. Once the NLRB determines whether the cards and signatures qualify, a representation election will be scheduled, which is when individual workers can vote for or against being represented by the union."
"Inside Facebook's suicide algorithm: Here's how the company uses artificial intelligence to predict your mental state from your posts . Facebook's suicide algorithm scans every post on Facebook to create a suicide risk score for each user. They pass high scores to law enforcement. Facebook points out that they have caused numerous successful interventions but many advocacy groups are worried about false positives. They also worry about Facebook's history of being hacked; if Facebook leaks your mental health score it could potentially be Googled by future employers etc. Facebook says they do not classify the information they make as sensitive health information, and while they delete low scores after 30 days, they did not respond when asked how long higher suicide risk scores would be stored. The EU has already banned Facebook's suicide algorithm under their GDPR law."
"The JavaScript Developer's Reading List (GitHub Repo). There is a lot of material out there for learning JavaScript and this can be a bit overwhelming. This repository contains a curated list of web development and JavaScript books and articles that have been recommended by developers. The owner of the repository is mainly focused on using React, GraphQL, and JavaScript, as it is the stack they are most familiar with."
"Nreal Air AR specs bring TV to your sunglasses . The Nreal Air is a pair of augmented reality glasses with a micro-OLED display. The lightweight glasses are designed for watching videos on YouTube and other streaming apps. While they look like sunglasses, Nreal claims they're optimized for both indoor and outdoor wear. They can cast a 90 Hz virtual display measuring up to 201 inches diagonally when viewed from 6 meters away. The Nreal Air will be available in China, Japan, and South Korea in December. Nreal has plans to launch the glasses in the US and likely the EU."
"USS Portland Fires Laser Weapon, Downs Drone in First At-Sea Test . The USS Portland recently shot down a drone with a laser weapon during a test of one of the Navy's high-energy laser weapon systems. The Navy is currently developing and testing a portfolio of laser weapons, some of which are more powerful than the one mounted on Portland. Portland's laser is expected to ultimately become a 150-kilowatt laser weapon. The development of the laser required advances in spectral beam combining, a technique that takes many lasers of different wavelengths and combines them into a more powerful beam. A 14-second video of the weapons test is available."
"Taking Back Our Privacy (40 minute read). Signal was launched in 2014 by Moxie Marlinspike. The end-to-end encrypted messaging service has grown largely since then, with bursts of growth corresponding to periods of social and political upheaval. Signal is able to bring a sense of normalcy to the internet, allowing people to share their thoughts with their friends without having the conversation analyzed for data. This article details a meeting with Marlinspike and discusses the rise of Signal and its future."
"The Surface Duo, Microsoft’s first-ever Android phone, is $1,400 . The Surface Duo is now available for pre-order and will ship on September 10. Microsoft will sell the dual-screen phone unlocked for $1,399. AT&T will also stock the device. It will come with two 5.6-inch OLED panels, a Snapdragon 855 processor, 6GB ram, 128 or 256GB of storage, a 3577mAh battery, one 11MP camera, a single speaker, a USB-C port, and support for Surface pen input. A 2-minute video from Microsoft is available in the article."
Floating Drone Captures First-Ever Footage From Inside A Hurricane At Sea . The Saildrone Explorer SD 1045 is an uncrewed surface vehicle developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the company Saildrone. It recently captured footage from inside a Category 4 hurricane from the ocean surface. The NOAA will use the collected data to improve forecast models and better predict when and how hurricanes undergo rapid intensification. The footage is available in the article.
"Meet the creature that eats its own brain . The sea squirt belongs to a group of undersea animals called tunicates. Tunicates are saclike filter-feeders that live on plankton and organic matter. While they are squishy, they are part of the phylum chordata as they have many of the anatomical features of vertebrate animals in their larval stage. Sea squirts come in many shapes and sizes. They hatch into tadpole-like larvae that can swim for a short time. After they settle, they begin absorbing all the tadpole-like parts, including its brain, and becomes its adult form. There are many pictures of sea squirts available in the article."
"Scientists Engineer Gorgeous Glowing Plants That Shine Bright Their Entire Life Cycle . Scientists have genetically engineered a plant with a visible glow that lasts for the duration of the plant's life cycle. The modified tobacco plants don't need to be fed with chemicals to maintain luminescence. A timelapse video of the plants growing is available in the articles. The scientists used the DNA of bioluminescent fungi to create the plants. Younger parts of the plants glow most brightly, with the flowers glowing brightest. The plants do not emit enough light to read by, but enough to be clearly visible."
"Here’s how the FBI managed to get into the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone . After the San Bernardino shooting, the FBI asked Apple to help unlock the shooter's phone. Apple attempted to help but refused to create a tool to bypass the passcode system as that would permanently decrease the security of its phones. The FBI then partnered with an Australian IT firm, who exploited a flaw in some code written by Mozilla to gain full control over the main processor and run their own code. They then ran software that allowed them to guess every passcode combination. In the end, the FBI didn't get any useful information from the phone."
"about SwiftUI (GitHub Repo). There are many docs, examples, videos, and tutorials on SwiftUI and this repository aims to gather all of the material to create a central source of information for SwiftUI. SwiftUI allows developers to easily build user interfaces across all of Apple’s devices using a simple set of tools and APIs. Developers are welcome to contribute to the list."
"Dow Jones’ watchlist of 2.4 million high-risk individuals has leaked . The Dow Jones’ watchlist is used by many financial institutions and government agencies to identify high-risk individuals in order to approve or deny financing, or even shut down bank accounts. An independent security researcher found a copy of the database which was left on a server without a password. The database contained 2.4 million records which included information such as names, addresses, date of births, genders, photographs, and current locations. Each record also had extensive notes regarding the individuals."
"Humans probably can't live longer than 150 years, new research finds . New research from a Singapore-based biotech company explored how well the human body can recover from stress on its systems as it ages and found that the human body loses its ability to recover from stressors at some age between 120 and 150. The research looked at health data for large groups from the US, UK, and Russia. It showed that recovery rate is an important signature of aging. The research could lead to the development of drugs to slow the process and extend healthspan. It explains why current treatments can only improve the average but not the maximum lifespan."
El Salvador looks to become the world’s first country to adopt bitcoin as legal tender . El Salvador may become the world's first sovereign nation to adopt bitcoin as legal tender. The country recently partnered with digital wallet company Strike to build modern financial infrastructure using bitcoin technology. Roughly 70 percent of people in El Salvador don't have bank accounts or credit cards. More than 20 percent of the country's GDP is from money sent home from migrants. International transfer fees for cash can be more than 10 percent of the total transfer and take days to process. Using bitcoin provides a way to protect the country's developing economy from the potential shocks of fiat currency inflation.
"Web Development In 2020 - A Practical Guide Course List (GitHub Repo). There are tons of technologies available for web developers and the large amount of information out there can be intimidating for newcomers. This list of technologies includes links to the top Udemy courses for each topic, as well as other resources. Alternatives to Udemy are also listed."
"Ask HN: Where can I find remote or quality oriented freelancing work? (Hacker News Thread). As a developer, finding freelance work can be difficult, especially with popular freelancing platforms being flooded with low-quality programmers who place low bids to win projects. While there are many sources and avenues to find employment, the key is to develop sales skills and set yourself apart from the crowd. Employers and companies receive applications all the time, and if an application is generic, it is easy to ignore. Being proactive by creating a portfolio of work and then presenting it correctly will help developers gain more higher-quality jobs than just exploring new job platforms or randomly contacting potential employers."
"Watch: Klein Vision’s Flying Car Prototype Takes to the Skies After Driving the Road . Most flying cars are just small airplanes, but the Klein Vision AirCar is an aircraft that looks and functions like a car. A video is linked in the article that shows the AirCar successfully completing a flight and driving around. It is a road-ready car that can transform into a plane with a touch of a few buttons. The vehicle is powered by a 1.6-liter BMW engine and the startup claims that it has a flying range of 620 miles and can reach a top flying speed of 124 mph."
"Uber is trying to buy Grubhub . Uber has made an offer to buy Grubhub. Grubhub is currently valued at $4.5 billion. Uber Eats has around 20 percent of the delivery app market share while Grubhub has around 30 percent. The ride-sharing business has seen a steep decline in recent months, so Uber investing more into its meal delivery offerings is expected. Absorbing one of its largest competitors will remove a major source of competition for Uber while expanding its operations."
"First Patient Injected With Experimental Cancer-Killing Virus in New Clinical Trial . Human trials for an experimental cancer-killing virus have begun. Vaxinia is a genetically modified virus designed to selectively infect and kill cancer cells while sparing healthy ones. It works by entering cells and duplicating itself until the cell bursts, which results in the immune system being stimulated to attack nearby cancer cells. Vaxinia was effective in preclinical trials and could be a game-changer if it is proven to work in humans. The trial is expected to take two years, so it will be some time before the results are released."
"Twist Biosciences: The DNA API (18 minute read). This article explores the business and science behind Twist Bioscience and the biotech industry. Twist is a DNA manufacturing and software company. The company produces sequences of DNA that cells use to produce molecular products and molecular work. Twist uses a printing technique to produce thousands of DNA sequences at a time on silicon chips with very low error rates. The business has automated its processes, making it an API business and more like a tech company than a manufacturing company."
"Drone swarms can now fly autonomously through thick forest . Scientists from Zhejiang University in China have tested swarms of drones that can autonomously navigate through complex environments. The drones can fly through dense bamboo forests while avoiding other drones. There are many applications for autonomous drone swarms, such as mapping areas that humans can't reach during disasters or lifting and delivering heavy objects. There are also military applications. The technology will likely be deployed in real-life work within a few years. A video of the drones flying through a bamboo forest is available."
"Signal’s New PIN Feature Worries Cybersecurity Experts . Signal has been a favorite of privacy advocates ever since Edward Snowden endorsed the app. One of the reasons the app was highly recommended was because it did not collect much information from users. Signal developers have implemented a new requirement for users to create a PIN to activate an account data recovery feature. The new feature stores users' contacts, profile information, settings, and blocked users list on Signal's servers. Security experts are concerned as it demonstrates that the developers have changed their stance on storing user information."
"Engineers test a powered 'ankle exoskeleton' to make running easier . An ankle exoskeleton is a device that could potentially help people run longer and faster. It could potentially even serve as a new mode of transportation. A team of engineers at Stanford University created a motorized exoskeleton rig that reduces the energy cost of running and boosts speed. Its motors tug on a cable that runs through the back of the rig from the heel to the calf, pulling the foot upwards during the toe-off and extending the ankle at the end of every step. Testers report feeling like they can run forever while using the device."
Google Voice now lets you decide who goes to voicemail . Google Voice can now be configured to forward calls to a linked phone number or voicemail. The feature can be turned on for groups of contacts and rules can be set to play custom greetings. Mobile app users are currently restricted to only being able to view existing rules and will need to use the website to set new rules. The update indicate that Google plans to continue the service.
"Math to Code (Website). Math to Code is an interactive tutorial to teach engineers how to use Python's NumPy library. It is useful as a quick primer in NumPy syntax. There are 13 sections, each with an explanation of a NumPy function, a small exercise, and the option to show solutions if you become stuck."
"Spotify Car Thing's wait-list signups surpass 2 million people . Spotify recently released new Car Things for purchase. Car Thing is a touchscreen and voice-enabled device that makes Spotify easier to navigate in cars. It was launched as a free, highly limited release in April. Users who were interested in a device had to sign up on a waitlist, which accumulated over 2 million preorders. Car Thing is currently only available to Spotify Premium members in the US."
How I hacked modern Vending Machines . A hilarious story (with step-by-step code examples!) about how hacker Matteo Pisani hacked his university's smart vending machine (seriously this a vending machine with an app). The article ends with video proof of him using his hack to get a free drink.
New JavaScript Features ECMAScript 2021 . This article provides an overview of 8 new useful features that are in ECMAScript 2021. It provides a description of each feature along with examples of how to use them.
"Tour from Space: Inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon Spacecraft on Its Way to the Space Station (8 minute video). This video shows Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley giving a tour of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. It begins with Hurley naming the capsule 'Endeavour'. The spacecraft features touch panel interfaces and a button panel. There are two windows and an entry/exit hatch. The astronauts are in zero gravity and demonstrated a zero gravity maneuver. Tremor the plush dinosaur was selected to accompany the astronauts by the astronaut's sons. The astronauts attempted to show the view of the Atlantic ocean from the window, but it was obstructed by a reflection."
"How To Contribute To Open-Source Projects As A Beginner . This article explains how to make contributions to open source projects. It steps the developer through each step, from forking the repository and cloning the project, to committing the changes and opening pull requests. It is important to read the code of conduct and contribution guidelines before contributing to a project."
"IoT vendor Wyze confirms server leak . Wyze has confirmed that a server leak exposed the details of roughly 2.4 million smart device customers. An internal database was accidentally exposed online. Wyze was testing new methods to measure business metrics when a test database had its security protocols removed. The leak was discovered by a cyber-security consulting firm who only gave Wyze 14 minutes to fix the issue before going public with their findings. Leaked details include email addresses, device identifier data, and Alexa connection tokens. The security firm accused Wyze of exposing internal API tokens, sending data to Chinese servers, and collecting health information from users. Wyze has denied these accusations but noted that health data from 140 users was collected as part of a beta-test for a new smart scale product. As a response to the leak, Wyze has forced all users to log out from their devices and reset all API tokens."
Mark Zuckerberg warns staff Facebook will be ‘turning up the heat’ to weed out underperformers . Meta is cutting back on hiring as slow growth and macroeconomic headwinds push the company to downgrade its economic outlook. It will hire 30% fewer engineers this year than planned. The company will also start weeding out staff who are unable to meet certain KPIs. Meta ended the first quarter of 2022 with 28% more full-time employees than it had a year earlier. It started a hiring freeze in May as user growth and ad revenue started decreasing.
Stork (GitHub Repo). Stork creates an index file of your content and provides a frontend for searching through the file. It is designed to display the best search results immediately to users as they type. A GIF example is provided.
"Putin could decide for the world on CRISPR babies . A secret summit has been held in Moscow between government health officials to debate a bid by a scientist to create genetically modified babies. The first genetically modified humans were born in China last year as a part of a project to create HIV-resistant humans. Putin's eldest daughter, Maria Vorontsova, was present at the secret summit. Scientists want official rules to be set for gene editing, but it is undecided who should control the genetically modified future. The costs of gene editing are dropping and is currently around $15,500, the cost of a car. There is plenty of potential in the technology, but it can be easily abused."
"Facebook launches Portal TV, a $149 video chat set-top box . Facebook has released a new line of Portal devices, including a device that turns any TV into a video chat device. The $149 Portal TV allows people to watch videos simultaneously while video chatting. A new 8-inch Portal Mini is now available at $129. Older portal devices have dropped in price. Portal devices lack video apps such as Netflix and HBO. When Portal launched, people were unsure about bringing Facebook surveillance technology inside their homes, but so far the response from consumers has been positive. Portal devices display a message on launch that informs users that their voice clips may be reviewed by humans. WhatsApp integration is now available for Portal devices."
"Imagineering in a Box (Website). This course features Disney Imagineers that come from hundreds of career disciplines around the world. It covers the wide range of skills required to create immersive experiences, from characters to ride development, so that the student can learn to design a theme park of their own."
"Hacking the Apple Webcam (11 minute read). This article describes a vulnerability within iCloud Sharing and Safari 15 that allowed hackers to gain unauthorized camera access on Macs. It details how the vulnerability was discovered and how the exploit was developed. The vulnerability demonstrated how a design flaw in one application can enable a variety of other bugs. All issues were patched in early 2022 and the author was awarded a $100,500 bounty."
"This App Will Make You Question 67% of Your Investment Decisions (Sponsor). This App Will Make You Question 67% of Your Investment Decisions . Two-thirds of investors regret impulsive or emotional investment decisions.That’s why over $1 trillion is managed by “quantitative” hedge funds who use algorithms to invest.But unless you are a Python Prince or an Excel Evangelist - the magic of quant investing has been out of reach.Until now…Composer is the first platform that lets you invest in or build quant-strategies, no PhD required.Put the power of quant in your portfolio today.**See important disclaimer"
"The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Compression (GitHub Docs). This project is a resource for people who want to learn about compression algorithms. While the world focuses on its efforts in making internet speeds faster, the art of lossless compression is becoming lost. There are still some active projects, but compression isn't really mainstream. The benefits of compression are endless, including all the benefits of faster internet speeds but with less cost as it uses existing infrastructure."
"McDonald’s is acquiring Dynamic Yield to create a more customized drive-thru . In the fast-food chain’s largest acquisition in 20 years, McDonald’s has acquired personalization company Dynamic Yield for a rumored amount of more than $300 million. McDonald’s plans to use the technology developed by Dynamic Yield to build drive-thru menus that are tailored to things such as weather, current restaurant traffic, and trending menu items. The new menus will also offer additional items based on what has been selected. These new menus have already been tested in several locations in the US in 2018 and will be rolled out to other areas in the US in 2019 before moving into international markets. Dynamic Yield will continue to operate as a standalone company and will serve existing and future clients while continuing the development of its personalization technology."
"Tesla acquires ultracapacitor and battery manufacturer for over $200 million . Tesla has reached an agreement with Maxwell, an ultracapacitor and battery component manufacturer, to purchase the company for over $200 million. While Maxwell is best known for its ultracapacitor technologies, Tesla’s acquisition is more likely due to the dry electrode technology that Maxwell has been recently showing off. The dry electrode is a battery technology that is able to significantly boost storage capacity, simplify the manufacturing process, and lower production costs."
"Apple says Qualcomm refused to sell it chips for the latest iPhones . In a testimony to the US Federal Trade Commission, Apple's chief operating officer said that Apple wanted to use Qualcomm modems in the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, but Qualcomm refused to sell them after Apple sued over their licensing practices. Apple originally wanted to split its modem order between Qualcomm and Intel but had to go with Intel exclusively, which likely delayed Apple in bringing a 5G phone to market as Intel's 5G chips won't be available until 2020."
"Seaborg plans to rapidly mass-produce cheap, floating nuclear reactors . Seaborg Technologies is a startup that is building a type of cheap, portable, flexible, and super-safe nuclear reactor the size of a shipping container. The Compact Molten Salt Reactors are designed to minimize the consequences of accidents. Accidents will probably happen, so the reactors are designed so that even the worst disasters can be managed. Seaborg plans to install the reactors on barges and float them offshore. They will be able to move anywhere on the planet with virtually no site preparation required."
"Countdown to Mars 2020: NASA rover makes final journey before July launch . NASA's Mars 2020 rover has been moved from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California to the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. It was packed in a large shipping container with the license plate 'HND SGHT'. The rover was carried over 2,300 miles across the country by a pair of Air Force C-17 Globemaster cargo planes. It will start its journey to Mars in July 2020, beginning at the Jezero crater, a potential hotbed of evidence for life on the planet. The Mars Helicopter will accompany the rover to Mars and will be the first to fly on another world. NASA is currently storing the rover in the same processing facility that housed Curiosity."
A Convolutional Network Enhances Photorealism In GTA V . A team from Intel Labs trained a convolutional network that enhances images using intermediate representations produced by conventional rendering pipelines. The method can be used to enhance computer-generated images to photorealistic quality frame by frame. It can be run at interactive rates. Several video examples are provided in the article.
"The US is charging Huawei with racketeering . The Department of Justice and the FBI have brought 16 charges against Huawei, alleging that the company and a number of its affiliates used confidential agreements with American companies over the past two decades to access trade secrets. Huawei allegedly used the stolen information to fund its own business. It has also been charged in connection with its activities in countries like Iran and North Korea, where it uses code words and carefully selected local partners in order to avoid international sanctions. Huawei claims that the case is an attempt to irrevocably damage its reputation and that it is invalid."
"Tesla Model X hacked with $195 Raspberry Pi based board . A Belgian research group discovered a major security flaw in the keyless entry system of the Tesla Model X. The attack uses a device built from a Raspberry Pi computer with a CAN shield, a modified key fob and ECU from a salvage vehicle, and a LiPo battery. Using the device, the researchers could steal a Tesla Model X in only a few minutes from a distance. The group reported the security flaw to Tesla, who rewarded them with a bug bounty. The issue was fixed in the most recent over-the-air software update."
"Reseter.css (GitHub Repo). Reseter.css resets all premade styles and normalizes the browser's stylesheet, removing most inconsistencies. An example is available in the repository."
Facebook brings cloud gaming to Apple devices with a web app . Facebook is bringing its cloud gaming service to iOS through a web app. The service allows players to stream graphically intensive games from the cloud. It uses a custom payment system to accept in-game purchases. Facebook is not allowed to use its main app to direct users to a website that uses its own payments technology. Amazon and Microsoft are also using web apps to get around App Store rules. Facebook's cloud gaming service is available in the US and parts of Canada and Mexico.
"All your reaction GIFs now belong to Facebook, as it buys Giphy for $400M . Facebook has bought Giphy in order to integrate the service within Instagram. The deal was valued at around $400 million. Around half of Giphy's traffic comes from Facebook products. Giphy was the first service to make animated images work on Facebook. The deal is likely to attract significant attention from federal regulators. Facebook is currently under investigation for using acquisitions to gather data on competitors. Giphy's platform is used by Facebook's competitors for GIF support."
"Windows code-execution zeroday is under active exploit, Microsoft warns . Microsoft has warned users that attackers are actively exploiting a Windows zero-day vulnerability that can execute malicious code on fully updated systems. The security flaw exists in the Adobe Type Manager Library, consisting of two code-execution flaws that can be triggered by the improper handling of maliciously crafted fonts. Until a patch is available, Microsoft recommends that users disable the Preview Pane and Details Pane in Windows Explorer, disable the WebClient service, and rename ATMFD.DLL or disable it from the registry. Users should also be wary of suspicious requests to view untrusted documents and install a patch once it becomes available."
"Early-stage detection of Alzheimer’s in the blood . Major studies with promising antibodies that could treat people with Alzheimer's have failed in the past, possibly due to the fact that the disease had not been detectable until plaques have already formed in the brain. A new two-tier method developed at Ruhr-Universität Bochum may be able to detect the disease up to two decades earlier, which is a major step in paving the way for early-stage therapy approaches. A protein was discovered that folded incorrectly in patients with Alzheimer's. However, only using the protein as an indicator resulted in too many false positives. A second indicator which predicted the chances of dementia was introduced and the combination of the two indicators produced a reliable diagnosis."
"Dogecoin: The meme that somehow became a real cryptocurrency (11 minute read). Dogecoin is a cryptocurrency similar to bitcoin, with a picture of a dog for a logo. At one point it was worth $2 billion. Its popularity has stumped experts. The coin is based on the doge meme and it started off as a joke aimed at the bizarre world of crypto and bitcoin's multiple derivatives. It was created by replacing 'bitcoin' with 'doge' in the bitcoin code, along with some other changes like increasing the maximum amount of coins and making the coins easier to mine. After it was created, the Reddit community pushed it into popularity very quickly."
Overpaying for Big Tech cloud? Try Vultr Instead! (Sponsor). Overpaying for Big Tech cloud? Try Vultr Instead! . Vultr offers powerful cloud compute and simplified instance management at an unbeatable price. Now TLDR readers have access to a special offer: $100 in credit just for signing up with this link!
Muggle Uses E-Paper For Daily Prophet Replica . Deep Tronix has created a replica of the Daily Prophet newspaper from Harry Potter. The device uses an e-paper display and a Teensy microcontroller to create animated images. Deep Tronix used a custom dithering library to overcome framerate issues when using the e-paper display. The newspaper also has a face detection feature that records and displays the reader's face at random. A video of the display is available in the article.
"Microdosing LSD for Alzheimer’s proves safe in early human trial . The results of a Phase 1 trial to study the effects of microdosing LSD have been published. Researchers were testing whether microdosing psychedelics could be useful as a therapeutic approach for treating Alzheimer's disease. The early data shows that microdosing LSD is safe enough to proceed with larger trials. Research into psychedelics for their potent anti-depressant effects has been promising, with psilocybin being given Breakthrough Therapy status twice in the last year. Psychedelics stimulate serotonin receptors in the brain. Damage to these receptors is implicated in many early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Research has so far been inconclusive about the positive effects of microdosing."
"This Molten Salt Reactor Is the Next Big Thing in Nuclear . Elysium Technologies is a startup behind a new molten salt reactor design that can scale up to 1,200 Megawatts electric. The design uses a blend of the most cutting edge technologies. It uses up fuel in the reactor process, and it can recycle fuel from itself, other reactors, or even weapons. The reactor uses up 95% of its fuel, leaving behind fuel that is toxic for shorter periods compared to other reactors. It features low-tech and effective safety designs."
"Skaffold (GitHub Repo). Skaffold is a command-line tool for the continuous development of Kubernetes applications. Application source code can be iterated locally and deployed to local or remote Kubernetes clusters. Skaffold handles the workflow for building, pushing, and deploying applications while providing building blocks and describe customizations for a CI/CD pipeline."
"Netflix bleeds subscribers in US and Canada, with no sign of recovery . Netflix lost 430,000 subscribers in the US and Canada in the second quarter. It predicted that it would add 3.5 million subscribers in the third quarter, a forecast that was weaker than expected. There are now more than 100 streaming services for consumers to choose from. Netflix is still the largest paid video streaming service, with more than twice the number of subscribers compared to Disney Plus, its closest competitor. It recently hired Mike Verdu, a veteran of the gaming industry, and plans to offer games to subscribers."
"LinkedIn is building a gig marketplace . LinkedIn is building a freelance work marketplace to rival gig sites like Fiverr and Upwork. The marketplace will connect freelance service providers with clients for one-off projects. LinkedIn has been developing the feature since September 2019, after the company acquired UpCounsel, a marketplace connecting freelance lawyers and clients. Gig sites have been a fast-growing niche, with both Upwork and Fiverr posting revenue growth throughout the pandemic."
"University of Wollongong uses stem cells to 3D-print human ears . Scientists at the University of Wollongong have developed a bioprinter that can replicate human ears using stem cells and 3D printing technology. The machine is nicknamed 3D Alek, and it prints a bio-ink that can be potentially made from the patient's own stem cells, which means that the printed parts would match the patient's own anatomy. Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital will be the first hospital in New South Wales to receive the printer, which will revolutionize the complex medical procedures required to treat microtia - a congenital condition where the external ear is underdeveloped."
"Tesla will soon downgrade software on the entry-level Model 3 . Early adopters of Tesla’s entry-level Model 3 will soon have their software downgraded to match the same software as current entry-level Model 3s. The early adopters were able to enjoy many of the features of the more expensive Standard Range Plus car. These features included a wider range of travel, onboard music streaming, heated seats, faster acceleration, and Autopilot. Model 3 owners can arrange a service appointment through the Tesla app in order to purchase a software upgrade to reinstate these features."
GitHub Package Registry (Website). Developers can publish and consume packages using GitHub’s Package Registry. Packages can be published publicly or privately and shared with anybody. Users can discover packages from other developers if they are public. It is currently in open beta and is free to use.
"OpenAI’s DALL-E creates plausible images of literally anything you ask it to . OpenAI's DALL-E is an AI that can generate images based on text descriptions. It can generate plausible versions of what is described to it, with varying degrees of success. Just like GPT-3, the output that DALL-E generates can be very high quality, but it can still generate some odd things. The model also exhibits some unintended but useful behaviors. Examples of DALL-E's output are available in the article."
"Jeff Bezos’ space company is pressuring employees to launch a tourist rocket during the pandemic . Senior leadership at Blue Origin is pressuring workers to conduct a test launch of the company's New Shepard rocket during the current pandemic. The rocket is designed to take wealthy tourists into space. Employees fear that traveling to the test sites might expose them to the novel coronavirus or spread the virus to others. Blue Origin originally planned the test launch for April 10, but new self-quarantine rules mean that the company has to delay the test, and it is still deciding on a new launch date. Employees feel that New Shepard is not a critical vehicle and that it doesn't need to be tested at this time."
"DeepMind’s new AI can perform over 600 tasks, from playing games to controlling robots . Gato is a general-purpose AI that can complete 604 different tasks, including captioning images, engaging in dialogue, and playing games. It performs 450 of those tasks better than an expert more than half the time. Gato only has 1.2 billion parameters, compared to GPT-3's more than 170 billion. It was designed to be able to handle any task if scaled up. The model still has the same weaknesses that other artificial intelligence models have, such as having biases and an inability to remember context."
Func.Farm (Website). Func.Farm is a browser extension to create serverless functions from code snippets. Users only need to highlight code in their browser and select ‘Create Function’ from the right-click menu to run code. It is able to run code on multiple cloud providers instantly without users needing to navigate away from the site that the code is displayed on. Func.Farm supports multiple programming languages.
"SolarWinds hackers have a whole bag of new tricks for mass compromise attacks (12 minute read). Almost exactly a year ago, researchers discovered a Kremlin-backed hacking campaign that compromised SolarWinds' servers in what was one of the worst data breaches in modern history. The group that performed the attack, dubbed 'Nobelium' by Microsoft, has since become more brazen and adept at hacking large numbers of targets in a single stroke. A recent report from security firm Mandiant details Nobelium's numerous feats and a few mistakes made by the group. This article covers the highlights of the report, including details on the group's tactics and innovations. A link to the full report is available."
"Samsung’s new 4K smart monitor has a magnetic wireless webcam . Samsung's M8 monitor has a wireless webcam that can be removed and attached via magnets. The 32-inch 4K smart monitor also features built-in apps that work without a PC connection. It is 11.4mm thick with a built-in microphone. The magnetic webcam can adjust its angle with face tracking and auto-zoom. The monitor will cost $700 for the white version, with colored options available for a $30 upcharge."
Yale scientists restore cellular function in 32 dead pig brains . Researchers from the Yale School of Medicine used an artificial perfusion system called BrainEx to restore cellular function in the brains of 32 dead pigs killed hours earlier. BrainEx is a system that pumps an experimental solution into the brain to mimic blood flow. Some brains were kept alive for up to 36 hours. The brains never approached neural activity anywhere near consciousness due to preventative measures. This technology raises many ethical issues. Its use could shrink the pool of eligible organ donors.
"New coronavirus losing potency, top Italian doctor says . A senior Italian doctor says that the new coronavirus has lost its potency, claiming that recent swabs were returning results with viral concentrations that were infinitesimally smaller than the ones carried out over the past few months. Italy has the third-highest death toll in the world from COVID-19, with the sixth-highest global tally of cases. Infections and fatalities have fallen steadily in May and the country is looking to unwind some of its most rigid lockdown restrictions. The doctor claims that other experts were too alarmist about the prospect of a second wave of infections and that politicians need to start getting the country back to normal. A member of the health ministry stated that Italians should maintain maximum caution pending scientific evidence to support the thesis that the threat of the virus has disappeared."
"Mathematicians Are Studying Planet-Sized Quantum Computers With God-Like Powers . A team of computer scientists has developed a theory on how quantum computers should be able to rapidly verify that a practically infinite problem was solved. The scientists were surprised by their findings, as quantum computers were not supposed to be able to complete this feat. In theoretical computer science, scientists can describe computers of unlimited power with formulas and theories. The field is focused on understanding the complexity of problems that computers can solve. In the paper, the authors show that planet-sized quantum computers with unlimited energy might be able to quickly verify the solution to the halting problem, a problem of determining whether a running program ever comes to a stop. Alan Turing had deemed the program as uncomputable in 1936, so the only way to solve the problem is by watching to see if a program eventually stops, which could take thousands of years."
"Amazon's latest advertising play involves free samples delivered right to your door . As part of its push into advertising, Amazon is now sending free samples of products to customers based on their order history and profile data. Amazon's website says ""Amazon surprises select customers with samples that we think will be delightful and helpful."" You don't have to purchase or review anything and you can opt out of the program anytime you want."
"Firefox 89 delivered more speed—today’s Firefox 90 adds SmartBlock 2.0 . Mozilla has launched Firefox 90. It features improved print-to-PDF functionality, individual exceptions to HTTPS-only mode, a page to help identify compatibility issues with third-party applications, and SmartBlock. SmartBlock can protect users from cross-site tracking while making sure that site logins still function. The new browser is significantly faster. Details about how Mozilla tests for browser speed are available in the article."
"Working From Orbit (26 minute read). Paul Tomlinson has spent 40-50 hours in virtual reality each week for the last two and a half years for work. He uses the virtual environment to create an office space that is comfortable, practical, and free from distractions. The article talks about the experience of working full-time in VR. It covers the setup and how it is used, the pros and cons of using VR for work, the future of the technology, and more."
"China’s ‘artificial sun’ is five-times hotter than the real thing . The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) fusion reactor in China reached temperatures of 70 million degrees Celsius, five times hotter than the Sun, for more than 17 minutes during a recent experiment. EAST aims to deliver near-limitless clean energy by mimicking the natural reactions occurring within stars. The project has already cost China more than £700 billion. The EAST team will provide technical support for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) currently being constructed in France. ITER will be the world's largest reactor once completed."
"Video infrastructure that Just Works™ (Sponsor). Easily build on-demand video and live streaming with Mux's API and dev-friendly docs. Plus, with built-in analytics, you can track engagement metrics and QoE."
"Django Async Orm (GitHub Repo). Django Async Orm is a Django module that brings async to Django ORM. It is still under active development, so not all model methods have been ported and it should not be used in production. A list of supported methods is available."
"A.I. and robotics will create almost 60 million more jobs than they destroy by 2022, report says . A World Economic Forum report based on a survey of executives at 300 global companies across a variety of industries found that while automation and AI would replace 75 million jobs by 2025, it will also create 133 million new jobs. Machines are expected to perform about 42% of all current tasks in the workplace by 2022, compared to only 29% now, and the nature of the jobs human do may change. In fact full-time, permanent employment may potentially fall, as companies move towards temporary workers, freelancers and specialist contractors. It's worth noting that in the report, nearly half of all companies expect their full-time workforce to shrink over the next several years."
"Inside Europe's quest to build an unhackable quantum internet . QuTech is a research institute in the Netherlands hoping to build a communications network that uses quantum mechanics to ensure flawlessly secure transmissions. On the current Internet, data travels as bits in 0s and 1s, and a hacker can tap cables and read those 0s and 1s to intercept messages. However, quantum mechanics allows particles to exist in a state where they are probabilistic until observed, which ""collapses"" them into either a 0 or a 1. This means that any unauthorized observer will leave an obvious trail. Unfortunately a limitation here is that photons are easily absorbed by the atmosphere or the materials in cables, so we can only send these quantum transmissions over a few kilometers. The QuTech team hopes to use a technique called quantum entanglement to solve the distance problem, and bring a completely secure quantum internet to four cities in the Netherlands by 2020."
"After Inspiration4, SpaceX sees high demand for free-flyer missions . SpaceX saw a significant increase in demand for private spaceflight missions thanks to the Inspiration4 mission. Pricing information for the mission has still not been released, but it is estimated that seats on future orbital flights will be less than $40 million each. SpaceX currently has three vehicles that could accommodate at least six crew flights a year, and it is considering building more Crew Dragons if there is enough demand. Starship is still under development and it will be a few years before it will be ready for human missions."
"Disney’s Developed Movie-Quality Face-Swapping Technology That Promises to Change Filmmaking . Disney researchers have released a study where they used several innovations and approaches to automate face-swaps to produce results with enough quality and resolution to be used for actual film production. A four-minute video that demonstrates the technology is available in the article. The new algorithm works by first modifying the videos to make it easier for alternate faces to be swapped in. This technology could be used to significantly lower the costs of film and TV production especially in scenarios where stunt doubles are used. However, it may also present new problems as it could be used to create a new wave of extremely high-quality deep fakes."
Google tells employees in Bay Area and other U.S. locations to return to offices in April . Google will start having employees in the Bay Area and several other US locations return to the office starting the week of April 4. The steady decline in cases means the company can officially begin the transition to the hybrid work week. Employees will return to the office based on local conditions. Most workers will come to the office three days a week and have two days of remote work. The company has dropped its mask and testing mandates for fully vaccinated employees and reopened its amenities.
"Steve Wozniak is starting another company, 45 years after co-founding Apple with Steve Jobs . Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, is starting a business in the green tech and blockchain space. Efforce is a marketplace for corporate or industrial building owners to have green projects funded. The platform will allow anyone to financially benefit from worldwide energy efficiency projects. WOZX, the company's cryptocurrency token, is trading on HBTC and will launch on Bithumb Global next week. Companies who register their energy upgrade projects on Efforce's site will have the opportunity to receive funding from investors around the world."
"Naked mole rats defy the biological law of aging . Naked mole rats rarely get cancer, are resistant to some types of pain, and can survive up to 18 minutes without oxygen. New research also suggests that they don't age. A study found that a naked mole rat's risk of death doesn't increase as it ages. Naked mole rats have been observed to live beyond 30 years in captivity, with females remaining fertile at that age. They have very active DNA repair and high levels of proteins that help other proteins fold correctly. Scientists will need more data in order to confirm the results of the study."
"Pglet (GitHub Repo). Pglet is a web UI framework for backend developers. It supports Python, Bash, PowerShell, and Node.js. Other languages can easily be added. Pglet can be used to build web apps without knowing any HTML, CSS, or JavaScript. Tutorials are available."
"Travellers refusing digital search now face $5000 Customs fine . New Zealand's Customs and Excise Act is now in effect, allowing New Zealand customs officials to demand travellers give up passwords, pin codes, etc. to access their electronic devices as long as they have a ""reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing"". It also allows customs officials to forcibly seize and forensically search a person's electronic devices as well as fine them $5000 if they don't comply. New Zealand's Council for Civil Liberties spokesperson Thomas Beagle believes that this new law is a violation of personal privacy, pointing out that ""they don't have to tell you what the cause of that suspicion is, there's no way to challenge it."""
"Elon Musk's SpaceX will 'make its own laws on Mars' . Elon Musk revealed plans to create a self-sustaining city on Mars last week. It will likely use Starlink satellites for internet connectivity. According to the terms of Starlink's internet project, SpaceX will not recognize international law on Mars. The space company will adhere to a set of self-governing principles defined at the time of Martian settlement. The position is similar to a declaration put forward by the Earthlight Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to preparing for the expansion of humanity beyond Earth."
"Coinbase’s bouncing QR code Super Bowl ad was so popular it crashed the app . Coinbase's Super Bowl ad was so popular its app temporarily crashed. The 60-second ad featured a colorful bouncing QR code that brought viewers to a promotional website with a limited time offer. New users signing up to the site before February 15 receive $15 worth of free Bitcoin as well as an entry into a $3 million giveaway. Many other crypto companies also used the Super Bowl to promote services, NFTs, and projects."
"NASA Is Launching a $10 Billion 'Time Machine' . The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is set to launch on Halloween this year, after decades of careful planning and development. It will travel from Earth to a gravitational eddy located nearly one million miles from Earth. From there, it will potentially be able to spot the first generation of stars to ever shine in the early universe, as well as exoplanets in our galaxy. The JWST will focus on the infrared part of the spectrum. It has 100 times the observational power of the Hubble Space Telescope, and scientists are hoping it will reveal galaxies that Hubble can't see."
"btop++ (GitHub Repo). btop++ is a resource monitor that shows processor, memory, disks, network, and process usage and stats. It features a game-inspired menu system, full mouse support, a function to send any signal to selected processes, themes, and much more. Screenshots are available."
"World’s First Ocean Hybrid Platform Converts Tidal Waves Into Energy . Tidal motions, waves, and currents have a lot of energy that can be harvested to produce electricity. They are also easily forecasted and available 24/7. There have been many attempts at harvesting energy from the seas, but it is difficult due to the corrosive water and unpredictable winds. Sinn Power, a German green-energy startup, has begun building and testing the world's first ocean hybrid platform. The floating platform can harness energy from waves, wind, and the sun. It is scalable and can be adapted to customers' needs and location requirements."
"subsync (GitHub Repo). Subsync is a tool that automatically syncs subtitles to videos so that the subtitles are aligned correctly with the audio in the video. It is very fast (takes about 20-30 seconds, depending on the video length) and the synchronization is usually less than 1 second off. VLC integration is supported, but users can run the tool through a command line interface if preferred."
"New iodine-based plasma thruster tested in orbit . A commercial company called ThrustMe has demonstrated an iodine-powered ion thruster in space for the first time. The thruster is about the size of a 10-square-centimeter cube and weighs 1.2 kilograms. It takes around 10 minutes to warm up and it only outputs about 0.8 milliNewtons, but it is powerful enough to move small satellites around in orbit. ThrustMe has had the hardware on a 12-unit cubesat for around two years, using the thrusters multiple times to avoid potential collisions."
"Amazon built a roving robot covered in UV light bulbs that could kill the coronavirus in warehouses and Whole Foods stores . Studies show that ultraviolet light can mutate genetic material inside viruses and other microbes, making it impossible for them to reproduce, effectively killing them. A certain type of UV light is being tested for use against the novel coronavirus. If it is found to be effective, businesses could use it to disinfect surfaces and the air. Installing these lights all over a business would be costly. Amazon has developed a moving robot that can roam and disinfect stores and surfaces using UV lights. A robot like this could be a more cost-effective solution than a full UV light installation in a business."
"China approves Oligomannate, world’s first new Alzheimer’s drug in 20 years and it is based on seaweed . China has approved the first new drug for Alzheimer's disease in nearly two decades. Oligomannate could potentially reverse the condition and is based on a unique sugar found in seaweed. It was inspired by an observation that there was a relatively low occurrence of Alzheimer's among the elderly who regularly consumed seaweed. The drug has been proven effective on conditions up to stage 4. It will not cure brains that have degenerated beyond repair. Oligomannate reduces the formation of a protein that is harmful to neurons and regulates bacterium colonies in the intestines to reduce the risk of brain inflammation."
Tesla owners are going to be able to remotely view what their Autopilot cameras can see . Tesla owners will be able to see through their Autopilot cameras in the new update that is likely to be pushed out around the holidays. Sentry Mode is an integrated surveillance system that uses the Autopilot cameras around the car. Several vandals that have been caught on camera have turned themselves in after their Sentry Mode videos went viral. Owners have to plug in a storage device inside their Tesla to activate Sentry Mode features. Everything is handled through the Tesla app.
"A Russian scientist has threatened to make more CRISPR babies . Russian scientist Denis Rebrikov has said in an interview that he is trying to gain approval to create gene-edited babies. He wants to create humans with natural resistance to HIV. Last year, an experiment in China attempted to create humans with genetic resistance to HIV by removing the CCR5 gene. While the CCR5 gene has been associated with HIV resistance, studies have also shown that the gene also moderates cognition and life span. Rebrikov is not known for his work on gene editing, and his name only appears on one paper where gene editing was applied to embryos. The rules for creating gene-modified babies in Russia are unclear, and Rebrikov hopes to take advantage of this to gain approval to carry out the procedure. He believes that he can improve on the experiments carried out in China."
"Stanford engineers invent a solar panel that generates electricity at night . Solar panels emit infrared radiation at night. The photons going out into the night sky cool down the solar cell. This temperature difference can be used to generate electricity using a device called a thermoelectric generator. While the method won't generate a huge amount of electricity, it still has many applications. Being able to generate small amounts of electricity at night could reduce the need for batteries and the costs they incur."
One-liner for running queries against CSV files with SQLite . This article discusses using SQLite to run queries against CSV files from the command line. It covers the different output modes available. Links to tools that provide a similar function are provided.
"Tiger tests positive for coronavirus at Bronx Zoo, first known case in the world . Seven big cats are exhibiting symptoms consistent with COVID-19 at the Bronx Zoo in New York City. One tiger has tested positive for the coronavirus. It is the first time a non-domesticated animal has gotten sick from the virus. The tiger likely caught the virus from an asymptomatic zookeeper. Other domestic animals have also previously tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, including a Pomeranian, a German shepherd, and a domestic cat. Zookeepers are taking extra precautions around great apes as they may be particularly susceptible to the virus."
"SpaceX, NASA make history with first launch of astronauts from US soil in years . SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft successfully launched on top of a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida on Saturday. NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are the first astronauts to launch from US soil since the end of the shuttle era in 2011. The astronauts have now docked at the International Space Station. Footage of the launch is available in the article. The Falcon 9 rocket successfully returned and landed on SpaceX's 'Of Course I Still Love You' droneship."
"EthicalML/awesome-production-machine-learning (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a curated list of open source libraries to help deploy, monitor, version, scale, and secure production machine learning. Each link has a description of the library. Videos and ratings are provided if available."
"Facebook’s AI convincingly inserts people into photos . Facebook AI Research and Tel Aviv University published a paper last week proposing a novel technique for inserting people into photos. The technique could have useful applications in the creative industries. It uses AI to figure out a coherent way to insert a picture of a new person into an image. When human volunteers were asked to tell whether an image had been manipulated by the AI, they were able to identify the modified images just 28% of the time when the images contained five people."
Exclusive: Robinhood aims to allow users to buy into IPOs . Robinhood is building a platform that will allow users to buy into IPOs. Traders that get to buy into IPOs often have an advantage over other traders who can't buy into a stock until its shares start trading. Robinhood will have to negotiate agreements with companies and their brokerages and get the blessing of US regulators before the platform goes public. The company recently filed paperwork with the SEC for its IPO. Allowing amateur traders to buy into IPOs could boost Robinhood's valuation in its own IPO.
"Coronavirus: 3D printers save hospital with valves . Two 3D-printing companies in Italy have designed and printed 100 respirator valves in 24 hours. A prototype for the respirator valves was created three hours after a hospital found out that it had run out of the part. The companies worked for free to print the parts, but the design will not be released to the public. A second hospital has contacted the companies requesting more valves."
"De-identifying Analytics Data with Skyflow (Sponsor). De-identifying Analytics Data with Skyflow . Sensitive data often finds its way into data analytics pipelines where it’s rarely needed, but adds enormous security and compliance risk. However, blindly purging such data from analytics pipelines can break key use cases.Learn how a data privacy vault and tokenization can help you preserve privacy while enabling analytics. Download this white paper to learn more."
"Second Life founder returns to revamp his original metaverse . Second Life's founder, Philip Rosedale, has formed a team to work on evolving the virtual space. Rosedale co-founded a company that worked on VR tech in 2013 but became disappointed with the state of the industry. He feels that the technology hasn't reached a form that is good enough for most people to use. While the VR headset industry waits for its iPhone moment, Rosedale will focus on Second Life, a metaverse platform that doesn't require headsets. Second Life still has around 900,000 active users, with 73 million accounts created since launch."
"Sony announces next-gen VR headset for the PS5 . Sony has announced that it is working on a next-generation VR headset for the PS5. It will feature an improved field of view, higher resolutions, and a single cord. A new VR controller is also in development. Development kits for the next-gen VR headset will be issued soon. The headset will not be released in 2021."
"Git is my buddy: Effective Git as a solo developer (12 minute read). Git can be a valuable tool without even setting up a remote repository. It can help structure your work, identify gaps in your test coverage, and minimize dead code. This article introduces a workflow for using git that focuses work on particular bugfixes, features, or goals. It also introduces some advanced git tools."
"Valve Reveals Partnership with OpenBCI to Make VR Gaming More Immersive . Valve founder Gabe Newell thinks that brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) will be the future of entertainment and that it will be coming very soon. He says that by 2022, studios will have them in their test labs. BCI developers could one day create richer experiences than reality can provide. Valve has recently partnered with OpenBCI, a neurotech company that creates open-source, non-invasive BCI devices. OpenBCI had announced that it was making a BCI for VR/AR headsets back in November."
"Scientists Invent 'Invisible' Metamaterial With Bonus Reflect Mode . Metamaterials are materials made up of components that combine to create properties that are relatively independent of the properties of the original materials. Metasurfaces are flat structures that can manipulate light in interesting ways. Usually, these metasurfaces have properties that are static once they have been created. A team of international scientists has created a metamaterial using a compound that is also used in DVDs. The new material's metasurface transparency level can be altered using a powerful pulse laser. The new material could potentially advance LiDAR and photographic technologies."
"Scientists Are Creating Vaccines For Type 1 Diabetes . Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, causing sugar to build up in the bloodstream. There is no cure, though there are treatment options. As the disease is caused by an incorrect immune response, a diabetes vaccine would need to inhibit the immune response rather than boost it like conventional vaccines. Inverse vaccinations can affect the entire immune system, so scientists have been studying antigen-specific vaccines. Several vaccines are already in trials."
"Vultr Talon - Easy and Affordable NVIDIA Cloud GPUs (Sponsor). Vultr Talon - Easy and Affordable NVIDIA Cloud GPUs . The Vultr Talon platform makes accelerated computing affordable and easy to use. In just minutes, provision VMs with fractional NVIDIA GPUs starting at just $90 per month.Run Tensorflow, PyTorch, or any other ML framework.Try Vultr Talon for free today with this $200 code!"
"Microsoft indefinitely postpones return to U.S. offices as Covid cases surge . Microsoft will indefinitely delay the reopening of its headquarters and other US offices as the coronavirus continues to proliferate in the country. The company had previously planned for employees to return to offices in September. Employees will be given a month-long transition period once the company decides it is ready to welcome them back. Facebook, Google, and Amazon are planning to allow workers to come back to US offices in 2022."
"The Space Force Is Now in Charge of the Secret X-37B Space Plane . The US Space Force has created a unit dedicated solely to orbital warfare. Delta 9 will be overseeing the experimental X-37B space plane, an unmanned spacecraft that was previously under the purview of the Air Force. NASA has been using the secret experimental space plane to conduct experiments in space as well as to move classified payloads. The X-37B recently completed a 780-day unmanned mission. It can autonomously re-enter the atmosphere and land on a flight line."
"Peloton CEO steps down as the company cuts 2,800 jobs . Peloton's John Foley will be stepping down as CEO. Former Spotify CFO Barry McCarthy will take over the role. Foley will remain on as Executive Chair. Peloton is cutting 2,800 jobs globally, around 20% of its corporate workforce. The company invested heavily in production in 2021 but saw a decrease in demand this year. It has now halted all production of its treadmill and bike products."
"Netflix speeds up plan for ad-supported tier, says it may debut this year . Netflix plans to roll out an ad-supported tier in the final three months of this year. It will also roll out its plan to charge an extra fee for those who want to share accounts around the same time. Netflix's decision to introduce the ad-supported tier was made due to Hulu and Disney's success with the model. The company's stock plummeted 37% after it announced its advertising plan and it has still not recovered."
"New AI ‘Deep Nostalgia’ brings old photos, including very old ones, to life . Deep Nostalgia is an AI-powered service offered by online genealogy company MyHeritage that creates moving portraits from still photos. It uses pre-recorded driver videos of facial movements and applies them to user-uploaded photos. The company created the service so its users could upload photos of deceased loved ones and see them come to life again. Twitter users recently discovered the service and have used it to bring other things to life, such as ancient statues. Examples of Deep Nostalgia generated portraits are available in the article."
"'Reconstruction' begins of stone age lands lost to North Sea . A lost country called Doggerland, covered by the North Sea, will be remapped in 3D using seabed mapping data. Scientists also plan to take samples from the seafloor to hopefully extract samples of remnants from the lost civilization. It is believed that the country was destroyed due to catastrophic flooding. The civilization covered about 260,00p sq km but after the ice age ended, the coastal zones became increasingly ravaged by flooding and eventually the whole area was lost."
"Sheetson (Website). Sheetson turns any Google sheet into a JSON API. Users only need to share their document with the service, and then they will be able to access their information through the API. There are currently no restrictions on its use."
"Moon has more water ice than previously thought . UCLA space scientists have discovered thick ice deposits on the moon. New observations suggest that there may be a massive reservoir of frozen water beneath the surface of the moon. Due to the spin axes of the moon and Mercury, many areas never see the sun, so permanently shadowed regions have thick ice deposits. Both Mercury and the moon are covered by impact craters. When investigating the craters on Mercury, it was found that the craters near the poles were shallower, which was later found to be caused by the accumulation of ice deposits. The formation of the ice deposits on the moon suggests that the deposits may be older than the ice on Mercury."
"NASA Bets on a Spacecraft that Can 3-D Print and Self-Assemble in Orbit . NASA has announced a partnership with Made In Space, Inc to test a concept of a spacecraft that can 3D print and self-assemble in space. Archinaut One could be ready as early as 2022. Made In Space made history by creating the first 3D printed object in space in 2014. In 2016, a permanent manufacturing unit was installed in the International Space Station. The new project will require objects larger than the printer to be printed outside the station in space, and then for these objects to be self-assembled. Archinaut One will be launched to low-Earth orbit where it will then attempt to print out two poles which will contain solar arrays that can generate power. If successful, the technique will lower the costs of space exploration significantly as parts can be created in space rather than transported from Earth."
"Open Source Awards (Website). The 6th annual UK Open Source Awards are here, you can nominate individuals and organizations to recognize their contribution to open source. There are five awards: Individual, Company, Public Sector, Diversity, and Student."
"Inside the Invasive, Secretive “Bossware” Tracking Workers (13 minute read). Workplaces have started integrating software to track employee productivity, resulting in employers essentially being able to spy on workers inside their own homes. Bossware is generally able to access data about everything that happens on the device that it is running on. Most products take frequent screenshots and can provide live video feeds of the device. Some products even integrate keyloggers. Depending on the type of software, workers might not be able to tell when the software is surveilling them. Workers might find requests to install this software difficult to refuse, especially in times of record unemployment. Companies do not always provide work devices for employees."
"Exclusive: Facebook Fired A Contractor Who Was Paid Thousands In Bribes To Reactivate Banned Ad Accounts . A Facebook contractor was fired after it was discovered that they took thousands of dollars in bribes to reactivate banned ad accounts. Ads Inc. ran a sophisticated scam through Facebook Ads that tricked users into signing up for expensive monthly subscriptions. Under current laws, neither the victims of the scam nor the state may hold Facebook accountable for their continued facilitation of fraud. Ads Inc. may have hired more than one Facebook insider to reactivate ad accounts. The contractor was paid an initial $5,000 to reactivate the accounts and a $3,000 per month retainer as long as the accounts remained active for a few weeks."
"Congress votes to make open government data the default in the United States . The US Congress has passed the OPEN Government Data Act, which codifies two principles for democracy in the 21st century: public information should be open by default to the public in a machine-readable format as long as it doesn't harm privacy or security and federal agencies should use evidence when they make public policy. Open data advocates say that it's a major victory in government transparency that will improve the way the government runs. France and Germany already have similar laws."
"Ask HN : How to negotiate continuing to work remotely? (Hacker News Thread). Many people started working remotely as COVID started. Some employers are starting to ask workers to return to the office. This thread contains a discussion on how to talk to employers about remaining remote. Opinions vary widely, but the general advice is to state that remote work is a requirement to their employers and to move on if they don't agree. Many tech companies have moved to remote work now, and the job market appears to be healthy for developers."
"Massive outage brought down most Apple services, including iCloud and iMessage . Apple experienced far-reaching network outages yesterday that affected many of its services. The outage affected both services used by customers and internal tools. Apple Store employees had to use pen and paper to keep the stores running during the outage. All services have been restored. A list of the affected services is available in the article."
"DFlex (GitHub Repo). DFlex is a drag-and-drop library for all JavaScript frameworks for manipulating DOM elements. It can traverse DOM without calling the browser API, transform elements instead of reordering the DOM tree, animate movements, target DOM nodes individually, and more. DFlex is the only library on the internet so far that manipulates DOM instead of reconstructing it. A live demo is available on its website."
"Bill Gates is obsessed with redesigning the world's toilets . Bad sanitation kills 525,000 children per year and costs over $223 billion per year in lost wages and extra healthcare. Bill Gates has invested $200 million into developing a toilet that doesn't require a central sewage system to operate, and the first prototypes are here. One developed at Caltech extracts clean water from human waste and reuses it for future flushing. The University of South Florida's NEWgenerator uses feces-digesting anaerobic bacteria. Cranfield University's toilet burns waste in the toilet's combustor to create energy. None of the toilets are cheap enough for widespread use, but Bill Gates wants to spend another $200 million developing the second generation of toilets, and eventually hopes to get these toilets into 4.5 billion homes around the world. Gates said, ""A decade ago, I didn't think I would be able to tell you so much about poop."""
"A Message to GitHub (GitHub Repo). GitHub has restricted Iranian accounts from contributing to the community due to pressure from the US government, revoking access to private repositories without warning and banning any users who have previously accessed GitHub through an Iranian IP. Iranian developers are asking GitHub to allow them to access their data, to not restrict users based on their nationality, and to apologize for their actions. This repository allows people to spread the message and show support."
"React-Location (GitHub Repo). React-Location is a router for client-side React applications. It features asynchronous routing, a deeply integrated search params API, route filtering and ranking, and more. A sandbox example is available on the main website."
"This is what happens when bitcoin miners take over your town (31 minute read). Bitcoin mining uses a huge amount of electricity. A mining setup requires a building, hundreds of high-speed computer servers, a heavy-duty cooling system, and a location that can handle a lot of electricity. Back in 2013, many bitcoin miners were attracted to the area around the Columbia River due to the cheap power from the five hydroelectric dams along the river. Many properties in the area were converted to cryptocurrency mines. Other regions in the world with cheap electricity have also seen a rise in mining hubs. Bitcoin's popularity has now increased to the point where it is no longer feasible for smaller operators to continue mining."
"Our artificial cornea breakthrough could lead to self-assembling organs . A team of scientists have developed a new technique to shape man-made bio-materials to create synthetic corneas suitable for implants. Previously, shaping artificial corneas made from collagen into the correct shape had been difficult and techniques were inconsistent. The new technique uses a special gel that is applied in specific areas on the collagen to create the desired shape. This new technique can also be applied to creating other organs that contain cells which contract, for example, hearts, skin, muscle, and blood vessels."
"Your cloud should be an asset, not a liability (Sponsor). Your cloud should be an asset, not a liability . Free yourself from Big Tech's unpredictable pricing and penchant for competing with their customers. Try Vultr Optimized Cloud Compute for as low as $28/mo. TLDR readers can try Vultr for FREE today with this $200 code!"
Web Scraping API (Sponsor). Scraper API lets you easily scrape any web page with a single API call.
"Denver Voters Approve Measure To Decriminalize Psychedelic Mushrooms . A vote on the decriminalization of psychedelic mushrooms in Denver, Colorado was passed on Tuesday. Many news outlets reported that the legislation had failed, but final results of the ballot resulted in a final 51 percent to 49 percent victory. Citizens in Denver will now be allowed to possess psilocybin for personal use, and prosecuting people for mushrooms is now on the city's lowest law enforcement priority list. Other cities and states are also pursuing the decriminalization of psychedelic mushrooms after the successful decriminalization of marijuana."
"Startup Founder Holiday Season Tips . From frustrations to the risk of failure, startup founders go through a lot. But there is a time when they can vent it all out. Learn how they successful founders spend the holiday season."
"Behold, a password phishing site that can trick even savvy users . BitB, short for 'browser in the browser', is a type of phishing attack that is hard to detect even for tech-savvy users. It involves creating a fake browser window inside a real browser window to spoof an OAuth page using HTML and CSS tricks. The fake pop-up windows look genuine and show valid addresses complete with a padlock and HTTPS prefix. As they are images rendered by custom HTML and CSS, the fake pages can't be resized or dragged outside the primary window. A video that shows how the attack works is available in the article."
One Fastly customer triggered internet meltdown . An internet blackout hit many popular sites for about an hour on Tuesday. The outage caused 85 percent of Fastly's cloud computing network to return errors. It was caused by a customer legitimately changing their settings. Fastly has promised to investigate the incident and figure out why the bug wasn't picked up during its software quality assurance and testing processes.
"How Did the Feds Seize the Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Bitcoins? . The United States Department of Justice claims to have recovered 63.7 of the 75 bitcoins paid as a ransom when Colonial Pipeline was hit with a ransomware attack in early May. While an FBI official has told reporters that the FBI can get access to anyone's bitcoin no matter where it is, that claim is impossible unless the FBI has created a usable quantum computer without anyone knowing about it. It is more likely that the coins were sent to an exchange or server within the US where they were seized."
"SpaceX’s successfully lands Starship prototype for the first time . SpaceX's latest Starship prototype successfully landed on Wednesday for the first time. It demonstrated a few complex dances in mid-air before safely touching down. Two minutes after landing, the rocket exploded. The test's main objective was to demonstrate the computer-controlled movements of the rocket's four aerodynamic flaps that steer its descent before landing. Footage of the landing is available in the article."
"You can now make tours in Google Earth to show your friends your favorite travel spots . Google has added new tools to Google Earth that allows users to build personalized tours of areas right on top of the Google Earth map. The tools allow users to set landmarks, draw lines from place to place, add media, and present the tour, step by step. Users can capture specific camera angles for landmarks. Pre-made tours, called 'stories', are available. Users can invite others to collaborate on tours. Tour creation is only available on the web, but tours can be still viewed in the latest iOS and Android apps."
"Robinhood experienced a ‘system-wide outage’ as markets rebounded in heavy volume Monday . Robinhood experienced an outage on Monday that wasn’t fully fixed before the close of the day. This resulted in Robinhood customers missing out on one the biggest one-day point gains in the Dow Jones Industrial Average in history. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained nearly 1,300 points, the most ever in a single session. Robinhood has about 10 million users and its service allows customers to trade stocks without paying fees. Other financial service providers have also experienced technical difficulties as the stock market continues to be volatile. These systems are likely failing due to the recent higher-than-average trading volumes."
"Researchers Create Soil Catalyst to Make Farming on Mars a Reality . Perchlorate is a dangerous chemical compound that is found in abundance in Martian soil. It is also used in rocket propellants and other explosives. The contaminant can cause thyroid and lung problems. Breaking down perchlorate on Mars could provide useful ingredients for rocket fuel and life support. A team of scientists has developed a bioinspired catalyst that can destroy 99 percent of perchlorate at ambient temperatures and pressures. Some microbes can break down perchlorate, but it can take weeks or months. The new catalyst can complete the process much faster and can work for very challenging concentrations."
"Harvard Converts Millions of Documents into Open Data . Harvard Law School is digitizing and making 6.5 million state and federal cases dating from the 1600s to 2018 publicly available. They can be downloaded as zip files or accessed through an API. The cases are mostly from Supreme Court and appellate decisions, and has many federal trial opinions and opinions from the state of New York, but fewer from some other states. Harvard Law Library Innovation Lab director Adam Ziegler says ""Building businesses around artificial scarcity of public information should not be much of a viable business in this day and age with the Internet. But building search capabilities, building analytical insights, building applications using that data is where all the action is in the future and should be."""
"Elon Musk delivers New Year’s Teslas with help from his proud mom . Elon Musk and his mother, Maye, helped volunteers from the local Tesla Owners club deliver cars to hundreds of customers on New Year’s Eve. A $1,875 US federal tax credit for customers was to expire at the end of 2019, so Tesla tried to ship the cars to customers as soon as possible so they could take advantage of the credit. Tesla was giving out $10 vouchers for the food trucks on-site and was also offering drinks."
"When Kids Realize Their Whole Life Is Already Online . Kids are growing up alongside social media, and some are just finding out how much of their lives are already on the internet. Parents have been sharing their kids lives on the internet since social media has existed, and the effects of that are now being revealed. Many teens are discovering that their entire lives have already been documented on the internet, without consent, when they google themselves. This has caused mixed reactions, with some teenagers feeling that it was a breach of trust with their parents, while others are pleased with the fact that they are ‘famous’ on the internet."
"Ask HN: What book to read to get a footing in CS theory? (Hacker News Thread). Coding can be self-taught or learned quickly through coding boot camps/courses, but topics such as complexity analysis which are taught in computer science degrees may be harder to learn. This thread contains a list of books which discuss theories taught in computer science degrees without delving too deeply into the coding aspect."
"Boring Company proposes massive Vegas expansion following monorail bankruptcy . A non-compete agreement that previously kept The Boring Company from digging tunnels in areas served by the Las Vegas Monorail was recently voided. The Boring Company has proposed a 10-mile sub-surface loop to serve the Las Vegas Strip as well as McCarran International Airport. An additional loop has been proposed to connect all the properties owned by Caesars Entertainment. The proposed system will make it possible to go from the Las Vegas Convention Center to Mandalay Bay in just three minutes, compared to the usual 30 minutes during peak traffic hours."
SpaceX working on fix for Starlink satellites so they don’t disrupt astronomy . The next batch of Starlink satellites will include one satellite that has been treated with a special coating designed to make the spacecraft less reflective and less likely to interfere with space observations. 120 high-speed internet satellites have already been deployed. Astronomers noted that the satellites were extremely bright soon after the first launch in May. Starlink will experiment with different methods of dealing with the issue. The experimental coating may affect the satellite's performance. A new batch of 60 satellites will be launched every two to three weeks in the next year. Starlink aims to provide global coverage by mid-2020.
"AI allows paralyzed person to ‘handwrite’ with his mind . People who have been fully paralyzed by stroke or neurological disease have trouble communicating. Efforts have been made to create technologies that assist communication, for example, patients can communicate by moving a cursor on a screen via electrodes implanted in a part of the brain involved in motion. Using this method, people have been able to communicate at a rate of 39 characters per minute. Researchers used the power of machine learning to train a neural network that can read out sentences with 95 percent accuracy at a speed of about 66 characters a minute. The patient only had to imagine the trajectory of a pen to communicate. Researchers expect speed to increase with more practice."
"Genetic engineers are working on making an invisible man. Seriously . Scientists at the University of California recently published a paper describing their work in genetically engineering human cells to have the ability to vary their transparency. Cephalopods can change both the color and transparency of their skin. The researchers grew embryonic human kidney cells in a dish using a special technique to create a specific squid protein. When stimulated with salt, the proteins in the cells reacted and changed the cells' transparency. Further research will improve strategies for creating the protein and for controlling the cells' optical properties in real-time."
"Google Spinoff’s Drone Delivery Business First to Get FAA Approval . Wings, Alphabet’s drone delivery service, has received approval to operate as an airline. The certifications for the delivery company to become an airline were necessary as without them the drones would not be legally able to fly over certain areas and distances. Other drone companies should be able to navigate the application process more easily now that Wings has gained their certifications. Wings will begin operations in rural Virginia within months."
"Startup that aims to 3D-print rockets says it’s fully funded for its first commercial missions . Relativity Space, a startup that aims to launch the first fully 3D-printed rocket into orbit, has announced that it has reached its funding goals and that the first commercial operations will begin in early 2021. By using 3D printing to create its rockets, Relativity Space can drastically cut down on costs by requiring fewer parts per rocket. The company hopes to replicate the 3D printing process on other planets. Its first rocket, the Terran 1, is a small-to-medium-sized vehicle that will stand about 100 feet tall and be able to carry up to 2,755 lbs. Relativity Space plans to increase its payload limits. The first Terran 1 rocket will be launched at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida."
"Rubbery Chicken? Scientists Say Cook It With Lasers Instead . Scientists from Columbia University and Applied Science's Creative Machines Lab used different types of lasers to cook 3D-printed chicken. The researchers pureed raw chicken and used a 3D food printer to create square samples, after which they cooked it using pulses of blue or near-infrared laser light with different wavelengths. An infrared camera monitored the surface of the chicken at all times along with eight thermistors. The laser-cooked chicken was preferred in blind taste tests. A video of the process is available in the article."
"Elon Musk’s Tesla tequila will run you $250 a bottle . Tesla now lists Tesla Tequila on its website, a reference to Elon Musk's April Fool's Day joke involving a liquor called Teslaquila. The tequila is housed in a bottle-shaped in the electric charge symbol and costs $250. It is produced by Nosotros Tequila. A picture of the liquor is available in the article."
"SpaceX to lay off 10% of its workforce . SpaceX says it needs to get ""leaner"" and will lay off about 10% of its 6,000 employees. They are offering a minimum of eight weeks' pay, career coaching, resume help, and job searches to laid-off workers."
"KubeDB (Open Source). This is a tool to easily run production grade databases on Kubernetes. It includes monitoring, period backups, restoring from backups, integration with Prometheus, and an easy-to-use CLI. It currently supports Postgres, Elasticsearch, MongoDB, MySQL, Redis, and Memcached."
"Code Tips (Website). Code Tips is a website that teaches programming for people with little or no prior experience. It contains short tutorials that are written in an easy to understand manner. Most tutorials are on programming basics, but there are also tutorials for Go, Python, and JavaScript."
"Apple’s 2021 iPhones will reportedly have a video portrait mode . Apple's upcoming flagship iPhones will be able to automatically blur the backgrounds of videos with its new Cinematic Video feature. They will also have support for ProRes video recording and new editing options for photos. It is predicted that the new phones will have improved ultrawide cameras, a larger aperture for better low-light photography, a faster refresh rate, smaller display notches, and a boost in processing power with the new A15 chip. This year's updates are expected to be modest, with the same variety of models and screen sizes as last year."
"Pixel Watch is powered by a 300mAh battery and offers cellular connectivity . The Pixel Watch will have a 300mAh battery. There have been three models leaked so far. Cellular connectivity will be offered on at least one model. The watch could be powered by Samsung Exynos, the same chip as the Galaxy Watch 4, which has a 247mAh battery that lasts between 24 to 40 hours, depending on the model size."
"DoorDash partners with California restaurant to build new brick-and-mortar location . DoorDash has partnered with a restaurant to build a brick-and-mortar store called Burma Bites. The restaurant will do delivery and takeout with menu items priced between $12 and $19. DoorDash has seen a sales increase during the pandemic and is reportedly planning a traditional IPO before the end of the year. Burma Bites is set to open on October 28th in Oakland, California."
"McDonald’s is Testing Kitchen Robots and AI-Powered Drive-Thrus. It’s About Time . McDonald’s is testing robotic deep fryers and voice-activated drive-thrus at a location in suburban Chicago. The details about what the deep fryers look like and how they operate are unknown. Automating the deep-frying process may speed up the production line as well as reduce employee injuries and the costs related to these injuries. Using an automated drive-thru could result in shorter queue times. While critics claim that automating these jobs will take away work from human employees, restaurants are struggling to find employees to complete repetitive, boring, and dangerous tasks, such as handling a fryer for hours on end."
"Docker BuildKit: faster builds, new features, and now it’s stable . Docker BuildKit is a new backend for building images. It features faster builds using parallelism, support for securely passing build secrets, upgradeability, and more. There are still some issues with it, but workarounds are available. BuildKit is enabled by default on new macOS and Windows installs, so developers should make sure their builds work correctly on it."
"How Apple’s Apps Topped Rivals in the App Store It Controls (11 minute read). Apple has been criticized for placing its own apps at the top of the App Store search results. While Apple denies the accusations, an analysis of search terms showed that its own apps were displayed before apps from rivals, even if the Apple apps were less relevant and less popular. In May, the Supreme Court voted to allow an antitrust action against Apple to move forward. Apple has since changed its search algorithm, causing some of its apps search rankings to drop. The search algorithm examines 42 different signals. Developers can pay Apple in order to display their apps on the top of App Store search results."
"A Robot for the Worst Job in the Warehouse . Boston Dynamics' Stretch robot is designed to move heavy boxes just as fast as an experienced warehouse worker, all day long. The robot can transfer boxes that weigh as much as 50 pounds from the back of a truck to a conveyor belt at a rate of 800 boxes per hour. It can also unload boxes from pallets, put boxes on shelves, build orders out of multiple boxes from different places in a warehouse, and load boxes onto trucks. Human workers will still be required to monitor the robot and to handle other more nuanced parts of the job. Stretch will start shipping to customers in 2022."
"WeWork lays off 2,400 employees . 2,400 WeWork employees will be laid off as the company cuts costs and resizes its business. WeWork is aiming to create a more efficient and focused organization. This layoff represents 19 percent of WeWork's total workforce. Former employees will receive severance, continued benefits, and other forms of assistance. The job cuts have been rumored for some time now. WeWork pulled its IPO filing after investors expressed concerns over the company's mounting losses and unusual corporate governance structure. Adam Neumann, one of WeWork's cofounders, has since stepped down from his role as CEO. WeWork almost ran out of money but secured a bailout from SoftBank, its biggest investor. It continues to bleed cash, with $1.25 billion in reported losses for the third quarter."
"PHP: The Right Way (Website). This website contains an easy-to-read, quick reference for popular PHP coding standards. It aims to introduce PHP developers to multiple options while explaining the difference in approach and use case. Many different translations are available. The website also links to tutorials and other resources."
"A Bay Area startup is working to make 'air meat' using protein-producing microbes discovered by NASA . Most meat alternatives rely on soy or pea protein to mimic the taste and texture of burger patties. A startup called Air Protein is using a technique discovered by NASA to convert carbon dioxide into protein the same way plants do. The process requires 1,000 times less land and water than soybean production as the protein is created inside a lab rather than on a farm. It uses microbes called hydrogenotrophs, which convert carbon dioxide into a flavorless protein powder. The resulting protein can be made into pasta, cereals, shakes, and now, a meat alternative. Similar technology is being used by other companies to create different types of foods. The biggest hurdle for this technology will be to win consumers over with taste."
"Surface Laptop Studio is Microsoft’s new powerful flagship laptop . Microsoft has announced the Surface Laptop Studio, a totally redesigned flagship laptop with a display that pulls forward to transform it into a tablet. The 14.4-inch display supports up to 120Hz and Dolby Vision. It sits on a flexible hinge that allows the laptop to transition between three modes: laptop, stage, and studio. The Surface Laptop Studio will ship on October 5 with prices starting at $1,599.99. More details about the device are available in the article."
"The ethics of the 4 day work week. It’s not just about the hours . Britain's shadow chancellor John McDonnell has recently pledged to reduce the standard working week to 32 hours, without loss of pay, within 10 years of winning office. He says that people should work to live, not live to work. While fewer working hours may have economic benefits through optimal resource allocation, it is also an ethically desirable goal. Fewer working hours mean that people would be generally happier as they have more time. However, having more time doesn't mean that all the time is spent on doing what people want to do. A lot of the extra time will probably be spent on doing things that are required to be done."
"Is Vim Really Not For You? A Beginner Guide (17 minute read). Many people avoid using Vim because there is a learning curve and it looks daunting. However, learning Vim can have many benefits, such as being able to edit files on remote systems where only Vi or Vim are available, being able to navigate many CLI applications that use Vim key bindings, and just because it can be a fun way to create content. Vim is completely keyboard-based, so having good keyboard technique is important. Everything in Vim is configurable, and there is even a programming language called Vimscript that can help shape the editor. Different modes will allow you to edit content in specific, efficient ways. There are some shortcuts to learn in order to get used to using the editor, but in the end, you will find that you will be able to edit and create content much more efficiently."
"Leaked document reveals that Sidewalk Labs' Toronto plans for private taxation, private roads, charter schools, corporate cops and judges, and punishment for people who choose privacy . Toronto's City Council will soon hold a vote on whether to allow Sidewalk Labs to privatize much of the city's lakeshore to create a 'smart city' owned by Alphabet. Sidewalk Labs has a plan to create a corporate-owned city similar to Lake Buena Vista with privately owned and regulated roads, chartered schools, the power to levy and spend property taxes, a corporate criminal justice system, and continuous surveillance. Residents can choose to decline to share information with Sidewalk Labs, but doing so will mean that they will not receive the same level of services as those who choose to share information. For example, they will not be able to access automated taxi services and some merchants might be unable to accept cash. Sidewalk Labs plans to use reputation tools, effectively establishing a social credit system."
"Google remotely disables The Great Suspender Chrome extension after malware accusations . The Great Suspender, a popular Chrome extension that automatically suspended open tabs that haven't been used for a while, has been removed from Google's Chrome Web Store. Apparently, some sketchy changes happened when the extension changed owners last year. Google warns that the extension is dangerous and may contain malware. The extension was open source, and there have been no changes on its GitHub repository for months. The last few releases have not been published to the repository."
"Two Foldable iPhone Prototypes Reportedly Pass Internal Durability Tests . Apple recently completed tests for two different folding iPhone designs at the Foxconn factory in China. The first model was a dual-screen model, with two separate display panels connected by a hinge. Despite being two separate panels, the screen looks fairly continuous and seamless. The second prototype was a clamshell foldable, similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. Apple ordered a large number of Samsung foldable mobile phone displays for testing purposes in 2020. Now that the testing has been completed, Apple will decide which design to continue development with."
"Amazon is making two-hour grocery delivery free for all Prime members . Amazon has added free two-hour grocery delivery to its Prime membership program. Amazon Prime is $119 per year in the US and includes free shipping and other benefits, such as Prime Video and Music. Grocery delivery was previously an additional $14.99 per month subscription service. There are now 100 million Prime members worldwide. The rollout of the grocery delivery benefit will begin in phases, starting with an invite-only program for customers who have previously ordered groceries using Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods. Prime members can request an invitation. There is no timeline for when free grocery delivery will be rolled out to all Prime members without an invite."
"Disney+ was the most downloaded app in the US in Q4 2019 . Disney+ was released in mid-November and was downloaded more than 30 million times. This was more than double its nearest competitor, TikTok. It was the most downloaded app in both the Apple store and Google Play. Disney+ grossed more than $50 million in its first 30 days. It generated 16 percent of all subscription video-on-demand revenue in the US in Q4. The statistics indicate that Disney+ might be expanding the market, rather than beating out its competitors."
"GitHub Copilot (Website). GitHub Copilot is a Visual Studio Code extension that suggests whole lines or entire functions for code. It is trained on billions of lines of public code and understands dozens of languages. Copilot is fast enough to use as you type. Examples are available on the website. Copilot is still in its testing phase, so access is limited."
"Fuzzilli (GitHub Repo). Fuzzilli is a guided fuzzer for dynamic language interpreters that uses a custom intermediate language, FuzzIL. The output can then be translated to JavaScript. Currently, only JavaScriptCore, Spidermonkey, and v8 are supported. The fuzzer is implemented is Swift, with some parts implemented in C."
"Amazon employee at Seattle headquarters tests positive for coronavirus . An employee at Amazon's Seattle headquarters has tested positive for COVID-19. Amazon has 55,000 employees working at their Seattle offices. Those who had been in close contact with the affected employee have been notified. Amazon has stated that they are supporting the employee, who is now in quarantine. They went home sick on February 25 and haven't returned to work since. There were more than 100 cases in the US as of Tuesday night. More than 90,000 people in the world have been infected, with the death toll rising to around 3,000."
"How iPhone Hackers Got Their Hands on the New iOS Months Before Its Release . A leaked early version of iOS 14 has been available to security researchers and hackers since at least February. iOS 14 is expected to be released in September, along with the announcement of the next generation of iPhones. Security researchers have been able to get an early look into the new code to find security flaws. The final version of iOS 14 will be significantly different from the leaked version, but the leak still contains a large amount of potentially exploitable information. This is the first time a version of iOS was leaked so many months in advance. Apple has not commented on the leak but it has taken action against leakers before."
"SpaceX’s Starhopper completed its first mini-launch ‘hop’ . SpaceX’s Starhopper is a mini version of a spacecraft that will hopefully be able to travel throughout our solar system and maybe even to neighboring stars. The Starhopper just completed its first official ‘hop test’, where it lifted off briefly while being tethered to the launch pad. While a full-size version of Starship is still a while away, this Starhopper test will pave the way for higher test flights and full-scale launches. SpaceX has been busy lately with the tests of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, regular launches for commercial clients, and the impending second launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket."
"Apple App Store breaks records, customers spent $1.22B in one week . Apple's App Store had it's biggest week ever with $1.22 billion in sales between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. It then had it's biggest day ever on New Year's Day, when customers spent $322 million. Gaming and self-care were the most popular categories, with Fortnite being the most popular game."
"DARPA wants to build an AI to find the patterns hidden in global chaos . A butterfly flaps its wings and causes a hurricane halfway around the world. This is a famous characterization of how small events can have huge unpredictable effects in complex systems. Until now. DARPA's new AI the Knowledge-directed Artificial Intelligence Reasoning Over Schemas or KAIROS is meant to sift through all of the news and media in the world to identify threads and narratives within them. Schemas are sequences of loosely related events (for example, walking into a store, selecting an item, bringing it to a cashier, and paying for it would be a schema for buying something). KAIROS wants to create schemas to recognize major global events like cold wars or major recessions."
"With GPT-3, I built a layout generator where you just describe any layout you want, and it generates the JSX code for you (Twitter Thread). By giving GPT-3 two code samples for context, Sharif Shameem was able to create a layout generator that can generate JSX code from just a word description. A 2-minute video is available that shows multiple examples of the generator creating code from word descriptions like 'a button for every color of the rainbow'. Shameem commented that it would be easy to generate an HTML/CSS version of the app by feeding GPT-3 the same two samples written in HTML/CSS. A link to the generator is available in the thread."
"Thousands of autonomous delivery robots are about to descend on US college campuses . Starship Technologies has announced a plan to deploy thousands of autonomous six-wheeled delivery robots on college campuses across the US in the next two years. The robots have been tested in over 100 cities in 20 different countries, completing over 100,000 deliveries. Each campus will receive 25-50 robots. Robots have already been deployed in George Mason University and Northern Arizona University. The robots can travel around three to four miles at a maximum speed of four miles per hour. They can work for many hours without a break, carrying cargo of up to 20 pounds in weight. Starship charges $1.99 per order. Other companies have also introduced autonomous delivery robots, but Starship is confident that their technology is miles ahead of any competition."
"Experimental device generates electricity from the coldness of the universe . A new device is able to generate electricity through the difference in temperatures between Earth and space. The device harvests heat as it leaves a surface and turns it into electrical energy using the same type of optoelectronic physics used for harnessing solar energy. The technology currently available is not able to capture power efficiently, with the scientists reporting that they were only able to harvest an amount of power roughly one million times less than the theoretical amount possible. However, the scientists were able to prove that the concept was valid, so further research can only improve the performance of the device."
"An ‘EpiPen’ for spinal cord injuries . Scientists at the University of Michigan have developed nanoparticles that stop the immune system from overreacting to trauma. This could stop spinal injuries from resulting in paralysis. When the body is injured, the body’s immune response targets the injured area to remove debris and begin healing. However, when the central nervous system is damaged, the immune system creates too much inflammation for the neural tissues, which causes them to die. The nanoparticles are designed to redirect immune cells from the damaged area, resulting in less chance of damage to the spinal cord. Using nanoparticles to redirect the immune system is also useful for the treatment of other conditions."
Watch China's Chang'e 5 spacecraft land on the moon in this amazing video . China's Chang'e 5 lander spacecraft has successfully touched down on the Moon and collected the first lunar samples in 44 years. A short video of the landing and footage of Chang'e 5 collecting samples is available in the article. The spacecraft launched on November 23 and touched down on Tuesday at 11:11 pm Beijing Time. Chang'e 5 will launch back into lunar orbit on Thursday and re-enter Earth's atmosphere around December 16.
"NASA taps SpaceX, Blue Origin and 11 more companies for Moon and Mars space tech . NASA has partnered with 13 companies on 19 new projects that will help it reach the Moon and Mars. Blue Origin will develop a navigation system for safe landing on the Moon, a fuel cell-based power system, and engine nozzles for rockets with liquid propellant suited for lunar lander vehicles. SpaceX will be working on technology to help move rocket propellant safely around during orbit and on refining its vertical landing capabilities to adapt it to conditions on the Moon. Lockheed Martin will be creating metal powder-based materials using solid-state processing that can operate better in high-temperature environments, as well as autonomous methods for growing and harvesting plants in space. A link to more details on the other projects is available."
Mars milestone: NASA Ingenuity helicopter survives first cold night alone . NASA's Ingenuity helicopter recently survived on its own for the first time through a brutal Martian night. Perseverance dropped the helicopter onto the ground over the weekend to allow it to charge its batteries in the sunlight. Temperatures can go as low as minus 130 degrees Fahrenheit in the Jezero Crater at night. NASA plans to run Ingenuity's first hovering test flight on April 11.
"How to read a jellyfish's mind . A team of researchers have genetically modified jellyfish so that their neurons light up when activated. This allowed them to watch the animal's neural activity as it behaved naturally. Jellyfish have brains diffused across their bodies like a net, with each part able to operate autonomously. By observing jellyfish neurons in real-time, the scientists determined that while the network of neurons seems unstructured, there is a surprising degree of organization. The level of neural organization is invisible under a microscope and can only be seen by visualizing active neurons. A couple of short clips showing jellyfish neurons lighting up are available in the article."
"How a Tesla engineer redesigned the chocolate chip . Remy Labesque is a senior industrial designer at Tesla. His side project for the last three years has been to re-engineer the classic chocolate chip as he claims that the teardrop shape isn't suited to its function. The traditional shape was optimized for mass production rather than taste. Labesque's chocolate chips are a square, faceted pyramid, similar to a flattened diamond, with two thick edges and two thin edges. The chips stay whole throughout baking. They come in three different flavors at $30 for a 17.6 oz bag. Pictures of the chocolate chips are available in the article."
"SpaceX just test-fired the huge engine for its newest rocket . Elon Musk tweeted a series of videos, showing SpaceX’s new rocket engine design, Raptor, being tested. The engine, designed for its Starship rocket, has a new ‘radical’ design that uses methane and liquid oxygen to attain thrust. SpaceX has planned to attach 3 of these engines to its Starship rocket for low-altitude testing later this year. The article contains the videos showing the Raptor rocket engine being tested."
"Walt Disney Imagineering is developing walking animatronics . Disney's Imagineering team's newest robotic initiative is about building extreme Marvel and Star Wars characters such as The Incredible Hulk and Yoda. Project Kiwi aims to create advanced robotics to bring characters that humans can't believably play to life. Robots won't replace cast members, but park guests will soon be able to see non-human characters walking around. Some characters will be combinations of humans with animatronics. While iconic attractions will probably stay, their old animatronics will likely be replaced with more believable and mobile ones in the future."
"Scientists Added a Sense of Touch to a Mind-Controlled Robotic Arm . A new type of robotic arm prosthesis uses a direct connection to the brain to provide a sense of touch without connecting to nerves and muscles. Patients using the device were able to complete tasks in half the time compared to using an arm without feedback. The sensory information received from the arm is still rudimentary, but it was enough to improve performance in a pretty significant way. Adding a sense of touch may give patients a greater sense of ownership over their replacement limbs."
"China is Home to World's First Small Modular Nuclear Reactor . China Huaneng Group Co.’s 200-megawatt small modular reactor at Shidao Bay is now operational. The nuclear plant will go into full commercial operations next year after connecting a second reactor. Its reactors are designed to shut down passively if anything goes wrong. China is expected to invest up to $440 billion into nuclear power over the next decade and a half. Small module reactors are less costly to build and operate, faster to implement, and have shorter shutdown times compared to traditional nuclear plants, making them an exciting technology for nuclear experts."
"Zoom closed account of U.S.-based Chinese activist “to comply with local law” . A paid Zoom account associated with US-based nonprofit Humanitarian China was temporarily shut down after broadcasting an event commemorating the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Zoom stated that the account was closed down to comply with local laws. Some of the participants of the event were based in China where free discussion of the 1989 Tiananmen pro-democracy movement is forbidden. Zoom is a US-based company, but much of its product development was based in China, with some Zoom calls routed through Chinese servers."
A New Species of Absolutely Enormous Waterlily Has Been Hiding in Plain Sight . The new species of giant waterlily was initially mistaken for another known species.
"Moving stuff with your mind? That superpower may finally be here . Scientists from China have developed a Bluetooth brain-computer interface that can wirelessly control metasurfaces using brainwaves. The device provided better control and was far more advanced than any existing product currently on the market. It can still be tweaked to be more efficient and accurate. The technology has potential applications in communications, the health sector, and smart sensors."
"SpaceX will now let you book a rocket launch online starting at $1 million . Customers who want to reserve space on a Falcon 9 launch can now do so through SpaceX's new web-based booking tool. SpaceX is offering rideshare services for $1 million per payload ranging up to 200kg, with an additional $5 per extra kilogram of cargo. Customers can select the desired orbit and the launch date, input the total amount and size of cargo, and select a specific rocket to book a ride on. The website will return an estimated cost. Customers can then choose some extra options, such as insurance. A small deposit is required, after which the customers can pay the rest of the fee in up to three installments. A Rideshare User's Guide has been released by SpaceX that contains more details about the program. Screenshots of the booking tool and a link to the Rideshare User's guide are available in the article."
"Ex SpaceX Engineers Launch Robotic Pizzeria That Can Make and Bake in 5 Minutes . Stellar Pizza is a new pizza-making robot launched by three ex-SpaceX engineers. The pizzeria can make, bake, and top a pizza in under five minutes. It can fit on the back of a truck and be deployed anywhere. Customers can order from a menu or create their own pizzas. The foodservice industry is currently facing a global shortage of labor that is expected to worsen over the next decade. Automated solutions like Stella Pizza provide a cost-effective way to fill unwanted positions in the food industry."
"Google launches Android 11 Developer Preview ahead of schedule for Pixel phones . Google has launched the Android Developer Preview early for the fifth year in a row. This initial Android 11 preview is earlier than previous releases, and it isn't in beta yet. The preview contains a feature set that targets a development-minded audience. A public launch is planned for Q3 2020. Some changes to Android include improved APIs for new technologies such as 5G and different display types, better privacy and security controls, and various improvements to the system experience."
ECMAScript-new-features-list (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a comprehensive list of new ES features. Each list contains explanations and examples of how features are used in the ECMAScript 10 language.
"YouTube rolls out Super Stickers, a new way for creators to make money . YouTube fans who want to show their support for their favorite creators can now purchase Super Stickers to use within the live chat feature. To be eligible for Super Stickers, creators must have a monetized channel with more than 1,000 subscribers in supported markets. A Super Chat feature was launched almost three years ago which highlighted fans' messages in bright colors within live chat to give it more visibility. More than 100,000 channels have used Super Chat, with some channels earning more than $400 a minute. There will be eight Super Sticker packs at launch, five of which are animated. The packs are available in five languages across 60 countries and will cost from 99 cents to $50. Super Stickers will be completely rolled out by the end of the week."
"Exclusive: Tinder breaks into scripted original content, wraps filming first video series . Tinder will be launching its own original content in the form of a television series with an apocalyptic storyline that has a relationship subplot. The story will not involve Tinder's dating app. Tinder is owned by Match, who is owned by IAC, a company founded by Hollywood legend Barry Diller. Swipe Life is a lifestyle website launched by Tinder that includes articles and videos about dating and relationships. Offering original content is an increasingly popular and effective strategy for attracting devoted users as it engages customers even when they are not using a company's services. Walmart, Airbnb, and Costco are also developing original videos. It is unknown when Tinder's first series will be available or how it will be promoted."
forgit (GitHub Repo). forgit is a tool designed to help people use git more efficiently. It provides a UI and makes many of git's functions interactive. Screenshots are available.
"Undeleting a file overwritten with mv . Stories of data loss can be embarrassing, but they help people learn useful things in case they end up in similar situations. This article tells the story of how a file was accidentally overwritten using the mv command, what the author attempted to do to fix the issue, and how the issue was fixed in the end."
"Apple has a Vladimir Putin problem . Russia passed a law in November 2019 that will require all smartphone devices to preload applications that provide information about its users back to the government. The information harvested includes location, financial, and message data. Unless Apple complies with the regulation, which kicks in during July 2020, it will have to pull out of Russia. The law is part of Vladimir Putin's goal to create a sovereign internet. Apple has yet to release a statement about the changes. Making these changes would go against Apple's principle of honoring user privacy over the interest of federal governments. Its position on privacy has landed the company in trouble with the US government in the past. Preloaded apps would pose just as real a threat as an official backdoor. Apple has recently changed Ukraine to be part of Russia in its weather reporting, a move that was heavily criticized on Ukrainian social media. The choices that Apple faces highlight the increasing power that large tech companies' decisions have on geopolitics."
Streamlit (GitHub Repo). Streamlit allows developers to create apps for machine learning projects using simple Python scripts. Apps will update live as they are edited and saved. All that is required is an editor and a browser. Examples of apps written with Streamlit are available.
"Tesla remotely disables Autopilot on used Model S after it was sold . Tesla remotely disabled the driver assistance features from a Model S after it was sold to a customer by a third-party dealer. The dealer had purchased the vehicle directly from Tesla at an auction. Tesla claims that the customer didn't pay for the features so therefore they aren't eligible to use them. The features were enabled when the dealer bought the car and the customer purchased the car under the assumption the features would be included. Tesla says that the customer will have to pay $8,000 to turn the features back on. This incident raises hard questions about the problems that over-the-air updates can cause."
"Rocket Lab aims to launch private Venus mission in 2023 . Rocket Lab, a Californian-based spaceflight company, is planning a robotic astrobiology mission to Venus in 2023. Venus used to be a planet with oceans, lakes, and rivers, before the planet became hot and dry. Scientists believe that there could be life in the planet's atmosphere, where potentially habitable pockets have temperatures and pressures similar to the Earth's surface environment. The Venus mission will involve deploying probes into the planet's atmosphere using Rocket Lab's Photon satellite platform. When Photon becomes available for customers, it will significantly lower the cost of doing science in space."
"NASA considers selling seats on the spacecraft used for International Space Station . NASA is considering selling seats on the shuttles used to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station as an additional revenue source. Russia already does something like this, selling seats on its spacecraft to wealthy individuals for millions of dollars. The agency is also considering boosting its brand in other ways by allowing its logo to be used commercially and its astronauts to appear in commercials. The White House is considering ending direct funding of the International Space Station by 2025, so selling seats could be one way of turning the station into a self-funding commercial entity. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine says ""NASA has the best brand in the world, and it is important for us to make sure that we're using it in a way that helps people perceive the United States of America in a different way all around the world."""
Microsoft to shut down LinkedIn in China . Microsoft will shut down its local version of LinkedIn in China due to a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements. A Chinese regulator told LinkedIn in March to better regulate its content as some users had published prohibited content on their profiles. Microsoft will launch a new job site called InJobs that will not include a social feed or allow users to share posts or articles.
"Tricking the tricksters with a next level fork bomb . Some people try to trick others into running destructive shell commands by obscuring them. This article describes how someone decided to fight back by creating an obscured command which attacked anyone who tried to decode it. Only people familiar with the attack would try to decode the command, which would result in their systems slowing to a crawl until they rebooted. The examples in the article can be dangerous, do not copy-paste anything from it into your own shell."
"PyRobot (GitHub Repo). PyRobot provides hardware independent APIs for robotic manipulation and navigation. Using PyRobot, developers can make robots that can pick up objects, navigate around a room, and even more complex tasks such as stacking objects together. Several GIFs are available showing robots operating using PyRobot."
"OnlyFans says it will no longer ban porn in stunning U-turn after user backlash . OnlyFans has suspended its plans to ban pornography. It had previously said it was being forced to prohibit porn due to pressure from its banking partners, but it now says that it has secured the necessary assurances it needs to continue allowing sexually explicit content. Many sex workers had condemned OnlyFans for its earlier decision. OnlyFans' success has largely been due to adult performers selling their content through its platform."
"Match.com connected daters to fake accounts to boost subscriptions, US regulators say . The Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit against Match.com alleging that the company connected non-paying users to fake accounts in order to get them to subscribe to the service. Non-paying users can't view or respond to messages, but are notified if they received a message. Many users would pay Match.com to view a received message only to find that the account that had sent the message was banned, or was soon to be banned. When users complained and requested refunds, Match.com denied any wrongdoing. The FTC found 499,691 new subscriptions that were linked to fraudulent communications between June 2016 and May 2018. Paid customers would have their messages reviewed for fraud before being notified, but non-paying customers were notified of every message, regardless of authenticity. The lawsuit also alleges that Match.com did not fulfill its promises to customers for a free six-month subscription if they weren't successful in using its service, and that the company purposefully made canceling the service incredibly difficult."
"Facebook shareholder revolt gets bloody: Powerless investors vote overwhelmingly to oust Mark Zuckerberg as chairman . Around 68 percent of ordinary investors, those who are not part of the management or board, voted to oust Mark Zuckerberg as chairman of Facebook during the annual shareholders meeting last week. Shareholders are concerned with the direction of the company and the handling of recent scandals. An independent chairman may benefit the company and hold Zuckerberg and his team accountable for their actions. Shareholders also voted to scrap Facebook’s dual-class share structure, where Class B shareholders have 10 times as much voting power as Class A shareholders. As Zuckerberg owns more than 75% of Class B stocks, earning him 60% of the voting power in Facebook, the proposal to oust him as chairman was dismissed."
"DeepMind Demonstration (Tweet). DeepMind will be demonstrating their StarCraft playing AI and discussing StarCraft 2 as an environment for AI research at 6:00pm GMT Thursday. There is a link to their YouTube channel in this tweet, they will be livestreaming the demonstration."
"Opera browser now allows emoji-only web addresses . Opera has partnered with Yat to enable emoji-based web addresses. Yat is a company that sells URLs with strings of emoji in them. The integration will mean users won't have to type the y.at part of the Yat address to access pages, only the emojis. Yat owners can create NFTs of their emoji strings and the company plans to eventually let users connect to electronic payments. The service started on February 1 with musicians like Kesha being among the first adopters."
"Boston Dynamics' robots can parkour better than you . Boston Dynamics has shared a video of its Atlas humanoid robots successfully completing a parkour routine in an obstacle course. The routine took months of development and served as a useful test of the robots' abilities. Atlas can adapt its movements using visual cues. While the video looks impressive, there is still a slight chance of failure at each step of the routine. Atlas is a research model meant to push the limit of robotics and it could lead to the development of helper robots that handle a wide variety of tasks with human-like dexterity. The video is available in the article."
"This Tool Lets You Program an Entire App With One Voice Command . CodeVox is a tool that can generate lines of code from natural speech. It works with Python and JavaScript. CodeVox uses OpenAI's Codex AI system to translate natural language to programming languages. Codex is trained on a data set of publicly available code. Its current version can execute about 37 percent of tasks users give it, and it is prone to bias. CodeVox demonstrates how Codex can be used to help make coding accessible to a larger audience. A video demonstration of CodeVox is available in the article."
"Motorola returns to flagship phones with the Edge Plus . Motorola has revealed its new Edge Plus flagship phone at $999. It features a 6.7-inch FHD+ OLED panel, a Snapdragon 865 processor, 5G support, a 90Hz refresh rate, 12GB RAM, 256GB internal storage, a 5,000mAh battery, and a headphone jack. The Edge Plus has a triple rear camera system with a 108-megapixel sensor and other advanced camera features. A regular Motorola Edge will also be released with the same base design but with lower specs. The Edge Plus will be exclusive to Verizon in the US for its entire lifespan. The regular Motorola Edge will be sold more broadly but will be released later in the year."
"Amazon buys 11 jets for 1st time to ship orders faster . Amazon bought 11 jets from Delta and WestJet airlines to boost its growing delivery network and to ship orders faster. All of the planes will be converted to hold cargo instead of passengers. It is the first time the company has purchased planes for its delivery business. A mix of both leased and owned aircraft in its fleet will allow Amazon to better manage its operations. The company has been working to lessen its reliance on UPS, the US Postal Service, and other carriers."
"Kedro (GitHub Repo). Kedro is a Python framework for creating reproducible, maintainable, and modular data science code. It uses concepts like modularity, separation of concerns, and versioning and applies them to machine-learning code. Kedro features project templates, a data catalog, pipeline abstraction, coding standards, and flexible deployment."
"Salary Sharing Thread for Interns (Reddit Thread). With summer internship offers coming out, the CS Career Questions subreddit is having a salary sharing thread. The thread is broken down by region and the comments list their school, prior experience, location, summer salary and stuff like that. Gotta say, Tesla is looking very stingy!"
"What it feels like to be laid off on Zoom during this crisis . Many tech employees have been laid off due to the coronavirus outbreak, and the layoffs continue as the situation goes on. The tech industry has transitioned offline, using platforms like Zoom to hold meetings. Now the layoff announcements have moved to these virtual meeting rooms. Employees at TripActions joined a virtual meeting on Tuesday morning, along with around 100 other team members, and were told that they were being laid off. Companies are now downsizing in order to survive lockdowns. People are frustrated, especially at having to receive the news over virtual group meetings."
"Powered by Sunlight, ‘Artificial Leaf’ Successfully Produces Clean Gas From CO2 and Water . Syngas is a gas usually created from fossil fuels that is used to produce a range of commodities, such as fuels, pharmaceuticals, plastics, and fertilizers. Researchers at the University of Cambridge have created an artificial leaf that is able to produce syngas in a sustainable and simple way. The leaf works by using a combination of two light absorbers and a cobalt-based catalyst. It is able to work in low light, even when it is rainy or overcast. The technology may be able to eventually produce a sustainable liquid fuel alternative to petrol."
"All of the biggest announcements from Samsung’s Galaxy S20 event . Samsung unveiled the Samsung Galaxy S20, S20 Plus, S20 Ultra, and Z Flip foldable phone at its Unpacked 2020 event recently. New Galaxy Buds Plus were also announced, with speakers that are 40 percent bigger than the previous generation. Voice quality has been improved, with three microphones built into the buds. They will have 11 hours of battery life. Google Duo will be available on the S20 and Z Flip devices. The Galaxy S20, S20 Plus, and S20 Ultra will all support 5G, feature a Snapdragon 865 processor, and will be able to record in 8K. Samsung's new Z flip foldable phone will feature a 6.7-inch foldable AMOLED display and will launch on February 14 for $1,380."
"Jeff Bezos says he will fly into space next month . Jeff Bezos will be flying on Blue Origin's first human spaceflight next month. He has invited his brother to go along, so the two brothers will join the winner of an auction for the July 20 flight. Bidding for the third seat has already reached $2.8 million, but it is likely to go higher during a live auction on June 22. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to Club for the Future, Blue Origin's foundation. Bezos has wanted to go to space for a long time, but he wanted to go on a Blue Origin vehicle."
Canada Resident Finds A SpaceX Starlink Ground Station Under Construction . SpaceX's Starlink received approval to operate in Canada in November. It is now setting up ground stations to connect residents to the network. Customers can still purchase a Starlink Kit to connect directly to the service. The equipment at the new site has labels indicating that it was only to be used for demonstration purposes. Pictures of the site are available in the article.
"How the pandemic pulled Nigerian university students into cybercrime (15 minute read). This article follows the story of Kayode, an A-grade student that was studying at one of the country's most elite educational institutions who turned to cybercrime during the pandemic. The pandemic has pushed young Nigerians into online crime as many lose their jobs and are forced to go hungry. What little money people had is strained due to inflation. Cybercrime is a popular choice to turn to when legitimate avenues are exhausted, especially when it seems low risk."
"Amazon Zoox unveils self-driving robotaxi . Zoox recently unveiled an electric, fully driverless car built for ride-hailing. It can sit up to four passengers. There is no space for a driver or steering wheel. As it is a 'carriage-style' car, passengers will sit facing each other. Amazon acquired Zoox in June, but it gave few details about how it planned to use Zoox's technology. The robotaxi features bidirectional capabilities and four-wheel steering. It can drive up to 75 miles per hour and run for 16 hours on a single charge. Zoox plans to launch an app-based ridesharing service, with the first target markets in San Francisco and Las Vegas."
"Hackers are stealing videos from private security cameras and selling them as home video tapes . Chinese hackers are stealing videos from security cameras in private properties across the country and selling them online as 'home video packages'. Some people are installing cameras in homes, hotels, fitting rooms, and beauty salons to sell the footage. The videos are priced based on the content and are sold via social media. Real-time viewing options are also available. Those who are caught stealing data or spreading pornography in China face imprisonment."
"OpenAI debuts gigantic GPT-3 language model with 175 billion parameters . GPT-3 is OpenAI's new language model. It has 175 billion parameters, but it is unclear whether a full version or whether one of seven smaller versions will be released. GPT-3 is an autoregressive model trained with unsupervised machine learning. It can generate news articles, use novel words in sentences, and perform arithmetic. The model achieved nearly state-of-the-art results in COPA and ReCoRD reading comprehension data sets but fell short in some sets of middle school and high school exam questions that required comparing two sentences or snippets. An analysis of the model found that it had some biases, likely due to the input data."
"Why Some Memories Seem Like Movies: 'Time Cells' Discovered In Human Brains . Episodic memories are memories that play like a movie. Scientists have identified the cells that make episodic memory possible. Time cells place a timestamp on memories as they are being formed, allowing events or experiences to be recalled in the right order. While time cells have been identified before in mouse brains, this is the first time they have been identified in human brains. The presence of time cells in humans explains why people with damage to the hippocampus have problems remembering events in the right order."
"Radix (Website). Radix Primitives is a UI component library for building accessible design systems and web apps. The components are accessible, unstyled, customizable, and uncontrolled by default. Each primitive can be installed individually."
"Influenza has disappeared worldwide during the Covid pandemic . Case numbers for the common influenza have dropped to minuscule levels since Covid-19 began its global spread. The influenza virus is transmitted in the same way as Covid-19, but it is less effective at jumping from host to host. There were 600 deaths from influenza during the 2020-2021 flu season, compared to 22,000 deaths in the prior season. The US has seen over 574,000 deaths from Covid-19 so far."
"Inside the Rise and Fall of a Multimillion-Dollar Airbnb Scheme (10 minute read). Since the introduction of Airbnb and other short-term leasing accommodation businesses, landlords and homeowners have had to deal with dishonest tenants signing up for long term leases and then turning their homes into hotel rooms. A syndicate in New York used multiple identities both online and offline to create an Airbnb ‘Empire’, making more than $20 million in revenue. A lawsuit brought by the city is suing the leaders of the group, who employed over 15 housekeepers in 35 different buildings over 3 years."
Stealing your SMS messages with iOS 0day . A 0day bug exists in iOS 13.4.1 that allows malicious attackers to steal iMessage history. The bug allows apps to access sms.db and send it to a remote server. Steps for exploiting the bug are detailed in the article. The best way to protect yourself from this exploit is to avoid downloading any suspicious apps before Apple releases the next iOS update
South Korea law forces Google and Apple to open up app store payments . Apple and Google are battling lawsuits and regulators around the world due to their app store rules. An amendment to South Korea’s Telecommunications Business Act will force app store owners to allow developers to use alternative payment options. Apple and Google charge a 30 percent cut for most transactions through their stores and they don't allow developers to use their own payment systems. App stores will be banned from unreasonably delaying the approval of apps or removing them from marketplaces as a form of retaliation.
"First U.S. coronavirus death confirmed in Washington state . The first death in the US from coronavirus was a man in his 50s with chronic underlying conditions. Two new cases in Washington state have recently been announced, with the cases linked to a long-term care facility. One of the new confirmed cases is a healthcare worker. Out of 108 residents and 180 staff at the healthcare facility, 27 residents and 25 staff members have symptoms of the virus. Testing is underway as public health officials rush to contain the outbreak. The recent patterns of cases in the US indicate that the disease is likely circulating within the population. COVID-19 has spread to 57 countries, infecting more than 85,000 people and killing more than 2,900. There have been 66 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the US."
"The New Super Sub Can Dive to 1,000 Feet and Move Faster Than a Bottlenose Dolphin . The Super Sub is a high-performance cruiser from U-Boat Worx that was designed to keep up with large marine life. The 17-foot submersible is equipped with a propulsion system that is capable of churning out 60 kW, allowing it to hit speeds of up to 8 knots. It is two knots faster than a bottlenose dolphin and adept at navigating the world beneath the waves. The Super Sub can dive to depths of nearly 1,000 feet at angles up to 30-degrees steep. Renders of the submersible are available in the article."
"The Ultimate Guide to Onboarding New Developers: Industry Best Practices and How to Plan the First 90 Days (20 minute read). This guide discusses how to onboard new hires effectively. A well-planned onboarding process can greatly increase long-term retention and increase new-hire productivity. Most organizations don't onboard well despite its importance. Onboarding programs should cover basic administrative tasks, have activities to help new hires assimilate to their teams and work environments, and help the new hire become productive and contribute to the team."
"Twitter Users in China Face Detention and Threats in New Beijing Crackdown . China is escalating its crackdown on Twitter. Many political activists use VPNs to access Twitter (China only has about 3 million Twitter users because the service is banned). One activist was chained to a chair for 8 hours, while another spent 15 days in a detention center. They both promised to stop using Twitter. One activist says ""In this era, we certainly know fear, but I can't control myself. We've been living a very suppressed life. We're like lambs. They’re taking us one after another. We have no ability to fight back."""
"Driverless electric truck starts deliveries on Swedish public road . A driverless electric truck has received permission to start making deliveries via a public road in Sweden. The truck does not have a driver cabin, which reduces the freight operating costs by an estimated 60 percent compared to a diesel truck with a driver. Freight operators are under pressure to reduce delivery times and cut emissions, and the industry is seeing a growing shortage of drivers. The T-Pod will operate between a warehouse and a terminal at a maximum speed of 5 km/hr."
pg_flame (GitHub Repo). pg_flame is a flamegraph generator for Postgres' EXPLAIN ANALYZE output. Flamegraphs are useful visualization tools for performance investigations. They visualize CPU consumption per code-path of the profiled software. A demo of the output is available.
"Unreal’s new iPhone app does live motion capture with Face ID sensors . Live Link Face is an iPhone app from Epic Games that uses the front-facing 3D sensors in the phone to do live motion capture for facial animations. It uses tools from Apple's ARKit framework and the iPhone's TrueDepth sensor array. While the iPhone's sensors are not as accurate as the equipment used by major studios, Live Link Face makes motion capture more accessible for indie game developers, filmmakers, and other creators."
"duf (GitHub Repo). duf is a utility to monitor disk usage on Linux, BSD, and macOS. It features a colorful output, auto-adjusting width, sorted results, groups and filters for devices, and JSON output. A screenshot is available in the repository."
"Modified cotton could be human food source after U.S. green light . US regulators are now allowing farmers to grow a genetically modified edible version of cottonseed. Because cotton is grown so widely around the world, this could be very useful for cotton growers in poor countries who lack access to food. Researcher Keerti Rathore says ""To me, personally, it tastes somewhat like chickpea and it could easily be used to make a tasty hummus""."
"Scientists Succeed in Creating Northern White Rhino Embryos . There are currently only two northern white rhinos left in the world, both of them female. Scientists have successfully created embryos using eggs from the females and frozen sperm from dead males. These embryos will soon be transferred into a surrogate mother. It is hoped that this will help save the species. The Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife research aims to create a herd of at least five animals, a project that could take decades. Northern white rhinos were almost wiped out due to poachers killing them for their horns, which are a prized item in traditional Chinese medicine for their supposed healing properties. The last male northern white rhino was euthanized in 2018 due to age-related ills."
"Google search will now give you feedback on your pronunciation . Google search has a new feature that will help users check their pronunciation of unfamiliar words. After a user searches for a pronunciation guide, they will be able to speak the word and Google's AI will analyze how the word was pronounced. It will then provide feedback on how each syllable matches Google's expected pronunciation. The feature currently only works for American English, but Spanish pronunciations will be released soon. Google will also start to include images with its translations so that users will be less confused with definitions."
"China Is Developing an 'Ultra-Large' $2.3 Million Megaship That Is Miles Long . The National Natural Science Foundation of China has called for an analysis of the mechanics of constructing an ultra-large spacecraft spanning kilometers. The spacecraft would be modular, requiring multiple launches and space-based assembly to construct. China has doubled down on its space program since May, after it landed a rover on Mars. It started assembling its Tiangong space station in April. Tiangong's core, which will be the primary housing unit, should be complete sometime next year."
"Engineers Sprint Ahead, but Don’t Underestimate the Poets . The advantages of choosing a STEM major fades after the first job, and by age 40, the earnings of people who majored in fields like social science or history have caught up. This may be because older workers in STEM areas have to learn on the job, whereas their younger counterparts learn skills in school, making them more competitive when entering the job market. Those who major in other fields usually develop stronger soft skills, which have long-run value in a wide variety of careers. With technology changing all the time, those who learned skills that were in demand would receive a short-run salary premium, but when the technology changes, these workers will have to compete with people who graduated while learning the new technology. People who took non-STEM majors were more likely to develop skills that eventually put them into high-paying management positions."
"Meta brings 3D avatars to Instagram, rolls out new options for Facebook and Messenger . Meta is bringing its 3D avatars to Instagram and rolling out an update to Facebook and Messenger avatars. The update adds Cochlear implants, over-the-ear hearing aids, wheelchairs, and more facial shapes. Users can use the same avatar across all Meta platforms. Meta has partnered with the NFL to allow fans' avatars to wear shirts supporting their favorite team in the Super Bowl until February 28. Meta is scheduled to release its fourth-quarter and full-year earnings on February 2."
"Here Is a Link to the App that Blew Up the Iowa Caucus . The Democratic party has delayed the announcement of the winner of the Iowa caucus due to a failed app that caused vote numbers to be reported incorrectly. Prior to the election, the party had kept the app developer's identity secret for security purposes. It has now been revealed that the app was developed by a startup called Shadow, which has also previously provided services to the Texas Democratic Party, Kirsten Gillibrand's primary bid, and Pete Buttigieg's campaign. Shadow's parent company, Acronym, has stated that they only invested in the company and that they don't know the specifics of the app failure. The app was never vetted by major cybersecurity agencies or the wider cybersecurity community. Many of the specifics of the app are still kept secret, which is a cause for concern according to security experts."
"Neuropod (GitHub Repo). Neuropod makes it easy to run deep learning models from multiple frameworks by providing a uniform interface. It currently supports TensorFlow, PyTorch, TorchScript, and Keras. Researchers can use Neuropod to build models and optimize code that will run on multiple platforms, four or five versions of each supported framework, and five versions of Python."
"Google Earth captures photo of Air Force’s $2 billion stealth bomber in flight . A user on Reddit recently posted an image of a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber on Google Earth flying over a farmer's house in Missouri. The area is near the only B-2 base in the world. The B-2 was made to defeat the world's most advanced air-defense systems. Each stealth bomber costs $44.27 million a year to maintain, making it the most expensive aircraft to maintain in Air Force history. The Air Force plans to buy at least 100 B-21s, a new stealth bomber designed to replace the B-2, for around $639 million each."
"Audi created an autonomous off-roader that uses flying drones to illuminate the road instead of headlights . Audi recently revealed its concept AI:TRAIL Quattro which uses five LED drones instead of headlights. Its cabin is mostly glass and it uses a smartphone as the display and control center screen for the car's functions and navigation. The designers aimed to give those inside the car the best view of nature and their surroundings. It can hit a top speed of 81 mph and has a range between 248 and 310 miles on easy terrain, 155 miles on rougher paths. The vehicle is optimized for trail-traveling, with removable seats that can be used as portable outdoor seating. A gallery of photos showing the concept car is available."
"Real-world photos confirm Samsung’s next flagship phone is called the Galaxy S20 . The next Samsung flagship phone will be the Galaxy S20. XDA Developers published pictures of the new Galaxy S20 Plus, with the startup screen confirming the new name. The new screen has a hole-punch cutout similar to the selfie camera hole in the Galaxy Note 10, and the screen is flatter and less curved on the sides. Samsung's newest device is rumored to contain a regular wide lens, an ultra-wide lens, a macro lens, and a portrait camera. The entire line of Galaxy S20 devices will be announced at Samsung's Unpacked event on February 11."
"DockerSlim (GitHub Repo). DockerSlim optimizes and secures Docker containers by using analysis techniques to understand the needs of an application. It removes unnecessary clutter, so containers become smaller and more secure. There are options to retain packages if required. DockerSlim works with Node.js. Python, Ruby, Java, Golang, Ubuntu, and more. A short screencast is available to show how an application image is minified by more than 30x."
"Facebook is researching AI systems that see, hear, and remember everything you do . Ego4D is a research project at Facebook that is using first-person video data to train AI to develop skills such as episodic memory, forecasting, and audio-visual diarization. It could result in AI systems that can remember who said what when and answer questions such as 'where did I leave my keys?'. Facebook stresses that this is a research project rather than a commercial development. It partnered with 13 universities to record 3,205 hours of first-person footage for researchers to use to train AI systems. A 5-minute video from Facebook explaining Ego4D is available in the article."
"Change your MAC address with a shell script . When you spoof your MAC address, previous access points that you have connected to will think that you are on a new and unique device. This article shows how to change a MAC address on macOS, and wraps up the steps into a shell script. A link to an article with the steps for changing MAC address on Windows is available."
"Amazon sues former AWS marketing VP Brian Hall after he takes Google Cloud job . Amazon is suing its former Amazon Web Services vice president of product marketing Brian Hall as it claims that his new role at Google Cloud violates a non-compete agreement. Hall's lawyers claim that Amazon executives had led Hall to believe that the non-competition provision of his agreement would not be enforced. Hall has asked the court to rule the non-compete clause to be overbroad, unreasonable, and unenforceable. This suit is notable as it involves a marketing leader rather than an engineering executive. Hall is knowledgeable on Amazon's cloud product roadmap for the next year. Washington state does not restrict non-compete agreements where an employee earns more than $100,000 a year, an amount which Hall was earning well in excess of. Full copies of Amazon's complaint and Hall's response are available at the end of the article."
"The sacking of a crypto mecca (17 minute read). New Hampshire has become a magnet for cryptocurrency buffs, with more than 20 businesses accepting some form of cryptocurrency payment. In March, authorities raided the offices of a group that was involved in a Bitcoin dispenser business. Six people were held in custody and charged with wire fraud. Prosecutors have been treating the unregulated Bitcoin system as a loosely organized criminal conspiracy and have targeted projects that try to keep coins anonymous. This article tells the story of the raid and looks into the background of some of the people involved."
"Lyft's monthly subscription plan is now available nationwide . Lyft now has a monthly subscription, for $299 a month you can get 30 free rides valued at $15 or less. If any of these rides goes over $15, you just pay the difference. You can use this for single passenger or carpool rides, and for a limited time subscribers will get an additional 5% off additional rides."
"Universal Data Tool (GitHub Repo). Universal Data Tool is a web app for editing and annotating images, text, audio, and documents. Users can collaborate with others in real-time, scale to tens of thousands of data points per dataset, use CSV or JSON, integrate UDT into a React application, and more. Screenshots of usage and GIF demos are available."
Google Earth Reverse Engineering (GitHub Repo). Some guy reverse engineered Google Earth's API so you can extract 3D images from Google Earth. He's still pushing commits pretty fast but it's already usable.
"Whole Foods cuts workers' hours after Amazon introduces minimum wage . A $15 an hour minimum wage for Whole Foods employees was enacted by Amazon on November 1. Team members who were being paid less than the $15 an hour saw a raise to at least that figure, while other employees received a $1 an hour raise and team leaders received a $2 an hour raise. Since the wage increase, many employees have seen their hours cut significantly, with part-time employees seeing their hours cut from around 30 hours a week to 20 hours a week, and full-time employees seeing a 3-4 hour a week decrease in their rosters. Amazon has also cut stock vesting plans and bonuses. These cuts have drawn complaints from employees, who say that there are not enough staff on the floor to properly serve customers and that some employees have had to take up second jobs to make ends meet. Many team members are now claiming their current compensation is lower than before the wage increase."
"Allstar (GitHub Repo). Allstar is a GitHub App for setting and enforcing security policies. It can continuously monitor and detect settings and files in repositories to find items that may be risky or do not follow security best practices. When it finds something that is out of compliance, it can take actions such as creating an issue or restoring security settings."
"Five takeaways from looking for a new senior role in tech (16 minute read). Senior roles are usually not evergreen, as they mostly open up when someone needs a replacement, if there is a leadership vacuum, when a company reaches a new growth stage, or when a company starts a new strategic initiative and needs a new leader. They are also usually not publicized, so it can be difficult to find positions. This article discusses Phil Calçado's experiences in finding a new senior role in tech. It talks about the hurdles in finding open positions and how to get over them and offers tips on the interview process."
"Uber, losing billions, freezes engineering hires . Uber has been losing over $1 billion per quarter, reporting losses of $5.4 billion in the second quarter. More than $4 billion was from one-time charges related to Uber's initial public offering. However, excluding these charges still leaves around $1.2 billion in operating losses. Uber recently laid off 400 marketing workers and has now stopped hiring for software engineers and product managers, except for its autonomous vehicle and freight-shipping divisions. With $13.7 billion in the bank after its IPO, Uber still has plenty of cash. However, the company faces pressure from Wall Street to stem the losses well before it becomes a problem."
"Inside the Pentagon's Secret UFO Program (21 minute read). An investigation into what the US government knows about UFOs has confirmed that UFOs are undoubtedly real. The US Navy has captured footage of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, and the Pentagon has secretly funded research into UFOs. A report in 2009 covered plans for studying UAPs and any biological organisms recovered from one, plans to create a medical physiological UAP effects program, a possible UAP landing report, sighting and witness reports, and much more. One of the difficulties in finding information about the government's UAP programs is that each department is wrapped in layers of secrecy. There are many mysterious companies with large government research contracts. A quick summary timeline of publicly known UFO programs in the US is available."
"China to start building 5G satellite network to challenge Elon Musk’s Starlink . China is building a network of satellites to provide 5G coverage. Its first satellites have already been produced, tested, and launched. The network will compete with Starlink in the market for high-speed internet services in remote areas. China's constellation will have 1,000 satellites and offer download speeds of more than 500 megabits per second with low latency. China has identified the Starlink network as a threat to its national security."
"Mary Meeker’s most important trends on the internet . Mary Meeker, a general partner at venture capital firm Bond Capital, has released a 333-page slideshow that delves into every important internet trend in the last year. The report revealed that 51 percent of people in the world were internet users last year, up from 49 percent in 2017. Seven out of the top 10 companies in the world are now tech companies, and e-commerce represents 15 percent of all retail sales. Ad spending has increased, and customer acquisition costs have also increased. Americans are spending more time on digital media than ever before, with an average of 6.3 hours per day in 2018. Privacy is becoming a larger selling point for many companies, and 87 percent of global web traffic now being encrypted. The full 333-page slideshow is available at the end of the article."
"SpaceX and Tesla are ‘working on’ ventilators, Elon Musk says . Tesla and SpaceX employees are working on ventilators just in case they are needed. The announcement comes after a direct plea by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for Musk's companies to help hospitals in the fight against COVID-19. It is unclear what Musk's exact plans are at the moment. The project will require certified medical personnel to be involved and the resulting product must be approved by the FDA, which could delay production. Other automakers are also in talks with the White House to produce ventilators."
"I Just Hit $100k/yr On GitHub Sponsors (14 minute read). GitHub Sponsors is a way for developers to get funding from sponsors. It is available to developers in 32 regions, but there is currently a waitlist. GitHub takes zero fees, so developers get 100% of the funds. Caleb Porzio was accepted into the GitHub Sponsors program on December 12th, 2019, and has since grown his revenue to an estimated over $100,000 per year. Porzio developed a 'sponsorware' concept where sponsors would receive early access to software until a certain number of sponsors was reached, at which point the project would then be open-sourced to the world. He then created a series of educational products with exclusive bonuses for sponsors, which eventually accounted for most of his sponsor income. Developers should be comfortable with accepting money for their work especially if it adds value to other people's lives."
SpaceX's Giant Starship Booster Tower Is Rising in Texas . SpaceX is building two skyscraper-high Starship launch towers in southern Texas. The towers will one day catch Super Heavy boosters from the sky. SpaceX plans to launch its first Super Heavy and Starship as early as July of this year. New aerial photos of the towers being built are available in the article.
"PandasGUI (GitHub Repo). PandasGUI is a GUI for analyzing Pandas DataFrames. It features interactive plotting, filtering, drag & drop import, and more. A video demo is available in the repository."
fuite (GitHub Repo). fuite is a command-line tool for finding memory leaks in web apps. It runs scenarios against web pages through Puppeteer and looks for objects that leak. fuite can also be used via a JavaScript API. A 7-minute long tutorial video is available.
"SpaceX will have to demonstrate Starlink internet’s low latency within the next month to qualify for up to $16B in federal funding . Companies that want to participate in the FCC's $16 billion federal funding auction for rural broadband access must demonstrate latency under 100 milliseconds within the next month. The Phase 1 auction for the funding will be on October 29. SpaceX is aiming for latency times under the 20-millisecond mark. It has 418 satellites so far in its Starlink network, which is more satellites than any other private satellite operation has currently working. SpaceX aims to begin service in the US and Canada sometime this year."
"Tangle-free magnetic USB cables are here . Many no-name brands are now selling tangle-free magnetic USB cables on Amazon and Alibaba. The cables feature magnetic beads that allow them to coil up or be attached to metal surfaces. Unfortunately, while the design is great, the quality of the cables is not. There are still many issues with charging and data transfer to be fixed before the cables are worth using. Pictures of the cables are available in the article."
Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series - Episode I - Official Teaser (53 seconds of pure bliss). This is the trailer for part 1 of a 3-part virtual reality Star Wars series that will launch on Oculus Quest in 2019.
"US Military to Have 3D-Printing Factories in Shipping Containers . The US Department of Defense has contracted ExOne, the global leader in industrial sand and metal 3D printers, to develop a self-contained 3D-printing factory that operates from a shipping container. These portable 3D-printing facilities would be deployed whenever needed for a wide variety of military-focused purposes. The regular-sized shipping containers will be quick to deploy, and won't require a lot of technical knowledge to maneuver. ExOne's printers will be able to print using over 20 different metal, ceramic, or composite materials."
"Playwright (GitHub Repo). Playwright is a Node library that automates Chromium, Firefox, and Webkit. It enables cross-browser web automation that is ever-green, capable, reliable, and fast. Playwright is supported on all platforms."
"FDA Approves Anti-Malarial Drugs Chloroquine And Hydroxychloroquine For Emergency Coronavirus Treatment . Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine have been praised in daily press briefings as potential coronavirus cures. There is no proven cure or vaccine for the coronavirus. The drugs are normally used to treat malaria, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. Early studies have provided mixed evidence for the effectiveness of the drugs and they carry risks such as vision problems or cardiac arrest. Some doctors have hoarded the drugs by writing prescriptions for themselves or for their families. Texas, Louisiana, Ohio, North Carolina, and other states have issued rules limiting prescriptions. The FDA has now approved the drugs for hospitalized patients. Non-pharmaceutical forms of the drugs can cause serious health consequences, including death."
"Niantic moves beyond games with Lightship AR platform and a social network . Niantic is creating a platform for other developers to build location-aware AR apps. It has released the Visual Position System (VPS), a technology that grounds AR experiences to physical locations, for its Lightship SDK. VPS will be free during its public beta period, after which it will switch to a tiered billing system based on an app's number of monthly users. Niantic is also releasing Campfire, a location-based social network for apps that use Lightship. Campfire is a way for developers to have their Lightship-powered apps discovered by users. More details on the new releases are available in the article."
Charts.css (Website). Charts.css is a CSS data visualization framework that uses CSS utility classes to style HTML elements as charts. It supports many different chart types and effects. Examples are available in the quick start guide.
"World’s largest nuclear fusion project begins assembly in France . The world's largest nuclear fusion project has begun in France. It will weigh 23,000 tonnes, with 200km of superconducting cables connecting 3,000 tonnes of superconducting magnets. All the components will be kept at -269C inside the cryogenic plant. The Iter project will cost €20bn and promises clean, unlimited power. It is intended to be a proof-of-concept of large-scale fusion rather than a design for a commercial reactor."
"Carbonated Ice Cream Is a Feat of Physics—and It Actually Tastes Good . Ice cream manufacturers often have to race against time to put their products on shelves, an expensive task that produces massive amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. A pair of researchers at Cornell University have created a system that uses pressurized carbon dioxide to create instant ice cream. When fluids expand from high pressure to low pressure, it can cause a cooling effect under the right conditions. The scientist's ice cream machine uses this principle with pressurized carbon dioxide to produce a scoop of ice cream every three seconds. With the machine, shop owners can potentially keep shelf-stable mixtures on hand and produce ice cream as required. The system can also be potentially used to create instant soda slushies."
"Electron whirlpools: Scientists witness electricity behaving like water . Researchers at MIT have observed electron whirlpools for the first time in crystals of tungsten ditelluride. Electricity is made up of discrete particles, and it can flow with the viscosity of honey under the right conditions. Tungsten ditelluride is a new quantum material that allows electrons to strongly interact and behave as quantum waves rather than particles. The study confirmed a long-standing prediction and it could lead to more efficient electronics designs."
"Quicklink (Github Repo). This is an open source project by the Google Chrome team that prefetches pages as soon as a link enters the viewport. Basically this means that instead of loading data when a user clicks a link, the browser will load the data when the link enters the user's view, so if the user clicks on the link it will load instantly because the data has already been loaded. I'm a big fan of this idea, and it looks like they've handled a lot of the details well (it doesn't prefetch if the internet connection is slow, it doesn't prefetch if the page is still loading, it automatically detects when links are in view, etc.)."
"Trump Surprises G20 With Huawei Concession: U.S. Companies Can Sell To Huawei . President Trump has announced that the rules against US companies trading with Huawei have been relaxed and that US companies may continue to sell products to the Chinese manufacturer. The restrictions on Huawei trading back to the US are still in place. This may change at the end of the trade talks, but Trump has not indicated which way the decision will fall. Huawei has recently announced that its latest handsets will have access to Android Q, the next version of the operating system."
Netflix has created a TikTok clone that lets people scroll through funny clips . Fast Laughs is a new mobile feature from Netflix that plays short clips from shows directly inside the Netflix app. It is currently only available for iOS device owners in select countries. Users who like what they see can add the show to their saved list to watch later. Netflix has a lot of content on its platform and this feature could help subscribers see things they may have missed.
"This giant glowing orb is the world’s first floating Apple Store . Apple has built a new retail location at Singapore's Marina Bay Sands. It is the third Apple Store in Singapore and the 512th shop globally. The store features a unique design, with images available in the article. It was designed as an evening fixture best viewed in the dark. A teaser video for the store is also available. The opening date for the store is still yet unknown."
"Baby Shark is the most-viewed YouTube video of all time, and there’s no end in sight . Baby Shark has crossed 7.043 billion views, making it the most-watched YouTube video ever. Despacito was the previous record holder, gaining the title over three years ago. Baby Shark only had 2.5 billion views last April. The trend will likely continue."
"Japanese construction giant to build massive dam almost entirely with robots . The Obayashi Corporation is building a giant dam in the south-east corner of Japan's main island. Almost every stage of the construction involves some sort of automation technology. The robots, while automated, are directly overseen by human workers for safety reasons. Productivity on the site has increased by about 10 percent, with the company aiming to eventually cut building time by 30 percent."
"Kombucha was just the beginning. This designer wants to create a bacteria-based food industry . Plurality Now is a conceptual restaurant that offers a menu of food derived from bacterial cultures. Its food is made solely through fermentation and molding techniques. Marek Głogowski created the restaurant to introduce new foods to people to shift them away from a reliance on industrial agriculture and to bring awareness to how bacteria within people can affect the nutrients and calories they absorb from food. Probiotics such as yogurt, and more recently, kombucha have already helped spread awareness of these ideas. The global probiotics market is expected to grow to $78.3 billion in 2026 from $47.1 billion in 2018."
"Netflix was the best-performing stock of the decade, delivering a more than 4,000% return (10 minute read). Netflix had just over 12 million subscribers paying $9 a month at the beginning of the 2010s. Today, the company has a market cap of close to $148 billion, making it one of the most valuable US companies. The stock has risen 4,181% since it was listed. Netflix runs on a thin operating margin as it is expensive to buy and invest in entertainment, and competitors are forcing Netflix to spend more to stop customers from moving to other services. It projected that it would spend $15 billion on content in 2019. Netflix has borrowed close to $10 billion in the past two years, more than doubling its debt. Some shareholders are concerned as competitors, such as Disney+, are introduced to the market. Netflix is projecting that its cash burn will drop off starting next year."
"American Cyber Command hamstrung Iran’s paramilitary force . The Iranian military is still recovering from a US cyberattack that was launched earlier this summer. A key database used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, Iran's paramilitary forces, was wiped out. The database reportedly contained information that was used to plan attacks in the Persian Gulf. No action has been taken against oil tankers in the Gulf since the cyberattack. The US has become more active in cyberattacks in the last few years, with the head of the US Cyber Command stating that he was using a 'persistent engagement' strategy against adversaries."
"Uber lays off another ~350 across Eats, self-driving and other departments . In what it says is its third and final phase of layoffs, Uber has let go of around another 350 employees. This includes employees from Eats, performance marketing, Advanced Technologies Group, and recruiting, as well as various teams within the global rides and platform departments. Some employees were asked to relocate. The layoffs represented about one percent of the company's workforce. More than 70 percent of the layoffs were staff in the US and Canada."
"The S in IOT is for Security . Many IOT devices require you to use proprietary apps that can't be audited for security. Sometimes, the only way to ensure privacy on a device is to hack it. This article follows a developer as they hack a lava lamp so that it could be used securely without the manufacturer's software."
"DocumentDB (Announcement). AWS has released a new hosted database called DocumentDB, it's an auto-scaling MongoDB compatible database. Basically, MongoDB is licensed so that Amazon is not allowed to offer its own hosted MongoDB, so Amazon has written its own MongoDB clone."
"Apple plans to announce ARM transition for all Macs at WWDC 2020 . Apple will be announcing the beginning of its transition from Intel-based Macs to ARM-based ones at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 22. Developers will likely have ample time to adjust to the change, similar to when Apple transitioned from PowerPC processors to Intel ones in 2006. ARM Macs will continue to run macOS. The new chips are more power-efficient and show sizable improvements compared to Intel chips in graphics and AI performance. All Macs will eventually transition to the new chips, but it will likely take some time. The move will probably not drastically affect Intel's bottom line."
"Apple eyes new streaming strategy after Tom Hanks drama breaks records . Apple is considering releasing a dozen new movies a year on Apple TV Plus. They will include blockbuster-type titles as well as tentpole-like feature films. When Apple launched Apple TV Plus, its focus was on TV. It found success in movies with Greyhound, which was a hit even though Apple hasn't divulged numbers. Keeping subscribers with a low fee and a steady release of theatre-quality films will help Apple grow its service and keep it competitive."
"Signal Private Messenger team here, we support an app used by everyone from Elon to the Hong Kong protestors to our Grandpa’s weekly group chat, AMA! (Reddit Thread). Signal is a private messaging app that doesn't track or store data on its users. In this thread, the Signal development team answers questions by Redditors. The team plans to implement a user ID system in the future so users can add each other without knowing their phone numbers. Signal was built from the ground up to not know anything about its users, and it is owned by a non-profit entity, so it is unlikely that the app will end up like WhatsApp. A chat backup feature is in the works. The Signal team is hiring people within US time zones."
"Introducing Cloudflare Pages: the best way to build JAMstack websites . Cloudflare Pages is a fast, secure, and free way to build and host JAMstack sites. It simplifies the process by tying deployment to your existing development workflow. Developers only have to select their repo and identify which framework they are using, and Pages handles CI on their behalf. Pages features unique preview URLs, infinite staging, collaboration, and modern standards. Cloudflare Workers is a global serverless platform that allows frontend developers to write scalable backends in JavaScript. It will be integrated with Pages over the coming months."
sqlite3 in ur indexeddb (GitHub Repo). This project implements a backend for sql.js that treats IndexedDB like a disk and stores data in blocks there. It makes the sqlite3 database persistent in a way where it can read and write to the database in small chunks. A demo is available.
"The State of Developer Ecosystem 2019 . JetBrains polled almost 7,000 developers at the beginning of 2019 to identify the State of Developer Ecosystem. The poll found that while Java was the most popular programming language, JavaScript was the most used language, and Python was the most studied programming language. Windows is still the most popular development environment. Web back-end development was most common for people who write code for a living and as a hobby. Android development was far more popular than iOS development, but many developers preferred to use cross-platform mobile frameworks such as React Native. More detailed information is available on the site, as well as some extra data on the demographics of the survey respondents."
"Nreal's Light mixed reality glasses arrive in the US November 30th . Nreal's Light mixed reality glasses will be available at 20 Verizon stores in the US on November 30. The glasses will be available online starting on December 2. Wearers will be able to access Android apps without taking the glasses off. The glasses can be used as VR glasses, but the field of view will be limited compared to a dedicated headset. Verizon will be selling the glasses for $599. They are compatible with both Android and iOS devices, but Nreal recommends using a OnePlus 8 or recent Samsung Galaxy phone."
"Apple announces AirPods Pro with noise cancellation, coming October 30th . Apple has launched the AirPods Pro, a premium version of its wireless earbuds featuring noise-canceling. The earbuds only come in white. Noise-canceling is adjusted up to 200 times per second using a system that is very similar to the noise cancellation system in the new Beats Solo Pro headphones. A transparency mode is available that will allow users to hear their surroundings. The AirPods Pro has a force sensor that is used to control music playback and toggle between noise-canceling and transparency mode. It comes with flexible ear tips. A software audio test is available that can tell the user if they have chosen the right-sized tips by measuring the sound level in the ear and comparing it to what is coming from the speaker driver. The AirPods Pro has around 4.5 hours of continuous listening battery life and is sweat and water-resistant. It is available for pre-order now and will be released on October 30th for $249."
"Tesla says Justice Department requested documents on CEO Musk's take-private tweet . Tesla's stock dropped 7.1% after news broke that federal prosecutors had opened a criminal probe into Elon Musk's tweet claiming that he had ""funding secured"" to take the company private at $420 a share. The Justice Department is running the criminal investigation in tandem with a civil fraud probe by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Musk's comments. The SEC's rule 14e-8 basically prohibits publicly traded companies from announcing plans to buy or sell securities if executives don't intend to follow through, don't have the means to complete the deal or are flat out trying to manipulate the stock price. This is the law that Elon Musk may have broken with his ""funding secured"" tweet on August 7th."
"FDA clears Synchron's brain-computer interface device for human trials . The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of Synchron's Stentrode implantable brain-computer interface in clinical trials with human patients. Stentrode is currently being tested in clinical trials in Australia. Two of the four patients in the Australian trials were able to control the computer with their thoughts, completing work-related tasks, sending messages, and going online banking and shopping. It takes around two hours to implant the device in a minimally invasive procedure. The device will be available to buy within five years."
"Yelp is Screwing Over Restaurants By Quietly Replacing Their Phone Numbers . Yelp has been redirecting customer calls through Grubhub owned numbers before connecting with the restaurant in order to enforce a referral fee of between 15 and 20 percent of the order total. Restaurants may not be aware of the routing until they try to call themselves through the app. Grubhub offers marketing and delivery services to restaurants, and it claims that restaurants would not have received orders if the restaurant was not listed in its directory. It has also created thousands of websites in restaurants' names in order to drive more online orders and commissions for itself. Restaurants have complained that Grubhub's tracking systems were inaccurate as sometimes customers called without placing orders. Employees are also unaware that they are being recorded. In response to the backlash from restaurants, Grubhub has extended the window in which restaurants can dispute charges from 60 days to 120 days."
"Environmental DNA: study provides first evidence that human DNA can be collected from the air . Animal DNA, including human DNA, can be collected from the air. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has been used to monitor fish populations in water, but a new study has found that it appears in the air as well. The finding could open up some interesting applications in archaeology, medicine, criminal forensics, and many other industries. Scientists are still determining how far eDNA can travel and how much needs to be in the air for it to be detectable."
"The search to make a perfect condom . Condoms offer 80% or greater protection against most sexually transmitted diseases, even accounting for incorrect or inconsistent use. Nearly 30 billion condoms are sold around the world each year, but getting people to use them correctly is still a big challenge. This article reviews several projects that focus on developing better condoms, including graphene-based condoms, condoms with better lubricant properties, condoms that have anti-STD medication built into their structure, and more."
"Texas Instruments makes it harder to run programs on its calculators . Texas Instruments' graphing calculators are known for their ability to run assembly and C-based programs, but the latest firmware update for the TI-84 Plus CE and TI-83 Premium CE models will disable the feature. Users who install OS 5.6 or OS 5.5 on their devices will lose access to any apps that depend on the feature and they will not be able to roll back the firmware. Texas Instruments states that the change was implemented to reduce cheating. This change reduces the amount of control programmers have over their calculator apps on the device."
"Useful sed (GitHub Repo). This repository contains useful sed scripts, patterns, tips, techniques, and tricks for daily usage. sed is a utility that parses and transforms text. A list of recommended books for learning sed is available."
"Cirrus (GitHub Repo). Cirrus is an SCSS framework for the modern web. It doesn't require JavaScript for interaction or functionality and all components are configurable. Cirrus' design system uses utility functions, which allows developers to create consistent user interfaces. Examples are available."
"Agile Lite: Agile without all the burnout (GitHub Repo). Agile development is an approach to software development where requirements and solutions evolve as feedback is received from the development team and end users. It can get complicated, with many books or workshops dedicated to teaching the approach. Agile Lite simplifies the situation by providing a simple and concise explanation of the concept. An explanation in the style of Agile Lite is also available for developers and managers."
"Microsoft planning ‘sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows’ . Microsoft recently posted a job listing for a software engineering role in the Windows Core User Experiences team. The listing suggested that the company could be planning big user interface changes for Windows. These changes would include overhauls to the Start menu, File Explorer, and built-in apps. Microsoft is also working on improving its tablet mode experience."
"Quick SQL Cheatsheet (Github). This is a handy SQL cheatsheet, great for anyone like me who can never remember which JOINs are which. It's short, sweet, and to the point."
"DeOldify (GitHub Repo). DeOldify uses NoGAN, a new type of GAN training which provides the benefits of GAN training while spending minimal time doing direct GAN training, to recreate old black and white images and video in color. There are many images and GIF examples in the repository, as well as details on NoGAN and how it works."
"Elon Musk says SpaceX is developing a 'bleeding' heavy-metal rocket ship. Making it work may be 100 times as hard as NASA's most difficult Mars mission, one expert says (10 minute read). Elon Musk has recently announced changes to SpaceX’s Starship, which include giving the spacecraft a-steel body and changing the way the rocket ship will cool down on entry to a planet. The steel body will lower the cost of the design significantly and allow for faster prototyping, while also increasing the spaceship’s ability to withstand heat. The new cooling system imitates sweating by pushing liquid through pores in the metal so that it can evaporate and dissipate heat. Engineers have explored the idea of cooling rockets this way for decades but have run into problems with pores being blocked. Despite the fact that this idea has never been successfully realized, experts believe that it is not implausible."
"A Cure for Ebola? Two New Treatments Prove Highly Effective in Congo . Two experimental treatments for Ebola have proved so effective that they are being offered to all patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The treatments have a 90 percent success rate, giving hope that the epidemic in the eastern Congo can soon be stopped. A recent epidemic that started last month has infected around 2,800 known patients, killing more than 1,800 of them. People are distrustful of health workers and underreport occurrences of the disease or hide sick family members. Both REGN-EB3 and mAb-114 are cocktails of synthetic monoclonal antibodies that are infused intravenously into the blood. When treated, less than 11 percent of patients died, compared to an over 70 percent mortality rate when untreated. The epidemic has been made worse due to violence and political turmoil in the area."
"China has done human testing to create biologically enhanced super soldiers, says top U.S. official . China has conducted human testing on members of the People's Liberation Army, according to a top US intelligence official. Western scientists consider it unethical to manipulate genes to boost the performance of healthy people, but there are indications that Chinese military researchers are starting to explore its potential. On top of the military consequences, tampering with the human genome may have unintended effects."
"3-D Printing inside the Body Could Patch Stomach Ulcers . Stomach ulcers and other gastric wounds affect one in eight people worldwide. Scientists have developed a new treatment that involves depositing living cells directly into the body. It involves a microrobot that is 30 millimeters wide and 43 millimeters long. The robot can unfold to become 59 millimeters long and can 3D print cells. In their experiments, researchers used the robot to print gels loaded with human stomach lining and stomach muscle cells onto a model of a stomach. The cells remained viable and grew over the course of 10 days. There are still challenges to overcome but the technology could eventually be used to augment standard surgeries."
"New UK Army 'Bug' Drones Can Spy on Targets 1.25 Miles Away . The UK army has acquired 30 small drones capable of spying on targets 2 km (1.25 miles) away. Called ""Bugs"", the drones weigh 196 grams and have a 40-minute battery life. The Bugs can fly in strong winds, delivering vital tactical intelligence even in the toughest weather. The information from drone surveillance can sometimes be misleading, with many cases in the past where the ground situation has been very different from what was reported, resulting in civilian casualties."
Deepkit Framework (GitHub Repo). Deepkit Framework is a high-performance TypeScript framework for enterprise applications. It is currently in an alpha state but it is already being used in production. Some public APIs are subject to change.
"The World’s Most Powerful Camera Took 3,200-Megapixel Photos . The Legacy Survey of Space and Time Camera works by converting visible light reflected by objects into electrical signals, but at an enormous scale, with a high level of detail. It is designed to collect images of far-away galaxies. In tests to assess the functioning of the sensing array, the LSST Camera was able to produce images of 3,200 megapixels. The full LSST Camera will be deployed in 2021. Two of the photos taken by the LSST Camera during testing are available in the article."
"TeaVM (Website). TeaVM is a compiler for Java bytecode that outputs JavaScript and WebAssembly that runs in a browser. It doesn't require source code, only compiled class files. TeaVM can compile Kotlin and Scala."
"How Egypt is growing forests in middle of the desert . The Serapium Forest is a 200-hectare forest that was planted in northeast Egypt as part of a project to support Egypt's economy and fight environmental and climate changes. Egypt used treated wastewater to plant the trees in the desert. The Serapium Forest project started in 1998. In 2019, 21 African countries (including Egypt) created the Great Green Wall, a tree-planting project. The Great Green Wall will extend over 100 million hectares and cost around $8 billion. It is expected to provide many benefits to the continent, including more jobs, lower temperatures, cleaner air, increased soil quality, and more."
"Google workers in 10 countries just formed a global union to keep Alphabet in check . Google workers from 10 countries have united to form the Alpha Global coalition. The coalition's focus is on getting Google to change some of its ethically questionable business practices. It also aims to strengthen the workplace rights of Google employees. Alpha Global acknowledges the many things that Google has brought to the tech industry, but says that it also created many inequalities. Worker action has forced Google to change in the past. The union does not have a legal agreement with Google yet, so the tech giant is not bound to any of its demands. This can change if the union gains political support or if Google voluntarily chooses to acknowledge it."
Meta introduces Slack-like shortcuts to Messenger . Meta has introduced new shortcuts to its Messenger platform. Users on iOS and Android can use @everyone and @silent from today. @everyone will notify everyone in a group chat and @silent will let users send messages without sending a notification. Meta is planning to add many more shortcuts later this year.
"The former Apple lawyer who was supposed to keep employees from insider trading has been charged with insider trading . Gene Levoff, the previous senior director of law and corporate security at Apple until September last year, has been charged with securities fraud and is set to appear in court on February 20. Levoff was responsible for making sure employees of Apple were aware of insider trading laws, including announcing ‘blackout’ periods in which employees were not allowed to trade stocks. The SEC complaint against Levoff alleges that the lawyer had traded based on insider information about 3 times between 2015 and 2016, resulting in a profit (and loss avoidance) of approximately $382,000."
"Microsoft is bringing Android apps to Windows 11 with Amazon’s Appstore . Windows 11 will be able to run Android apps natively. Users will be able to download apps from Amazon's Appstore via the new Windows store. Microsoft will be using Intel Bridge technology to bring Android apps to Windows, but it will still work with AMD and Arm-based systems. A seven-minute video covering new features from the Windows 11 event is available in the article."
"Tim Berners-Lee unveils global plan to save the web . Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, has launched a global action plan to save the web from political manipulation, fake news, privacy violations, and other forces that threaten to turn the world into a digital dystopia. The Contract for the Web outlines nine central principles to safeguard the web from abuse and ensure it benefits humanity. It has the backing of more than 150 organizations, including Microsoft, Twitter, Google, and Facebook. The contract requires governments to ensure that people have access to the internet and have their privacy respected, including having access to personal data and the right to object or withdraw from having that data processed. Companies are required to make internet access affordable, accessible, and to allow customers to control their privacy. They are also required to diversify workforces, consult broad communities regarding their products, and assess the risk of their technology's potential to hurt people or spread misinformation. Individuals are requested to create rich and relevant content, provide strong online communities, and to fight for the web."
Speed up your website in 15 minutes (Sponsor). DebugBear monitors your website performance and provides actionable insights to improve it. Includes in-depth technical reports built for developers.
"AutoGluon: AutoML Toolkit for Deep Learning (GitHub Repo). AutoGluon can train and deploy high-accuracy deep learning models for image, text, and tabular data with just a few lines of code. It automates machine learning tasks so data scientists can easily create strong predictive models. An example of a basic implementation of AutoGluon is available, and more specific instructions and advanced topics are linked."
Elevator.js (Website). Elevator.js is a script for a 'back to the top' button that adds elevator music to create a soothing effect when being scrolled to the top of the screen. The webpage is a demo of the script in action. A link to the repository is available.
"Strategies I Used to 5x My Income As a Software Developer . Increasing your rate as a developer will not only make you happier, you'll also produce better work. This document contains a high-level outline of a book on how to improve your career as a software developer. The book covers how to increase your charging rate, how to market yourself, how to optimize your resume, and more. An example resume is provided."
Apple plans to let you pay for gas using CarPlay . Apple has begun working with partners to let users pay for gas directly inside the CarPlay infotainment platform.
Apple now allows unlisted apps on the App Store . Apple is now allowing unlisted apps on its App Store. Unlisted apps will only show up when users get a direct link to it or access it through Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager. The feature is not available for apps in beta or a pre-release state. There is an approval procedure that will look at whether the app was designed for a limited audience or not. A link to the documentation page on the topic is available in the article.
"Google AI Social Impact Challenge (Announcement). Google is looking for people who want to use AI to change the world. They have a total of $25 million dollars they'll give out to applicants, as well as cloud computing credits, coaching from Google's AI experts, and consulting from Google Cloud. The applications will be judged on impact, feasibility, use of AI, scalability, and responsible use of AI."
"A man who got the 1st pig heart transplant has died after 2 months . The first person to receive a heart transplant from a pig has died two months after the operation. No exact cause of death has been announced. The patient survived significantly longer than other patients in previous attempts at xenotransplantation. The experiment provided doctors with invaluable insights, adding to other research involving gene-edited pig organs."
"Researchers Fix Cholesterol in Monkeys Through CRISPR Gene Editing . Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the bad kind of cholesterol that results in a greater risk of cardiovascular disease. Scientists have successfully used CRISPR base editors to turn off the gene that produces LDL in monkeys. It will still be a while before the treatment can be tested in humans. If successful, this could result in a single treatment approach for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease."
"Vulnerability in Bumble dating app reveals any user's exact location (23 minute read). A vulnerability in the Bumble dating app made it possible to track a person's location. While the app tried to hide user locations by rounding their distances from the server, a dedicated attacker could still determine a user's location by spoofing a location and pinging the app's servers for the victim's location. The server's responses could be collected and analyzed to determine the user's real location. This article describes how the attack was developed and tested. The vulnerability has since been patched, with the finder being awarded a $2,000 bounty."
"Omicron possibly more infectious because it shares genetic code with common cold coronavirus, study says . A new preliminary study suggests that the omicron variant likely picked up genetic material from another virus that causes the common cold in humans. A snippet of genetic material found in omicron is also present in a common cold virus but not in other coronavirus variants. This could explain how the virus has greater transmissibility. Cells in lungs and gastrointestinal systems can host both types of viruses, possibly leading to an exchange in genetic material. While there has been a rapid increase in South Africa's caseload, it has not been followed by a surge in hospitalizations."
"The Hero Generator (Website). A hero image is a large web banner image and text, commonly placed in the front and center of a web page. The Hero Generator is a site that generates code for a hero image based on parameters that you set. Users can control the gradient overlay, gradient reduction, button radius, title spacing, button, and gradient colors, and upload custom images. The code for the generated hero image is available with just a click."
"Microsoft Mesh aims to bring holographic virtual collaboration to all . Microsoft Mesh is Microsoft's ambitious new attempt at unifying holographic virtual collaboration across multiple devices. With Mesh, users can meet in virtual spaces, share holograms, and create shared experiences, even if they are physically separated. Mesh can stream high-quality models from the cloud, allowing designers and engineers to collaborate with the same assets from anywhere in the world. It features cross-platform compatibility, so users can join meetings even without a VR headset. A 2-minute video from Microsoft about Mesh is available in the article."
"Starting with Michigan, Sidewalk Infrastructure is looking to build roads specifically for autonomous cars . Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners has launched a subsidiary called Cavnue to develop roadways for connected and autonomous vehicles. Cavnue will be working with major car manufacturers and technology startups on standards to develop the physical and digital infrastructure required to move autonomous vehicles out of pilot projects and into the real world. A 40-mile corridor between downtown Detroit and Ann Arbor, Michigan will be developed by Cavnue for autonomous vehicles. The corridor will include 12 Opportunity Zones where communities and small businesses will be able to connect to hubs in the region."
"New mRNA anti-tick vaccine may protect from more than just Lyme disease . A novel mRNA-based vaccine is being developed to help people resist tick bites. Animal tests showed that the vaccine helped immune systems recognize tick bites, resulting in parasites being dislodged before they could transmit any disease. Tick bites can transmit over a dozen diseases, so it makes sense to target ticks directly. It will still be years before human trials will begin, as scientists are still trying to figure out why the vaccine works in some animals and not others."
Google confirms new Nest smart speaker with official photo and video . Google has confirmed that it is working on a new Nest smart speaker. The new speaker can stand vertically and looks like a cross between the Nest Mini and the larger Google Home Max. A 12-second teaser video is available in the article.
"Scientists develop 'artificial tongue' to detect fake whiskies . A team of scientists based in Scotland has created a device that can detect fake whiskeys and scotches. Called 'The Artificial Tongue', the technology works by measuring the wavelengths of light from special arrays which change depending on what liquids surround the arrays. Although the different drinks have similar chemical compositions, the way that the device is designed allows it to identify each drink as a separate entity. The technology could eventually be used to identify poisons, for quality control for production lines, and for the environmental monitoring of rivers."
"Subway is testing out a meatless meatball sub. Here's why . Subway will be testing a new Beyond Meatball Marinara sub at 685 restaurants in the United States and Canada next month. Made with Beyond Meat's plant-based protein, the sub will be available for a limited time and is targeted at flexitarian eaters who want to eat less meat for health or environmental reasons. Several other fast-food chains have already started serving meatless versions of their foods. Sales of plant-based foods have grown 11 percent in the last year and is predicted to grow into a $140 billion industry in the next decade. Beyond's revenue rose by 287 percent over the last year, to $67.3 million in the second quarter. Impossible Foods, one of Beyond's competitors, also saw a rise in demand, resulting in a product shortage earlier this year."
"Facebook pushes ahead with crypto wallet plan in bid to 'fix broken payment system' . Facebook is pushing ahead with its plans for a cryptocurrency-based payment system with Novi, a digital wallet that has secured licenses or approvals in nearly every state. The wallet will offer free peer-to-peer payments and earn profits from merchant services. Facebook's currency Diem, formally known as Libra, will be backed by a bank holding company and will have its value pegged to the US dollar. It will run on a permissioned-blockchain by the Diem Association. There are still many regulatory roadblocks to overcome before the system can be launched."
"Russia partners with China for lunar space station . Russia and China have agreed to build and work on an International Scientific Lunar Station orbiting the Moon. NASA, the ESA, Japan, and Canada are working together on the Lunar Gateway, another planned space station. Russia was not asked to be a part of the Lunar Gateway project. Cooperating with China was one of Russia's top priorities last year. It is unclear what specific contributions Russia will make. China has also held talks with France's space agency."
"Netflix lays off 300 more employees . Netflix has laid off around 300 people across a number of departments. The company also laid off 150 workers back in May. It has around 11,000 employees around the globe. Netflix's subscriber count dropped for the first time in the first quarter of 2022 and the company expects to lose as many as 2 million subscribers in the current quarter. It has earmarked around $17 billion for new content this year."
"Hong Kong protestors are once again using mesh networks to preempt an internet shutdown . As the Hong Kong protests continue, the possibility of an internet shutdown has led protestors to start using mesh networking technologies again. These networks played an important role during Hong Kong's 2014 democracy protests. Apps such as FireChat and Bridgefy link phones directly to each other through Bluetooth, allowing users to communicate through a network of devices rather than the internet. Private communication is encrypted, but public chat rooms are not. There are ways to monitor devices and identify them, and Bluetooth is not the most secure protocol. Bridgefy's CEO says that it's highly unlikely but not impossible for the government to trace messages to individual users, but users should still exercise caution."
"Scientists looking for aliens investigate radio beam 'from nearby star' . A narrow beam of radio waves appears to have come from Proxima Centauri. All other radio waves detected so far that have appeared to come from outer space have been attributed to human-made interference or natural sources, but scientists have yet to find a source for this signal. A shift in its frequency was consistent with the movement of a planet, adding to the mystery of the finding. There are at least two planets that orbit Proxima Centauri, one that is believed to be a rocky world where the temperature is right for water to flow and pool."
"Questions . This is a list of questions from the personal blog of Patrick Collison, CEO of Stripe. A lot of interesting food for thought here, questions include ""How do we help more experimental cities get started?"", ""What's the successor to the book? And how could books be improved?"", ""Why are programming environments still so primitive?"" and more like that."
"Mastercard will allow banks on its payments network to provide cryptocurrency services . MasterCard has signed a deal with cryptocurrency firm Bakkt to make crypto options available to merchants and banks across its payments network. Banks on the network will be able to provide cryptocurrency rewards on credit and debit cards. Consumers will be able to convert their crypto to pay for purchases and hold digital assets through wallets on Bakkt's platform. The deal could significantly expand access to and adoption of cryptocurrencies, with more than 22,000 banks and financial institutions on the MasterCard network."
"How to use Jupyter Notebooks in 2020 . Data science is a rapidly changing industry. The need for production has grown throughout the years, evidenced by the rise in demand for machine learning engineers and data science software developers. Adoption of the Cloud is now necessary as datasets become larger. Jupyter has now grown, and we now have JupyterLab, new kernels for other languages, and third-party tooling."
"Products I Wish Existed, 2020 Edition (10 minute read). The new technologies that we have today have opened up new niches for startups to fill. Remote work is becoming more common, and ways of hiring these workers will need to evolve. New forms of social media will need to adapt to social trends. Companies have opportunities to provide governments with networking and surveillance technology, and there is a lot of opportunity for companies looking to help the planet. War is changing, and defense will need to start relying on software-based defense contractors. New discoveries in biotech will mean that new types of fertility and longevity treatments will soon be available. Different new types of healthcare services will be possible."
"Cog (GitHub Repo). Cog is a tool that packages machine learning models in a standard, production-ready container. It was developed to make it easier for researchers to ship machine learning models to production by making Docker more simple to set up. Cog generates Docker images with all the best practices and automatically sets up the correct CUDA/cuDNN/PyTorch/Tensorflow/Python combos. It can dynamically generate RESTful HTTP APIs using model types."
"Lyft bikes caught fire in Berkeley, San Jose before two reported in San Francisco . Four of Lyft's electric bikes have caught on fire, causing the company to disable all its electric bikes from the East Bay, San Francisco, and San Jose areas. The cause of the fires is under investigation, with Lyft claiming that at least one of the fires was caused by vandalism. With the electric bikes disabled, Lyft now only has 2,500 pedal-powered bikes throughout the Bay Area to serve its customers. Riders have been frustrated with the sudden rollback, as many had depended on the service. Lyft has no intention of re-introducing the bikes until they discover the cause of the fires and fix the problem."
"Breaking GitHub Private Pages for $35k . In the spring of last year, GitHub had two CTF bonuses posted as part of GitHub's private pages private bug bounty. One was for reading the flag at flag.private-org.github.io without user interaction, with a bonus for reading the flag from an account outside of the organization. The other was for reading the flag with user interaction. This article discusses how the vulnerabilities were discovered and exploited. GitHub paid out a total bounty of $35,000."
"YouTube reportedly discouraged employees from reporting fake, toxic videos . Company executives at YouTube care more about increasing views than the type of content that is being viewed, according to many employees. Employees have been suggesting solutions to moderate or remove certain types of content for years, but the company was more interested in reaching its goal of 1 billion hours of views per day. YouTube discouraged employees outside their small moderation team searching for videos with questionable content, as their liability would have increased if there was proof that staff was aware of these videos’ existence on the platform. At least 5 senior employees have left the company due to this issue. YouTube finally started taking action on this issue in late 2016 and started demonetizing some videos in 2017."
"Shenzhen lockdown shows tech is still reeling from COVID-19 . China has placed Shenzhen in lockdown for at least a week after new cases in the country jumped from 1,100 on Friday to 3,122 on Sunday. The city's 17.5 million residents will undergo mass testing. Tencent, Huawei, Oppo, GEM, and Foxconn have bases in the city. The restrictions will likely have an impact that will last for months."
"The Race to Redesign Sugar (25 minute read). Instead of finding new artificial sweeteners, some scientists are instead modifying the sugar molecule so that it tastes sweeter. DouxMatok, an Israeli startup, is selling sugar crystals that are modified to be sweeter so people can use 40 percent less and it will still taste as sweet as if they had used the usual amount of normal sugar. In taste tests, 74 percent of consumers preferred the modified sugar to the real thing. People around the world are becoming more aware of the health effects of consuming sugar, but the demand for sweet products is still high. Sugar isn't easy to replace, with the industry making several attempts at using artificial sweeteners without much success."
"Framework’s new laptop means the promise of modular gadgets might be coming true . Framework has released a new version of its ultra-repairable, upgradeable laptop. It features a 12th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 chip, a more rigid top cover, and Wi-Fi 6E support. The new laptop's parts are completely backward-compatible with first-generation devices. Customers who purchased the first version of the laptop can upgrade their device without having to buy a new one."
"MicroK8s (GitHub Repo). MicroK8s is a single-package fully conformant lightweight Kubernetes that works on 42 flavors of Linux. It is small, simple, secure, current, and comprehensive. MicroK8s is perfect for developer workstations, IoT, Edge, and CI/CD."
"Production company aims to film space reality TV show, with the winner flying to orbit . Space Hero Inc is a production company that plans to produce a reality TV show competition where the prize is a trip to the International Space Station. It is working with aerospace company Axiom Space to help broker the trip for the winner. Contestants around the world will train for space travel and then the winner will receive a 10-day trip to the space station. The trip will be televised from launch to return. Axiom hasn't selected a launch provider for the mission yet. Both SpaceX and Boeing's vehicles are possible candidates. NASA is planning to fly Tom Cruise to the space station to film a movie. It also plans to begin filming ads on the ISS in the next few months."
"Manage Your Next Project With Basecamp (Sponsor). Basecamp is the all-in-one toolkit for working remotely. Organize teams, projects, schedules, files, and everything else your team needs. Try managing your next project with Basecamp. We’ll even give you one free month to try it.Try Basecamp Today"
JsQuery (GitHub Repo). JsQuery is a PostgreSQL extension that adds a json query language with GIN indexing support. It features a way to search in nested objects and arrays and more comparison operators with indexes support.
"Google Duo video chat is now available on the web . Google Duo now works on Chrome, Safari, and Firefox, but Microsoft Edge appears to not be supported. Users can make phone calls directly from their browser to other users who are registered with the Google Duo service. The video chat service has proven to be popular and has outlived Google Allo, which was launched alongside it. OnePlus has announced deep integration of Google Duo in its phones."
"Uber Is Said to File for an IPO as It Races Lyft to a Public Debut . Uber confidentially filed papers for their IPO last Thursday. The company is expected to IPO at a $120 billion valuation in the first half of next year. Last August, Toyota invested $500 million in Uber at a valuation of $76 billion. Uber lost $1.07 billion in the just the third quarter of 2018. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is focused on cutting unprofitable business segments, and has already sold off Uber's operations in Russia and Southeast Asia."
"Report: One-third of tech workers admit to working only 3 to 4 hours a day . A recent survey found that, out of the employees from the 42 tech companies who participated, 31% of them were only putting in three to four hours of work a day. The survey did not measure productivity, which can vary widely between people. Some companies are reportedly working their employees harder, but others report significantly less work. The pandemic has not impacted everyone equally."
"a18n (GitHub Repo). a18n is an automated I18n tool for JavaScript, TypeScript, and React. It wraps and extracts text in js/ts/jsx/tsx files using AST manipulation. A GIF demo is available in the repository."
"Spotify Unwrapped: How we brought you a decade of data . Spotify Wrapped is one of Spotify's largest marketing and social campaigns of the year. Every year, users see a detailed breakdown of their listening habits. The Wrapped team consists of many sub-teams that are responsible for marketing, legal, design, data, frontend, and backend engineering. In 2019, the team processed around five times the amount of data compared to 2018's Wrapped campaign at a fraction of the cost. This was achieved through optimizing the architecture so it could read, process, and validate data quickly and effectively. The system was designed so that group-by key operations were reduced, and the output data from yearly jobs was used for some metrics. As the summaries were broken down into smaller data stories and workflows, Spotify was able to create a more flexible system that allowed for quick iteration and exploration."
"Google Photos will end its free unlimited storage on June 1st, 2021 . From June next year, Google Photos will start charging for storage once users pass the 15 GB mark. All photos and documents uploaded before the change will not count towards the cap. Pixel owners will be able to continue uploading high-quality photos for free without limits. Users who want more storage can purchase Google One, which offers storage across Google's suite of apps, as well as a VPN for Android at some of its higher tiers. If users are inactive for two years and don't respond to Google's multiple warning emails, they risk having their account data deleted."
"These Scientists Just Completed a 3D ‘Google Earth’ for the Brain . The Julich-Brain is a probabilistic map of human brains that accounts for individual differences using a computational framework. It is dynamic, continually changing to incorporate more recent brain mapping results. The Julich-Brain is essentially a neuromapping API that could unite previous brain mapping methods with more modern methods. The map currently has data from over 24,000 sections from 23 postmortem brains covering most years of adulthood at the cellular level. Using a probabilistic map is far more precise than using the brain's visible landmarks as these landmarks can differ between people."
Prisma (GitHub Repo). Prisma is an ORM that makes it easy for two services with incompatible types to communicate. It can be used in any Node.js or TypeScript backend application. Prisma provides a clean and type-safe API for submitting database queries that return plain JavaScript objects.
"Scientists Reveal World’s First 3D-Printed, Marbled Wagyu Beef . Scientists from Osaka University have manufactured the world's first 3D-printed Wagyu beef. Wagyu beef is one of the most expensive meats in the world due to its high marble content, with visible layers of intramuscular fat that give it rich flavors and a distinctive texture. 3D-printing the beef was an extremely difficult feat. The scientists used a special method that involved a technique inspired by Japanese Kintaro candy. The team did not say how much the beef costs to produce or how long it would take for the product to reach the market. A diagram showing the 3D-printed meat and its structure is available."
"Humans Can Regrow Cartilage in Joints Just Like Salamanders . Scientists have discovered that humans have the ability to regenerate cartilage in their joints, similar to how salamanders and zebrafish are able to regrow limbs. The discovery could lead to new methods of repairing joint tissues as well as the possibility of growing new limbs. In order to make the discovery, scientists developed a method of measuring the age of proteins and found that cartilage was older as it moved up the human body. Cartilage is young in the ankles, middle-aged in the knees, and oldest in the hips. The position of the cartilage are correlated with how animals regenerate limbs. Limb repair is moderated by microRNA in animals. MicroRNA is also found in humans, and the scientists believe that they can use it to create medicines for treating joints."
"Architects Are Playing With the Future of Design in Video Games . Games are built on code. Code is written to define the physics and possibilities of a game, and it is used to create a visual world that players can exist in. In the real world, objects and materials have set physical properties, but in games, these can be altered to whatever the programmers want it to be. Games could be a good place to train architects. Architects can be free to build whatever they want to while also testing out concepts in controlled environments. Building in games requires understanding, and sometimes writing, the rules which certain materials have to follow, and this could result in more creative uses of materials in the real world."
"Amazon built an Alexa cuckoo clock and wants your help backing new projects like this one . Amazon's 'Built It' program is a Kickstarter-like effort where customers can choose to back a product, and if there is enough support within 30 days, Amazon will build it. Customers will only be charged if the product is developed and ships. Prices are raised once the product has been released. There are currently three concepts available, and more ideas are coming."
"ReScript – the language after TypeScript? (16 minute read). ReScript is a language that was created in 2016 and it is still in active development. It is relatively easy to learn for JavaScript and TypeScript developers and it comes with an excellent type system, high performance, and concepts from functional programming. This article looks at ReScript and its use cases, as well as the limitations of the language."
Kool (Website). Kool is a development environment that makes using Docker for local development faster and easier. It supports all languages and frameworks. Kool is suitable for teams of all sizes and experience.
"Gene Editing Can Change The Social Behavior of Animals in Unexpected Ways . Scientists used CRISPR to knock out a receptor that is acted on by the hormone vasopressin in hamsters. Vasopressin is linked to social actions, and the team expected that knocking out the receptor would reduce social communication and aggressive behavior. The opposite happened, and the hamsters showed much higher levels of social communication and aggression. The results mean that scientists need to start thinking about the actions of receptors across entire regions of the brain and not just in specific regions."
"Yelp lays off 1,000 employees and furloughs 1,100 more . Yelp has laid off 1,000 employees in order to cut expenses. An additional 1,100 employees are on unpaid leave until further notice. Yelp had considered cutting costs in different ways, including reducing server costs and deprioritizing projects. Its executives had already accepted 20-30% pay cuts. The business is based on recommending the best local businesses, but most businesses are now closed."
"How often do people actually copy and paste from Stack Overflow? Now we know . Stack Overflow recently analyzed how users copy data from its site. One in every four users copies something within five minutes of visiting a Stack Overflow page. A majority of copies come from users with zero reputation. Non-accepted answers are copied more, but there is higher knowledge reuse from accepted answers. Higher scored posts are copied more."
"This ‘smart’ face mask can translate what you say into eight languages . Donut Robotics in Japan has developed a face mask that can translate what the wearer is saying into eight different languages. The C-FACE Smart Mask works by connecting to a smartphone app to translate words into text messages or speech. It will be available in Japan in September for around $40 per mask. The company plans to sell the masks in China, the US, and Europe."
"Amazon’s automated checkouts land in airports via Cibo Express . Cibo express has confirmed its first check-out free store at Newark Liberty airport. The store will use Amazon's Just Walk Out cashier-less technology. Just Walk Out uses the technology used in Amazon Go supermarkets to allow customers to pick up items and just walk out, with payments debited directly to their credit cards. It meshes computer vision, sensor fusion, and deep learning technologies to accomplish this feat. Cashier-less stores are more efficient than traditional stores, making them attractive for airport environments where travelers are pressed for time."
"Instacart workers are organizing national boycott to reinstate a default 10 percent tip . Instacart workers will be holding a protest against the company next week in order to push for the reinstatement of a 10 percent default tip on all orders. They plan to start a social media campaign to encourage customers to #DeleteInstacart until the company restores the 10 percent tip. Workers claim that Instacart has lowered pay steadily over the last few years, reducing the default tips from 10 percent to 5 percent in 2016. It introduced an earnings structure in 2018 that resulted in less pay for most of its laborers. Workers' tips were being factored into their minimum payments, but Instacart reversed the policy after widespread criticism. Instacart later eliminated its bonus program. An IPO may be on the horizon for Instacart, which had a valuation of around $8 billion last year."
"🚀 What's new in Azure Cosmos DB? (Sponsor). Want to learn about Azure Cosmos DB? Learn how you can get started with Microsoft Azure's planet scale, geo-replicated, schema-agnostic, and horizontally scalable NoSQL database. Join us for our free, virtual developer event on April 19-20 for the second Azure Cosmos DB Conf!"
"A new type of killer T-cell can stop attacks on healthy tissue . A new form of human T cell that suppresses attacks on healthy tissues has been discovered. T cells play a significant role in the adaptive immune response. The new T cells may be capable of killing other T cells. They were first discovered in mice, but a new study confirms that the cells also exist in humans. Enhancing the number of these T cells in the body could aid in the treatment of infections and autoimmune diseases."
"Here’s everything Apple just announced at its iPhone 12 event (10 minute read). Apple has announced the new range of iPhones. All the new iPhones have 5G capability. The new iPhone 12 has a new case design and it features Apple's A14 chip, two camera lenses, and magnets on its back. The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max feature a LiDAR sensor that will give the phone better AR capabilities and better quality low-light images. They will also feature an additional camera telephoto lens aimed at serious photographers. The iPhone 12 Pro will have a 6.1-inch screen and start at $999, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max will have a 6.7-inch display and will cost $1,099 for the basic model. An iPhone 12 Mini was announced. It will have a 5.4-inch screen and will be priced starting at $699. The new iPhones won't include a charger or headphones in the box. A new MagSafe charger was announced that can charge the iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time. More announcements are in the article."
"NASA Astronauts Go On Spacewalk to Upgrade the Space Station (YouTube Video). In this 5.5 hour video, NASA astronauts are observed upgrading the nickel-hydrogen batteries with more powerful lithium-ion ones on the International Space Station. Viewers can hear the audio communication between the astronauts and NASA, and there is also additional commentary to explain what is occurring. The video shows the mission from many viewpoints, including from the point of view of the astronauts."
"NASA’s Ingenuity—the First Ever Off-World Helicopter—Is Set for a ‘Wright Brothers Moment’ on Mars . NASA's Perseverance rover will be carrying a four-pound helicopter in its belly. Named Ingenuity, it will attempt up to five powered flights on Mars. The first flight will replicate test flights previously conducted on Earth. After that, Ingenuity will start testing its limits, eventually flying up to 150 feet away on its final test. Each trip will last about 90 seconds from takeoff to landing, which is the maximum time available due to Ingenuity's battery capacity. Mars' atmosphere is less than 1 percent the density of Earth's atmosphere, so Ingenuity's blades have to spin 10 times faster than helicopters on Earth to create an upward lift. It will take a whole Martian day to recharge between flights."
"Google's Night Sight for Pixel phones will amaze you . Google has used algorithms to create night sight, a feature for the Google Pixel that brightens pictures taken in low light settings so that it looks like all of your pictures are well lit. Basically it uses machine learning to replace flash on your camera. There are before and after pictures in the article, and they are seriously incredible."
"How JPEG Compression Works . JPEG, created by the Joint Photographic Experts Group in 1992, is the most used digital image format in the world. It uses lossy compression, so information is lost in the process, while maintaining good image quality. This article breaks down how JPEGs work, explaining in detail the maths and algorithms behind the image format."
"What does Stack Overflow want to be when it grows up? . This is an article written by Jeff Atwood, former CEO of Stack Overflow. He says that Stack Overflow isn't a discussion forum, it's meant to be more like a wiki. The goal of SO is not ""answer my question"" but rather ""let's collaboratively build an artifact that will benefit future coders"". It is meant to have a slightly-anxiety inducing competitive system of peer review by design. The fact that your answer can be poked, prodded, edited, flagged, closed, opened, upvoted, downvoted, and more makes you show your best work when posting. A less competitive system would lead to low effort answers. Stack Overflow is meant for professional and enthusiast programmers and not beginners and students. It is not meant to be good at one on one mentoring, collaboration, and tutorials. If you're like me and sometimes you go on Stack Overflow and think ""damn these people are mean"" this article explains a lot of the rationale behind that."
"China is building a GitHub alternative called Gitee . Chinese companies have grown due to the technological decoupling between the US and China. Many Chinese companies heavily relied on US-based services and have had to redevelop their own versions. While GitHub is still available in China, the developer community is wary of the effects of political conflict. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has chosen Gitee to be China's open-source hosting platform. GitHub has previously hinted at plans at opening a subsidiary in China and Tencent has backed local rival Coding.net."
"Exclusive: Here’s a first look at some more upcoming features in Android 12 (12 minute read). The first Android 12 developer preview was released nearly two months ago. An unreleased build was recently leaked, containing new code and features not previously seen in the public developer previews. This article covers some of the changes, including videos and screenshots where available. The new changes include improvements to scrolling screenshots, new emojis, enhanced notification permissions, and much more."
"Cut JS Debug Time in Half Using Airbrake (Sponsor). Airbrake can tell you exactly where an error is in your app, right down to the line of broken code. Plus, it will show you exactly what happened leading up to the error, including clicks, keypresses, navigational updates, and more. Click here to learn more about this cool Airbrake feature!"
"Linux Mint introduces its own take on the Chromium web browser . Linux Mint now has its own version of the Chromium web browser. Maintaining Chromium was a significant time investment for the Ubuntu Desktop Team, so they switched to using Snap to distribute Chromium. This resulted in security issues that Mint developers felt they needed to fix. In June, Mint cut Snap and the Snap-based Chromium from their distro. Up-to-date builds of Chromium are finally now available for Mint users. There was a delay as Mint needed to automate the process of detecting, packaging, and compiling new versions of the browser."
"Niantic CEO shares teaser image of AR glasses device . John Hanke, CEO of Niantic, recently posted a cropped image on Twitter of what could be a first-party head-mounted wearable. The company has been actively investing in the Augmented Reality hardware space and has been working with Qualcomm on its XR hardware platform. Niantic also recently announced an AR title based on Pikmin and the company showed off a proof-of-concept version of Pokemon Go running on Microsoft's HoloLens 2 earlier this month."
"Successful study of Swedish vaccine candidate against diarrhea . An oral vaccine against enterotoxigenic E.coli (ETEC) bacteria has been developed by the University of Gothenburg. ETEC is the primary cause of diarrhea, leading to the illness and death of many children and travelers in low-middle income countries. The vaccine consists of inactivated E.coli bacteria that express high levels of protective antigens, and the ETEC-based B subunit protein LCTBA. It is given as a drink. When tested in children, it was shown to produce immune responses in over 80 percent of children two to five years of age, and over 50 percent of infants six to 11 months of age. Only a few mild to moderate adverse reactions were observed in the test groups."
"Scientists develop the most heat-resistant material ever created . A group of scientists has developed a ceramic material that breaks the record for the compound with the highest known melting point. Its combination of physical, mechanical, and thermal properties make the material suitable for use in most heat-loaded components of aircraft. The material, hafnium carbonitride, has a melting point that exceeds 4,000 degrees celsius. The team has planned further experiments to find out the exact melting point of the material."
"Samsung's New Upcycling Program Allows You To Turn an Old Galaxy Phone Into a New IoT Device . Samsung is trying to help people convert old phones into new IoT devices with its new Galaxy Upcycling at Home service for users in the US, UK, and South Korea. Users can access the feature through the SmartThings app. The app gives old phones the ability to perform as a light and sound sensor, and as a hub to control other devices. The program aims to reduce the number of phones sitting in landfills by making the process of repurposing an old phone easier."
"Amazon to give Prime customers one-day shipping, cutting free delivery time in half . Amazon has started to roll out free one-day delivery for some customers, and the service is expected to be available to all Prime customers soon. Two-day delivery has been available for years and is one of the main selling points for the Prime subscription. During a conference call related to Amazon’s quarterly earnings report, CFO Brian Olsavsky explained that Amazon will be investing heavily to achieve this goal. Amazon expects that this project will take time and investors will have an update on their progress by the end of Q2."
Genetically-engineered pigs to be reared to fight disease . Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) is a disease that costs the US and Europe about $2.5 billion in lost revenue every year. Vaccines have mostly failed to stop the spread of the virus. Researchers from Edinburgh University's Roslin Institute have genetically engineered pigs that can resist the disease. Critics of the research say it will discourage farmers from improving the welfare of their livestock.
"LG claims its ‘Real Folding Window’ beats folding glass, will ship in 2023 . LG's Real Folding Window is a new material that is as hard as glass while being foldable. The new material can make folding screens that last longer and with a less noticeable crease than current folding devices. It should work on tablets, laptops, and rollable-screen phones. The new material could unlock a lot more phone designs as screens will be able to fold outwards. LG plans to commercialize the tech in 2023."
"Japan is building a 60-foot-tall, walking Gundam robot . The construction of a 60-foot-tall walking Gundam robot will start in Yokohama in October this year. Gundam first aired in 1979, leaving an indelible mark on Japanese culture and the world of animation. Sales of Gundam miniature figurines approached half a billion back in 2015. This is the fourth full-size Gundam attraction that designer Masaki Kawahara has worked on. The robot will weigh around 25 tons and have 24 degrees of motion. Building the robot will stretch the limits of common motor, materials, and actuator technologies. It will be developed using the open-source Robot Operating System and Gazebo simulation software. A full-scale virtual copy of the robot will be released so that aspiring programmers can play with it and develop their own actions and poses. The seven-minute press conference announcement video is linked at the bottom of the article."
Netflix is bringing an audio-only mode to its Android app . Netflix is rolling out an audio-only mode to its Android app users. Users who have the feature will now see a new Video Off button at the top of the full-screen video player. There is a new Audio Only option in settings that lets users choose when they want to default to the mode. Screenshots from the Netflix Android app are available in the article.
"Amazon’s Android apps come to the latest Windows 11 beta . Microsoft has announced the first preview for Android apps on Windows 11. 50 Android apps will be available to Windows 11 users in the US soon, with more to follow in the coming months. Android apps running on Windows 11 will have basic integration with the rest of the operating system, including access to features like the Action Center and Clipboard. The system requirements for running Android apps are higher than the requirements for only running Windows 11."
"SoftBank Notches a $6.5 Billion Loss on Plunging WeWork and Uber Valuations . Masayoshi Son has disclosed the extent of SoftBank Group Corp.'s losses on WeWork and Uber Technologies Inc. SoftBank reported its first quarterly operating loss in 14 years at around $6.5 billion, with $4.6 billion in losses attributed to WeWork. Son's $100 billion Vision Fund had contributed over $14 billion in mostly paper gains over the past two years, but its high exposure to businesses that prioritize growth over profitability is starting to have a negative effect. Despite the hits, SoftBank has still made money for its investors. SoftBank continued to invest more money into WeWork in a deal that included making WeWork's founder Adam Neumann resign from the company's board. Analysts are concerned with Son's investment strategy due to WeWork's poor performance."
Melody (GitHub Repo). Melody is a language that compiles to regular expressions. It converts readable code into regex. Melody supports the JavaScript implementation of regular expressions. Examples are available.
It’s About Time! The Future is Built on InfluxDB (Sponsor). Join tech leaders on May 17 at 9am PT (4pm GMT) online as they discuss how time series unlocks the potential of IoT and moves the world of application and software forward. Save your spot!
Microsoft Opens Edge Addons Store for Submissions . The Microsoft Edge Addons store is now fully open. Developers can submit their addons for the web browser through the Partner Center Developer Dashboard. Edge is now built on Google's Chromium web engine. Applications built for Chromium will be functional with Edge without any code changes required. Existing EdgeHTML-based extensions can be automatically migrated to the Chromium base.
"Tesla rides Model 3's popularity to its first profit in two years . Tesla just had its first profitable quarter since 2016, earning $311 million in profit. This is due mostly to the popularity of the Model 3 and Tesla's ability to fix its old production issues. There are still 455,000 people on the Model 3 waitlist (Tesla shipped 56,065 Model 3s this quarter). Due to an SEC settlement regarding Elon Musk's tweets, the company is still looking for a replacement chairman of the board. Tesla is also planning on opening a Gigafactory to build Model 3s in Shanghai in 2019 to avoid the 40% tariff caused by the US-China trade war. Elon Musk also said that he has signed off on the final prototype of the Model Y, a crossover SUV that Tesla plans on building in 2020. Musk says he's personally most excited about the Tesla pickup, which he claims will feature ""some next level stuff""."
"CyberDog is a new ominous-looking robot from Xiaomi . Xiaomi has unveiled a quadrupedal robot called CyberDog. The open-source robot can respond to voice commands and navigate semi-autonomously. It can perform backflips and trot along at speeds of 3.2m/s. Xiaomi will first release 1,000 units to Xiaomi Fans, engineers, and robotic enthusiasts for 9,999 Yuan, or roughly $1,540. It is unclear if the price will remain the same for subsequent releases. The release of CyberDog signals how accessible robotics technology has become."
"Introducing the Internet Bill of Rights . Ro Khanna, a Democratic representative from California, has drafted an ""Internet Bill of Rights"" to provide a broad set of user-friendly principles under which tech companies should operate. Users should have access to and knowlege of all data tech companies have and how the data is used. Opt-in should be the default for information collection. Data should be portable from one network to another. The list also includes net neutrality, affordable and clear pricing for internet service, and transparency and accountability for protecting privacy and personal data. This is not current legislation, it's just an early version of a long term vision for the internet."
"On Apple's Piss-Poor Documentation (10 minute read). Apple provides developers with tools, many of which are fairly straightforward to use. However, sometimes developers run into problems that require documentation, and that's when they find out how bad Apple's documentation is. There could be many reasons as to why Apple might have bad documentation, but it is definitely a problem that should be fixed."
Describe programming in only six words (Twitter thread). @MIT_CSAIL asks followers to describe programming in six words. A 1-minute video was also posted with MIT researchers attempting to describe their jobs.
"The Booming Underground Market for Bots That Steal Your 2FA Codes . Hackers who obtain username and password data may sometimes need to also bypass two-factor authentication. There are a growing number of services that help hackers bypass this barrier by using automated bots. When a hacker is ready to enter an account, they can activate a bot that calls the victim and convinces them to reply with a legitimate two-factor code that the hacker sends at the same time. The bots can cost a few hundred a month to hire, with vendors boasting thousands of subscribers."
"StackGres (GitHub Repo). StackGres is a fully-featured platform for running PostgreSQL on Kubernetes. It comes with a carefully selected and tuned set of surrounding PostgreSQL components. StackGres features high availability, connection pooling, automated backups, monitoring, centralized logging, and a fully-featured management web console."
"RETRO Is Blazingly Fast . RETRO models are 25x smaller than the competition, leading to huge savings in training and inference costs."
"'Protecting rioters': China warns Apple over app that tracks Hong Kong police . China has accused Apple of endorsing and protecting protestors in Hong Kong because of an app in its App Store that tracks the movement of police in the city. HKmap.live is an app that crowdsources the location of police and anti-government protestors and displays the information as hotspots on a map. It was originally rejected by Apple, but the decision was reversed and it was approved on October 4. The app is the most downloaded app in the iOS App Store under the Travel category for Hong Kong. People's Daily, a Chinese Communist party mouthpiece, has criticized Apple's decision to distribute the app and allowing an unofficial anthem sung by protestors to be available for download in the Apple Music store. The protests are now in their 18th week. China has targeted other foreign companies over their support of Hong Kong's protestors, including NBA's Houston Rockets and Tiffany & Co."
"Fyne (GitHub Repo). Fyne is a UI toolkit and app API written in Go. It uses OpenGL to provide cross-platform graphics. Fyne is built entirely using vector graphics, so it will scale to any size, and developers can switch between two default themes, light and dark. There are examples of Fyne available in a separate repository."
"Odyssey (GitHub Repo). Odyssey is an advanced multi-threaded PostgreSQL connection pooler and request router. It features multi-threaded processing, advanced transactional pooling, defined connection pools, support for many security and authentication methods, and more. Odyssey currently only runs on Linux."
"CPython on WASM (GitHub Repo). This repository contains build scripts and configurations for building CPython for Emscripten. Emscripten can compile code into WebAssembly and run it on the web, Node.js, or other WASM runtimes. It has been used to convert many real-world codebases to WebAssembly, including Unreal Engine 4 and the Unity engine."
"Lessons From A Tech Job Search (13 minute read). This article details the process of searching for a job in tech. It follows the author through the application, screening, interview, and negotiation processes, breaking down each process and how to prepare for them. The article specifies the companies that the author applied to and interviewed for so readers have a better picture of what specific companies are like."
"Methane converted into methanol at room temperature – just add light . Researchers have developed a new technique to convert methane to methanol by using a metal-organic framework (MOF) as a catalyst. The technique involves mixing methane and oxygen into water and then pumping it through the MOF catalyst. Exposing the catalyst to sunlight triggers a reaction that converts the gas into liquid methanol, which can be easily extracted and converted into valuable products. The technique could reduce methane emissions and the environmental footprint of methanol production."
"Genetically Engineered 'Supertrees' Capture More Carbon . Living Carbon is a San Francisco-based startup that is genetically engineering trees to capture and store more carbon. Its goal is to combat the effects of climate change without needing to take up land that could otherwise be used for agriculture. Fewer trees would need to be planted if they were able to absorb and retain more carbon. There are still many factors to consider before the trees become a reality, such as the environmental impact the trees will have and whether the modifications make the trees more vulnerable to disease."
"Launching the Front-End Tooling Survey 2019 . FreeCodeCamp has launched their 2019 front-end tooling survey, which seeks to discover common knowledge and usage levels of common front-end tools. Last years survey found that React and Vue.js were growing significantly in importance in front-end development. This year’s survey has a focus on CSS-in-JS tools, as well as some questions regarding performance and accessibility tools and features. The survey is open now and will close at the end of April."
"Netflix Lands 'Seinfeld' Rights in $500M-Plus Deal After Losing 'Friends' and 'The Office' . Netflix has landed a five-year deal with Sony to broadcast Seinfeld globally starting in 2021. The deal will bring Seinfeld's global streaming rights under one roof for the first time. Netflix has recently lost two other classic NBC comedies, Friends and The Office. It is estimated that Netflix users in the US watched 85 billion minutes of The Office and Friends in 2018. The exact terms of the Netflix-Sony deal aren't public, except that it will be available worldwide on Netflix in 4K."
"Google Allegedly Infiltrated by ""Cult-Like Religious Sect"" . A group called the Fellowship of Friends may be controlling the hiring at Google. The group believes that most people exist in a state of 'waking sleep' and its founder claims to have been contacted by angelic incarnations of deceased art figures. The group allegedly built its influence by running a hiring agency that hired contractors from the sect. A previous case in 2008 awarded an employee $6.5 million in damages for failing to be promoted for not being a Fellowship member."
"'Smile with your eyes': How to beat South Korea's AI hiring bots and land a job . Top Korean firms are rolling out artificial intelligence in hiring, and job seekers are learning how to beat the bots. Career consultants are now offering classes on how to handle recruitment screening by computers. These systems use facial recognition technology to analyze potential employees, so job seekers have to learn techniques, such as smiling with their eyes, in order to deal with the AI. Nearly a quarter of the top 131 corporations in Korea currently use or have plans to use AI in hiring. AI video interviews analyze people's emotional responses to questions and also their performance in a certain set of tasks. Some tests don't really have a correct answer, as the goal is only to analyze behavior. Many students are feeling disheartened with the introduction of AI as they feel like they are underprepared for these types of interviews, and they are concerned because the systems can easily detect if they make something up."
"Ex-Facebook engineer posts YouTube videos mocking the culture and joking about how he was fired . Former Facebook software engineer Patrick Shyu runs a YouTube channel called TechLead which has over 500,000 subscribers. He has posted six videos making fun of Facebook since he was dismissed on August 26. In these videos, he criticizes the work culture, calling it a popularity contest where ideas and projects are driven by likes and comments rather than logic. Shyu had been working at Facebook since May 2018 and had previously worked at Google for four years. He currently makes well over $500,000 through his YouTube videos."
"Oxford spinoff demonstrates world-first hypersonic ""projectile fusion"" . First Light Fusion is celebrating its first confirmed fusion reaction. The company's approach to fusion involves firing a projectile from a railgun at a falling target in a process designed to generate pressure levels high enough to create shockwaves that cause small deuterium fuel pellets to implode and start fusion reactions. The technique was inspired by the pistol shrimp, which can snap its claws so fast that the water around them is vaporized, creating shockwaves and bubble cavities that heat to tens of thousands of degrees. First Light is working towards creating a pilot plant in the 2030s. Many more details about the technology, including a video showing the reactor design, are available in the article."
"Google launches a slew of Search updates . Google has released several improvements that use AI to enhance its search engine, Google Lens, and other Search-related tools. Users can now hum songs for Google Assistant to find the name of songs. The 'did you mean' feature has been improved, now using a deep neural net with 680 million parameters to better understand context. Search is now integrated with various data sources, so users can generate graphs with certain data straight from the search bar. The system now points to specific paragraphs in articles that answers users' questions. Advanced search is available for videos as well. Google Lens can now read text out loud and solve equations. Maps can now display crowd information in AR. More details are in the article, along with a 36-minute long presentation from Google about the updates."
"Tesla Model S caught on video bursting into flames seemingly on its own when parked . A first generation Tesla Model S was caught on camera as it burst into flames in China. Security footage shows that the vehicle was parked and unattended when a fire started on the underside of the car, where the battery is. The car was not charging at the time. Tesla is investigating the incident. The fire destroyed the car and damaged the vehicles next to it."
"Digital Overload: Average Adult Will Spend 34 Years Of Their Life Staring At Screens . The results from a poll of 2,000 British adults found that the average person will spend 34 years looking at phones, computers, or televisions. Over half of respondents to the survey reported eye strain, but four out of 10 people said they would rarely stop to rest their vision. The average adult starts looking at a screen within 20 minutes of getting out of bed, with almost a third switching on a device within five minutes. More time is being spent in front of PCs than TVs. It is recommended that people take a break from looking at their screens every 20 minutes, look away for 20 seconds, and focus on something that is at least 20 feet away."
"Amazon's search could push customers toward in-house products . Amazon directed search traffic towards products that were more profitable for the company by tweaking its product-search algorithm. Employees were pressured to make sure that Amazon products were placed higher on the search results, resulting in more visibility and sales. Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are all being invested as part of a federal anti-trust probe. Apple recently changed its algorithms so that its apps are no longer displayed first in results. Google has been fined $2.7 billion by the EU for promoting its own products in search results. While Amazon has tried to justify its algorithm, it is unclear whether regulators will agree."
"Fig (GitHub Repo). Fig adds apps, shortcuts, and autocomplete to iTerm2 and the native Terminal on macOS. It pops up subcommands, options, and contextually relevant arguments as you type. A GIF demo is available in the repository."
Blocks (GitHub Repo). Blocks is a JSX-based page builder for creating websites without writing code. It comes with built-in components that are designed and implemented with Theme UI. The editor reads and writes production-ready React code. A GIF demo is available.
"Scientists Find a Single Protein Can Switch Some Ants From a Worker Into a Queen . Jerdon's jumping worker ants can become reproductive queens when their queens die. The transition comes with changes to the ant's brain, gene expression, hormone levels, and cell composition. Researchers have found a protein that is activated when the ants are injected with social hormones. The hormones appear to affect which genes the protein binds to, with the same protein causing ants to change from worker to queen and vice versa depending on which hormone was given. The research suggests that there may be multiple behaviors in the ant genome that could be expressed with gene regulation."
"Ten Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer (23 minute read). Most people don't negotiate, or if they do, they only do so enough to tell themselves that they did. Negotiation is a skill that can be learned just like any other. This article discusses the negotiating process and how to succeed in job negotiations. It teaches readers how to ask for what they want so they can have more successful careers and earn what they deserve."
"MIT Researchers Make New Chips That Work On Light . Lightelligence is a startup from MIT that makes high-speed optical chips with low power consumption and low latency. Its processors have orders of magnitude better performance than standard architectures. The chips generate very little heat due to their low power consumption. Servers for computationally intensive AI processing take up a huge chunk of data center capacity, so there is a lucrative market for chips that reduce running costs while increasing computational capability."
"First human trial of Alzheimer's disease nasal vaccine to begin at Boston hospital . Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston is starting a Phase I clinical trial of a nasal vaccine aimed at preventing and slowing Alzheimer's disease. The trial is designed to establish the safety and dosage for the medication. If the trial is successful, a much larger trial will be needed to test its effectiveness. The vaccine uses Protollin, a substance that has been found to be safe in other vaccines."
"Fastest-growing black hole in the universe eats the equivalent of one sun per day . The black hole known as J2157 consumes gas and dust equivalent in mass to the sun every day, making it the fastest-growing black hole in the universe. J2157 is 8,000 times larger than the supermassive black hole found at the heart of the Milky Way, or 34 billion times the mass of our Sun. It is classed as a quasi-stellar radio source, meaning that it is extremely bright. As it is very far away, scientists are only just now observing its gravitational influence from 1.2 billion years ago. It has likely grown since then."
"We've Just Seen the First Use of Deepfakes in an Indian Election Campaign . Two videos of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Manoj Tiwari criticizing the incumbent Delhi government went viral on WhatsApp on February 7, a day ahead of the Legislative Assembly elections in Delhi. One of the videos was a deepfake, a video created with tools that can fabricate visual and audio content to make it seem real. The Delhi BJP IT Cell partnered with a firm to create positive campaigns using deepfakes in order to reach different linguistic voter bases. Many experts believe that deepfakes will be used to take the ongoing war on disinformation and fake news to a whole new level. Many popular deepfake videos are complete face swaps, but a more subtle version exists which only alters lip movements to match target audio. As more deepfake material is created, more of it will bypass fact-checking and inevitably some will start spreading misinformation. This can be especially damaging in countries where technological literacy is low."
"A company aims to power the world for millions of years by digging the deepest holes ever . Quaise Energy is an MIT spinout that wants to use X-rays to melt rock to create the world's deepest holes and capture geothermal energy. It plans to use a microwave-emitting device called a gyrotron to vaporize rock, removing the need for complicated downhole equipment. Quaise aims to extract energy from pilot geothermal wells by 2026. The company intends to capture energy on a scale large enough to meet human energy needs for millions of years."
"Time-lapse video captures massive iceberg breaking off glacier in Antarctica . In 2017, Astrophysicists at the European Space Agency spotted an iceberg the size of Las Vegas breaking off the Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica. The iceberg has since changed the nature of the Antarctic coastline and spawned new icebergs. Changes in the glacier were tracked over February 2019 to February 2020. A time-lapse video showing a series of 57 radar images from that period is available. The Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers contain enough water to raise worldwide sea levels by four feet. Glaciers are breaking off into the water at faster rates than ever before, occurring on a near-annual basis now compared to every four to six years in the past."
"zmurl (Website). zmurl lets you create a webpage for your zoom event. It allows attendees to see event information, RSVP to events, and add events to their calendar. A short video is available on the page that shows how the site works for both event creators and attendees."
"Netflix’s latest experiment is a TikTok-like feed of funny videos . Netflix's latest experiment, Fast Laughs, is a feed of short-form comedy clips drawn from its catalog of shows. Fast Laughs offers full-screen videos that can be swiped through vertically, with engagement buttons on the right side. Its goal is to help users discover something new to watch. The feed encourages users to add shows to their Netflix watch list for later viewing. Fast Laughs is now available to a subset of Netflix users with adult profiles or profiles without parental controls on iOS devices. There are videos in the article that demonstrate the feature."
"Amazon acquires podcast network Wondery . Podcast network Wondery will soon become part of Amazon Music. Its podcasts will still be available from a variety of providers. Many companies are making big bets on podcasting, including Spotify, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. The terms of the sale were not public, but estimates value Wondery at around $300 million. Wondery was the fourth largest podcast publisher in November, with more than 9 million unique listeners in the US."
"DevOps Interview Questions (GitHub Repo). This repository contains 300 questions on various DevOps related topics. Interviewers may focus on different things, for example, some might focus on your resume and others might focus on your problem-solving skills, so the repository attempts to cover different types of questions."
"Planet Ceres is an 'ocean world' with sea water beneath surface, mission finds . Ceres, long believed to be a barren space rock, is actually an ocean world with reservoirs of seawater beneath its surface. The discovery was made after scientists from the US and Europe analyzed images relayed from the Nasa Dawn spacecraft. Hydrohalite, a material common in sea ice, was found on the surface of the dwarf planet. There is likely ongoing water activity on the dwarf planet."
"Designer babies aren't futuristic. They're already here . The article starts off with a story of a couple where the husband has Dystonia, a non-fatal disease that may cause joint or spinal deformities. They opted to use in vitro fertilization so they could pick an embryo that didn't have Dystonia. IVF cost $20,000, and testing the embryos cost $10,000. The number of IVFs with genetic testing to select healthy embryosin the US rose from 1,941 in 2014 to 3,271 in 2016. Because insurance doesn't cover IVF, only well off couples can afford these procedures. If this trend continues, we risk creating a society where genetic disease is something that only happens to the poor and less-educated."
"Scientists Debut Magnet Powerful Enough to Lift an Aircraft Carrier . Scientists at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) are building a giant magnet as part of their effort to create nuclear fusion. The magnet will stand at 60 feet tall and 14 feet in diameter when fully assembled. It will have a magnetic field roughly 280,000 times stronger than Earth's magnetic field. The magnet will be used as a superconductor to attain the incredible amounts of heat and pressure needed to produce nuclear fusion. A photo of the first part of the magnet being delivered to ITER is available in the article."
"GitHub Sponsors (Website). GitHub Sponsors is a hub that connects developers and their community in order to fund projects. Raised funds up to $5,000 within the first year are matched by GitHub. There are no fees charged to the developers for funding; all raised funds will go directly to the developer. Developers can sign up to a waitlist to join the program in order to receive sponsorship."
"‘Beeple Mania’: How Mike Winkelmann Makes Millions Selling Pixels (19 minute read). Beeple is an artist that makes digital art that smashes together pop culture, technology, and post apocalyptic terror into commentaries on the way we live. He has 1.8 million Instagram followers, and his work has been shown at two Super Bowl halftime shows and at least one Justin Bieber concert. Beeple's art grossed $3.5 million in an auction in December. Ownership of the digital art is tracked through a blockchain developed by Nifty Gateway. The technology is based on nonfungible tokens, which allow digital assets to be collected and owned. Examples of Beeple's work are shown throughout the article."
"Here’s a Slug That Can Sever Its Own Head and Grow a New Body . Scientists from Japan have found a species of slug that can self-decapitate and regrow their bodies from their heads. It appears that the slug does this in response to parasites in its body. The slugs survive without their organs as the algae they eat can temporarily power their heads with photosynthesis. The bodies do not grow back the heads, but they still react to tactile prompts and sometimes live for months after the decapitation. Images of the slugs are available in the article."
"Amazon launches a ‘live radio’ app, Amp, which lets you play DJ with the Amazon Music catalog . Amazon has launched a new mobile app to a limited audience called Amp that allows people to create live radio shows. Users are able to act as a DJ by taking callers and playing music. Amazon Music's library of tens of millions of licensed songs will be available to users for free for use on their stations. Creators will be able to pre-plan and schedule shows, alert listeners about upcoming shows, control who speaks when taking live callers, and more. Amazon plans to bring in celebrities and influencers to host shows."
whereami (GitHub Repo). whereami uses Wi-Fi signals and machine learning to predict your location. It works for small distances of between 2 to 10 meters.
I went to Amazon's high-tech hair salon and virtually dyed my hair pink — then got the best haircut I've ever had . Amazon's first hair salon in London opened to the public at the end of May. The salon uses an augmented reality app that lets customers experiment with different hairstyles and colors. Customers can select products in the salon to be delivered to their homes. Haircuts cost $US72. This article details the experience of getting a haircut at the Amazon Salon. It includes pictures of the salon and shows how the AR app's virtual hair color system works.
"How Loot Boxes Hooked gamers and Left Regulators Spinning . Loot boxes have been around in games since the early 2000s. These in-game mystery boxes allow users to have a chance at obtaining special items, but in order to open the boxes, gamers need to purchase keys with real money. Recently, the debate on whether loot boxes were gambling intensified when EA released Star Wars Battlefront II in November 2017. Users were initially required to purchase keys and open loot boxes in order to progress in the game. Gamers have taken to forums to talk about their loot box gambling addictions. Regulators are yet to develop a clear stance on this practice in the $30 billion gaming industry."
"Taking Lyft’s new e-bike for a spin . Lyft is starting its new e-bike service this month starting with San Francisco, then Chicago and New York. The 80-pound bikes are powered by a 500W motor and a battery that has a range of 60-miles. They are monitored by a system that sends out alerts when there is an issue with the battery or brakes. The bikes feature an LED ring light on the front that can change colors. Pictures of the bikes are available in the article."
"When Autonomous Cars Teach Themselves to Drive Better Than Humans . Humans and autonomous vehicles (AVs) see the world in very different ways. AVs can view everything in their vicinity and make constant predictions, while humans drive around with limited situational awareness and deal with uncertainty on a subconscious level. Many AVs learn how to drive from humans, which can make uncertain situations harder to train. Cruise recently unveiled an AI that can detect cyclists, predict their movements, and then maneuver to give them more space. A 6-second clip of the AI giving way to a cyclist coming from behind is linked in the article."
"Researchers Teach Human Brain Cells in a Dish to Play “Pong” . Scientists from biotechnology startup Cortical Labs have successfully taught a collection of human brain cells in a petri dish how to play Pong. The researchers created mini-brains of up to one million living human brain cells in a petri dish with a microelectrode array to analyze the neural activity. To play the game, the scientists sent a signal to one side of the array to indicate where the ball was, and the neurons would send signals back to move the paddle. The mini-brains were able to learn how to play the game in five minutes, faster than some AIs. Cortical Labs plans to use their findings to develop technology using live biological neurons integrated with traditional silicon computing."
"Dropbox’s new transfer feature lets you easily send a file to someone, WeTransfer style . Dropbox Transfer is a new way to share files. Users can share a link to the file and the recipients can either directly download the file from the transfer page or save it to their own Dropbox accounts. The system is similar to other file-sharing services like WeTransfer. Dropbox Transfer will allow users to send up to 100MB of files with a free account. Dropbox Professional subscribers will be able to transfer up to 100GB, password protect transfers, choose an expiration date for the files, and customize the background on the transfer page."
"LinkedIn rolls out its freelance services marketplace globally after picking up 2M users in smaller US beta . LinkedIn is opening up its Service Marketplace, a service that lets freelancers advertise to those looking to hire people for short-term engagements. Service Marketplace began as a test in February and has picked up 2 million users since. The service is now available globally, featuring 250 job categories, with a plan to expand to 500. Service Marketplace currently does not charge any fees, but there are plans to introduce fees down the line. The service is still in development and many features are yet to be implemented."
"Ask HN: Ex-FAANG developers, where are you now and why? (Hacker News Thread). This thread is about the career paths of engineers who left Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, or Google. A lot of interesting stories, perspectives on what's importance in ones career, and advice for finding a job that fits you."
"State of JS (Website). 21,717 people were surveyed on their views on the JavaScript ecosystem in 2019. The raw data is available for download. Most respondents were from the US, Canada, and the UK, with a median salary of between $50k-$100k. 91.3 percent of the respondents were male. Jest, TypeScript, Express, React, Mocha, and Redux were highly recommended technologies to adopt. JavaScript is constantly adding new features, and there are many that haven't been adopted into mainstream use. Typescript is still the most popular JavaScript flavor. React is the leading front-end framework again, after dropping behind Vue.js last year. All other top technologies from 2018 retained their positions in 2019. The most popular resources were CSS Tricks, Medium, Stack Overflow, Udemy, Syntax, and React Podcast. Overall, most developers are happy with the way JavaScript has been developed and its future."
"Stockton Residents Who Received $500 a Month in Basic Income Experiment Spent Money on Food, Clothing, and Bills . An 18-month, privately funded program which started in February involving 125 people in Stockton, California, found that when needy people received a $500 a month guaranteed income from the government, they spent most of the money on things such as food, clothing, and utility bills. The mayor of Stockton has committed to publicly releasing data from the experiment to convince lawmakers to implement the program statewide. Many people associate those who are struggling economically with vices like drug use, alcohol use, and gambling. Critics of the study say that it doesn't provide any useful information due to the study's limited size and duration. The behavior of people on a short term basic income program may be different if participants knew the income was permanent."
"'Bionic mushrooms' that generate electricity created by scientists . Scientists have 3D printed cyanobacteria and graphene onto a mushroom in order to produce electricity. Shining a light on the cyanobacteria will kickstart their photosynthesis, which causes them to give off a bit of electricity called ""photocurrent"". The graphene is able to conduct and collect the electricity, while the mushroom keeps the cyanobacteria alive (they are hard to keep alive outside of artificial conditions). Currently, an array of these mushrooms is enough to power an LED light, but we are still a ways off from powering larger electronic devices."
"Mix (Website). Mix is an expressive way to build design systems in Flutter. It offers primitive building blocks to help developers and designers create beautiful and consistent UIs. Mix is still in the experimental development stage, so the API is likely to change until the 1.0 release."
"700,000 lines of code, 20 years, and one developer: How Dwarf Fortress is built (10 minute read). Dwarf Fortress is a simulation game where players play in a deeply detailed randomly generated fantasy world. It was programmed by one developer, Tarn Adams, who has been working on the game since 2002. This article features an interview with Adams and explores how Adams managed the Dwarf Fortress codebase over the years and the challenges he faced."
"Scientists Put A Tardigrade In A Strange Quantum State And It Survived . Researchers from Singapore successfully placed a tardigrade in a state of quantum entanglement with a superconducting qubit. The tardigrade survived, despite the experiment and being subjected to temperatures just 0.01 degrees Celsius above absolute zero. This was the third time the scientists had attempted the experiment. The team hopes to entangle other lifeforms in the future."
"Pinpoint and prevent bugs with the New Relic infrastructure monitoring experience (Sponsor). Pinpoint and prevent bugs with the New Relic infrastructure monitoring experience . The new and improved New Relic infrastructure monitoring experience helps SRE, DevOps, and ITOps teams quickly pinpoint offending infrastructure components, determine incident impact radius, and identify root cause. Learn more."
"A Hacker Is Reportedly Selling Hundreds of Microsoft C-Suite Email Credentials for As Little as $100 . A hacker on a Russian-speaking underground forum is selling hundreds of C-suite level email credentials for between $100 and $1,500. The Office 365 and Microsoft accounts on offer belong to high-level executives, and sources have validated the legitimacy of the seller. Microsoft is aware of the report and will do what is necessary to support its customers. It is unclear how the hacker obtained the credentials."
"Amazon has a smash hit on its hands — a new computer game with hundreds of thousands of players . Amazon Game Studios has released a new game called New World. The game lets thousands of players explore and build a virtual colony. It has averaged hundreds of thousands of concurrent players on Steam since its launch on Tuesday. The game peaked at more than 700,000 concurrent players on launch day. The early success of New World marks a significant step for Amazon. Very few companies have had success breaking into the game industry."
"Live Footage Shows Bright Meteor Breaking Up Over Tasmania . A bright green meteor was filmed crossing the sky and breaking up in front of a CSIRO research vessel on November 18. The 19-second video is available in the article. At the time of the capture, the ship was approximately 10km south of the Tasmanian coast. It was carrying out several activities, including seafloor mapping, oceanographic studies, and running sea trials for a variety of marine equipment. A camera on the ship streams 24-hours a day. While other people report seeing the meteor, no other footage of it has emerged."
awesome-baremetal (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a list of bare-metal tools. All items on the list have been recently updated within the last 6 months or are still deemed relevant by the curator.
Nvidia's internal systems have been compromised by cyberattack . Hackers have compromised Nvidia's email systems and developer tools. The company is still investigating the extent of the attack. It has not yet been determined if any data was stolen. Nvidia's business and commercial activities will continue uninterrupted.
"This colorful printed patch makes you pretty much invisible to AI . Adversarial examples are patterns that are able to fool AI systems. A team of engineers from Belgium created and printed colorful patterns that were able to successfully fool an AI that detected people. The engineers only had to wear the image and they became essentially invisible to the computer. While these patterns only worked on one specific type of AI, it is possible that other patterns can be found and used to effectively disguise people from other systems."
"Google’s Little Signals concepts show what ‘ambient’ notifications could look like . Google's Little Signals project is a study in ambient computing. It consists of six devices that can display notifications in novel ways, for example, by blowing air or tapping on an object. All the plans and files for building the devices are available for free. A video overview of the Little Signals project is available in the article."
Google discontinues the Pixel 3A and 3A XL . Google has discontinued the Pixel 3A and 3A XL smartphones. It is now listed as out of stock on the Google Store. Other stores may still have remaining stock. A Pixel 4A with a 5.81-inch display and Snapdragon 730 processor is rumored to be released soon.
Cascadia Code . Cascadia Code is a monospaced font from Microsoft that provides a fresh experience for command-line experiences and code editors. It is designed to be used with terminal applications and text editors. Cascadia Code supports programming ligatures. It is open source and is available publicly on GitHub.
"Scientists discover previously unidentified mass beneath moon's surface . A giant mass larger than the size of Hawaii has been discovered hundreds of miles beneath the South Pole-Aitkin crater on the moon. The mass was detected by analyzing data taken from spacecraft during NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory mission, which explored the moon’s interior and thermal history. Scientists are unsure what the mass is composed of. It is possible that the mass contains metal from a previous asteroid impact, or alternatively, the mass was formed from molten magma sometime during the moon’s history."
"Area 120 takes on Pinterest with ‘Keen’ by using Google ML recommendations . Keen is an app that is similar to Pinterest, allowing users to create collections based on topics. Created by Google's Area 120 internal incubator for experimental efforts, Keen uses machine learning and Search to help users find helpful content related to their interests. The more users save and organize, the better the recommendations become. A 37-second video showing Keen in action, as well as links to the app, is available in the article."
"State of CSS 2022 (31 minute read). This post is the article form of a talk given at Google I/O 2022 about CSS. With 14 features planned for implementation, 2022 is set to be one of CSS's greatest years. The post discusses new features that have already been integrated and also the features that will be integrated later this year and beyond."
"Greg Kroah-Hartman bans University of Minnesota from Linux development for deliberately buggy patches . Software supply chain attacks have become an important issue since the Solarwinds security breach. Students from the University of Minnesota tried to put a vulnerability into the Linux kernel for a study, which resulted in the university being banned from all future contributions to the project. The group had previously published a paper on submitting buggy patches and had a history of submitting purposefully buggy code. Introducing vulnerabilities into open-source code on purpose can be extremely dangerous, especially in the case of the Linux kernel codebase."
"China releases videos of its Zhurong Mars rover . The China National Space Agency has released footage of its Zhurong rover on the surface of Mars. There are three videos available. The videos were taken with a wireless camera that was on the ground away from the robot. One of the videos has sound and the robot's locomotion system can be heard, although it is muffled due to the nature of Mars' atmosphere. Scientists are hoping that the robot survives for at least 90 Martian days. It has so far driven 236m since it was deployed on May 21."
"OpenAI’s $100M startup fund will make ‘big early bets’ with Microsoft as partner . The OpenAI Startup Fund is a new $100 million startup fund for investing in early-stage AI companies that tackle major problems. It plans to only invest in a small number of companies. The fund will look for companies that take on issues like healthcare, climate change, and education. It may also consider companies that focus on productivity. Companies who are selected for funding will receive early access to new OpenAI systems and Azure resources from Microsoft. Microsoft is one of the partners and investors in the fund."
Hacker shows what Tesla Full Self-Driving’s vision depth perception neural net can see . A hacker who managed to get root access to a Tesla vehicle has unveiled Tesla's vision depth perception neural net. Teslas rely on camera-based computer vision. They detect depth using a point-cloud view powered by computer vision. Tesla chose to use a camera-based system over radar or lidar systems as roads are designed to work with eyes and brains. A three-and-a-half-minute video explaining how Tesla trains neural networks to perceive depth is available in the article.
"Scientists make ‘slightly sweaty’ robot finger with living skin . Scientists from Japan have developed a robotic finger covered in living skin. The skin was grown by submerging the robotic finger in a solution of collagen and human dermal fibroblasts, which provided a layer for the skin cells to stick to. The skin has natural-looking wrinkles at the knuckles and it can self-heal with the help of a collagen bandage. It has to be kept moist as it has no circulatory system, giving it a slightly sweaty look. Pictures of the finger are available in the article."
"OpenAI’s API Now Available with No Waitlist . OpenAI’s API is now available to developers in supported countries. The waitlist for GPT-3 has been removed thanks to new safeguards. There is now a free content filter to help developers mitigate abuse, and OpenAI will review applications before they go live, monitor for misuse, and support developers as their product scales. OpenAI has updated its Content Guidelines to clarify what kind of content its API can generate. More use cases will be allowed over time as the system is improved."
"Apple will reportedly release an iPhone without any ports in 2021 . Ming-Chi Kuo has released a new research note that says that Apple's 2021 flagship iPhone will be a completely wireless device. This change will have a large impact across the tech industry, with everything from charging cable companies to headphone manufacturers being impacted. While this change is far from being confirmed, Kuo has a good reputation for predicting Apple's plans. He has predicted that Apple will release five new phones in 2020, including the iPhone SE2. In the fall, Apple is set to release four OLED iPhones, all of which will have 5G. The lineup will include four different sized phones, with a smaller 5.4-inch sized phone rumored to be released."
"Exclusive: Apple Arcade hands-on with early access trial games on Mac (10 minute read). Apple has released an early access version of the Apple Arcade aimed at Apple employees for $0.49 per month to test until its iOS 13 launch later in fall. The arcade currently features six games, all still in development. Way of the Turtle is a puzzle platformer featuring a newly-married turtle trying to find his lost wife. Down in Bermuda is a point-and-click style adventure game. Sneaky Sasquatch is a stealth-based action/adventure game. Hot Lava is a first-person action game which is also available on Steam in beta. Kings of the Castle is another action/adventure game, and Frogger in Toy Town is a 3D version of the traditional Frogger game. Apple Arcade will allow subscribers access to over 100 games on demand."
"Locket, an app for sharing photos to friends’ homescreens, hits the top of the App Store . Locket is an app that turns Apple's widget system into a private social networking platform. The app allows users to put live photos from friends in a widget on the iOS home screen. It was launched on New Year's Day and has since risen to the top of the App Store, with over 2 million users signed up. The creator of the app made it as a side project and credits its success to the app going viral on TikTok. A TikTok video made by the creator of the app to show off its features is available in the article."
"Elon Musk announces Tesla is working on new manganese battery cell . Elon Musk announced during a speech to Tesla Gigafactory Berlin employees that the company is working on creating a manganese battery cell. Manganese will allow Tesla to create batteries with 50% more cell volume with the same amount of nickel. Tesla estimates that 300 terawatt-hours of battery cell production will be needed for the planet to fully transition into a sustainable world, so the batteries will need to be created out of common materials. A video of Musk's speech at Gigafactory Berlin is available in the article."
"Ashes of Star Trek’s Scotty smuggled on to International Space Station . Richard Garriot allegedly brought actor James Doohan's ashes with him during his trip to the International Space Station in 2008. Doohan, who passed away in 2005, played Montgomery ""Scotty"" Scott on Star Trek. The actor's son contacted Garriot prior to his trip, and despite there not being enough time to go through the official processes needed to bring objects aboard the flight, Garriot hid the ashes in some photos and then later hid one of the photos inside the floor of the station's Columbus module. A separate sample of the actor's ashes was launched on a SpaceX rocket in 2012."
"Spotify reveals HiFi subscription, 80-country expansion, new exclusive podcasts . Spotify plans to launch a new subscription tier called HiFi for high-quality audio later this year. The company hasn't announced how much it will cost or where it will first roll out, but it will likely be available first in the US and Sweden for around $20 a month. The company will expand to more than 80 new countries in the next few days. 36 new languages will be supported, bringing the total number of supported languages to 60. New exclusive podcast programming, as well as new tools for creators, will be arriving on the platform this year."
"35+ Free Public APIs to Improve Productivity (10 minute read). This is a list of free public API resources that can aid development. It includes APIs for Zoom, facial recognition, human health data, GIFs, text recognition, web scraping, and more."
World’s largest meat supplier grinds to a halt after cyberattack . A Brazilian company that supplies a fifth of the world's meat was recently the victim of a coordinated cyberattack. The attack has caused some of the largest slaughterhouses in the US and Canada to shut down already. White House officials have blamed the attack on a criminal organization likely based in Russia. The attack has the potential to disrupt the global availability of beef and pork if not resolved quickly.
"Read and reply to pull request comments in Slack (Sponsor). Read and reply to pull request comments in Slack . Swarmia speeds up your team's pull request cycle time by sending you relevant notifications and allowing you to read and reply to GitHub comments without leaving Slack.“Swarmia's Slack notifications make it easy to keep track of open pull requests across all repos. Even if I can't immediately review a teammate's code, the Slack notifications help me find the right PR discussion as soon as I have time.”Svyat SobolLead Engineer, WoltStart merging faster today!"
"10 best JavaScript practices recommended by Top Developers (10 minute read). Often, developers jump into a language without knowing its fundamentals. This article provides 10 best JavaScript practices to help developers write better code. The tips include how to delete an array like a pro, how to eliminate decimals without killing performance, and how to use function expressions."
"Pixel 7 leaks show Google finally has a consistent phone business . Google has sent Pixel 7 CAD files to case manufacturers. Files are usually sent to third parties in order to have accessories ready on the release date. The Pixel 7 design looks similar to the Pixel 6, but with larger lens holes and the mmWave window has been moved to the top edge of the phone. The leaked renders are available in the article."
"Drug reverses age-related cognitive decline within days . An experimental drug called ISRIB has been shown in laboratory studies to reverse age-related declines in memory and mental flexibility in mice. The drug has already demonstrated a variety of cognitive benefits, and the new study adds to the research by showing rapid restoration of youthful cognitive abilities in aged mice. ISRIB has extremely rapid effects, working in just days. The speed of the drug's effects suggest that age-related cognitive losses may be caused by a reversible blockage rather than permanent degradation."
"What to expect at WWDC 2022: iOS 16, M2, and more (10 minute read). Apple's annual World Wide Developer Conference starts today with a keynote at 10 AM. It will be the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic that there will be a significant in-person audience for the event. The next major release of iOS is expected to be the star of the show for this year's WWDC. Other announcements expected at the event involve iPad OS 16, macOS 13, watchOS 9, tvOS 15, rOS and AR/VR, the MacBook Air and other M2 Macs, and the Mac Pro. Details about the rumored announcements are available in the article."
"Traders set to don virtual reality headsets in their home offices . Banks are desperate to bring workers back to the office, especially for regulatory-sensitive roles such as trading. However, the pandemic means that many staff are wary about using public transport, so banks like UBS are experimenting with using Microsoft HoloLenses to recreate the experience of working in a packed trading floor. Many banks have tried to encourage staff to come back to the office, but outbreaks at offices have forced staff to return home. Citigroup developed an augmented reality workstation system four years ago that combined 3D holograms and real-time financial data. The system was never implemented due to limits in technology."
"Culr (Web Tool). I'm a big fan of this color picker, it has a bunch of color palette presets that are sort of bright and happy looking. There are options for monochromatic, triad, and tetradic color palettes."
"Hummingbird (GitHub Repo). Hummingbird can convert trained traditional ML models into tensor computations. It supports a variety of tree-based classifiers and regressors, including Decision Trees, Random Forest, LightGBM, and XGBoost. With Hummingbird, users can benefit from all the current and future optimizations implemented in neural network frameworks, native hardware acceleration, and support for both traditional and neural network models, without having to re-engineer their models."
"Work in the Time of Corona (10 minute read). Many employees will be working from home in the coming months because of the coronavirus outbreak. During this period of change, it is normal to feel bad. The switch from working in an environment with co-workers to one where you are alone all day can be tough for many people. There is also the stress of dealing with the outbreak itself. If you are feeling bad, try to reconnect with the world with a few small interactions. In our technological world, there are many ways we can still interact without requiring a physical presence. Get dressed for work, and remember to maintain a routine. Designating a special work area will help you keep focused. Remember that as you are working from home, you will need to have systems in place to monitor yourself. Improve your video setup so you can communicate better with others. Finally, don't fall into the trap of overworking. Working from home means you need to set clear boundaries on when you are working so you don't burn out."
"Giraffes have been misunderstood and are just as socially complex as elephants, study says . In the past, giraffes have been described as socially aloof, but new research suggests that the creatures have been misunderstood and that they are in fact a highly complex and social species. Giraffes appear to have a matrilineal society, with females maintaining long-term relationships with other females and their own offspring. Calves are sometimes cared for by other females in a kind of crèche. Males only associate with their mothers. Giraffe grandmothers likely play an important role in the survival of related group members."
Libra (GitHub Repo). Libra is a machine learning API designed for non-technical users. It can be used to build machine learning models using natural language queries. Demos and examples are available in the repository.
World’s first cloned Przewalski horse comes from DNA preserved at San Diego Zoo 40 years ago . The world's first successfully cloned Przewalski's horse was born in Texas on August 6. It is a clone of a male Przewalski's horse whose DNA was cryopreserved 40 years ago. The colt could provide an important model for future conservation efforts. Genetic diversity becomes an issue as populations become smaller. Advanced reproductive technologies could save species by restoring genetic diversity.
"Joe Rogan Experience #1368 - Edward Snowden (3 hour video). Edward Snowden was a Central Intelligence Agency employee and subcontractor. In 2013, he copied and leaked highly classified information from the National Security Agency. In this interview with Joe Rogan, Snowden calls out former President Barack Obama for growing the surveillance state and enabling illegal activity from intelligence agencies. Obama had campaigned against the wiretapping of the Bush administration, yet after taking office, he expanded the programs. Snowden currently lives a relatively normal life in Russia and has stated that he would return to the US if he was able to be guaranteed a fair trial."
"After Russia's threat, Elon Musk says SpaceX can protect the ISS from deorbiting . Sanctions against Russia aimed at degrading the Russian aerospace industry have resulted in a not-so-veiled threat that the ISS would crash into Europe or the US if it was to fall. Elon Musk replied to the threat with SpaceX's logo. With SpaceX's experience in rocket engines, spacecraft maneuvering, and collision avoidance, it would not be surprising if it was asked to handle the ISS on an SOS basis. The Twitter exchange between Musk and the chief of the Russian Space agency is available in the article."
"Twitter plans to build a 'decentralized standard' for social networks . CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey has announced that the company will set up an independent research group to create an open and decentralized standard for social media networks. Centralized solutions are unlikely to be able to scale in the future due to challenges such as large scale content moderation. Blockchain technology can provide a model for decentralizing content hosting, oversight, and even the monetization of social media. A decentralized social network would allow Dorsey and his team to focus on building open recommendation systems that promote healthy conversation."
"Bill and Melinda Gates-funded invention could invisibly solve malnutrition . A lack of micronutrients can cause malnourished people to suffer even if they don't look starved. Additional nutritional programs in malnourished communities are often underfunded. Micronutrients in food are often lost due to long cooking times or improper storage. A new capsule has been invented that can keep micronutrients protected until they are ingested. Bill Gates was personally involved in the development of the capsule, and his organization helped fund the project. The next challenge is to distribute the capsules to the areas in which they are needed. While producing the capsules might not be profitable, it may have a long-term positive effect on the economy as people who are no longer micronutrient deficient will be healthier and more productive."
"Samsung’s Galaxy S10 Lite will launch in the US on April 17th for $650 . The Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite will be available in the US starting April 17 for $650. It will feature a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-O display, a Snapdragon 855 processor, and a triple-lens rear camera setup. Samsung recently announced the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, a budget version of the Galaxy Tab S6, which will be available starting at $349.99 sometime in Q2 this year. The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite will have a 10.4-inch screen, an S Pen, a front and rear camera, and a headphone jack. An LTE version of the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite will be available."
"Robot uses machine learning to harvest lettuce . A ‘Vegebot’ developed by a team at the University of Cambridge is able to harvest iceberg lettuce using machine learning. Crops such as potatoes and wheat have been harvested using machinery for decades. However, iceberg lettuce presents a more difficult problem as it is harder to determine when they are ripe, and the crops are easily damaged during harvesting. The Vegebot is trained on images of ripe crops and is able to tell which crops are ready for harvest with a visual scan. A second component focuses on harvesting the crop without damage so that it is supermarket ready. The process usually takes a few seconds for a human worker, but the farming industry is currently facing a worker shortage. These bots can also work around the clock, going through fields multiple times to harvest exactly at the right time."
"Google contractors are secretly listening to your Assistant recordings . A whistleblower working as a Google contractor has revealed that contractors have been listening to Google Home recordings as part of their roles in transcribing audio to improve speech recognition. Many of the recordings appear to have been made without owners of the device using the ‘Hey Google’ listening trigger. The contractor reports listening to recordings that reveal personal information, including addresses. Other recordings contain audio of bedroom activities, domestic violence, and even emergencies. The recordings are anonymized before being sent to contractors. There may be thousands of other contractors around the world listening to these recordings in order to transcribe the 0.2 percent of all audio clips that Google requires."
"Uber’s CTO steps down as company reportedly mulls 20 percent layoffs . Uber's Chief Technology Officer, Thuan Pham, has stepped down, ending his reign as the longest-serving top executive at the company. The company has recently been actively discussing cost-cutting plans, including possible layoffs of up to 20 percent of its employees. Ride-share bookings have dropped by up to 70 percent in most major cities due to the pandemic. Gains in Uber's food delivery division have failed to cover losses for its core ride-hailing product. Uber shares have dropped by more than 50 percent in the last month. However, Uber expects to end the year with at least $4 billion in unrestricted cash, plus $2 billion in revolving credit."
"CLUI: Building a Graphical Command Line . CLIs are powerful, and text input is predictable and constant. While CLIs are efficient, users must memorize commands to fully utilize them. GUIs address many of these issues by making things easier to access and do, but they can become complex and programs can easily become bloated as developers try to cram features wherever they fit into the program. Many programs have become so cluttered that it is easier to search for commands using a text search than through navigating the GUI. Some popular products such as Voice Assistants are a balance between CLI-inspired inputs and GUI-inspired outputs. In order to make CLIs more approachable for users, they should be able to be used with a mouse, commands should be discoverable, and output should support rich and interactive media. Repl.it's CLUI is an easily extensible interface that blends GUIs and CLIs, where you can type in a command, and get suggestions for commands. It operates like a decision tree, guiding users to commands. Adding features is as simple as adding commands on the backend. A link to some of the code and a demo application is available in the article."
"Loaders (Website). This site contains a collection of free loaders and spinners. The components are built with HTML, CSS, and SVG. The code for the components can be easily copied from the site."
"Researchers Achieve ‘Absurdly Fast’ Algorithm for Network Flow (10 minute read). A team of scientists has developed a dramatically faster algorithm for maximum flow, a problem that asks how much material can flow through a network if the links in the network have capacity limits. The problem has been studied since the 1950s and it has many applications, such as internet dataflow, airline scheduling, and matching job applicants to open positions. The new algorithm's run time is roughly proportional to the amount of time it takes to write down the details of the network. More information about the history of maximum flow research and the new algorithm is available in the article."
"10 lesser-known Web APIs you may want to use (10 minute read). Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) help programmers carry out useful tasks like managing audio, video, graphics, and other objects on a webpage. This page lists out 10 web APIs and discusses how to use them with examples. Web APIs are still not standardized, so levels of support between browsers can vary. It is suggested that developers implement a fallback if a certain web API is not supported. A link to the source code and the Web API DemoLab is provided near the beginning of the article."
"New gene editing tool reduces errors by nicking DNA not cutting . While CRISPR is one of the most groundbreaking inventions of the century, it has a relatively high error rate that can produce potentially harmful mutations. Researchers from Germany have developed a tool that reduces errors by nicking DNA instead of cutting it. The tool makes two smaller cuts, one on each DNA strand, rather than slicing through the entire double strand of DNA. The new method is about as effective at making edits as conventional CRISPR and it significantly reduces on-target mutation errors."
YaLM 100B (GitHub Repo). YaLM 100B is a GPT-like neural network for generating and processing text.
"This Incredible Skyscraper Is Also a Farm That Can Feed a Village . The Mashambas Skyscraper in Africa is a new concept for a skyscraper designed to serve as a farm, an education center, and a community center all in one. 70 percent of the African population lives in rural areas, practicing subsistence farming and barely making $2 USD a day. The Mashambas Skyscraper aims to train subsistence farmers in modern farming techniques in order to improve harvests and help the farmers pull themselves out of poverty. The design won the eVolo skyscraper competition, beating out over 400 other designs. One of the most unique features of the design is that it is moveable. The skyscraper can exist in a location for a period of time and then be rebuilt in a new location, leaving the base layer to serve as a marketplace for villagers. By providing farmers with tools, resources, and education, the Mashambas Skyscraper has the potential to promote long-term sustainable farming and improve crop yields."
"Watch ULA abort a rocket launch at the last moment . United Launch Alliance had to abort its NROL-44 mission just three seconds before it was due to start. The rocket's initiators were already covering the vehicle in flames and the crew had already declared lift off, but the engines never ignited. It will take at least a full week before another attempt will be made. The rocket was carrying a secret National Reconnaissance Office payload that is believed to be a signal intelligence satellite. A video of the event is available in the article."
"How AI is fighting, and could enable, ransomware attacks on cities . Modern infrastructure is based on computers and technology, and many parts of society would stop functioning in the event of a ransomware attack. Ransomware is malicious software that encrypts or controls computer systems until the victim pays the criminal a ransom. Increasingly, cities, public utilities, and public-facing institutions are being targeted. Security experts are using AI to improve the effectiveness of malware attack defenses, but criminals might also begin using AI to improve ransomware and plot more efficient attacks. It is likely that ransomware won't be seen in the wild for another one to three years, but AI can already be used to find vulnerable targets in an organization. Scientists have created in-house AI malware, so it is a real possibility. The upcoming elections may be a potential target for attacks by nation-state actors."
Make Beautiful Gradients . CSS linear gradients get washed out and muddy in the middle unless steps are taken to avoid the effect. This article teaches developers how to avoid the gray dead zone by using different color modes and calculating in-between colors. A gradient generator tool based on the information in the article is available.
"As China Hacked, U.S. Businesses Turned A Blind Eye (10 minute read). China’s business practices and technology theft are costing the American economy more than $57 billion a year. While the government has been criticized for not taking more action over this behavior, it has been revealed that it is the businesses themselves who are quiet on this issue as there is too much at stake. When former US Attorney David Hickton tried to gather plaintiffs for a case against China’s hacking, he found that no companies would come forward. Even companies like Google have been hacked, but when Google tried to make a case against the Chinese government, no other companies wanted to participate, leaving Google to challenge China alone. The cyber attacks are likely to continue as companies remain silent, leaving the government with nothing to fight with."
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). Hey guys, doing a quick end of year reader survey to get a better idea of who is reading TLDR, if you could take a second to fill it out I would really appreciate it! 🙏"
"React v18.0 (15 minute read). React 18 is now available on npm. This article gives an overview of what's new in React 18. React 18 features automatic batching, new APIs, streaming server-side rendering, Concurrent Rendering, and more."
"IQ rates are dropping in many developed countries and that doesn't bode well for humanity . IQ scores have started to decline in many leading nations. While the debate is still ongoing regarding the relationship between IQ scores and intelligence, studies have shown that IQ scores correlate to education levels, longevity, economic growth, and scientific innovation. In general, IQ scores have been trending upwards since the measure was invented, and has only recently started trending downwards. It is unknown why IQ scores are now dropping, but there are many theories ranging from changing societal norms to the effects of global warming on the nutrition of foods."
"YouTube is once again the most popular social media platform . YouTube and Facebook are the most dominant social media platforms in the US. YouTube's user base grew from 73 percent of adults in 2019 to 81 percent in 2021. Facebook's share of users remained at 69 percent over the same period. The only other platform to see statistically significant growth since 2019 was Reddit. While growth has slowed down, users still report using social media frequently throughout the day."
"Here’s everything Apple just announced . Apple has announced a new virtual fitness service, a subscription service called Apple One, and a new lineup of Apple Watches and iPads. The Apple Watch Series 6 can measure blood-oxygen saturation and features the new Apple S6 processor. At a lower price, the Apple Watch SE offers an S5 processor and has an accelerometer, gyroscope, altimeter, and fall detection. The new iPad Air features a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with 3.8M pixels, Touch ID on the power button, the Apple A14 Bionic, and USB-C. Apple also announced a new iPad which features an A12 Bionic, a Neural Engine, and support for Apple's Magic Keyboard. iOS 14 will launch today, with new features such as widgets, security enhancements, and more. New iPhones were not announced."
"23 rules to run a software startup with minimum hassle (13 minute read). It is easy to waste time and energy when building your own bootstrap business. In order to avoid hassle, it is best to have customers pay upfront on a monthly subscription for some kind of software as a service. This way, you will have recurring revenue to continue development, locked-in customers, and no customers owing on payments. It's important to set realistic expectations, and use reliable technology. Automate as much as you can and follow the best practices of other businesses - choose a big bank, choose a simple corporate structure, and find a good accountant. When you first start your project, it is best to keep as much control over it as you can. If you take on investors or partners, there will be significantly more pressure to perform and it usually brings on more problems than it solves. Smart marketing is better than just spending on marketing. Don't respond to unsolicited requests until it is time that you need a particular product or service for your business."
"Virgin Galactic to launch Richard Branson on July 11, aiming to beat Jeff Bezos to space . Virgin Galactic will launch its next test flight on July 11. Founder Sir Richard Branson will be on board, beating Jeff Bezos to space by nine days. The test will be Virgin Galactic's fourth test space flight. Its most recent test flight had two pilots on board. There will be three Virgin Galactic mission specialists alongside Branson. The flight will be live-streamed on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook."
"Zaplib (GitHub Repo). Zaplib is a library for speeding up web applications using Rust and WebAssembly. It allows developers to write high-performance code in Rust alongside existing JavaScript code. Zaplib is designed to be incrementally adoptable, so components can be ported over to Rust one at a time. Demos are available in the docs."
"Uber to purchase Postmates for $2.65 billion . Uber will purchase Postmates for $2.65 billion. Postmates will be combined with Uber Eats. The deal is expected to be announced as soon as today. The combined companies will have a 37% share of food delivery sales in the US. DoorDash will still remain the largest competitor with a 45% market share. GrubHub, which has a 17% share of the food delivery market in the US, was recently sold to Just Eats for $7.3 billion. 🚀 Science &"
"We should be teleporting, not transporting: Mark Zuckerberg; Hints Facebook Labs working on it in Clubhouse chat show . Mark Zuckerberg detailed Facebook's progress in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in a Clubhouse meeting recently. A combination of AR and VR will unlock the ability for anyone to live anywhere they want, opening up a lot of economic opportunities. People will be able to 'teleport' into their workplace, reducing commutes, which will have a positive impact on the environment and other benefits. A 25-minute recording of the Clubhouse stream is available in the article."
"Adobe Fresco brings the joy of painting to the iPad . Adobe has released a beta version of Fresco, a drawing and painting app for the iPad. Previously known as Project Gemini, Fresco uses Live Brushes to produce realistic watercolor and oil paint strokes. Live Brushes is powered by Adobe Sensei's AI platform. Users can also import and use their own custom brushes. The user interface is similar to the one in the Photoshop for iPad beta, except that there are some sub-tools that are missing, such as clipping masks and magic wand. Fresco will launch by the end of the year as a free app on the App Store and will work with iPad Pros, the 2019 iPad mini, and the iPad Air."
"Sloth (GitHub Repo). Sloth is a MacOS application that allows users to see all open files and sockets used by all running processes on the system. It creates a graphical user interface over the command line tool, lsof, and adds functionality to the output, such as being able to filter through the results or kill specific processes. Using the tool, users can easily inspect and control what their apps are doing on their system."
"Cancer cells hibernate like ""bears in winter"" to survive chemotherapy . A new study suggests that all cancer cells can enter into states of dormancy as a survival mechanism. The mechanism is similar to embryonic diapause, a process used by hibernating animals. Some mammals can undergo embryonic diapause when environmental conditions are unfavorable, essentially pausing an embryo's development until conditions become more favorable. Disabling this process makes chemotherapy much more effective. The study sheds light on why some people have been resistant to chemotherapy."
"Suture (GitHub Repo). Suture is a refactoring tool for Ruby that helps in refactoring legacy code by making it safe to change code that is not confidently understood. It can be used in local development, staging environments, and even in production. A 45-minute introductory video is available."
"Airbnb will start designing houses in 2019 . Airbnb has launched an initiative called Backyard, that will ""design and prototype new ways of building and sharing homes"". The project will concentrate on using sophisticated manufacturing techniques, smart-home technologies, and insight from the Airbnb community to design the homes of the future. Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia says ""Backyard isn't a house, it's an initiative to rethink the home""."
"So Long TNT, There's a New Explosive in Town . Bis-oxadiazole is a new explosive chemical that is less toxic to produce and more explosive than TNT. TNT has been used for more than 100 years as it can be liquified and poured into molds and shells to produce bombs. However, manufacturing it produces a lot of waste that can harm the environment and the workers that produce it. It is commonly combined with other chemicals to increase its explosiveness. Bis-oxadiazole has a melting point around that of TNT, with residue from manufacturing that will decompose much more easily in the environment."
"PyTorch-BigGraph (GitHub Repo). PyTorch-BigGraph (PBG) is a is a distributed system for learning graph embeddings for large graphs. It trains on an input graph by identifying the source and target entities in the list of edges of the graph and outputs a feature vector for each entity, attempting to place entities with a similar distribution nearby to each other. PBG is able to train a number of models from the knowledge graph embedding literature, including TransE, RESCAL, DistMult, and ComplEx."
"The 'Iron Man' body armour many of us may soon be wearing . Exoskeleton technology is increasingly being worn in real life around the world. These external devices support and protect their users, giving greater levels of strength and endurance. Exoskeletons are now being developed for a variety of daily activities. They are being tested in factory environments to reduce the risk of injury. Global exoskeleton revenues are expected to rise to $6.8 billion in 2030. This article contains an overview of several exoskeleton tech projects."
isomorphic-git (GitHub Repo). isomorphic-git is a pure JavaScript implementation of git that can read and write to git repositories and fetch from and push to git remotes without any native C++ module dependencies. It is designed to be a complete solution and it features type definitions for static type-checking and intelligent code completion.
"Why we should fear a cashless world . Health food chain Tossed has just opened the UK's first cashless cafe, another step towards the death of cash, an alarming trend. A cashless society would make every payment traceable, allowing for unprecedented control by financial institutions and governments over the lives of citizens. In addition, it is primarily the poor who have been locked out of our financial system, how can those too poor to open a bank account or get a credit card even operate in a cashless society? Going cashless has the potential to further trap the poor in an endless cycle of poverty. Cash means total financial inclusion, something the well off too often take for granted."
"The LinkBuds are Sony’s strangest earbuds in years — and surprisingly good . Sony’s new LinkBuds are an open-style earbud with a unique and comfortable style, fantastic voice call performance, and a transparency mode to keep wearers aware of their surroundings. The battery lasts around 5.5 hours with an additional 12 hours through case recharges. They are made using recycled materials, giving them a speckled look out of the factory. The earbuds come in black or white and weigh around four grams each. This article contains a review of the earbuds and features many photos."
"New details and images emerge of SpaceX’s Starlink user antennas and planned beta testing . Images of Starlink's user terminals were found on SpaceX's Starlink website. They look like a 'UFO on a stick', just as Elon Musk had once described. Musk noted that the design had slightly changed since the images were produced. The terminals have motors to self-orient for optimal view angle and won't require an expert installer. Private beta testing for the network is expected to begin later this summer, with a public beta following soon. Beta testers will receive a Starlink kit, Wi-Fi router, power supply, and mounts for the system. They will be required to test the system between 30 minutes to an hour each day and provide feedback to SpaceX. Beta testers won't be charged for their terminals, but they will have to pay $1 to test out SpaceX's billing system."
"Mars (GitHub Repo). Mars is a tensor-based large-scale computation framework. It's sort of like an alternative to Numpy that is easy to scale out to clusters with thousands of machines. The interface is pretty similar to Numpy's, though obviously it's not as mature as Numpy is yet."
"A nuclear fusion device pushes plasma to a record-breaking 100 million degrees . UK-based Tokamak Energy has broken a world record in nuclear fusion by achieving a plasma temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius, the threshold required for commercial fusion energy. It achieved the milestone in only 5 years at the cost of less than £50 million. The company will now upgrade the tokamak to test other new fusion technologies. Its research will inform the design of a fusion power plant estimated to start operation in the early 2030s."
"The robot revolution has arrived (23 minute read). Robots are everywhere. They have been performing tasks for us and slowly replacing humans in the workforce even before the pandemic. Now, the need for robots to replace human workers seems like a medically wise decision. The workplace of the future will be an ecosystem where humans and robots work together to maximize efficiency. There are many examples of humans already working with robots, which are described in detail in the article. The aim of many robot developers is not to replace humans, but to fill a current need."
"Virgin Hyperloop hits an important milestone: the first human passenger test . Virgin Hyperloop conducted a test of its ultra-fast transportation system with human passengers on Sunday afternoon at the company's DevLoop test track near Las Vegas, Nevada. The hyperloop pod transported two passengers down the 500-meter track at 100 miles per hour. Virgin Hyperloop has so far conducted over 400 tests on the track, but this is the first time with human passengers. The pod used for the passenger test was a scaled-down version of what the company hopes will eventually be a pod capable of carrying up to 23 passengers. There are still many hurdles to overcome before hyperloop technology becomes viable."
"Beautiful Codes (Website). This site lets you edit the look of your code, then download it as a PNG. You can change the background color, font, theme, and more. The site displays a preview of the code."
"Drexa (GitHub Repo). Drexa is an Alexa skill that allows a parrot mini-drone to be controlled via voice commands. Users with a Bluetooth enabled drone and raspberry pi can tell their drone to take off, land, rotate, move in a certain direction, or take a predetermined flight path. A video is available of Drexa in action."
"Watch Samsung show off its robotic BB-8 lookalike Ballie, AR glasses, and exoskeleton demo . Samsung held its CES 2020 press conference on Monday. The show featured robots, exoskeletons, AI, augmented reality, smart cities, and other technologies. The highlight of the show was Ballie, a robotic sphere fused with Samsung's artificial intelligence technology. It can recognize people, stream video, and operate smart home gadgets. A five-minute video showing these technologies is available."
"Leaked audio captures Sundar Pichai discussing leaks at Google . Leaked audio from an all-hands meeting at Google recorded Google CEO Sundar Pichai responding to concerns regarding recent hires, management, and trust. Google had recently hired a former Department of Homeland Security staffer who had defended a travel ban on citizens of predominantly Muslim nations. Employees who had been part of protest walkouts have claimed that they faced retaliation for their efforts. A new Chrome extension by Google automatically reports any staffer who creates a meeting event with more than 10 rooms or 100 participants. Staff claim that the extension was created to target dissenters, but managers say that it was created to reduce potential calendar spam. Pichai discussed the trouble of maintaining trust and transparency at scale, especially when internal discussions have been leaked for use against the company and some of its employees."
"Etsy debuts shoppable virtual house . Etsy House is an interactive augmented reality experience that lets shoppers tour a virtual home decorated with items from the Etsy marketplace. The house features true-to-scale renderings and 360-degree imagery, displaying items, furniture, artwork, and other goods. Users can view product information and get links to purchase items if they like what they see. Many other retailers have started using AR and virtual reality to help customers visualize products remotely and to improve social shopping."
"The Iodide notebook (GitHub Repo). While sharing scientific results is easier than ever, sharing results, or even allowing others to look at the data and manipulate it themselves, can be a complicated problem. Iodide aims to solve this problem by providing an interactive programming environment to allow scientists to work flexibly and collaboratively with minimal friction. The browser-based platform allows you to tell the story that you want while having the live, editable code only one click away. Users can review papers and the code/data that the papers are based on inside their browsers, without having to use multiple sources and files or having to install any extra software. Many example notebooks are available, along with a detailed tutorial on how to use Iodide effectively."
"AWS launches re:Post, a new community-driven Q&A service . re:Post is a new community-driven question and answer service designed to help AWS customers remove technical roadblocks. The service replaces the original AWS Forums. Community members can earn reputation points by providing accepted answers and reviewing answers from other users. Content on re:Post can be accessed without signing in, but a profile will be required for posting and interacting with others."
"The World's Coldest Inhabited Place Is Burning Because of 'Zombie Fires' . Zombie fires are burning in Russia’s Oymyakon region, the world's coldest inhabited place. Zombie fires are fires that have stayed burning underground. They are linked to climate change. Fires burned through 18.16m hectares of forest in the region in May and the area saw its warmest-ever June this year. A video from the area showing smoke coming out from under snow and ice is available in the article."
"Roomba’s creator made an autonomous lawnmower robot . iRobot has announced today it’s first autonomous lawnmower robot. Unlike other autonomous lawnmower robots which require a wire to be laid down to define the robot’s boundaries, iRobot’s lawnmower robot uses a wireless beacon setup. There is also a mobile app where grass height can be tweaked and other information about the robot can be monitored."
"Google is making some big upgrades to directions in Google Maps . New features were recently announced for Google Maps, including tools for indoor navigation and eco-friendly driving routes. Live View augmented reality directions will soon be available at airports, transit stations, and malls in select cities. A revamped interface for picking transportation modes is rolling out globally over the next few months. Users in Australia, India, and the US will soon be able to view air quality in Maps, and a weather layer is rolling out globally. Screenshots of the new features are available in the article."
"Google Introduces TensorFlow Developer Certification . Google has launched a certification program for TensorFlow. Candidates will be tested on their ability to develop and train deep-learning models using TensorFlow. Candidates who pass can be listed in Google's world-wide Certification Directory. The exam fee is $100 and the certification is valid for three years. More technical details are included in the certification handbook, which is linked in the article."
"Venmo to launch its first credit card in 2020 . Venmo has announced its plans to launch a credit card. It will partner with Synchrony, the company behind PayPal's Extras Mastercard and Cashback Mastercard. Synchrony is behind around 100 other cards in total and has financed more than $140 billion in sales with 80.3 million active accounts. Venmo has yet to become profitable, despite its widespread adoption. The new card will be launched to US Venmo users in the second half of 2020."
"America’s First DAO Approved in Wyoming . The American CryptoFed DAO (decentralized autonomous organization) is the first legally recognized DAO in the US. It is based on the EOS protocol instead of Ethereum, the cryptocurrency most commonly associated with DAOs. Wyoming lawmakers voted in March to pass a bill, which came into effect in early July, allowing DAOs to be officially registered in the state. The law gives DAOs the same rights as a limited liability company. DAOs are governed by smart contracts and do not have the hierarchical control structures seen in traditional companies."
React Hook Form (GitHub Repo). React Hook Form makes it super easy to integrate and create forms that are fast performing and compact. A live demo is available. There is also a form builder to create custom forms for testing.
"SpaceX may spin out internet-from-space business and make it public . The president of SpaceX's Starlink business has said that the company is considering going public as it is ripe to do so. Starlink has already launched 240 satellites and plans to launch up to another 1,440 satellites this year. These satellites are designed to beam down broadband internet coverage all over the world. Elon Musk is known for hating publicly traded companies and has said in the past that SpaceX won't be going public until its Mars vehicle is complete. SpaceX has recently been valued at around $33.3 billion. The revenue from Starlink will help fund SpaceX's plans to send people to the Moon and Mars. Those in the astronomy community have criticized broadband satellite projects as the resulting constellation could obstruct their observations of the night sky."
Google still plans to kill Chrome's existing adblock APIs . Google’s plans to remove the APIs that content blocking extensions use will continue despite pushback from the developer community. It plans to replace the APIs with a more limited API which limits the number of filter requests that are possible. The changes will come when Google upgrades its Chrome extensions platform which will still be a few months away. Firefox now has the ability to block tracking scripts natively without any extensions required.
Tesla cars will soon talk to pedestrians . Elon Musk has tweeted a video showing a Tesla vehicle playing a recorded clip to passing pedestrians. The feature will apparently let Tesla owners communicate with people outside the car without having to open their windows. There are no further details on how the system would work. It is unknown whether drivers will be able to speak directly to people on the outside of the vehicle or if it will only support pre-recorded speech. The system could be helpful for alerting people to a driver's intentions without having to use the car horn.
"Artificial leaf produces first drugs using sunlight . Scientists have used artificial leaves to create targeted molecules. Artificial leaves are made of translucent materials that allow sunlight in, directing it to tiny microfluidic channels that contain liquids. Using energy from sunlight, a chemical reaction can be triggered in the liquid. This method can potentially make any carbon-based molecule. It is able to convert sunlight into biomass with 10 percent efficiency, which is 10 times more than the most efficient plants. The leaves have successfully produced drugs that are effective against malaria and parasitic worms. As the leaves are small, portable, and scalable, they can be used to manufacture drugs in areas where they are needed most, saving the costs and trouble of transporting medicine over long distances."
"Google reportedly set a goal of being a top-two cloud player by 2023 . Top executives at Alphabet debated whether the company should stay in the public cloud business back in 2018. They decided to aim to become a top-two player by 2023. Google's main business is web search and advertising, but it has a cloud computing department that rents out computing and storage resources to other companies, schools, and governments. Alphabet stated in July that Google Cloud generated $8 billion in annualized revenue. Its performance lags behind Amazon Web Services, Alibaba, and Microsoft Azure."
"China's Infinity-Loop Skyscraper is One of the World's Most Interesting Buildings . OPPO is building a new tower in Hangzhou, China. The O-Tower will have an infinity-loop-shaped design with an open courtyard. It aims to become an iconic landmark and gateway to the larger business district. The building's form provides the large floors with the daylight access and fresh air of a slender tower. Images of the tower design are available in the article."
"For the first time, a spacecraft has returned an aging satellite to service . A communications satellite has been restored and returned to service in geostationary orbit. Northrop Grumman's Mission Extension Vehicle-1 was able to dock onto the Intelsat 901 satellite while in orbit and then navigate it to a new orbital location. The MEV-1 will provide five years of life extension services to the satellite before moving it into a graveyard orbit, after which it will still be able to provide additional mission extension services. Services such as these offer satellite providers a way to extend the lifetime of their assets, as well as to remove satellites that have lost communication with the ground. 💻"
FORTRAN.io (Website). Fortran.io is an open-source web framework for Fortran. It is like PHP where FastCGI runs a script that outputs HTML strings. The webpage page is a demo that is served by a Fortran server. It includes a search function that queries an SQLite database.
"A new breakthrough could turn windows into active solar panels . A team of researchers has created perovskite cells with a conversion efficiency of 15.5% that allow more than 20% of visible light through. The technology will allow solar windows to reach glazing levels, making them more useful for real-world applications. The new cells display exceptional long-term stability when tested under constant illumination and heating, making them appealing candidates for scaled device manufacture."
This Prepper Is Building a Post-Apocalyptic Internet . The Reticulum Network Stack is a 'prepper' version of the internet that is designed to exist alongside or on top of the traditional internet. It is a streamlined communications tool that can be quickly deployed in case of systemic telecom failure. The system is designed so that anyone can easily build secure and long-range networks with simple tools. It can run on almost any device and can be put together with minimal telecom and computer knowledge in about an hour. More information about the Reticulum Network Stack is available in the article.
"Microsoft launches business school focused on AI strategy, culture and responsibility . There is a need for business leaders to understand AI and how it can be used, as more companies start to integrate the technology into their practices. Microsoft has launched the Microsoft AI Business School, which is a free master class series to show business leaders how to lead with confidence in the age of AI. The course is non-technical and focuses on strategy, culture, and responsibility. It uses case studies of companies which have completed the transition to using AI technology to demonstrate how to successfully implement AI in their business."
"Researchers Found a Way to Send Tiny Robots Into Mouse Brains . Researchers in China have managed to treat brain tumors in mice by using microscopic robots to deliver drugs directly into their brain tissue. The robots were coated in E. coli, which tricked the rodents' immune systems into attacking them, absorbing the robots and cancer-fighting drugs in the process. They are magnetic and can be remotely controlled by a rotating magnetic field. There is still a lot of work before the robots can be used in humans, but the design could lead to breakthroughs in the treatment of various brain diseases."
"Komodo dragon gives birth to three hatchlings without male partner . A female Komodo dragon at the Chattanooga Zoo in Tennessee has given birth to three hatchlings without a male mate. DNA testing of the hatchling's DNA confirmed that the Komodo dragon conceived via parthenogenesis, a phenomenon where an egg fertilizes another egg. Komodo dragons are very aggressive and live in isolation, so they evolved to sometimes reproduce via parthenogenesis. Only male hatchlings result from this process, which has only been observed in 0.1% of vertebrates."
"Alphabet and SoftBank’s solar-powered drone provides first LTE connection . Alphabet and SoftBank recently announced that they successfully ran a stable LTE connection from a solar-powered drone 62,000 feet high. The connection was used to make an international video call between Japan and the US. Alphabet's Loon provided the communications payload while SoftBank's HAPSMobile built the aircraft. The Sunglider is an enormous solar-powered drone designed to fly for months at a time. It looks like a single massive wing powered by 10 propellers. A short video showing the test flight is available in the article."
Designer Camera (Mac Desktop App). This is a Mac desktop app that lets you easily make a rotatable 3D mockup of your iOS app in just a few seconds. It's a free download with no email required.
"Wireit (GitHub Repo). Wireit makes npm scripts smarter and more efficient. It automatically runs dependencies between npm scripts in parallel, watches and re-runs scripts on changes, caches output locally and remotely on GitHub actions for free, and it works with single packages, npm workspaces, and other monorepos. Wireit is still in alpha."
New Anthony Bourdain documentary deepfakes his voice . Roadrunner is a new documentary about the life and death of Anthony Bourdain. The filmmaker used AI technology to digitally recreate Bourdain's voice for three audio quotes. There is a growing industry for AI voice replication. A sample of the AI-generated audio from the documentary is available in the article.
"South Korea is building a $40 billion city designed to eliminate the need for cars . Construction on Songdo City started in 2002, and will finish in 2020, spanning 100 million square feet (about the size of Boston) in northwest South Korea. The goal was to put everything closer to housing so people could walk or use public transportation instead of driving everywhere. There will be no trash trucks, just a system of tubes that sucks the trash from chutes into a central sorting facility. 40% of water will be recycled. There are already 70,000 people working there and the government hopes there will be 300,000 people eventually living in the futuristic city."
"Artificial intelligence robots boost Chinese food factories, paving way for mass use . More than 10 traditional Chinese food manufacturers took part in a trial where artificial intelligence was used for taste testing their products to ensure the quality of their food. It is estimated that the taste testing robots boosted manufacturers' profits by over $44.5 million since 2015. The robots automatically adjusted the production line conditions so that all products had the same color, smell, and taste. The job was previously done with humans and the process was slower and more limited. Chinese food is complex and varied, and standardizing recipes has been met with some opposition, so while there are regulations that describe how some food is to be cooked and presented, these are not enforced."
"Dagger (GitHub Repo). Dagger is a portable devkit for continuous integration/continuous delivery pipelines. It allows software teams to develop powerful CICD pipelines with minimal effort. Dagger pipelines can run on any Docker-compatible runtime, making them compatible with most modern CI runners out of the box."
"Cloudflare, Apple, and others back a new way to make the Internet more private . Whenever you access a website, your browser gets the website's IP from a DNS resolver which is typically operated by either your ISP or a service such as Google's 8.8.8.8. These queries are unencrypted, so it is possible for someone to monitor which sites are being visited or even redirect the request to a fake website. A new technique developed by Cloudflare, Apple, and Fastly, called Oblivious DNS, can prevent this snooping and make the Internet more private. Engineers are still measuring the performance cost of implementing the protocol, but early results appear promising."
"Facebook’s new fantasy sports-like prediction games let you blast your boldest picks to everyone you know . Facebook Fantasy Games are fantasy sports-like prediction games that let users guess what will happen in sports, TV shows, and pop culture. The games will roll out first for mobile users in the US and Canada. Games will have public leaderboards, but users can make their own public or private leagues. Users won't be able to wager real money on the games through Facebook. Facebook launched a website for its cloud gaming service in July, and it also offers a game streaming service."
"I generated this set of icons in 3D style using DALL-E 2 by @OpenAI . This Twitter thread features 3D icons generated by DALL-E 2. It shows the text prompts used to generate the icons and explains how keywords were used in the prompts. While DALL-E only exports in 1024x1024px, the images would work fine as small icons on a website."
"Amazon's Prime Air can officially begin drone delivery trials in the US . Amazon has officially become an air carrier, with the Federal Aviation Administration granting Amazon Prime Air approval to begin its first commercial delivery trials in the US. The FAA still needs to define regulations beyond the trial phase, so it may still be a few years before a full commercial drone delivery service is available. Amazon has not revealed when or where it will begin its trials. It will be using its hexagon-shaped next-gen hybrid drones for the project."
"Webiny (GitHub Repo). Webiny is an open-source platform created for building modern web apps. It allows developers to easily develop serverless Content Management Systems powered by GraphQL and React. It features a visual website builder, image editor, themes, and more. Users can use Webiny to create websites, build APIs, and make web applications. The Webiny website contains a CMS guide and developer tutorial, as well as a community forum."
"iPhones with 'Fortnite' installed are being sold for as much as $10,000 after Apple pulled the game from the App Store . Fortnite was removed from Apple's App Store last week due to terms-of-service violations. While users can't install the game on their devices anymore, Apple has no way of removing existing installations. Some iPhone owners who already had the app installed listed their devices on eBay with listing prices as high as $10,000. Apple is working with Epic to resolve the issue, so it is unlikely that Fortnite will stay banned forever."
"Quantum Katas (Github Repo). This is a Github Repo from Microsoft, with tutorials and exercises for learning quantum computing and their new quantum computing language Q#."
"Brain implant allows mind control of computers in first human trials . The Stentrode device is an implant that has the potential to treat a wide range of neurological conditions using electrical stimulation. It is implanted through a keyhole incision in the neck, where it can monitor electrical signals coming from the brain and also stimulate brain regions that correspond with particular muscle movements. In its first human trials, the Stentrode brought about significant quality-of-life improvements for two Australian men living with motor neurone disease. A two-minute video showing one of the patients talking about their experience with the Stentrode is available in the article."
Opacus (GitHub Repo). Opacus enables training PyTorch models with differential privacy. It was designed for machine learning practitioners who are new to training models with differential privacy and for differential privacy scientists who want to experiment and tinker with the library. Opacus supports training with minimal code changes and allows the client to track their privacy budget expended at any moment.
"These Ants Can 'Heal' Wounded Trees in a Fascinating Symbiotic Relationship . An accidental slingshot hit on a Cecropia tree in Panama led to the discovery that the ants that live inside these trees often fix damage to their living homes. Azteca alfari ants have a well-known mutually beneficial relationship with the trees. The ants use material found within the plant stem to make the repairs. It appears that the ants mostly repair areas where the damage might put the brood at risk, but more research is needed to clarify this."
"Emoji under the hood . All text inside computers is encoded with numbers, with the most popular system being Unicode. Unicode defines around 150k characters, which covers all the scripts used on Earth, along with other symbols. Emojis are included in the Unicode table, which is why they can behave like any other text. This article explores the seven different ways emojis can be encoded and shows how the techniques can be combined to construct complex messages."
Teleport 9 - Introducing Machine ID (Sponsor). Big release from Teleport today! Teleport 9 now includes Machine ID: the identity-based access for machine connections. Learn more in this blog post.
"Drago Anguelov (Waymo). Waymo is a self-driving technology development company, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. Self-driving technology is developed through obtaining a large amount of data, creating machine learning models from the data, and then a lot of testing. While there has been huge leaps in the last few years with the development of the technology, there is still a lot to be done, as the problems needed to be solved before a safe, reliable, self-driving car are vast and complex, requiring a lot of testing in multiple environments. Drago Anguelov presents the results of these tests and also discusses the problems that need to be solved before self-driving cars become a viable reality."
"Apple buys Intel’s smartphone modem business . Apple has bought Intel's smartphone modem business for $1 billion. The deal includes the acquisition of intellectual property, equipment, and around 2,200 Intel employees. Intel will continue to develop 5G modems for non-smartphone devices. This deal means that Apple will soon be able to produce its own custom hardware for its smartphones. Apple currently relies on Qualcomm for its hardware, a relationship that has caused problems in the past. Qualcomm requires customers to agree to high patent royalty fees before supplying hardware."
Apple reportedly plans to launch an ‘extreme sports’ Apple Watch with a larger screen and metal casing . Apple is reportedly planning to launch an extreme sports version of the Apple Watch this year along with the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE. The extreme sports model will measure almost two inches diagonally and have a display resolution of about 410 pixels by 502 pixels. It will use a stronger metal casing and have a more shatter-resistant screen. The watch will have a larger battery and improved tracking metrics. More details about the watch are available in the article.
"This Tech Conference Is Being Held on an Animal Crossing Island . A free tech conference called Deserted Island DevOps was held on April 30th. The event was held inside the game Animal Crossing and it was streamed live on Twitch.tv. Speakers held talks on an Animal Crossing island build specifically for the conference. More than 1,000 people registered for the event,"
"Uniqlo’s Tokyo warehouse is 90 percent robotic and yes, the robots can even fold shirts . Uniqlo has managed to automate 90 percent of its flagship Tokyo warehouse. The facility includes a two-armed robot that can fold and box t-shirts. Uniqlo's parent company, Fast Retailing, partnered with robotics startup Mujin to produce the industrial t-shirt folders in order to reduce reliance on human labor. Japan has embraced automation as a potential solution to its aging population, falling birthrates, and shrinking workforce. The t-shirt folding robots are unlikely to be seen at local Uniqlo retail outlets any time soon."
"The pandemic is bringing us closer to our robot takeout future . Starship is a startup that uses six-wheeled, microwave-sized robots to deliver food in campuses across the US. With a simple app, Starship now has hundreds of robots in service delivering food to real customers. The robots run at a low cost, do not require tips, and are more popular than ever as they start to displace human-driven food deliveries. For Starship to work in a city, it must create a map, get approval from city officials, sign up with commercial partners, and make sure it has enough back-end resources to support each robot. This makes its rapid growth particularly impressive as it continues to deploy robots around the world."
"Larry Page is quietly funding efforts to develop a universal flu vaccine . Google co-founder Larry Page has been funding flu-fighting efforts through private, for-profit companies. Flu Lab is a company that provides funding for flu vaccine development initiatives. It funds a program called Shoo The Flu that provides flu shots for school children in Oakland, California. Shoo The Flu's director is also the CEO of Flu Lab. The goal of the funding is to create a universal flu vaccine, which would mean that one shot would protect people for more than one flu season. A final product is still likely years away. As both companies are private, they are not required to file public tax returns, nor are they required to reveal what they do with the money that they receive."
"Feathr (GitHub Repo). Feathr is an enterprise-grade, high-performance feature store. It was built to simplify machine learning feature management and improve developer productivity. Feathr can be used to define features, compute them for training, deploy them in production, and share them across teams. It can significantly reduce the time required to add new features to model training workflows and improve runtime performance."
"Japan successfully tests flying car which hovers steadily for a minute . A flying car unveiled by NEC at a facility in the city of Abiko was able to hover steadily for about a minute using its four propellors during two brief demonstrations. Japan aims to be using flying cars by 2030 to connect islands in the Mie resort area. Dubai is also aggressively pursuing the technology. Flying cars are defined as aircraft which are electric, or hybrid electric, with driverless capabilities and the ability to take off and land vertically. They are also known as EVtol, electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. Compared to helicopters, they are less expensive to maintain, produce less noise, and don't require trained pilots. Uber is also launching a similar technology called Uber Air, starting demonstrator flights in 2020 and commercial operations in 2023."
"Awesome Hacker Search Engines (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a list of search engines that are useful for penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, red team operations, and bug bounties. It includes categories for exploits, mail addresses, threat intelligence, web history, and much more."
"Amazon hit by extensive fraud with hackers siphoning merchant funds . Unidentified hackers were able to siphon funds from merchant accounts over six months on Amazon last year. The attack targeted about 100 accounts and transferred cash from loans and sales from merchant accounts into their own bank accounts at Barclays and Prepay Technologies. Amazon issued around $1 billion in loans in 2018, and it is unclear how much the hackers stole."
Wirelessly Rechargeable Soft Brain Implant Could Cure Brain Diseases . Researchers from Korea have invented a smartphone-controlled soft brain implant that can be wirelessly charged after being fitted into a user's brain. It enables long-term neural circuit manipulation without the need for periodic surgeries to replace the implant's battery. The device uses micrometer-sized LEDs to wirelessly manipulate target neurons via light. It uses a circuit that integrates a wireless energy harvester with a coil antenna and a Bluetooth low-energy chip to generate electricity inside the device for charging. The technology used in the implant could be applied to a variety of other implants to reduce the burden on patients for long-term use within the body.
"The UAE is Using Drones to Control Dubai's Weather . The United Arab Emirates often sees high temperatures and little rainfall. It has invested $15 million in nine different rain-enhancement projects. One of those projects involves using drones to jump-start rain production through cloud seeding, a process where clouds are zapped with an electric charge, charging the droplets inside. The technique makes the droplets inside the clouds big enough to fall out, creating rain. Potentially carcinogenic chemicals are sometimes used in cloud seeding."
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg says she is stepping down . Sheryl Sandberg is stepping down from her role as Chief Operating Officer at Meta. Sandberg joined Facebook in 2008 and helped turn the company into an advertising juggernaut. Javier Olivan will take over as COO this fall. Sandberg will now be able to focus more on her philanthropic work. She will continue to serve on Meta's board of directors.
"Apple promises third-party payment options in iOS for South Korean users . Apple is introducing third-party payment options for iOS in South Korea. South Korea recently passed new legislation to open up the perceived monopolies of Google and Apple's app stores. Apple will charge developers a reduced fee to implement third-party payment options. The exact details, such as how much Apple will charge developers or when the new changes will begin, have yet to be announced."
"BlockLike.js (GitHub Repo). BlockLike.js is an education JavaScript library that bridges the gap between block-based and text-based programming. It was designed following Scratch concepts, methods, and patterns. BlockLike.js is environment independent and can be used anywhere modern JavaScript runs."
"Dopefolio (GitHub Repo). Dopefolio is a multipage portfolio template for developers. It is easy to set up, free to use, and can run without any additional frameworks or libraries. A playground demo is available."
"Bitcoin Comes to Whole Foods, Major Retailers in Coup for Digital Currency . A new retail initiative will see many major retailers start to accept cryptocurrency as payment. The initiative comes from a partnership with Flexa, a payments startup, and Gemini, a Winklevoss-owned digital currency company. Existing scanners will be able to scan a QR code from a cryptocurrency wallet app for payments. The app, Spedn, supports Bitcoin, Bitcoin cash, Ethereum, and Gemini Dollar. While there is a large list of retailers who will be able to support these payments, none have given any official statements, probably as the payment system is still experimental."
"eBay is suing Amazon over allegedly poaching its third-party sellers . eBay is suing Amazon for allegedly using eBay's messaging system to lure third party sellers to Amazon's marketplace. eBay wants to ban Amazon from ever using its messaging system in this manner again, and is also seeking unspecified monetary damages. eBays terms of service prohibit using the messaging system to promote outside businesses, and Amazon's employees were sending up to 120 messages a day without purchasing anything."
Facebook introduces portable Portal Go for $199 . Facebook has announced two new Portals and upcoming software updates. The brand-new Portal Go can be taken out of its dock and carried around. It has a 10-inch display and will be sold for $199. The new Portal+ will feature an improved design and a 14-inch display at $349. Both Portals will have a 12-megapixel camera with an ultra-wide field of view and use Facebook's Smart Camera technology. They will also have built-in camera lens covers and buttons to disconnect the camera and the microphone. The new software updates include Household Mode and an updated Watch Together experience.
"LinkedIn cuts 960 jobs as pandemic puts the brakes on corporate hiring . LinkedIn reported on Tuesday that it would cut about 960 jobs due to the sustained impact that the coronavirus pandemic is having on the demand for its recruitment products. The company helps employers assess a candidate's suitability for roles, and employees use the platform to find new jobs. Sales and hiring roles will be cut and the company will provide at least 10 weeks of severance pay as well as health insurance for a year for US employees. Employees affected by the job cuts will also be allowed to keep company-issued equipment to help them work from home while making career transitions. No other layoffs are planned."
"Murderer on the run in China turns himself in because he doesn’t have a health code . China has introduced a color-based QR code system to control where people can go. Chinese citizens are assigned a red, yellow, or green code to indicate their health status. People with a yellow status are asked to self-quarantine for seven days and those with red codes are asked to self-quarantine for 14 days. The codes are generated inside mini-programs within WeChat and Alipay. A man who committed a murder in 1996 turned himself in as he didn't have a smartphone, which meant that he didn't have access to a code, making it impossible for him to travel or find accommodation."
Apple Threatens to Terminate Epic Games' Developer Accounts on August 28 . Apple plans to terminate Epic Games' access to its App Store and app development tools by August 28. This includes the development tools required to create software for the Unreal Engine. Epic has filed a court order in Northern California to remove the restrictions that Apple has placed on it. The dispute started when Epic attempted to introduce a direct payment system in its Fortnite app to defy Apple's App Store rules.
"Disney is developing planned communities for fans who never want to leave its clutches . Storyliving by Disney is a new part of the company's theme park division that plans to develop a series of communities for residential living. Its first location will be a community of 1,900 housing units in California's Coachella Valley. Disney is partnering with third-party developers on the project and will not own, build, or sell the homes. It will only manage the branding and marketing of the communities. A video with concept art of the communities is available in the article."
"How do Spotify Codes work? . Spotify codes can be used to easily share Spotify songs, artists, playlists, and users. They work like the Intelligent Mail Barcode, which stores information in bars by setting them to different heights. This article breaks down the codes and how they work, explaining the process of reverse-engineering the system."
Python-Mini-Projects (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of simple Python mini-projects to enhance your Python skills. Completed projects are reviewed by a team of contributors.
SpaceX ISS docking simulator (Website). This simulator allows you to fly with the actual interface used by NASA astronauts to manually pilot a virtual SpaceX Dragon 2 vehicle to the International Space Station. Operating instructions are available. Remember to slow down!
"T-Mobile, Sprint consider dropping Huawei, expect US security clearance for deal . The US national security panel has been conducting a review of the T-Mobile and Sprint merger that was announced in April. It looks like the merger will be approved as early as next week, as both companies have agreed to consider curbing their use of Huawei equipment. US officials say Huawei is controlled by the Chinese state and might have back doors built into their networking equipment. Huawei says these claims are unfounded."
"China Grew Two Cotton Leaves on the Moon . Two cotton leaves have grown from a mini biosphere that was part of an experiment onboard China's Chang'e-4 spacecraft, which landed on the far side of the moon earlier this year. Other seeds, fruit-fly eggs, and yeast were also contained in the biosphere, but only the cotton produced positive results. The cotton died on the onset of the first lunar night as temperatures dropped to minus 190 degrees Celsius. This is the first time a seed has sprouted on the moon. The team behind Chang'e-4 plans to send more biology payloads, including some with animals, into space for future missions."
"Geologists Discover Largest Underwater Volcano, Explain Weird Hum Heard Around the World . Scientists have recorded the largest ever underwater volcanic eruption after investigating a weird seismic event off the coast of Africa. Researchers were trying to determine the source of a seismic hum that could be heard across the world when they discovered the volcano forming in the Indian Ocean. It is unknown whether the volcano is completely new or whether it has formed on top of older volcanic structure. A nearby French Island, Mayotte, has sunk 13 centimeters and moved about 10 centimeters to the east as a result of the volcano."
‘It’s time’: Blue Origin teases ticket sales for its New Shepard rocket . Blue Origin announced on Thursday that the company will soon be selling tickets for seats on its New Shepard rocket. People can now register their interest on the Blue Origin website. A link is available in the article. The company will announce more details on May 5.
"Auth Considerations for Kubernetes - Free eBook (Sponsor). Everyone is talking about Kubernetes! Apps running in these workloads probably have the concept of users. And where you have users, you have auth. We'll cover topics like service-to-service communication, RBAC, OIDC mapping, and more. Download the eBook today!"
"axum (GitHub Repo). axum is a web application framework that takes full advantage of the tower and tower-http ecosystem of middleware, services, and utilities to get timeouts, tracing, compression, authorization, and more for free. It can route requests to handlers with a macro-free API, declaratively parse requests using extractors, and generate responses with minimal boilerplate. axum uses a simple and predictable error handling model. Usage examples are available."
How Disney’s ‘real’ lightsaber patent actually works . Disney Parks' chairman recently ended a presentation by showing off a retractable lightsaber. The design appears to be based on a patent registered in 2018. This article contains a description of how the design works. 3D animations of the lightsaber's internal mechanism are available.
"5 reasons the iPhone XR will succeed where iPhone 5c failed . The iPhone 5C failed because it was literally just the parts from an iPhone 5 put into a new plastic shell. It was also pitched as a ""budget"" iPhone, and had a new unproven design. The iPhone XR can succeed where the iPhone 5C failed because it is actually a premium phone (it costs $749), it is meant for people who bought the iPhone 8 last year instead of the iPhone X (which introduced a sort of ""super flagship"" $999 price point). The iPhone XR looks like an iPhone X from the front and the iPhone 8 from the back, so it's a proven design, and given Apple's scale (they now sell over 220 million iPhones a year, whereas when the 5C came out they only sold about 150 million per year) it will be much easier for the iPhone XR to succeed."
Virgin Hyperloop Shows off the Future: Mass Transport in Floating Magnetic Pods . Virgin Hyperloop is developing its technology at a site in the desert just north of Las Vegas. Its passenger pods travel at up to 750 miles an hour through vacuum tunnels using magnetic levitation. The system is able to react to turbulence and cancel it out. Each pod can seat 28 passengers and can be customized to carry other cargo over both long and short distances. The first commercial operations will begin as early as 2027 in India and Saudi Arabia.
"Need to design, automate, and monitor critical business processes? (Sponsor). Boost productivity with a tool that integrates seamlessly with your current tech stack and is optimized for scalability, resiliency, high-performance throughput, and low latency. Camunda Platform: The Universal Process Orchestrator. Try free now."
"Optical brain-like chip processes almost 2 billion images per second . Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have developed an optical chip that can process almost two billion images per second. The device uses a neural network that processes information as light. It uses optical wires as its neurons, with each layer specializing in a particular type of classification. The device's speed comes from its ability to process information as light. The team will now work on scaling up the chip and adapting it to process other types of data. An example of the type of image that the chip was tasked with classifying is available in the article."
"Facebook’s Data Deals Are Under Criminal Investigation . An investigation into data deals struck between Facebook and some of the world’s biggest technology companies is underway, with at least two major smart-phone makers recently being subpoenaed by a grand jury in New York. These data deals let companies see users’ information, including friends and contact information, sometimes without consent. The partnerships with these tech companies may violate an agreement between Facebook and the FTC formed in 2011 after allegations the company had shared data in ways that deceived consumers. The Cambridge-Analytica investigation is still underway, with an employee being questioned as recently as February."
"Luna Programming Language (GitHub Repo). Luna allows developers to design, prototype, develop, and refactor any application by linking visual elements together. Developers are able to collaborate with a team, interactively fine-tune parameters, inspect the results, and visually profile performance in real-time. This repository contains the code for the compiler core. A link to the full visual Luna Studio repository is available."
"'Electronic nose' could smell breath to warn about higher risk of oesophageal cancer . Barrett's esophagus is a condition that can lead to cancer of the esophagus. 9,000 new cases of esophageal cancer are diagnosed every year in the UK. There are often no symptoms associated with Barrett's esophagus. The diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus is usually done via an endoscopy, which can be expensive and invasive. Researchers have developed a new electronic nose that can analyze a patient's breath and produce a diagnosis. The device is easy to use and it can potentially reduce the number of cases of esophageal cancer as doctors will be able to start early interventions. Further tests of the device will still be needed before it will be available for doctors, but researchers aim to put it to market within two to three years."
PRESENTA Lib (GitHub Repo). PRESENTA Lib is a JavaScript library for building web presentations from config objects. It focuses on letting people work on content while allowing customizations. Full documentation is linked.
"Boston Dynamics is open-sourcing its robot tech to help hospitals fight coronavirus . Boston Dynamics' Spot robot is being used for telemedicine, allowing health workers to communicate with patients remotely. This applications' hardware and software design is being open-sourced for developers and robot-makers to develop solutions for fighting the coronavirus. Boston Dynamics is also exploring ways to measure body temperature, respiratory rate, pulse rate, and oxygen saturation remotely via Spot. A disinfectant technology may be mounted on the back of Spot later in the project to remotely sanitize patients and surfaces."
"How do vaccinated people spread Delta? What the science says . The Delta strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is more likely than other variants to spread through vaccinated people. Data from Covid-19 tests show that vaccinated people who are infected with Delta SARS-CoV-2 can carry as much virus in their noses as unvaccinated people. The findings highlight the importance of protective measures to reduce transmission. Researchers stress that the Covid-19 vaccines are protective against serious illness and death. The Delta strain is more infectious and affects people slightly longer than other strains. However, some studies show that vaccinated people might remain infectious for a shorter period."
"China’s food delivery giant Meituan hits $100B valuation amid pandemic . Meituan is a Hong Kong-listed food delivery firm. The company has recently reached a valuation of over $100 billion. Nationwide lockdowns increased the need for food delivery, but customers tightened their budgets, resulting in a net loss for the company. The daily number of transactions has dropped 18.2%, but the average value per order has jumped up by 14.4%, as more families have started ordering meals. A large number of premium restaurants opened up to food delivery services during the pandemic, and they will likely continue to bring in revenue after restrictions are lifted."
What happens when ... Kubernetes edition! (35 minute read). Kubernetes handles the deployment of workloads across infrastructure using user-friendly APIs. Most of what it is doing is hidden from the user. This article details what happens 'under the hood' in Kubernetes after you enter in the command to deploy nginx to a cluster. It aims to help readers understand what Kubernetes actually does in order to fully understand the value it offers.
MangoDB (GitHub Repo). MangoDB is a proxy that converts MongoDB wire protocol queries to SQL and uses PostgreSQL as a database engine. It is an open-source alternative to MongoDB as MongoDB has changed its license to make it unusable for many open source and commercial projects. MangoDB will be compatible with MongoDB drivers and will work as a drop-in replacement for MongoDB in many cases. It is still in a very early stage of development.
"Vision-based AI drones outfly world-class human pilots . A trio of champion drone racers recently faced off against vision-based AI drones in a race and lost. The drones used onboard vision systems and their own computers to fly. They did not have the aid of motion-capture systems or off-board computers. Motion capture systems can provide near-perfect state estimation, making a race between humans and AI completely unfair. Several drone racing clips are available in the article."
"Differential Privacy (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a library of algorithms that can be used to produce statistics over numeric data sets that contain private or sensitive information. It can compute the count, sum, mean, variance, standard deviation, and provide order statistics. The algorithms are suitable for research, experimental, or production use cases."
"Lyft test program offers drivers more rides in exchange for 10% pay cut . Lyft released a new feature for drivers in September called priority mode, which gives drivers more rides for 10% less pay. The ride-hailing industry has been hit hard by the pandemic, with many people around the world sheltered in place with nowhere to go. Many drivers have voiced their complaints online, but the company says that the program was expanded due to the positive feedback it received."
"Ask HN: What do you automate in your life and work? (Hacker News Thread). As developers, it is quite easy to write your own programs to make your life easier. It is possible to automate many areas of your life, for example, a tool such as Home Assistant can be used to send custom notifications about the state of your home, turn on/off appliances/lights at certain times of day, monitor and control temperatures, send emails, and much more. Users have automated parts of their life such as dating (automatically swiping on Tinder), entire businesses (fulfillment processes, emails, inquiries), workflows (repetitive blocks of typing, processes, etc), and even shopping for groceries. This thread is full of anecdotes on ways developers have automated parts of their lives to increase efficiency and decrease effort."
Newly leaked video shows a UFO disappear into the water (2 minute video). The Pentagon has confirmed and released footage of a UFO disappearing into the sea. It is still investigating the incident. The findings from the investigation will be presented to Congress in June. Footage of other UFOs is included in the video.
"Target announces launch of its curated, third-party marketplace, Target+ . Target will begin to offer products from third parties, similar to Walmart and Amazon, except that the products available will be carefully curated to avoid controversy and to ensure quality. Sellers will have to be approached by Target in order to sell items on Target+ as there is no public application process. Target and Walmart’s recent announcements that they will carry third-party products may hurt Amazon as their brick-and-mortar presence is much higher than Amazon’s."
"AWS costs every programmer should know . When considering architecture for projects that require scale, it is handy to know the costs of the hardware that is required in order to arrive at the optimal project design. The costs of running an Elastic Compute Unit on all the different types of instances and storage levels on Amazon Web Services are compared across on-demand and reserved prices. Each ECU represents one core or CPU, rather than one instance. Some companies receive discounts from AWS, which may make a significant difference in costs."
Starbucks and Amazon are opening cashierless coffee shop in Manhattan. Take a look inside . Starbucks and Amazon have opened up a pick-up cafe in midtown Manhattan that uses Amazon's cashierless technology. The cafes are designed to attract busy consumers who want to make quick purchases. Two more locations are set to open over the next year. The cafe stocks a variety of food options and items commonly found in convenience store checkout lines in addition to the Starbucks menu. It is open till 10 pm on weekdays and 9 pm on weekends.
"Amazon's sprawling grocery business has become an 'expensive hobby' with a cloudy future (12 minute read). Despite spending billions on developing services and technologies to become a grocery market giant, Amazon is still just a niche player in the industry. Its delivery services have failed to stand out in a crowded field and its Go automated convenience stores have been deprioritized. The technology Amazon implemented in its stores was novel, but it didn't add any value to the shopping experience. Groceries were not a big topic on Amazon's fourth-quarter results call earlier this month."
"Amazon's Bezos Launches $2 Billion Fund to Help the Homeless . Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has created a $2 billion fund called the Day One Fund to help homeless families and create a network of nonprofit preschools in low-income communities. It will fund existing nonprofits and issue annual awards to organizations doing ""compassionate, needle-moving work"" to shelter families. It will also operate a network of high-quality, full-scholarship Montessori-inspired preschools. Bezos wrote in a Tweet: ""We’ll use the same set of principles that have driven Amazon. Most important among those will be genuine, intense customer obsession. The child will be the customer."" The fund will borrow its vision statement from Seattle charity St. Mary's Place: no child sleeps outside."
"Bose is closing all of its retail stores in North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia . Bose will be exiting the North American, European, Japanese, and Australian markets over the next few months, closing 119 stores and laying off hundreds of employees. It opened its first retail store in 1993, and its product line has since grown beyond noise-canceling headphones to include smart speakers, sunglasses that double as earbuds, and more. Bose's retail stores were a place where customers could try out its products, but the needs of customers have changed and Bose is adjusting its strategy accordingly. Employees that are being laid off will be offered outplacement assistance and severance."
"Scientists Successfully Turn Breast Cancer Cells Into Fat to Stop Them From Spreading . Researchers have used a combination of two drugs that are already FDA approved to turn breast cancer cells into fat cells. Cancer sometimes uses a process called epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and its opposite, mesenchymal to epithelial transition, to spread throughout the body. The process is normally used for the healing or growth of organs. Trametinib is a drug that increases the transition process of cells, and Rosiglitazone, in combination with Trametinib, helps stem cells convert into fat cells. The combination of the drugs convert human breast cancer cells permanently into fat cells in mice studies. As both drugs are already FDA approved, it should be easier to get the treatment into clinical trials for humans."
"NASA’s Curiosity rover has captured amazing images of clouds on Mars . NASA's Curiosity rover has captured images of clouds on Mars. Clouds are rare in the thin atmosphere of the planet. They usually form at the planet's equator during its coldest months. Some clouds hover about 37 miles above the planet's surface and are made out of water ice, while other higher-altitude clouds are likely made of carbon dioxide. The images are available in the article."
"Reddit’s first live show is a Photoshop competition . Reddit and Adobe have teamed up to stream a comedy competition series called PsBattles Live. The show will stream on the r/PsBattlesLive subreddit every day this week. It will feature Photoshop edits made by the community and commentary from a panel of comedians. Users who participate will earn points, community rewards, and internet glory. The launch of the show marks the 10th anniversary of the r/photoshopbattles subreddit."
"ipfs-deploy (GitHub Repo). ipfs-deploy is designed to make it as easy as possible to deploy a static website to IPFS. It can be run without installation with npx. Users can deploy quickly to a service that doesn’t require signup using the default settings, or users can specify which services they wish to deploy to. At the moment, ipfs-deploy can be used with Infura.io, Pinata.cloud, and Cloudflare DNS."
"You Don't Know Gif - An analysis of a gif file and some weird gif features (17 minute read). GIF is an animated file format that is popular for sharing short animated snippets. It was created in 1987 by Compuserve and was not originally intended as an animation platform. This article breaks down a GIF file to explore the format's hidden features, such as its ability to take user input, comment extensions, resolution limits, and more. Additional resources on learning how to parse GIFs are available."
"script (GitHub Repo). script is a Go library that does tasks that shell scripts are good at, such as reading files, executing subprocesses, counting lines, matching strings, and more. Developers can write administration programs in Go easily and they will work as if running in the command line. A list of available commands is listed, and a deeper explanation into how script works is available."
"Rematch (Website). Rematch builds on Redux by reducing boilerplate and enforcing best practices. It doesn't require any configuration and it supports built-in side effects, React Devtools, TypeScript, hot-reloading, and much more. Rematch is extendable with plugins, with many plugins available out of the box. Examples are available."
"Here are all the new Marvel, Star Wars, and other projects Disney announced at its investor day . Disney made a long list of announcements at its 2020 Investor day that included updates on its streaming services and projects. This article contains a list of updates from the event. It includes a list of movie and TV show releases from Marvel, Lucasfilm, Disney Animation, and Pixar, as well as some other franchises. Disney Plus will increase to $7.99 per month in March, with a bundle including Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and ad-free Hulu available for $18.99. Star will be Disney's international replacement for Hulu, launching in certain European countries, Canada, and New Zealand on February 23, and Japan and South Korea later in 2021."
"applied-ml (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of curated papers, articles, and blogs on data science and machine learning in production. It could help you figure out how to implement your ML project by learning how other organizations did it. A wide range of topics are covered, including data quality, classification, regression, computer vision, team structure, and information extraction."
"A Highway to Smell: How Scientists Used Light to Incept Smell in Mice . Scientists at New York University, in collaboration with a team in Roverto, Italy, were able to make genetically modified mice smell artificial scents by activating special light-sensitive olfactory neurons with light. Individual smells are processed by receptors and then passed to specific regions of the brain for processing. To understand or replicate a smell, scientists had to figure out the essential bits of data that were being transmitted from the nose to the brain. Using a special tool that can send out different combinations of light, the scientists could generate different combinations of smells for the mice. The mice in the study were trained to perform an action when they detected a specific smell."
"After Russia was accused of using memes and viral images to influence elections, Facebook will now fact-check pictures and videos . Facebook will now be fact checking pictures and videos in addition to its existing article fact checking. This is in response to Russia's 2016 election meddling, which was largely driven by visual memes. Facebook users can flag photos or images for review."
"NASA’s ‘Armageddon’-style asteroid deflection mission takes off in November . The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) will be a practical test of our ability to change the trajectory of an asteroid. It involves sending a pair of satellites out to a pair of asteroids known as the Didymos binary. One satellite will crash into an asteroid at nearly 15,000 miles per hour to change its speed by a fraction of a percent, enough to affect its orbit measurably. The other satellite will attempt to fly by and capture the moment of impact. DART is scheduled to launch on November 23 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9."
"Japan to Have Blockchain-Based Stock Exchange in 2022 . SBI Holdings and the Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) have partnered together to build the Osaka Digital Exchange (ODE), a blockchain-based stock exchange to compete against the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The exchange will allow investors to trade digital securities using blockchain technology. SBI and SMFG will set up the ODE in March. The exchange will start trading digital securities in 2023."
"Interview questions about python (GitHub Repo). When preparing for an interview, it's best to know what kind of questions you might be facing. This repository has an extensive list of potential python interview questions, along with the best answers to these questions as well. There are many code examples, and anyone can contribute and help expand the list."
"Darkness Visible, Finally: Astronomers Capture First Ever Image of a Black Hole . Astronomers have captured the first-ever image of a black hole, located in Messier 87, a galaxy around 55 million light-years away. The black hole is several billion times the size of our Sun and the picture shows it releasing a jet of energy 5,000 light-years into space. A telescope as big as Earth, combining data from radio telescopes located across the planet, was used to create the image. The data obtained was too large to transmit over the internet and needed to be physically transported by hard drives. From the image, scientists were able to calculate the size of the black hole. Observations of the black hole in Messier 87 will continue and the data will be used to confirm theories and hypotheses regarding black holes"
"Google is kicking ‘sugar dating’ apps out of the Play Store . Google has announced a series of policy changes that will take place from September 1. Apps that relate to compensated sexual relationships will be removed from the Play Store. Apps that promote sexual services are already banned, but many apps get around these rules by claiming that they are only providing dating services for wealthy men. Google will delete developer accounts if they remain inactive for a year, with exceptions for accounts that have apps with over a thousand installs or recent in-app purchases. Developers will be notified multiple times before their accounts are removed."
TikTok tests letting US users to apply for jobs with video resumes . TikTok is expanding into job recruitment with a pilot program that allows people in the US to apply for jobs by uploading videos to the platform using the #TikTokResumes hashtag. Approximately three dozen companies are taking part in the pilot. Applicants have until July 31 to apply for the first set of jobs. A link to TikTok's dedicated resumes website is available in the article.
"This Pixel 5 Leak Shows Google Is Trying To Make The World's Ugliest Phone . An image of the Google Pixel 5 has leaked. It features a huge camera module that is not flush with the rest of the device. There are three cameras on the back and a flash in the center. The third camera is likely an ultrawide camera. From the front, the Pixel 5 looks very similar to the Pixel 4, but the top is a little bit thinner. It is likely the image leaked is one of many prototypes, so it might not be the final design that will be released in October. The picture is available in the article."
"Tesla reportedly doesn’t have enough desks after Musk threatens to fire remote employees . Employees returning to work at Tesla's Fremont facility came back to a lack of parking spots, no desk to sit at, and crappy Wi-Fi."
"AR goggles: FORM is sorta like Google Glass, but for swimming . Major tech companies such as Google have been working on augmented reality glasses for years with little commercial success. Many startups have entered into the AR market, which is predicted to be worth almost $200 billion worldwide by 2020. On Tuesday, FORM released a pair of AR swim goggles that uses artificial intelligence to track metrics. For $199, users can view metrics such as calories burned, distance traveled, split times, stroke rate, and more, all within the swimmer’s line of sight. The goggles can also display different information depending on the state of the user, for example, while swimming, after turns, and during rest. An accompanying app will be released in August when the goggles are shipped internationally. Other companies have also developed AR wearables targeted at running and bicycling."
"How Does One Get Hired by a Top Cybercrime Gang? . The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced the arrest of a 55-year old Latvian woman who allegedly worked as a programmer for Trickbot. Trickbot has infected millions of computers and installed ransomware on many systems. The woman did not cover her tracks very well and her personal information was easily obtained by authorities. Trickbot's hiring model allows the gang to recruit a steady stream of developers cheaply and covertly. However, each new recruit increases the risk of investigators infiltrating the group. Ransomware attacks are nearly all instigated by ransomware affiliate groups, who are constantly recruiting new members."
Standing up for developers: youtube-dl is back . youtube-dl has been reinstated on GitHub after it was taken down due to a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) request. GitHub is legally required to comply with the DMCA and has to take down code if requested even if it has a multitude of non-infringing uses. youtube-dl allegedly circumvented measures to prevent access or copying of copyright material. The section that it infringed on was created in the late 1990s and hasn't been updated to reflect changes in modern technology. GitHub reviewed the request and reinstated the code and will now review its other takedown claims to ensure that they have been handled properly. It has also established a $1 million developer defense fund to help developers fight against unwarranted takedowns. GitHub will continue to petition the government to improve the law.
Layoffs hit Q&A startup Quora . Quora is laying off its staff in its Bay Area and New York offices. CEO Adam D'Angelo stated that the layoffs were necessary in order to focus on scaling the organization in a financially responsible way. D'Angelo did not reveal how many employees will be affected by the decision. Quora had around 200 employees last year when it was valued at $2 billion.
"Work with APIs? Get better API observability in minutes (Sponsor). Postman and New Relic have teamed up to help you get real-time visibility into your API performance in context of your other application performance metrics. Don't know where to start? The New Relic & Postman quickstart gets you up and running in minutes, for free. Learn more."
"learning (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a large collection of resources for learning data science. The resources include courses, books, papers, articles, and videos. They are grouped by specific skills, such as implementing models in PyTorch, framing ML problems, or manipulating data in spreadsheets."
"Facebook’s next hardware launch will be its Ray-Ban ‘smart glasses’ . Facebook's next product release will be its Ray-Ban smart glasses. The glasses will not have an integrated display and are not classified as an augmented reality device. Mark Zuckerberg said on a call that the glasses will be able to do some 'pretty neat things', but did not expand on what the glasses' capabilities will be. The glasses will likely have to be paired to a smartphone app. Ads continue to be an important part of Facebook's strategy."
10 Best Coding Games to Advance Your Programming Skills . Gaming is no longer just a hobby. Games can be used to learn to sharpen skills in a more entertaining way. This article contains 10 coding games that can help you level up your programming skills. The games cover various programming languages and there is even a game that helps you learn VIM.
"Bitcoin set to become legal payment in Brazil . A cryptocurrency regulation bill is expected to be presented to the Plenary of the Chamber of Deputies in Brazil within the next few days. If the bill passes voting this week, Bitcoin will become legal tender in Brazil. The bill has widespread government support and agreements have already been made with the Central Bank and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Brazil for its recognition as a currency of daily use. Brazil’s Federal Deputy hopes that other countries will copy Brazil's regulatory model."
"Introducing GitHub Global Campus . The GitHub Global Campus is a home for all of GitHub's current and future student programs. It provides students with the ability to connect with local Campus Experts, explore and claim offers for free industry tools, attend events, rewatch Campus TV episodes, and more. A link for students to apply for the GitHub Student Developer Pack is available."
"Nasa Hack Exposes Data on Space Agency's Servers . Hackers have obtained social security numbers and other personally identifiable information from NASA employees between July 2006 and October 2018. No mission critical data was exposed, and it's still unknown who was behind the hack. This is the third breach of NASA since 2011."
"Autonomous Ravn X Drone to Launch Satellites From Airport Runways . Aevum's Ravn X is an 80 foot long, 18 foot tall autonomous rocket-launching aircraft. With a 60-foot wingspan, the aircraft flies as high as 60,000 feet before its two-stage, liquid-fueled rocket payload detaches and races into orbit. While SpaceX is set to dominate the large payload market, there is still a market for smaller rockets that deliver faster, cheaper launches. Ravn X can launch as fast as every 180 minutes, fly around weather to avoid launch delays, and only requires a crew of six to operate. Aevum has yet to launch Ravn X into space, but it plans to make an attempt next year."
"Photos: The Culture Of Whales . Humpback whales frequently and mysteriously change their songs. Songs can go for up to 20-minutes. They are passed on perfectly to other whales across the entire pacific. This article contains a series of images by National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry. It includes images of nursing sperm and humpback whales, belugas playing in the shallows, and orcas teaching their pups how to hunt."
"SpaceX announces first “free flyer” human spaceflight . SpaceX will fly its first all-civilian mission as early as the fourth quarter this year. The Inspiration4 mission was funded by Jared Isaacman, a tech entrepreneur who will serve as commander on the mission. Isaacman intends to use the mission to spread goodwill back on Earth. He will donate $100 million to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, raffling off one of the four seats on the mission to a US citizen who donates at least $10 to the hospital. The crew will need to undergo training before the mission. It is the second announced commercial mission for SpaceX's Crew Dragon."
"Microsoft Japan’s experiment with 3-day weekend boosts worker productivity by 40 percent . Japan routinely scores low when it comes to employee satisfaction in the developed world. Microsoft Japan started its Work-Life Choice Challenge Summer 2019 project to attempt to address this problem. For the month of August, employees at Microsoft Japan had every Friday off, an extra day of vacation that did not come at the expense of any other vacation time. The extra day off resulted in employees taking 25.4 percent fewer days off and productivity rising by almost 40 percent. Most of the increase in productivity was attributed to a change in how meetings were held. Many meetings were cut, shortened, or changed to virtual meetings. Employees reacted well to the four-day workweek trial and Microsoft plans to repeat it again next summer."
"How I got access to 25+ Teslas around the world. By accident. And curiosity (18 minute read). This article details how a security researcher managed to remotely access more than 25 Teslas around the world. While the researcher didn't have access to steering, accelerator, brakes, or other driving safety-critical features, they were able to disable Sentry Mode, unlock doors, open windows, and start Keyless Driving. The exploit involved a vulnerability in TeslaMate, a self-hosted data logger for Teslas. A patch has been released to fix the issue so Tesla owners are advised to update their software."
"Photino (Website). Photino is a lightweight framework for building native, cross-platform desktop applications. It allows developers to use WebUI in native applications instead of learning platform-specific UI technologies. A 6-minute quick start video is available."
"Researchers from Columbia University use 3D printing to grow human hair follicles . Researchers from Columbia University have established a method for growing human hair in a dish using 3D printing without the need for implantation into human skin. The method uses a 3D printed mold and may open up potential avenues for hair restoration surgery to more people. Previous research has been successful in growing mouse and rat hair in labs, but these techniques were not effective at growing human hair. The new technique involves recreating the environment in which human hair usually grows by using a 3D printed model implanted with keratin-producing cells. 3D printers are now being used to create many different materials, for example, food, wood, and advanced medicines."
"Just a few questions about this gamer bed . Bauhutte, a Japanese retailer that sells furniture aimed at gamers, has released an 'ultimate gaming bed' that features an elevated headboard, desk, snack shelves, tablet holder, and more. It costs around $1,048. The bed is only single-sized and comes in red and black colors. Using the bed may impact sleep hygiene."
Klara (GitHub Repo). Klara is a static analysis tool for automatic test case generation that features a powerful ast level inference system. It works on ast level and it doesn't execute user code in any way. Klara can operate on both Python 2 and 3 source code. Examples are available.
Modular optical computer chip allows stackable swappable functions . Engineers at MIT have developed a modular computer chip with components that can communicate using flashes of light. Its layer components can be stacked or swapped to build chips to perform specific functions or for upgrades. They have unlimited expandability depending on the combination of layers. The technology could enable easily upgradeable electronics and reduce electronic waste.
"The world’s smallest motor . The world's smallest motor is constructed from just 16 atoms. Created with an acetylene rotor base, the motor can operate with 99% directional stability at temperatures below 17 degrees above absolute zero. The Swiss scientists behind the project are still working on understanding the processes involved in the molecular machine. A 40-second video is available that shows a video of the motor working along with a computer simulation of the motor."
"How do you motivate yourself to keep working on a project? (Hacker News Thread). Lots of sound advice for getting over the fear of shipping a project here, from breaking things down into smaller subtasks to utilizing your own existential dread."
"SpiceDB (GitHub Repo). SpiceDB is a Zanzibar-inspired database that stores, computes, and validates application permissions. It features expressive APIs, a schema language with a playground dev environment, a powerful graph engine, pluggable storage, and more. SpiceDB allows developers to iterate quickly and test designs before altering any application code."
"Snapchat becomes the mobile HBO with 12 daily scripted Original shows . Snapchat is producing a dozen TV shows with top producers like the people who produce Keeping Up With the Kardashians and Friday Night Lights. The Discover tab will soon have a special section called ""shows"". The shows will be monetized with a few 6-second unskippable ads in each show. Snap believes that the original content could help them differentiate from Instagram and Facebook. The article contains a list of names and descriptions of the original shows."
"DARPA’s AlphaDogfight Tests AI Pilot’s Combat Chops . DARPA's AlphaDogfight Trials is a simulated aerial dual that will pit AI F-16 pilots against each other and then against a human pilot to determine the viability of relying on machines in aerial combat. The three-day virtual games will feature eight teams, each using a different methodology to build their algorithms. Using divergent methods will help researchers identify the performance of different algorithms, further understand how different areas of AI work, and identify future areas of research. The guest list is full, with around 5,000 people on the waiting list to view the event."
"Full Stack Observability Platform (Sponsor). Unify metrics, traces, and logs in a single platform providing end-to-end visibility across teams. Give Datadog a try."
"Meta’s Andrew Bosworth on moving Facebook to the metaverse (32 minute read). Andrew Bosworth has been with Facebook for 15 years, leading its Reality Labs division and soon to become the chief technology officer of Meta. His work involves leading the company's long-term plans on building the metaverse. This article contains a transcript of an interview with Bosworth, covering topics such as the new Meta name, how content moderation will work in the metaverse, AR and VR hardware, and some of the controversy surrounding the Facebook Papers. The full audio of the interview is available."
"Dangerous viruses 'hitchhike' on microplastics to survive in freshwater . A team of researchers proved that viruses can survive and remain contagious by attaching themselves to plastics in water. Microplastics are everywhere, including in our food, drinking water, and air. They are able to shield themselves from damaging elements such as UV light by attaching to microplastic surfaces. The discovery questions the impact on human health that microplastics have."
"The Turing Test is obsolete. It’s time to build a new barometer for AI . The Turing Test is now obsolete and shouldn't be used as the ultimate test for useful AI. Computers were significantly slower when Alan Turing first laid out his thesis. The goal of conversational AI, to make a machine that could converse with humans in a manner indistinguishable from other humans, doesn’t take into account how technology has improved. AI should augment human intelligence and improve our daily lives. To make an AI sound more human would require limiting it."
"Match Group details plans for a dating ‘metaverse,’ Tinder’s virtual goods-based economy . Tinder will expand to include exclusive, shared, and live experiences and a virtual goods-based economy. It also has plans for a dating metaverse and avatar-based virtual experiences. The virtual economy will use Tinder Coins, which have already been tested in several markets. Tinder Coins will be available globally next year for users to make in-app purchases and later for use in a virtual goods and trading ecosystem. Users will be able to gift virtual goods or collect them for their profiles."
"Wood can easily be turned transparent to make energy-saving windows . Transparent wood is usually created by removing a structural component of the wood called lignin. A team of researchers has come up with a method of creating transparent wood by modifying the lignin without removing it completely. The technique produces wood that allows more than 90 percent of light to pass through it and is 50 times stronger than wood with the lignin removed. It is lighter and stronger than glass, and it could be potentially used to make a see-through house."
"Researchers boost human mental function with brain stimulation . A team of scientists created a system that targets a brain region with small amounts of electrical energy to improve mental function. It is the first time that scientists have been able to reliably enhance a specific human mental function linked to mental illness. The system could provide a new approach to treating mental illness, where instead of suppressing symptoms, patients can use tools to take control of their own minds. Clinical trials are set to begin soon."
"Google Interview Problems: Ratio Finder (26 minute read). This article is part of a series that discusses interview questions that have been asked at Google in the past, with the other articles discussing dynamic programming, matrix exponentiation, and query synonymity. Interview questions should be designed so employers can make a decision of whether a candidate is worth hiring. The Ratio Finder question was chosen because it was a little easier, but still showed the candidates' strengths and weaknesses. Candidates were asked to design a system to convert between two units, for example, hands to light-years. While many will start thinking of a solution to the problem, strong candidates would think about how the program could fail. The success of the candidates depends on their ability to plan forward for potential problems, how complete the solution is, and what ideas they have to improve the code design."
"Boeing capsule launches to wrong orbit, skips space station . Boeing's new Starliner capsule missed its target and ended up in the wrong orbit. NASA has canceled the Starliner's docking with the International Space Station. The Starliner will return to its landing site in the New Mexico desert on Sunday. Officials have confirmed the safety of the capsule. The problem was caused by the Starliner's mission clock. No harm would have been caused to any crew if the Starliner had passengers on board. This was a major setback for Boeing, who has been trying to catch up with SpaceX. SpaceX is about to launch a crewed test of its Dragon capsule. Boeing may have to push back the planned dates for its crewed test flights. It has been nearly nine years since NASA has launched astronauts from the US."
"Physicists Claim They've Found Even More Evidence of a New Force of Nature . The four known fundamental forces in our Universe are gravity, electromagnetism, and two nuclear interactions. Physicists may have observed a fifth physical force emerging from a helium atom. If its existence is confirmed, it could help scientists solve the dark matter problem. The force was first discovered after an anomaly was observed in the way beryllium-8 emits light as it decays. The direction that the energy moved was inconsistent with the law of conservation of energy. In order for this to be possible, a new kind of fundamental boson had to be involved. While the particle still hasn't been observed, experiments have shown that it is very likely it exists. The latest study has yet to be peer-reviewed, and many experiments will still need to be conducted to confirm the existence of X17."
"5 traps to avoid when working at a big company . This Twitter thread discusses five traps to avoid when working at a big company. Avoid being someone's lieutenant as they will never let you excel past them. Focus on building internal and transferable expertise. Don't fall for perks as they don't cost the company anything. Switching jobs can be much more profitable than staying at a company, even as a top performer. You should be recognized for 70% of the work you do and any less means you are being taken for granted and underpaid."
"Uber will now deactivate riders with below average ratings . Uber drivers have always had to keep a rating above 4.6 in order to continue driving for the service. Riders will now need to keep an above average rating as well, otherwise, they risk being banned from using Uber. Uber has been experimenting with ways for drivers to give riders feedback for years, for example, giving drivers the opportunity to leave additional comments about the rider, which would trigger a warning for the rider if they had too many negative interactions. A list of bannable offenses is documented in Uber’s community guidelines. Last month, the app was updated to give riders the confidence that their driver has been properly vetted for safety."
"The baseline for web development in 2022 (21 minute read). Microsoft dropped support for Internet Explorer in 2021. After this, many other companies started dropping support for the browser. For years, Internet Explorer was the support baseline for many tools. Now that it is gone, the new baseline is low-spec Android devices for performance, Safari for Web Standards, and 4G for networks. This article discusses the support baseline for modern web development, exploring the state of technology to find the best way to optimize website performance."
"tiptap (GitHub Repo). tiptap is a renderless and extendable rich text editor for Vue.js. It was built from Prosemirror, a toolkit for building text editors used by companies such as the New York Times. Developers have almost full control over the markup and styling. Data can be stored as a raw HTML string or in a JSON serializable representation."
"SETI neural networks spot dozens of new mysterious signals emanating from distant galaxy . SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, has a new AI system which helped them discover 72 ""fast radio bursts"" from a mysteriously noisy galaxy 3 billion miles away by looking through their previously gathered data. The radio bursts show no pattern (at least no pattern longer than 10 milliseconds), but it is possible that a hyper-advanced civilization could cram communications into very short bursts. One fast radio burst, FRB 121102, is particularly interesting, because it is the only stellar object known to give off the signals regularly, and so is the target of continued observation."
"JSONAPI.CO (Website). JSONAPI.CO is a service that provides a range of free hosted APIs. Categories include Users, Products (Amazon), and Images (Instagram). All HTTP methods are supported and the service provides proper HTTP status codes with every API."
"Scientists devise 'Trojan horse' approach to kill cancer cells without using drugs . A research team at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore has killed cancer cells in mice using a new approach that turns a nanoparticle into a 'Trojan horse'. The researchers coated a silica nanoparticle with L-phenylalanine, an amino acid that cancer cells rely on. When cancer cells absorb the compound, they self-destruct. The technique was used in lab tests with mice to kill cancer cells effectively while remaining harmless to healthy cells. Further research will refine the design and chemistry of the nanoparticle to make it more precise in targeting specific cancer types and achieving higher therapeutic efficacy."
"Inside Google’s Rebooted Robotics Program . After Andy Rubin left Google in 2014, Google’s robotic’s program, nicknamed ‘Replicant’ at the time, had been stagnant. In the last few years, Google has rebooted its program, and the new effort is called ‘Robotics at Google’. Robotics at Google is made up of many of the same members of Rubin’s team, and it focuses on applying machine learning to robotics. They have developed robots in the lab that can learn to move and sort objects on their own, which may interest companies such as Amazon, as while these tasks seem simple they are actually quite hard to program manually. While Google has not yet announced its strategy on how it plans to commercialize their research, it is clear that the aim of the development of these robots is to automate more jobs."
"The New iPad Pro’s LiDAR Sensor Changes the Augmented Reality Game . The new iPad Pro's LiDAR scanner makes augmented reality a lot more accurate and stable. It allows the iPad to obtain a precise map of its surroundings, enabling developers to create immersive AR experiences. Developers who use ARKit will automatically get the benefits of the newly improved hardware. Hopefully, innovative apps that take advantage of this technology will be created as more developers learn how to use the technology. The iPad Pro also has new sensors, cameras, and processors, making it a powerful multi-purpose device."
"Meet Starlab: Private space station planned to fly in 2027 . Nanoracks, Voyager Space, and Lockheed Martin are planning to build a free-flying private space station in low Earth orbit by 2027. Starlab will be a tourist destination as well as a research and manufacturing hub. It will feature a habitat module with 12,000 cubic feet of internal volume, a power and propulsion element, a laboratory setup, and a large external robotic arm to service payloads and cargo. NASA wants commercial stations to pick up the slack from the ISS as the outpost is due to be retired near the end of the decade."
"The Horrifically Dystopian World of Software Engineering Interviews (12 minute read). After receiving an offer for a phone interview from a giant search and advertising company, Jared Nelson quickly found that the interview experience was not what he expected. Nelson found that the interviewer did not know he didn't have experience with microservices, a prerequisite for the position he was applying for. A few other reasons the interview did not go well included Nelson not being enough of a team player, not understanding algorithms deeply enough (even though good knowledge might not make you a better programmer), and the work culture of measuring people's attributes rather than getting to know who they are. Despite knowing how to code, Nelson didn't know how to play the corporate game and this caused him to fail in his interview for his dream job."
"APISIX (GitHub Repo). APISIX is a cloud-native microservices API gateway based on OpenResty and etcd. It is able to handle traffic to the API service and also between services. APISIX provides dynamic load balancing, authentication, rate limiting, and other plugins."
"We have our first look at images from Amazon’s new Wheel of Time series . Amazon's long-awaited TV adaptation of Robert Jordan's bestselling Wheel of Time series will debut on Amazon Prime this November. The series features a large cast and it will focus on Moiraine, a member of an all-woman organization called the Aes Sedai. The series is expected to closely follow the overall narrative arc of the first book. Amazon has already renewed Wheel of Time for a second season. Promotional images for the series are available in the article."
"Otto (GitHub Repo). Otto is an intelligent chat application that can help machine learning engineers implement an idea with minimal domain knowledge. It received a third-place prize at the 2020 Facebook AI Challenge hackathon series. It features a beginner-friendly design, powerful machine learning tools, and an educational experience. A link to a working version is available"
"This is Sony’s Spatial Reality Display, and you can buy one for $5,000 in November . Sony's Spatial Reality Display is a holographic display that features a 15.6-inch 4K screen, a camera, a speaker system, and the ability to place digital objects and designs into a 3D space. It uses a combination of a high-speed face- and eye-tracking camera, real-time algorithms, and lenticular lenses that provide a clearer image than any previous holographic display. Sony has released an SDK for both Unreal and Unity. A 3-minute video is available that shows the display, but it is difficult to see the effect on a screen."
"America’s first CRISPR trial is still nearly 100% effective 3 years on . Follow-up results from one of the longest-running human trials using CRISPR technology suggest that the treatment is both safe and effective up to three years after treatment. The trial, which started in 2019, focused on treating two rare blood diseases. It demonstrated 100% success. The treatment has been given a Fast Track designation by the FDA and could be authorized for public use in early 2023."
"Former ADT employee admits he watched customers have sex for years through their cameras . A former ADT technician has pleaded guilty to accessing customers' home video feeds thousands of times over four and a half years. He did this by simply adding himself to the accounts, which let him watch the feeds at will. There were 220 victims, whose accounts were accessed on 9,600 occasions. The technician took note of which homes had attractive women and targeted those accounts. He was caught when a customer reported a suspicious email on their ADT Pulse account."
Facebook Messenger is getting a built-in bill splitting feature . Facebook Messenger is testing a built-in bill splitting feature in the US. Users can ask for money inside a group chat and see who has paid their portion of the request. A new Group Effects feature has been added that will let people on Messenger and Instagram video calls use the same augmented reality effects together. Meta also recently introduced new emoji with sound called Soundmoji. A screenshot showing how the bill splitting feature works is available in the article.
"World’s First Floating City to Save Maldives From Rising Sea Levels . The Maldives Floating City (MFC) will be the world's first truly floating island city. It is designed to help the country mitigate the effects of climate change and rising sea levels. Some studies predict that low-lying islands, such as the Maldives, could become uninhabitable by 2050. The MFC will have homes, stores, hospitals, schools, and more. It will start construction in 2022. Renderings of the city design are available in the article."
"Android Developer Roadmap 2019 (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a roadmap for developers to follow if they're beginning to learn Android development in 2019. The flowchart covers all the essentials for developers, according to the Android community. This list is not comprehensive as there are too many topics to cover, so developers are encouraged to look deeper into each section on their own."
"Apple cancels AirPower product, citing inability to meet its high standards for hardware . Apple has canceled the AirPower product due to engineering issues. While developing AirPower, engineers ran into problems such as overheating and were not able to complete a design that was up to Apple's standards. Apple has a habit of announcing products before the final designs are complete but its engineers are usually able to fulfill their promises even if there are delays. It is very rare that Apple will completely cancel a product and this was unexpected as AirPower is featured on the boxes of the newly released AirPods."
"mlcourse.ai – Open Machine Learning Course (GitHub Repo). mlcourse.ai is a machine learning course that aims to balance theory and practice. There are several Kaggle Inclass competitions held during the course. The final session is between September 2 and November 24, and participants can join at any time before the end of the session."
"Netflix scoops up Canadian visual effects company Scanline . Netflix has bought Scanline, a major player in the special effects industry. Scanline has worked on several large productions, such as Game of Thrones, Godzilla vs. King Kong, and Justice League, as well as its own original productions. Netflix is set to spend $17 billion this year making and licensing films and TV shows. It will continue to use other VFX studios for its shows. The company announced last week that it plans to double the size of its base at Shepperton Studios."
"What if you could build any financial product from 1 API? (Sponsor). What if you could build any financial product from 1 API? . Modern Treasury makes it easy to build products that move money. We provide a platform for companies like Marqeta/BlockFi/ClassPass to manage money movement from their bank accounts. Try us if you're building money flows for a marketplace, fintech app, lending business, etc. Checkout our docs and see how easy it is to build products that move money with Modern Treasury. Learn more."
"Microsoft invests US$50 million in alcohol-to-jet fuel biorefinery . Microsoft is investing $50 million in a facility that will produce jet fuel from ethanol. The LanzaJet facility in Georgia has nearly completed on-site engineering at its biorefinery. It plans to start producing 10 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel per year from sustainable ethanol. The facility is also funded by oil majors, airlines, and other petroleum trading companies."
"Google News may shut over EU plans to charge tax for links . The EU has proposed a ""link tax"" that would charge search engines and link aggregators that use snippets to provide context for an article. Richard Gingras, VP of Google News, says that while ""it's not desirable to shut down services"", Google wouldn't rule out shutting down Google News in Europe, pointing out that when Spain tried to charge Google for links in 2014, the company responded by shutting down Google News in Spain, causing an immediate fall in traffic for Spanish news sites. He emphasized that Google News does not monetize, saying ""There's no advertising in Google News. It is not a revenue-generating product to Google. We think it's valuable as a service to society. We are proud to have it as part of the stable of properties that people have."""
"CPUs Could Use 85 Percent Fewer Transistors With New Adaptive Tech . Researchers from the Vienna University of Technology have developed a new transistor design that can change its configuration according to workload requirements. The technology enables using up to 85% fewer transistors than current approaches, reducing power consumption and temperatures and allowing for higher frequency scaling and performance. The transistors can be made by existing tools using materials that are already used in the semiconductor industry. While production of the transistors can be rapidly scaled and deployed, initial adoption will likely be limited."
"New coronavirus strain in Malaysia could be more infectious than COVID-19 . D614G, a new strain of the coronavirus, is making its way across Southeast Asia. Malaysian health officials say it could be more infectious than COVID-19. The strain has been detected in several countries across the continent. There is still little information on the strain."
"Microsoft unveils Windows Terminal, a new command line app for Windows . Windows Terminal was unveiled at the Microsoft Build Developer Conference and will be available around mid-June. It is designed to be a central hub to access environments such as PowerShell, Cmd, and the Windows Subsystem for Linux. Windows Terminal will support multiple tabs, themes, emojis, and GPU-based text rendering. Microsoft has been working to improve the developer environment on Windows. They have previously released a Linux command line for Windows and listed Ubuntu on the Windows Store."
"DeepMind claims AI has aided new discoveries and insights in mathematics . DeepMind has published the results of a collaboration between it and mathematicians to apply AI toward discovering new insights in areas of mathematics. It claims that its technology helped uncover a new formula in representation theory and that it also discovered previously unknown relationships within the study of knots. The results demonstrate the usefulness of machine learning as a tool for mathematical study as it excels in identifying patterns in data. Adoption of AI technology in pure mathematics could lead to discoveries that may be beyond human comprehension, but it is not critical to the progression of society."
"Sushi meets AI: Japanese inventor's app scopes out choice tuna cuts . Tuna Scope is a smartphone app that uses a deep learning algorithm to rate the quality of raw tuna. The pandemic has restricted travel, so fish merchants are having issues visiting suppliers to check the quality of tuna being purchased. While the app can make it much easier for suppliers to check the quality of food being sold, it also means that experts who were previously checking for quality may be made obsolete."
"SaaS Email Templates (ProductHunt Page). Hey guys, this is my personal project that I'm launching on ProductHunt today. It's a curated selection of the best emails from top SaaS companies like Zapier, Buffer, Heroku, and more. All 400+ emails are freely downloadable as HTML and categorized by use case, if this is something you'd be interested in, I'd appreciate it if you showed me some love on ProductHunt! 🙏"
New Guidelines Would Allow Experiments On More Mature Human Embryos . Scientists have been prohibited from keeping human embryos alive in their labs for more than 14 days for the last few decades to avoid ethical issues that might be raised from experimenting on them as they continue to develop. The International Society for Stem Cell Research released new guidelines on Wednesday that said that the two-week period could be extended under certain circumstances. Extending the period in which embryos may be studied would help scientists solve many medical problems. The guidelines stress that each country should only permit such experiments after the topic has been discussed at length in public and with a majority agreement. Critics of the new guidelines say that they are too expansive.
"The Ultimate Guide to Onboarding Software Engineers (16 minute read). Onboarding is difficult for new employees as there is a lot to learn and there are things that are often missed. Creating an onboarding structure can lower turnover and help new recruits become productive workers in a shorter period. This article discusses onboarding new employees, the different aspects to consider, and tips for more effective onboarding. It provides an onboarding framework to follow with ways to check in on the progress of the new employee."
"Where Everyone’s an Influencer . Instabeach is an exclusive, invite-only annual party hosted by Instagram for the top 500 creators along with plus-ones, talent representatives, managers, and press. The goal is to help influencers meet each other and form friendships. In the last few years, it has transformed into a 'who's who' of young Hollywood, showing that the photo-sharing platform has become a place where young stars can go to make a name for themselves. There is no longer any distinction between being an influencer and an entertainer. Influencers are using their social-media attention to land roles in the entertainment industry and their follower count has become a method of currency. Some actors have experienced auditions where their talent was less important than the number of followers on their Instagram account."
"Uber Eats couriers shut down major London roads in protest demanding £5 minimum per delivery . Between 100 and 300 Uber Eats drivers abandoned deliveries and brought traffic to a standstill in London to protest over wages. They are demanding a minimum fee of £5 per delivery plus £1 per mile travelled. It wasn't organized, it was a spontaneous show of anger, but many protesters plan on continuing the protests on Friday. An Uber spokesman said that they are introducing a new system that gives drivers a minimum of £9-11 an hour."
ArtLine (GitHub Repo). ArtLine is a deep learning-based project for creating line art portraits. There are many examples available. An 8-minute explanation video is linked.
Gmail’s redesigned interface including Chat and Meet is now the new default . Gmail's new user interface will show Chat and Meet sections in the side pane by default. Users can still use classic Gmail by opting out in the settings menu. The change will roll out to all Gmail users except for Google Workspace Essentials customers and Workspace customers that only have access to Gmail. Google is also introducing a Material You redesign and new features for Meet.
"CATS (GitHub Repo). CATS can generate hundreds of API tests within seconds with no coding effort. All tests are generated and run automatically based on 72 Fuzzers that cover test types such as negative testing, boundary testing, structural validations, security, and end-to-end functional flows. Tutorials on how to use CATS are available."
"IOC member says 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be postponed because of coronavirus pandemic . A member of the International Olympic Committee has announced that the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games have been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is likely that the games will be moved to 2021. The IOC is expected to announce its next steps in the next four weeks. While the IOC hasn't officially announced the delay yet, it has ruled out canceling the games completely. Many countries have recently made statements about withdrawing from the games if they were held during the pandemic. This will be the first time the Olympics has been suspended, even though the games have been canceled before in times of war."
"Tesla says solar roof is on its third iteration, currently installing in 8 states . Elon Musk has revealed at the Tesla annual shareholder meeting that Tesla’s solar roof product is currently being installed on properties in eight states. Tesla produces tiles that are designed to look like high-quality traditional roofing tiles, with integrated solar panels that are not easily identifiable from ground level. The tiles are now on their third version, with this version being almost at cost-parity with an entry-level cheap traditional tile, after considering the cost savings of the generated electricity. Musk is optimistic about the rollout of the new tiles, but there is currently no information on when the tiles will be released or what the installation price will be."
Mobile First Animation in React (GitHub Repo). This repository contains the source code for Alexandra Holachek's presentation on mobile animation at React Conf 2019. It contains interactive slides for the talk as well as live demos. The code was only developed as a demonstration and is not production-ready UI code.
"Summer 2020 Internships (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a database of internships for Summer 2020 in tech, SWE, and related fields. Positions are open to anyone enrolled in a Bachelor's degree program. Additional information on other prerequisites or preferences are listed."
"Samsung's CES 2021 robots will clean your house and pour you a glass of wine . Samsung unveiled three new robots at its virtual CES press conference on Monday. This year, the company emphasized the importance of AI to all of Samsung's products. Many of Samsung's AI applications run in the background, with the goal of being more personal and predictive. The JetBot 90 AI Plus is a robot vacuum that uses object recognition technology to identify the best cleaning path. It can empty itself, and it doubles as a home monitoring device. Bot Care is a robot assistant and companion that can learn about you and send you reminders throughout the day. The Samsung Bot Handy was designed to be an extra hand around the house. It can pick up and move objects and do things like sort dishes after a meal."
Google.com dark mode is rolling out to everyone . Google.com is rolling out a dark mode to every user over the next few weeks. It can be switched on through the Google.com settings under a new 'Appearance' section if the feature has been enabled on the account. Screenshots of the new mode are available in the article.
Walmart’s e-commerce chief is leaving to build “a city of the future” . Marc Lore created Jet.com and sold it to Walmart for $3 billion in a deal that involved him staying with the retail giant for five years to support its online business. He will be leaving the company early due to efforts last year to combine Walmart's e-commerce and physical store divisions into unified teams. Lore will remain an adviser to Walmart and has a close relationship with its CEO. His next project will be to build a city of the future supported by a reformed version of capitalism.
"In a first, researchers extract secret key used to encrypt Intel CPU code . The secret key that encrypts updates to an assortment of Intel CPUs has been extracted, allowing third parties to decrypt the microcode updates Intel provides to fix security vulnerabilities and other types of bugs. It is possible to update Intel chips with custom microcode using the secret key. While there is no way to effectively eliminate the vulnerability, Intel has released a statement that the issue was not serious for customers. An attacker would require physical access to the machine and the key can't be used to infect CPUs in the supply chain."
"Scientists Just Engineered Human Heart Tissue That Beats Like The Real Thing . Scientists have grown a heart atria (the upper chambers of the heart that pumps blood) from stem cells. It can beat, express genes, and respond to drugs, so this is going to be really great for helping scientists develop treatments for various heart diseases."
CSS Grid: Newspaper Layout (Website). This page contains code to create a full newspaper-style effect using CSS. A demo is available. Links to download or copy the code are easily accessible.
"Snap’s first AR Spectacles are an ambitious, impractical start . Snap has been treating its first generation of AR glasses like a private beta, giving the Spectacles out to AR creators instead of releasing them publicly, probably for good reason. While the glasses have a high-quality design, the battery life is very short, the device is prone to overheating, and the displays are too small to use comfortably for long periods. This article talks about the experience of what it is like wearing the glasses. It includes photos and recordings of AR experiences from inside the glasses."
"DB (GitHub Repo). DB is able to save, restore, and archive database snapshots from the command line. It can connect to different database servers and can load a database dump from one environment into another environment. DB is an easy way to perform backups to prevent data from being lost during migrations."
"Amazon warehouse workers walk out in rising tide of COVID-19 protests . Amazon workers at a fulfillment center in New York have gone on strike to protest the company's response to COVID-19 infections among its warehouse employees. There is officially one confirmed case at the warehouse, but workers claim there have been at least 10 and that the company has failed to notify workers or properly clean the warehouse. They want Amazon to shut down the facility for two weeks for deep cleaning. So far, Amazon has only closed its facilities when forced to do so by government order or worker protest. The company has failed to report confirmed cases at its facilities several times. Amazon claims that it has taken appropriate measures, but employees believe it is not enough because the facilities are designed for people to work closely together. One of the organizers of the walkout has been fired for violating a 14-day quarantine after coming in contact with an employee diagnosed with COVID-19."
"Main Attraction: Scientists Create World’s Thinnest Magnet – Just One Atom Thick! . Scientists at the Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley have developed an ultrathin magnet that operates at room temperature. The one-atom-thin magnet could make big advances in next-gen memory devices, computing, spintronics, and quantum physics. Researchers have been searching for decades for ways to make thinner and smaller 2D magnets to enable higher density data storage. Previous attempts have failed to perform at room temperature, but the new magnets still work at 100 degrees Celsius. The magnets can be mass-produced."
Facebook and Instagram back up after big Thanksgiving outages . Facebook and Instagram experienced intermittent outages during Thanksgiving. The services have since been restored. Instagram acknowledged the issue on Twitter early Thursday morning and Facebook began to restore access to its services around midday. The issue affected users worldwide. Instagram users in central Europe were the most affected.
"Tesla names director Denholm to replace Musk as board chair . As part of the SEC's settlement with Tesla regarding Elon Musk's ""funding secured"" tweet, Tesla was required to replace Elon Musk as chairman of their board. They've selected Robyn Denholm to be the new chairwoman. She's resigning as CFO of Australian telecom firm Telstra to take the job, she has also worked as an executive at Toyota and Sun Microsystems. She has been on Tesla's board since 2014."
Musk plans IPO for SpaceX's Starlink business . Elon Musk plans to list Starlink on the market in several years when revenue growth is smooth and predictable. Starlink is an important new revenue stream for SpaceX. It is racing to offer broadband internet commercially by the end of 2020. Musk tweeted that he would give small retail investors top priority in the initial public offering.
"Secretive data startup Palantir has confidentially filed for an IPO . Palantir is a secretive data and analytics startup that provides technologies to clients such as the US government. Data provided by the company has been used to profile immigrants, leading to deportations. The company filed paperwork with the SEC to go public on Monday. Palantir is currently valued at around $26 billion. It appears that the IPO market is starting to heat up again, despite the pandemic."
"OpenDataCam 2.0.0 (GitHub Repo). OpenDataCam 2.0.0 is a software that is able to count cars, pedestrians, and motorbikes from a webcam live stream. It uses a neural network to detect objects. A four-minute demo video is available."
"GitHub stars won’t pay your rent (20 minute read). After launching a custom browser designed for developers, Kitze looked at the statistics for his software and found that while over 7,000 people were using the software every month, it had only made $93 in 2.5 years despite the donation link being clearly visible everywhere. After exploring a few options and jobs, Kitze redeveloped a paid version of the app and removed the GitHub repository. The app launch was successful and Kitze was able to build and expand a business."
"SEC settles charges with Tesla's Elon Musk, will remain as CEO but relinquish chairman role and pay stiff fine . The SEC has settled its fraud suit against Elon Musk for his tweet stating that he had ""funding secured"" to take Tesla private at $420 a share. The terms of the settlement stipulate that Musk must pay a civil penalty of $20 million and give up his role as chairman of the board for at least three years. Additionally, the SEC imposed a $20 million fine on Tesla itself, which will also be expected to appoint two new independent directors to the board, and institute sweeping governance changes. The settlement is still subject to court approval."
"Tesla Pickup truck to cost less than $50,000, ‘be better than F150’, says Elon Musk . Elon Musk revealed more information on Tesla’s upcoming pickup truck on a podcast over the weekend. Musk aims to ensure that the truck is affordable and is aiming for a start price of $49,000 or less. The futuristic design of the truck may not be for everybody. Musk compared the changes in the new design to the difference between the horse-drawn carriage and the car. His aim is to create a truck that is a better truck than a Ford F-150 and a better sports car than a standard Porsche 911. The teaser image released at the launch of the Model Y was revealed to be the design of the front of the Tesla pickup truck."
"Exclusive: Google asked 5,600 employees about remote work. This is what they learned . Google conducted a two year study on remote work and has released findings on how to make the most out of distributed teams. The researchers found that remote workers were usually as productive as office teams. However, a few optimizations to the team would help productivity and morale, such as scheduling convenient meeting times, developing real relationships between the team, using the right team communication platforms, and making sure that clear expectations are set. These changes would help remote employees feel less frustrated and disconnected from their teams."
"YugaByte DB (GitHub Repo). YugaByte DB is a cloud-native distributed SQL database. It works by using a combination of high-performance document store, auto sharding, per-shard distributed consensus replication, and multi-shard ACID transactions. YugaByte DB can easily be deployed across public and private clouds, as well as Kubernetes environments."
"Volvo's 360c concept car is a fully autonomous bedroom on wheels . Volvo envisions its new autonomous concept car as serving four use cases: a mobile bedroom that will replace red-eye flights, a productivity booster for a daily commute, a living room, and an entertainment space. The concept car makes room for a pullout bed by removing the steering wheel and dashboard entirely. Folding up the bed and pulling out the slideout coffee table instantly turns the car into a workspace. There's a 2 minute demo video inside that's pretty cool."
"Google parent Alphabet is now a $1 trillion company . Alphabet is now one of the four US companies to have a market cap of over $1 trillion. It achieved this milestone just before the markets closed on Thursday, with a price of $1,451.70 per share. Sundar Pichai took over as CEO of Alphabet in December after Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin resigned from the position. Google has had to deal with some controversy in recent years over internal issues. Facebook is the next company expected to hit the $1 trillion market cap, with a current market cap of $620 billion."
"Falcon (GitHub Repo). Falcon is a free, open-source SQL editor with inline data visualization. It works without an internet connection. Falcon supports connecting to RedShift, MySQL, PostgreSQL, IBM DB2, Impala, MS SQL, Oracle, SQLite, and more."
"Snap’s new Spectacles let you see the world in augmented reality . Snap has unveiled its first true augmented reality glasses. The new Spectacles can superimpose AR effects over reality. Its frames have four built-in microphones, two stereo speakers, and a touchpad. The glasses use front-facing cameras to detect objects and surfaces so that graphics can interact naturally with the world. They only have a battery life of 30 minutes. Snap will not be selling Spectacles on the mass market. Instead, it will be giving them directly to select AR effects creators through an online application program."
"Magic Leap reportedly slashes 1,000 jobs and steps away from consumer plans . Magic Leap, a company that makes wearable technology, has laid off roughly 1,000 employees and will be backing away from the consumer market to focus more on its enterprise customers. The company is also in the process of exploring a sale, with an estimated value of $10 billion. CEO Rony Abovitz stated that the company was moving its focus to the enterprise market due to COVID-19 complications."
"SpaceX’s first astronaut launch is scrubbed due to weather – next attempt set for Saturday . SpaceX was set to launch its first-ever crewed spaceflight from Cape Canaveral in Florida on May 27 but it was delayed due to weather issues. The launch has been rescheduled for May 30. If the mission is successful, the Crew Dragon will be certified for regular operational use by NASA, which means SpaceX will be able to begin offering regular transportation services for astronauts to and from the International Space Station. SpaceX has already begun plans to offer flights to private citizens, commercial scientists, and other types of passengers."
"For The First Time, Scientists Have Captured Video of Brains Clearing Out Dead Neurons . Scientists have been able to capture video of the waste disposal system within mice brains for the first time. Using a technique called 2Phatal, the scientists killed a single brain cell and followed it using fluorescent markers. Three types of glial cells were shown to be involved in the cell removal process. The glial cells removed the dead brain cells with some coordination, suggesting there is communication occurring between the cells. Understanding how the brain cleans itself could give experts insight on how to treat brain injuries and other diseases that involve brain cell death."
"The Lazarus heist: How North Korea almost pulled off a billion-dollar hack (22 minute read). In 2016, North Korean hackers almost stole $1 billion from Bangladesh's national bank. This article tells the story of the heist, from when it started to the current state of the investigation. All but $81 million of the transfers were halted. The hackers used fake bank accounts, charities, casinos, and a wide network of accomplices to carry out the heist. Little is known about the North Korean hackers, who are known as the Lazarus Group."
"Amazon rolls out in-store pickup for products ordered from local retailers . Local Selling is a new set of services from Amazon that allows local and regional retailers to offer both in-store pickup and fast delivery to nearby customers. Items that are eligible for store pick-up will have a special tab on the item page. Customers will have five days to collect their orders. Delivery will be facilitated by the business itself. Amazon Local Selling is now available for many retailers, with more to be added later this year and during 2022."
"Tesla owner is the first to face felony charges for deadly Autopilot crash . Two felony charges have been filed against a Tesla owner in the US for a deadly crash involving Autopilot in 2019. It is the first time a Tesla owner has been criminally charged in the US in a case involving Autopilot. Autopilot has contributed to a number of fatal crashes and Tesla has faced several wrongful death suits as a result. Drivers are warned that they need to still pay attention when using Autopilot, but some drivers still misuse the system."
"Human 'microevolution' sees more people born without wisdom teeth and an extra artery . Australian researchers have concluded that humans are still evolving and have changed quickly over the last 250 years. The study was carried out by tracking the rate of retainment of different body parts throughout generations. It found that more people now have an extra artery that increases blood supply to the hands, smaller jaws, and extra bones in their legs and feet."
"NASA to Study a $700 Quintillion ‘Goldmine’ Asteroid . Psyche 16 is an asteroid that could be worth $700 quintillion. Scientists have recently confirmed that the asteroid is at least 20 percent metal by studying the polarized light bouncing off its surface. Psyche 16 doesn't emit the kind of polarized light that a highly metallic body should. NASA plans to send a probe to the asteroid in 2022 to collect measurements of its gravity and potential electromagnetic fields, as well as determine whether the asteroid is the core of a planet-sized object."
"We don’t know why, but being in space causes us to destroy our blood . New research has been released that shows that being in space causes the body to destroy red blood cells. A study has found that astronauts' bodies destroy red blood cells at a rate 54% higher in space compared to people on Earth, with some of the effect remaining at least a year after returning to Earth. The longer a person stays in space, the longer their bodies continue to destroy blood cells at a higher rate. It is unknown what is causing the effect."
Scientists Want to Map Trillions of Miles of Underground Fungus Networks . The Society for the Protection of Underground Networks is launching an initiative to collect fungal network samples from around the world to safeguard these networks and to enhance their ability to absorb and store carbon dioxide. The first samples will be gathered in Patagonia for roughly 18 months starting next year. Machine learning will be used to map the function of the fungal networks and their role as carbon sinks. These vast networks could be invaluable in curbing the worst effects of human-caused climate change.
"Bpytop (Github Repo). Bpytop is a resource monitor for Linux/OSX/FreeBSD that shows usage and stats for processor, memory, disk, network, and processes. It has a game inspired menu system, full mouse support, the ability to show detailed stats for selected processes, and more. All bashtop themes are supported."
"DARPA Is Building a $10 Million, Open Source, Secure Voting System . Since 2017, DARPA has been working on developing secure hardware that would be impervious to most software attacks that exist today, and designing tools to build that hardware. In order to demonstrate their work, they had to find a real-world application that people would be interested in, and voting was an obvious choice. Galois, an Oregon-based firm, will work with DARPA to develop a fully open-source voting system that will be presented at Def Con and universities to be tested. The aim is not to create a commercially available voting system, but to create a methodology that can be used by others to build a voting system that is completely secure. DARPA’s new hardware modifies existing CPU designs to make them secure and may change the way that CPUs are architectured in the future."
"How io_uring and eBPF Will Revolutionize Programming in Linux (20 minute read). Two revolutionary new interfaces, eBPF and io_uring, were added to Linux in 2019. The Linux kernel previously only offered blocking system calls to deal with file descriptors, but as devices have gotten faster, this became an increasingly urgent issue. io_uring is an interface that was designed to be truly flexible, extensible, asynchronous, and compatible with any kind of I/O. It offers some advanced features such as file and buffer registration, polling, and linked operations. eBPF allows users to execute arbitrary code in the Linux kernel, enabling advanced tooling and debugging. These two new features allow developers to design apps that can truly take advantage of large multicore multiprocessor systems and µsecond-scale storage I/O latencies."
"Chinese scientists harness fourth state of matter to create ‘air plasma’ jet engine that runs on electricity alone . Chinese scientists have created a carbon-neutral prototype jet engine that could allow for a new era in fossil-fuel-free manned flight. The prototype engine compresses air and ionizes it with microwaves, generating plasma that expels out the back of the engine to generate thrust. Previous attempts at plasma engines weren't powerful enough, but this type of engine could potentially produce the same amount of thrust as a conventional commercial jet engine."
"Nvidia is making a 3D map of the universe with the world’s most powerful AI supercomputer . Nvidia's Perlmutter supercomputer is the fastest in the world for AI workloads. Its first task will be to build a 3D map of the universe. The map will help scientists learn more about dark energy. With 6,000+ Nvidia A100 Tensor Core GPUs on board, Perlmutter is capable of delivering almost four exaFLOPS of AI performance. Its performance will be bolstered further in phase two of its development. When it is completed, Perlmutter will be one of the top five supercomputers in the world."
"Samsung ends mobile phone production in China . Samsung has closed down its last phone factory in China. Other manufacturers such as Sony have also ceased phone production in China due to rising labor costs and the economic slowdown. Sony will now only be making smartphones in Thailand. Samsung's market share in China shrank to 1% in the first quarter from around 15% in mid-2013. People in China buy low-priced smartphones from domestic brands and high-end smartphones from Apple or Huawei, leaving little room for Samsung to grow. Samsung will continue to sell phones in China. The company currently produces smartphones in India and Vietnam."
"Wordle: The wildly popular word game explained . Wordle is an online game that became popular in late 2021. It can only be played once a day and everybody plays the same daily puzzle. In the game, players are allowed six chances to guess a random five-letter word. Players are given colored hints on which letters the word may contain after every guess. Users can share their results, making the game a social experience. Wordle was created by the same person who created Place, a collaborative art project/social experiment that was popular in 2017."
"Hands-on with the new, more colorful, M2-powered MacBook Air . Apple has revealed a new MacBook Air with an M2 chip. The new design is 11mm thick and weighs 2.7 pounds. There are two new color options, a dark blue 'midnight' and a light gold 'starlight'. Its 13.6-inch display can hit 500 nits of brightness and supports the P3 wide color gamut for a billion colors. The new MacBook Air has MagSafe charging and a full-sized Touch ID button. It has up to 18 hours of battery life. More details, including pictures of the new laptop, are available in the article."
"The Kidney Project successfully tests a prototype bioartificial kidney . The Kidney Project earned a $650,000 prize from KidneyX for its first-ever demonstration of a functional prototype of its implantable artificial kidney. The artificial kidney consists of a hemofilter that removes waste products and toxins from blood and a bioreactor that replicates other kidney functions. It is powered by blood pressure alone and there is no need for blood thinning or immunosuppressant drugs. The team will now focus on upscaling the technology for larger tests and clinical trials. A 3-minute video that shows the device and explains how it works is available in the article."
"Disney Assumes Full Control of Hulu in Deal With Comcast . Disney now has complete control over Hulu after a deal was reached with Comcast to sell the platform for at least $5.8 billion. Comcast’s NBCUniversal will continue to license content to Hulu until 2024. However, after next year the content will no longer be exclusive to Hulu, and by 2022, NBCU will be able to cancel most of its licensing agreements with Hulu. NBCU will launch a free, ad-supported streaming service in 2020. With Disney in control of Hulu, they will be able to set a new strategic map for the service, including launching it internationally. Comcast continues to hold a 33 percent share of Hulu, but in 2024 either Comcast can demand that Disney purchase this share, or Disney can require Comcast to sell its share for fair market price."
"Apple patents surround sound-like technology for a MacBook . Apple has won a patent for a surround sound-like technology that will make watching media on a laptop feel significantly more immersive. The acoustic system will send noise out at angles to create the illusion that sound is coming from different directions. Sound has been a focus for Apple as they try to create the best experience for consuming Apple TV+ content on a Mac. While Apple now owns the patent, it may still be some time before the feature will appear in MacBooks, if at all."
"We Need a PBS for Social Media . Social media has become a place where false information is allowed to spread, resulting in damage to our society and culture. These companies operate on the same basic model where they try to occupy as much attention as possible in order to collect data from their customers, which they then sell. Nonprofit public media was created 50 years ago to ensure that a medium will always exist to be used for the public interest. A public social media product would not have to increase engagement and would allow people to focus more on the community and its members. There would be no brand accounts as the network would be for people only. Smaller networks, such as Discord and Mastodon, have been successful as they provide something that the larger social networks do not have, a safer community with less noise. While large social networks have benefitted our society greatly, these platforms extract a price, and it would be a lot healthier if there were more options available."
"ffmpeg.wasm (GitHub Repo). ffmpeg.wasm is a pure Web assembly/JavaScript port of FFmpeg. It can record audio and video, convert files, and stream, right inside the browser. A live demo is available."
pedalboard (GitHub Repo). pedalboard is a Python library for adding effects to audio. It was built for ease-of-use and very high performance. pedalboard comes with a number of common audio effects and support for third-party effects. It is compatible with TensorFlow and can be used in tf.data pipelines.
"Facebook resolves day-long outages across Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger . Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp users had difficulty loading images, videos, and other data on their apps today due to a system outage. In an official statement, Facebook said that the outage was caused by an error that was triggered during routine maintenance. Services slowly started to resume just a couple of hours after the outage started. Major outages from these platforms are becoming increasingly disruptive as more and more people depend on the services for communication and business."
"Open Source CS (GitHub Repo). This is a collection of classes from universities like Stanford, Princeton, and MIT that are available online through Coursera, EDX, and Udacity that can replicate the requirements for an undergraduate computer science degree."
"Space Debris Has Hit And Damaged The International Space Station . A piece of space debris too small to be tracked has hit the Canadarm2 robotic arm on the International Space Station. The arm is still operational but a small section of the arm boom and thermal blanket has been damaged. Canadarm2 has been on the station for 20 years, assisting with maneuvering objects outside the ISS. The damage was noticed during a routine inspection. It is unknown when the damage occurred. The event is still being analyzed to understand how it occurred and to assess future risk."
MQTT vs Kafka to build an IoT architecture (Sponsor). This tutorial is a walkthrough of an experiment where an IoT advocate pushed time series data to InfluxDB with a MQTT publisher and Kafka producer to understand the core mechanics behind each.Learn how he did it and which solution he found more powerful.
"Facebook acquires neural interface startup CTRL-Labs for its mind-reading wristband . Facebook has acquired CTRL-Labs, a neural interface startup that makes a wristband capable of translating electrical signals from the brain into computer input. The deal is the most substantial acquisition Facebook has made since acquiring Oculus VR. CTRL-Labs' wristband will allow for the development of new ways of interacting with machines. The acquisition of CTRL-Labs represents Facebook's commitment to futuristic tech. It has recently been revealed that Facebook is designing two different models of AR glasses which are prime candidates for CTRL-Labs' interface technology."
"Singapore vending machines now dispense salmon, crab, and even cacti . Vending machines in Singapore now sell a variety of foods, such as salmon and Wagyu beef. Many entrepreneurs are turning to vending machines as the barriers to entry are low, and a compact, densely populated city like Singapore is ideal. The variety of food is increasing, and some machines are now selling other items, such as books and cacti. Vending machines played a key role in Singapore's pandemic response, with 1,200 of them installed around the island to dispense free masks."
"The EU plans to test an AI lie detector at border points . The EU has created an AI called iBorderCtrl that will analyze travelers at four border crossing points in Hungary, Latvia and Greece with countries outside the European Union. Travelers will answer questions like ""What's in your suitcase?"" into a webcam so the system can analyze and rate dozens of micro-gestures to determine if they're being truthful. If they are they will get a QR code to pass through, otherwise they will have their biometric information taken and will be reviewed by a human agent. This is still highly experimental, and the last version only worked 76% of the time, they are claiming the latest version works 85% of the time. In its current form, it will not have the final say in stopping anyone from crossing the border."
"Uber and Lyft ordered by California judge to classify drivers as employees . Uber and Lyft must classify their drivers as employees unless their emergency appeal to block the ruling is successful. The companies have been under pressure for months to reclassify their workers. A law signed in September provides a test for determining if someone is a contractor or an employee but the companies have denied that drivers are central to their ride-hailing business. Reclassifying workers to employees means that they will receive traditional benefits like minimum wage, health insurance, and workers' compensation. Uber and Lyft claim that the ruling will result in fewer jobs and that a vast majority of drivers wish to remain independent workers."
"How Spotify Optimized the Largest Dataflow Job Ever for Wrapped 2020 (10 minute read). This post discusses how Spotify optimized and sped up elements for its largest Dataflow Job for Wrapped 2020 using a technique called Sort Merge Bucket (SMB) join. SMB is an optimization that reduces shuffle by doing work upfront on the producer side. By adopting SMB, Spotify was able to perform extremely large joins that were previously impossible. SMB allowed Spotify to save on costs and opened up more ways for the company to optimize its workflows."
Facebook bows to Singapore's 'fake news' law . Facebook complied with Singapore's 'fake news' law by adding a correction notice to a post that Singapore's government claimed contained false information. An opposition politician was ordered to correct information in a Facebook post and to add a notice to the post saying that it contained fake news. The notice was only visible to users in the city-state. Singapore's 'fake news' law came into effect in October and it allows the government to order online platforms to remove and correct statements that the government deems to be against the public interest. The law bans the use of fake accounts or bots to spread fake news. Critics say that the law gives the government too much power to control the content that can be viewed online. The government argues that law includes safeguards against the abuse of power.
"Amazon is opening a real-world clothing store with high-tech fitting rooms . Amazon is opening a clothing store in Los Angeles later this year. Amazon Style will feature clothes with prices catering to a wide range of shoppers. Customers will be able to use their phones to scan items to be delivered to a counter or fitting room. Once in a fitting room, customers can use a touchscreen display to request different sizes or more styles to be delivered without having to leave the room. Shoppers will be able to use the Amazon One palm-scanning system to pay during checkout."
"Startup Says It’s Created an Actual “Invisibility Shield” . Invisibility Shield Co, a British startup, claims to have created an invisibility shield that doesn't require power to operate. It is financing its invention through Kickstarter. A full-sized invisibility shield measures three by two feet and costs around $400. The technology works by reflecting light in a horizontal direction so that the subject behind the shield is almost completely obscured. A video from the startup showing the shield working in several environments is available."
"Robinhood rocks banking with 3-percent savings interest rate . Fintech investing platform Robinhood is launching free checking and savings accounts that earn 3% annually. You also get access to 75,000 ATMs. Early signups start now, the accounts will launch in early 2019."
Indian Prime Minister Modi’s Twitter account was ‘briefly compromised’ . The Twitter account of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hacked on Sunday. People became suspicious after the account tweeted that India had officially adopted bitcoin as legal tender. The tweet contained a link to a sketchy website with information supporting the claim. The account has now been fully secured.
"Scientists just broke the record for the highest efficiency solar cell . Researchers from the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory have created a solar cell with a record efficiency of 39.5% under 1-sun global illumination. It has the highest efficiency recorded for any type of cell ever measured in real-world conditions. Earlier experimental cells have reached higher efficiencies, but they only did so under extremely concentrated light. The new cell performs at 34.2% efficiency in space. It is expensive to produce, so researchers will have to reduce the costs before the cell can become widespread."
Over half the deer in Michigan seem to have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 . A survey of wild deer populations in the US has found that a large number of the animals have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2. The US Department of Agriculture was studying a variety of species to identify potential reservoirs or hosts for the virus. Deer show no symptoms when infected. The virus could pick up mutations that help it adapt to deer. A mutated virus would be less susceptible to the immune response generated by vaccines or prior infections.
"Renault Rethinks Last Mile Delivery with Fleet of Autonomous Pods . Renault unveiled an autonomous delivery vehicle called EZ-PRO. EZ-PRO is an autonomous, electric robo-pod concept that Renaults says is the ""the future of agile, last-mile delivery solutions for every type of professional."" The EZ-PRO leader pods have a human conductor on board, responsible for the delivery of goods and of maintaining the pod fleet. Basically it's like a train, where there's a human conductor, but any of the individual train cars (pods in this case) can break off and make their own delivery. There are pictures inside they look pretty robocoppy."
"Charli D’Amelio hits 100 million TikTok followers . Charli D’Amelio has reached 100 million followers on TikTok. Only two other creators have surpassed 50 million followers. D’Amelio reached 100 million subscribers in record time, having only started posting on TikTok in May 2019. Recently, the D’Amelio family has been trying to move beyond TikTok, launching a podcast, expanding into YouTube, and announcing a book deal. While TikTok offers payouts to creators, many have been disappointed with the returns."
"DeepTraffic (Github Repo). DeepTraffic is a deep reinforcement learning competition run by MIT. There are 20 vehicles on a 7-lane road, with your algorithm controlling some of the vehicles while the game controls others. Your goal is to get a vehicle through the traffic as quickly as possible. There's a leaderboard for the people who manage to drive their car through the fastest. Looks like a fun way to apply deep reinforcement learning."
"The Hacker's Hardware Toolkit (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a list of hardware gadgets for Red Team hackers, pentesters, and security researchers. More than a hundred tools are listed, classified into eight categories. All tools are available for purchase online."
"Ask HN: What was your experience starting a tech consultancy? (HackerNews Thread). A user asks for advice, warnings, and stories on starting a tech consultancy. The discussion mainly centers around making sales and hiring the right people for the job. Managing the sales process carefully is important in order to maximize income and time. While new startups might start their business thinking about the product, experienced business owners understand that the core focus for their businesses is making quality sales."
"What I loved about Paul Allen by Bill Gates . A touching eulogy by Bill Gates for his late friend and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who he met when he was in 7th grade."
"'Care robots' for the elderly could be developed in the UK after government funding . The UK government has backed a scheme that will research how to make autonomous systems safe and trustworthy for public use. The research program will last five years and cost $43.54 million. It is hoped that care robots can be developed to be used in places such as hospitals and care homes alongside human professionals, performing tasks such as helping people up after a fall, making sure medication is taken, and delivering meals. Research will be carried out to make sure the robots are protected against cyber-attacks and able to demonstrate traits such as respect, equality, and fairness. Other sectors where a lack of public trust is a key challenge may also benefit from the deployment of robots. Assistive robots can enable people to maintain their independence for as long as possible."
"‘Last Hope’ Experiment Finds Evidence for Unknown Particles (15 minute read). Muons are elementary particles similar to electrons. Decades ago, scientists noticed that these particles wobbled more than expected when whipping around a magnetized ring. A recent new measurement confirms these results, making it significantly likely that an unknown force was giving the muons an extra push. The discovery, if confirmed, could break down the 50-year-old Standard Model of particle physics, which describes known elementary particles and interactions."
"Samsung’s C-Lab class features a diaper sensor, smart guitar, and modular robot . Samsung's C-Lab division allows employees to create personal pet projects. While the projects aren't always practical, they're often fascinating, displaying ideas that are traditionally outside of Samsung's scope. This year at CES, C-Lab will split its products into three categories: C-Lab Inside, C-Lab Outside, and projects that have effectively spun out from Samsung. CES will run in Las Vegas from January 5 to January 8. A list of products and companies from C-Lab Inside and Outside is available in the article."
"The Only Type of API Services I'll Use . API services can seem like magic when you query an endpoint for it to return back some data or complete some functionality. All API services should use usage-based pricing with automatic volume discounts. Using this model, a customer will only pay for how much they use a particular service. It means that customers will use your service more as it provides more value to them, and vice versa. This incentivizes both the customer and service provider to act in everyone's best interest as the service provider improves its service to increase value, and customers are benefitting from discounts the more they use your service. Customers who have high volume are also less likely to drop in volume as they will pay more for using the service less. Other types of pricing models usually create a situation where the customer is always paying more for your service than they want to, as they will never use their full allowances. This incentivizes people to use your service less as they want to minimize costs down to the lowest tier."
"Her Amazon Purchases Are Real. The Reviews Are Fake (13 minute read). Customers are being reimbursed for their Amazon purchases in exchange for positive reviews. In order to have a successful business on Amazon, vendors must have good reviews and a high search ranking. Third-party sellers often find it difficult to attract genuine customers to receive reviews when starting their businesses. Amazon has banned giving away free products in exchange for reviews, but sellers still get away with it. Sellers reach out to customers through targeted Facebook ads, giving them specific instructions for purchasing items and receiving reimbursements after leaving 5-star reviews. Using this method, customer purchases look legitimate. Having a front-page product on Amazon can be incredibly profitable, making these strategies attractive for blackhat sellers. Many of these sellers are in China. Some customers are able to gain additional benefits by earning rewards points and cash back from credit cards."
Background Matting (GitHub Repo). Background Matting is a project that uses deep learning to turn any background into a green screen with just a handheld camera. It requires an additional photo of the background without the subject at the time of capture. Example videos and images are available. There is a 5 minute video comparing this method with other matting methods.
"Samsung Is Developing A Transparent Smartphone . Samsung submitted a patent for a transparent smartphone in January. LG has patented a similar technology and Xiaomi recently released a see-through TV, so the technology already exists. These types of displays feature low power consumption, high brightness, and fast response times. An image gallery featuring an early design of the transparent smartphone is available in the article."
"Facebook and Twitter uncover Chinese trolls spreading doubts about Hong Kong protests . Facebook and Twitter have discovered a network of accounts believed to have been operated by the Chinese government. The accounts were created to sow political discord around the protests taking place in Hong Kong and have now been suspended. There were 936 accounts on Twitter and seven pages, three groups, and five accounts on Facebook. One of the pages had 15,500 followers and at least one of the groups had 2,200 members. Facebook and Twitter are forbidden in mainland China, but not in Hong Kong. Protests broke out in Hong Kong earlier this summer as citizens opposed a Chinese bill that would allow people living in the special administrative region to be extradited to China for trial. The protests have escalated in recent weeks. Twitter has been criticized for accepting ads from Chinese state media, but it has now stated that it will no longer accept advertising from state-controlled media entities. State-backed media accounts will still be free to continue to use Twitter without advertising abilities."
"Apple WWDC 2022: the 16 biggest announcements . Apple recently revealed news about macOS Ventura, iOS 16, the M2 chip, a new MacBook Air, and much more at WWDC 2022. iOS 16 will have a customizable lock screen, updated notifications, Live Activities, editable and unsendable texts in Messages, a Pay Later feature, Safety Checks, and more. watchOS 9 will come with new health-tracking features. The new MacBook Air will feature the new M2 chip, which offers an 18 percent performance upgrade when compared to the M1. macOS Ventura will feature an improved multitasking tool, Passkeys, and the ability to use an iPhone as a webcam. iPadOS 16 will have new multitasking and collaboration features. More details about the announcements are available in the article."
"First “Marsquake” Detected on Red Planet . NASA’s InSight lander detected a faint trembling on Mars’ surface earlier this month. The marsquake was relatively weak, about the strength of the moonquakes that were measured in the late 1960s and early 1970s by the Apollo astronauts. If the quake had occurred on Earth it would not have been detected. Scientists are still unsure whether the marsquake originated from the planet or as a result of a meteor impact. InSight is currently located in Elysium Planitia, near Mars’ equator. Its heat probe has become stuck on what is likely a buried rock, and mission controllers are currently trying to figure out how to free the robotic lander."
"Amazon Pulls Out of Planned New York City Headquarters . Amazon has canceled its plans to build a new headquarters in New York City after heavy resistance by lawmakers, progressive activists, and union leaders. Groups opposing the deal contended that the government should not provide the tech giant with the up to $3 billion dollars in incentives that it had promised. Amazon decided that dealing with the heavy resistance would not be beneficial to the company in the long term, however, it has decided that it will still continue growth in its existing branches in the city regardless of government subsidies."
snakeware (GitHub Repo). snakeware is a Linux distro that boots the user directly into a Python interpreter. Python makes it easier for even beginners to contribute apps or other code to the distro. A link to a 3-minute video demo is available. The goal of the project is to eventually have a usable set of userspace apps and utilities written entirely in Python.
"Iran says 'smart satellite-controlled machine gun' killed top nuclear scientist . According to Iranian authorities, last month's killing of Iran's top nuclear scientist was carried out remotely by Israel with artificial intelligence and a machine gun equipped with a satellite-controlled smart system. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the killing. The killing has exposed security gaps and the Islamic Republic may be vulnerable to further attacks. 13 shots were fired at the scientist. However, his wife was uninjured, despite sitting only 25 centimeters away. Five Iranian nuclear scientists have been killed inside Iran in targeted attacks since 2010."
Decellularized Spinach Serves as an Edible Platform for Growing Artificial Meat . The veiny skeleton of a spinach leaf can support the growth of artificial meat. Spinach provides a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly scaffold that may accelerate the development of cultured meat. Previous studies have demonstrated that spinach leaf scaffolds can be used for cultivating human heart tissue. Researchers will now focus on growing more cells on the leaves to create thicker steaks and to investigate other animal and plant cell alternatives.
"Scaling our Spreadsheet Engine from Thousands to Billions of Cells (10 minute read). Causal is a spreadsheet with a complex calculation engine that executes formulas on an in-memory, multidimensional database. This article discusses how Causal plans to scale from millions to billions of cells. Causal still doesn't smoothly support one billion cells yet, but its team is confident in its ability to iterate to its goal."
"'Extinct' large blue butterfly successfully reintroduced to UK . Conservationists have successfully reintroduced previously extinct large blue butterflies to Rodborough, an area in southwest England. Around 1,100 larvae were introduced to the area last year and around 750 large blue butterflies were observed. The butterflies were declared extinct in Britain in 1979 and hadn't been seen in Rodborough for 150 years. It took five years to prepare for the reintroduction of the butterflies, with experts in the area restricting cattle grazing and encouraging the growth of certain plants to create an optimum environment. Butterflies are sensitive to environmental changes and the effort to reintroduce them will result in habitat improvements for other plants and animals."
Tesla deploys new Megapacks at ‘WindCharger’ project . Tesla's new Megapacks are an energy storage product for electric utility projects. Each Megapack has up to 3MWh of storage capacity and a 1.5MW inverter. They take up almost half the space and have a faster installation time compared to competing products. Canadian electric company TransAlta will be installing Megapacks in its Summerview Wind Farm. The Windcharger project will use nine Megapacks to help TransAlta's wind farm more efficiently use its power.
"Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job? (Hacker News Thread). This is a thread containing advice, warnings, and success stories about building profitable side projects/startups while working a full time job. Lots of interesting niche projects in there for inspiration."
"A self-erasing chip for security and anti-counterfeit tech . By stretching a thin film of azobenzenes, a kind of molecule that shrinks in reaction to UV light, over a semiconductor, scientists have created a type of self-erasing chip that can store information until it is exposed to heat and light. The messages stored on the chip will self-destruct in seven days or it can be erased instantly with a flash of blue light. Once erased, the chip can record new information again. The semiconductor is made from a 'beyond graphene' material. Unlike graphene, it can emit light in particular frequencies."
"Would you eat slaughter-free meat? . Silicon Valley startup Just has created chicken nuggets from lab grown meat using cells from a chicken feather. The original chicken is actually still alive, and lives at a farm close to the lab. The company places the chicken cells in a bioreactor that encourages the proteins to multiply. It takes about two days to produce a nugget. CEO Josh Tetrick says that Just's meat will be in select restaurants by the end of the year."
"JPMorgan Chase tests neuroscience-based video games to recruit interns . JPMorgan Chase & Co is seeking to increase the diversity of its workforce by broadening its candidate pool, and it will use neuroscience-based video games to help achieve this goal. The bank will use technology developed by Pymetrics, a start-up that develops games that help companies assess an applicant’s social, cognitive, and behavioral features, such as attention, memory, and altruism. While employment history is usually a good indicator of performance, more recent college graduates usually do not have the work experience required, and using this technology may be a better way to assess their fitness during the recruitment phase. JPMorgan has been testing the games with existing employees for the last few months and will use the technology to assess applicants for their 2020 internships in the US."
"Tesla starts deploying Starlink satellite internet systems at Supercharger stations . Tesla has started to deploy Starlink antennas at its Supercharger stations. The company has focused on creating a great complimentary charging experience as opposed to making its charging stations profit centers. Tesla owners can spend more than 30 minutes at charging stations, so Wi-Fi could be valuable for those without Tesla's premium connectivity. Tesla currently has over 3,100 stations. It plans to triple the size of its network within the next two years and open to non-Tesla vehicles."
"Scientists have discovered a shape that blocks all sound–even your co-workers . A team at Boston University have created an ‘acoustic meta-material’ that is able to catch certain frequencies from the air and reflect it back to its source, effectively creating a sound barrier. The 3D-printed ring was mathematically designed and is completely open, which means that air and light can pass through it, but not sound. This design can be applied to HVAC systems, drones, MRI machines, and used to create quiet and visible office spaces. There is no limit to the possibilities for this material, but each application will need a tailored design. A 30 second video is available demonstrating the effectiveness of the material."
"PHP Insights (GitHub Repo). PHP Insights was designed for developers to assess the quality of their PHP projects directly in terminal. Developers can analyze their coding quality and style, and there are tools to help make code reliable, simple, and clean. Users can create their own custom Insights to contribute to the project."
"Fortran.io (GitHub Repo). Fortran.io is an MVC web stack written in Fortran 90. It can act as a controller, connect with SQLite databases, and serve HTML templates. Examples are available."
"esbuild (GitHub Repo). esbuild is a JavaScript bundler and minifier. It is at least 100x faster than other JavaScript bundlers tested, with benchmarks available in the repository."
"Liz Parrish Is Patient Zero in Her Own Anti-Aging Experiment (11 minute read). Liz Parrish, CEO of BioViva, is patient zero for two anti-aging therapies that the company is researching. BioViva is a biotechnology company that focuses on developing therapies to intervene with human aging. One of the treatments involves injections of a myostatin inhibitor which is expected to prevent age-associated muscle loss. The other therapy is a telomerase gene therapy expected to lengthen telomeres. Early results show that the length of the telomeres of T-lymphocytes in blood samples taken from Parrish had grown in length in the six months since the therapies started. The article contains an interview with Parrish about the therapies and her feelings about being the first test subject."
"El Salvador is giving away free Bitcoin to its citizens . El Salvador will give $30 worth of Bitcoin to each adult citizen that downloads and registers on its new cryptocurrency app. President Nayib Bukele has introduced legislation that will make Bitcoin legal tender on September 7. The law is intended to generate employment and investments in the country. The app will be compatible with both US dollars and Bitcoin. Users can choose what currency they want to use on the app, but the gift will be in Bitcoin to promote its use. Bitcoin will not replace the dollar as the only legal tender in El Salvador."
"Scientists Capture Living Giant Squid . A ten foot giant squid washed ashore in western Japan and was taken into captivity. It is likely the first time a live specimen has been captured. The squid was transported to an aquarium in the city of Sakai. Not much is known about the species, as they are incredibly rare. A video of the giant squid in shallow waters is available in the article."
"How is it like to be a dev in Iran . In Iran, citizens have to deal with censorship and sanctions when accessing information on the internet. Many websites are blocked in order to protect the culture and its morals, but this includes websites such as YouTube, GitHub, and Twitter. Sanctions against Iran means that developers don't have access to Free Open Source Software, Visa/MasterCard services, and other important tools. Some services, such as Slack, manually deleted all Iranian users, some of which haven't worked in Iran for years. Developers are running into many blocks in their work, and they are losing jobs because of it. Many developers are now using HTTP proxies, DNS proxies, VPNs, and TOR to bypass blocks, with some success. However, this takes extra time and costs more, and some services such as Cloudflare block TOR traffic."
"Twilio to Acquire SendGrid, the Leading Email API Platform . Twilio (an API to send SMS messages) is acquiring SendGrid (an API to send emails) in an all-stock deal worth $2 billion. The deal will close in the first half of 2019. Twilio's CEO says, ""Increasingly, our customers are asking us to solve all of their strategic communications challenges - regardless of channel. Email is a vital communications channel for companies around the world, and so it was important to us to include this capability in our platform."""
"hacker-laws (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of laws that people discuss when talking about development. It contains an overview of each law and provides examples and reference materials for further learning. Laws discussed include the Dunning-Kruger Effect, the Premature Optimization Effect, Cunningham's Law, and much more."
"How Verizon connects the world with full observability from Pixie and New Relic (Sponsor). How Verizon connects the world with full observability from Pixie and New Relic . Verizon and New Relic team up to deliver observability at the edge, unlocking powerful performance insights and unprecedented network intelligence transforming how developers innovate. Learn how New Relic helps Verizon get visibility into their 5G Edge Network hosted on AWS."
"A Meta prototype lets you build virtual worlds by describing them . Mark Zuckerberg recently showed off a prototype of an artificial intelligence system that lets people build parts of virtual worlds by verbally describing them. Builder Bot can create 3D scenes with sound effects and background audio. It is unknown if it generates the designs or if it uses a library of human-created models. Many unique moderation problems will come with the tech, so it probably won't be available any time soon. A video from Meta with Zuckerberg demonstrating the technology is available in the article."
"SpaceX is almost ready to start turning Starship’s launch tower into ‘Mechazilla’ . SpaceX plans to use a giant tower with arms to catch its rockets. Mechazilla will be around 145m tall and will be outfitted with at least three arms. Construction started a few weeks ago, and the tower is almost complete. Pictures of the tower are available in the article."
Blunt (GitHub Repo). Blunt is a CSS framework that provides helper classes to make positioning and responsive design easier. It focuses on allowing the developer to write all the positioning code in the HTML and only write CSS for the styling of elements. Examples are available on the repository.
"Amazon preparing a wearable that ‘reads human emotions,’ says report . According to internal Amazon documents, Amazon is preparing to release a wrist-worn device that is supposed to be able to read human emotions. The voice-activated wristband will determine the state of a person’s emotions through the sound of their voice. While it is theoretically possible to detect emotions through biomarkers, building a generally reliable device is still a hugely ambitious undertaking. The wristband adds onto the list of Alexa-capable devices that Amazon has been rolling out."
"Google Open Source (Website). This website contains a list of open-source projects by Google. Each repository contains most of the code for Google's open-source projects, with some omissions. There is a search function to search for code and files within the repositories."
Reverse Engineering (GitHub Repo). This repository contains over 3000 open source tools and around 600 blog posts on reverse engineering. There are Chinese and English versions of the collection.
Researchers translate a bird's brain activity into song . Researchers from the University of California San Diego were able to reproduce a songbird's vocalizations by only reading its brain activity. A songbird's vocalizations is similar to human speech in various ways. They are both complex and learned behaviors. The researchers used machine learning algorithms to analyze neural recordings from the birds. This study could lead to the development of a vocal prosthesis for individuals who have lost the ability to speak.
"WhatsApp to launch ‘Communities’ . Meta has announced plans for a significant update to WhatsApp that will allow users to participate in discussion groups called Communities. Communities will support file-sharing, 32-person group calls, emoji reactions, admin tools, moderation controls, and more. The feature will allow groups to create networks for their members to interact. Communities can create sub-groups for specific discussions. Communities will not be discoverable, so users will have to be invited to join them. Many more details about the new feature are available in the article."
"Build internal tools in minutes with Retool, where visual programming meets the power of real code (Sponsor). Build internal tools in minutes with Retool, where visual programming meets the power of real code . Don't waste time wrestling together UI libraries and writing boilerplate code.Retool combines the best of visual programming and customizing apps with code. Drag and drop pre-built components and deploy functional apps instantly—with features like access controls and audit logs built-in.Amazon, Brex, Allbirds, and Volvo are building critical business apps in Retool. Start building for free today!"
"Blacklisted in China—Misbehaving Scientists Poised for ""Social"" Punishment . Following reports of a rogue Chinese scientist birthing CRISPR-edited babies last month, China is rolling out harsh social penalties for scientific misconduct. Misbehaving scientists may be barred from getting a loan or running a company, their faces may be projected onto billboards for public shaming, and they may no longer be allowed on planes or high-speed rails. One scientist says ""I have never seen such a comprehensive list of penalties for research misconduct elsewhere in the world."" These measures are an extension of China's ""social credit"" system which will roll out nationwide in 2020."
Deep Graph Library (GitHub Repo). Deep Graph Library is a Python package that makes implementing graph neural networks easy while maintaining high computation efficiency. It improves model accuracy and training speed. Tutorials on basic use and realistic examples are provided.
"Juul Shipped At Least A Million Contaminated Pods, New Lawsuit Says . A former Juul executive claims that the startup shipped out one million contaminated e-cigarette pods earlier this year without telling customers or issuing a recall. The executive has filed a lawsuit against Juul, claiming that he was retaliated against for raising concerns about the contaminated shipment. He had other concerns about the actions of the company, including the company shipping out pods that were almost a year old. Juul claims that the executive was terminated due to a lack leadership qualities. The company says that that the allegations about the safety and quality of its products are meritless. A nationwide lung injury outbreak now stands at 1,604 cases and 34 deaths. These illnesses are likely linked to vaping black-market THC. However, the connection to nicotine vaping products, such as those produced by Juul, has not been fully ruled out."
"James Webb telescope: how it could uncover some of the universe’s best-kept secrets . The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is set to launch on December 25, if everything goes according to plan. It took more than a decade and $10 billion to build the telescope, which is now fueled and ready at Europe's spaceport in French Guiana. The JWST will be able to see much more than the Hubble Space Telescope, which has now operated for more than 30 years. Astronomers from around the world will be able to apply to use the JWST to support their research. One of the telescope's main tasks will be to study the atmospheres of exoplanets to see if they are suitable for life."
"What’s the best lossless image format? Comparing PNG, WebP, AVIF, and JPEG XL . Lossless compression makes files smaller and allows the files to be decompressed back to the same original file. It works best for things like logos, screenshots, charts, and graphics. This article compares different lossless compression techniques on speed, file size, and quality. Most modern lossless image formats provide significant gains in efficiency compared to even the most optimized PNG."
"Sanic Omnitool (GitHub Repo). Sanic is a complete tool for developing, building, and deploying Docker/Kubernetes projects. It focuses on developer experience and aims to make the process as streamlined and as fast as possible. Sanic supports concurrent builds, live-mounting, and templating."
"Aino (GitHub Repo). Aino is an experimental HTTP framework for writing HTTP applications in Elixir. It is built on top of elli, a web server designed for building high-throughput, low-latency HTTP APIs."
"Reliably Send an HTTP Request as a User Leaves a Page . There's no guarantee that an in-process HTTP request will be successful when a page is terminated in the browser. Sending data on page termination can be very unreliable, which can be an issue when creating logs for data-sensitive business decisions. This article looks at why this happens and ways to make in-process HTTP requests more reliable."
"Scientists Just Found a Way For Machines to See Through Clouds And Fog . Scientists have developed a new system for seeing through clouds. Confocal diffuse tomography uses an algorithm that measures the movement of individual photons and then reconstructs obscured objects even if the light has been scattered and bounced by a barrier in the way. A gif is available in the article showing the system reading a symbol through a 1-inch layer of foam. This type of system would be especially useful for applications such as self-driving cars in heavy rain or capturing images of planets through cloud haze. At the moment, the technology is still slow, so there is a lot of development required before it becomes useful."
"Twitter to launch a revamped verification system with publicly documented guidelines . Twitter has confirmed that it is developing a new in-app verification system. There has been confusion over Twitter's verification criteria in the past, resulting in the company announcing that it would reconsider its process. Twitter announced in 2018 that it was prioritizing election integrity over the overhaul of the verification system. It slowed the pace of verifications, focusing on verifying political candidates, and more recently, authoritative health experts. Twitter's new verification system will have clear guidelines for what is required for a user to be verified. It is unknown when the new system will be implemented."
"Maybe you should do less 'work' . Some developers finish their assigned workloads faster than expected and then they ask for more similar work to do. Part of the reason for this is to try to reach a standard that they have already met. Constantly overworking can lead to burnout. Finding other activities to do along with work that can benefit both you and your employer, such as skill development, will help prevent burnout while improving your value as an employee."
"Disaster ‘prepping’ was once an American pastime. Today, it’s mainstream again . The disaster-prepping industry has boomed since the start of the pandemic. Many people found themselves woefully unprepared in March. As the government has stepped in to help its citizens throughout the decades, individuals have become more unprepared for the unexpected. However, as trust in the government has lessened in recent years, more people have taken matters into their own hands by prepping. This has resulted in an industry that provides prepping services ranging from kits to armored bunkers. The trend is likely to continue as prepping has now overcome its stigma and become mainstream."
"Some praise, some doubts as Facebook rolls out a prayer tool . Facebook has rolled out a new prayer request feature for groups. Users can post prayer requests and other members of the group can press a button to indicate that they have prayed for the person. The feature has been in testing since December in the US as part of an effort to support faith communities. Religious leaders have mostly responded positively to the feature, but there are concerns with privacy and how Facebook will use the data. Facebook says that advertisers aren't able to use prayer posts to target ads."
"Google-backed Glance to launch in US within two months . Glance is planning to launch its lock screen platform in the US within two months. It is currently engaging with wireless carriers for partnerships. Glance's platform serves media content, news, and games on Android lock screens. It is installed on about 400 million smartphones in Asian markets. Glance is building a premium offering for the US. It plans to expand globally in the coming years."
"IBM and Samsung say their new chip design could lead to week-long battery life on phones . IBM and Samsung have discovered a way to stack transistors vertically on a chip, allowing for electric currents to flow up and down the stack of transistors instead of side-to-side as with current chips. As chip designers run out of ways to add more chips in one place, it only makes sense to start stacking them upwards. The new Vertical Transport Field Effect Transistors design could result in cell phones with batteries that could go for over a week without being charged. It could also mean less energy-intensive cryptocurrency mining and more powerful IoT devices."
"'Apple Glass' details leaked, will cost $499 and work with prescriptions . A trusted source has leaked details on Apple's long-rumored augmented reality smart glasses. The Apple Glass is expected to retail for $499, with extra costs for prescription lenses. It will feature a user interface called Starboard that can display information on both lenses and allow users to control the device with gestures. Apple will possibly use propriety QR codes, though it isn't clear if these will be the QR codes spotted in the internal build of iOS 14. The smart glasses will probably incorporate augmented reality, taking advantage of the ARKit framework as well as 3D sensors similar to the 2020 iPad Pro's LiDAR system. It will probably rely on a nearby device for processing, rendering, and data connections."
"80% of new day traders lose money. The reason: human emotions (Sponsor). 80% of new day traders lose money. The reason: human emotions . Smart investors let algorithms invest for them:“Buy Tesla when Ford drops 10%”,“Sell AAPL when Bitcoin hits $50,000.”But unless you can code, algo-trading has been out of reach — until now. Composer lets you build algo-strategies in a snap - no code or spreadsheets required. Composer gives you the financial firepower that quantitative hedge funds hire armies of computer scientists to build internally. Try Composer for free today.**Investing in securities involves risks, including the risk of loss."
"Eyes wide shut: How newborn mammals dream the world they’re entering . Scientists from Yale have found signs that mammals dream about the world before they are even born. There are waves of activity emanating from the neonatal retina in mice before their eyes ever open. The activity disappears soon after birth and is replaced by a more mature network of neural transmissions. The retinal waves flow in a pattern that mimics the activity that would occur if the animal was moving through the environment. Human babies can detect objects and identify motion soon after birth, suggesting that our visual systems are also primed before birth."
"eKill (Open Source Chrome Extension). This is an open source Chrome extension that will let you easily get rid of annoying elements on any web page (things like pop ups, those ""this site uses cookies"" notices, and things like that). Pretty nifty."
"5 Best Practices for Securing SSH (Sponsor). In this article, Teleport explores five SSH best practices you should observe to boost the security of your infrastructure. Learn more."
"Facebook’s dating app will let you list your secret crushes . Facebook’s new dating app, which is currently only in a testing phase in a few select countries, has a new feature which will let users list up to nine ‘secret crushes’ from their friends list. If one of their friends also lists them as a secret crush, Facebook will send a notification to both users and match them. Facebook Dating usually avoids listing friends as potential matches. While there seems to be no method of monetization during its testing phase, there is big money in the dating app marketplace. Analysts predict that the dating app industry could be worth $12 billion by 2020. The Match Group, who owns Tinder, OkCupid, Match.com, and many other dating sites, brought in $1.7 billion last year from memberships, advertising, and premium features."
pipupgrade (GitHub Repo). pipupgrade upgrades all pip packages and automates Python Dependency Management. It can detect packages within multiple Python environments and avoid updates that break changes. pipupgrade works with Python 2.7+ and Python 3.4+ with zero dependencies.
"TikTok traders are pumping joke cryptocurrency Dogecoin . Dogecoin is a cryptocurrency based on an old internet meme. Day traders on TikTok recently started encouraging people to buy the cryptocurrency, causing it to quickly rise in value. The official Dogecoin Twitter account warned people to be careful about their investment choices and to be mindful of people's intentions when telling them to invest in a particular asset. Dogecoin has no cap on its supply, unlike Bitcoin, a feature that practically guarantees inflation."
"Facebook is training an AI assistant inside ‘Minecraft’ . Facebook has started training an AI inside Minecraft in an attempt to create a generalist AI. Many different AIs exist for games, but they struggle when they are taken out of their normal trained environment. It is hoped that training the AI in an environment where players can create almost anything with a small set of tools can result in an AI assistant that is capable of helping people with their day-to-day tasks. Facebook has previously experimented with M, an AI-powered personal assistant within its Messenger app, but the project failed as not enough people were using it for it to be trained properly."
"Apple to release three ‘iPhone 11’ models this fall, including A13 chip, new Taptic Engine, more . Apple will release three new iPhone 11 models this fall, all featuring the Apple A13 chip. The smartphones will have a Lightning port despite the iPad Pro moving to USB-C last year. All three models will have the same screen resolution as last year's models, but the replacements for the XS and XS Max will have a new 3x OLED Retina display. A new type of Taptic Engine will be introduced, but it is unknown what new features the engine will enable. The devices will have three cameras on the back contained within a square, including a camera capable of wide-angle images."
"Apple closing down internal Slack channels where employees debate remote work . Many of Apple's employees have been fighting against the company's plans to require employees to work at least three days a week in the office. Employees were originally told to return to the office by early September, but this was delayed due to the increasing amount of coronavirus cases around the world. Apple has recently started banning internal Slack channels that aren't directly related to work to stop employees from discussing remote work options. The company has always had a policy to remove channels that aren't directly related to projects or part of official employee groups, but the policy wasn't always enforced."
"Twitter to ban all political advertising, raising pressure on Facebook . Twitter will ban all political advertising on its platform starting from November 22. The ban is global and will apply to all electioneering ads as well as ads related to political issues. It is an attempt to stop people from using social media to spread misleading information. Facebook has recently decided to exempt ads purchased by politicians from third-party fact-checking. Political ads will also be exempt from a policy that bans false statements in paid advertisements. While Facebook claims to be committed to reducing misinformation, these exemptions allow politicians and political candidates to lie in paid campaign ads. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey calls for more political ad regulation as current laws are not enough."
"Delay, Deny and Deflect: How Facebook's Leaders Fought Through Crisis (25 minute read). TLDR Facebook knew more about Russian election interference than they let on, they're incredibly politically connected, and basically everything they've done in the past 2 years just leaked. Ok, so this was a huge New York Times investigation. While Facebook publically scoffed at Russian interference claims after the November 2016 election, Facebook's security team knew in Spring 2016 that Russian hackers were trying to get into Facebook accounts affiliated with both presidential campaigns, and later found more Russian Facebook accounts messaging journalists to share information about Hillary Clinton's stolen emails during the campaign. They hired a right-wing PR firm who helped them depict George Soros as being behind a broad anti-Facebook movement, and pushed out dozens of stories praising Facebook and criticizing Google and Apple on conservative news sites. After Tim Cook said that his company didn't traffic in personal data, Zuckerberg ordered his management team to stop using iPhones. Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York, whose daughter works at Facebook, has been a huge supporter. When Senators Mark Warner and Amy Klobuchar (both Democrats) introduced legislation to force Facebook and other tech giants to disclose who bought political ads on their sites, Schumer confronted Warner saying he shouldn't lose sight of the need for Faacebook to tackle problems with right-wing disinformation. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg called Klobuchar, who is featured on the site for her women's empowerment initiative Lean In. Klobuchar's chief of staff had previously worked at Sandberg's charity. Facebook hired Warner's former chief of staff to lobby him."
"Watch A Waymo AV Get Freaked Out By Traffic Cones, Block Traffic, And Evade Support Vehicles . YouTuber JJRicks Studios documents his rides in Waymo's robotaxi fleet in Phoenix. In a recent video, a vehicle got confused when it detected traffic cones and was unable to plot a route around them, blocking traffic. The vehicle called Waymo's roadside assistance, but a road maintenance worker removed the cone before the assistance driver could get to the scene, freeing the vehicle, which got stuck again at another set of traffic cones soon after. The 35-minute video demonstrates how far self-driving cars have come, and how far they still have to go. It is available in the article."
"Microsoft and GitHub Workers Support 996.ICU (GitHub Repo). Workers in China are often illegally forced to work long hours. 996.ICU refers to the 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week work schedule which causes workers to end up in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Microsoft and GitHub workers have released a public statement in this repository regarding their support for the 996.ICU movement, which is already being censored by companies like Tencent and Alibaba. People can support the 996.ICU movement by going to the original repository and ‘starring’ it."
"Apple’s HomePod mini reportedly has a secret temperature and humidity sensor . Apple's HomePod mini smart speaker has a secret temperature and humidity sensor in its casing. It isn't currently usable by owners of the device yet, but Apple has previously included hardware in its devices before that were activated after release. New HomePod firmware tends to release in the fall of each year."
"How I Got Pwned by My Cloud Costs . Cloud computing can be expensive if not set up correctly. This article follows the story of how a developer received an $8,000 bill after running a service on a cloud unmonitored. It discusses how the developer diagnosed and found the issue as well as mitigation strategies to prevent surprise bills like this from happening. Costs can gradually creep up without developers noticing, so it is important to set up cost alerts and act on them."
"Spotify comes for audiobooks . Spotify is aiming at audiobooks as its next target for industry domination. The company is in the process of acquiring audiobook platform Findaway, with the deal currently under review by the Department of Justice's antitrust division. Spotify will apply the freemium model to audiobooks with ad monetization. The model would be a massive change for the industry and will greatly expand the market."
"The Animal-AI Olympics is going to treat AI like a lab rat . A competition between different AI models will test their ability to solve new problems that are usually used to test for animal and human intelligence. The testing grounds will be a virtual world created in Unity, which means that participants won't need to create robots for the competition and can just focus on AI development. While it is expected that most entrants will use a reinforcement training method to build their AI systems, the researchers running the competition hope that new methods using a more cognitive approach will be used. A virtual training playground will be released later this month and entrants will be tested in June."
"We Broke Into A Bunch Of Android Phones With A 3D-Printed Head . Security researchers have managed to break into four Android phones (2 Samsungs, an LG and a OnePlus) using 3D printed heads made for about £300. They used about 50 cameras, then combined the images into a single 3D model. Then they put it into editing software to iron out any errors. They were unable to break past the iPhone's Face ID security or the Windows Hello facial recognition. There's a picture of the 3D printed head in the article, it looks surprisingly realistic."
"Apple removes app used in Hong Kong protests after pressure from China . Apple has removed HKmap.live from its App store, stating that it had consulted with the Hong Kong Cybersecurity and Technology Crime Bureau and found that the app was being used to target police and commit crimes. HKmap.live is an app that crowdsources information from users and public sources to mark the locations of police and inform about street closures. It has been widely used by Hong Kong residents during the ongoing pro-democracy protests this year. The developers of HKmap.live said that there was no evidence to support the CSTCB's accusations and that the app never solicited, promoted, or encouraged criminal activity. Apps like Waze, which similarly allow users to track the locations of police checkpoints, remain available on the App Store. The web version of HKmap.live is still accessible on the iPhone."
This is what a solid made of electrons looks like . A Wigner crystal is a honeycomb arrangement of electrons formed by slowing down electrons until they are significantly affected by the repulsion between their negative charges. The pattern is an arrangement that minimizes their total energy. A team of scientists has managed to image a Wigner crystal by adding a layer of graphene on top of the crystal and using a scanning tunneling microscope. The same graphene-based technique will enable STM studies of other interesting physical phenomena. An image of a Wigner crystal is available in the article.
"VimCharm: Approximating PyCharm on vim . VimCharm is a vim configuration file that transforms vim into an approximation of PyCharm. It can be used as a command-line replacement for PyCharm on remote machines. VimCharm features autocomplete, PyCharm shortcuts, syntax and linter errors, and more. The article discusses how VimCharm was made. A link to the complete configuration file is provided."
"Learnings from 5 years of tech startup code audits . This article contains a list of 16 lessons learned, ordered from most general to most security-specific, from someone who performed upwards of 20 code audits for startups that were around their Series A or B, when they had the cash to take a deeper look at their security. The security issues discovered during the audits ranged from catastrophic to just plain interesting. Some of the audits were performed up to eight years ago, so the lessons include insights on what factors have helped startups do well."
"A two-legged delivery robot has gone on sale—and Ford is the first customer . Agility Robotics has made its two-legged robot, Digit, available for sale, and its first customer is Ford. Ford has been testing the robot for vehicle-to-door delivery since May 2019. Digit is able to carry items weighing up to 40 pounds and can navigate semi-autonomously. It requires some guidance to avoid obstacles. The specific price for each unit has not been released to the public, but it is in the low-mid six figures. Agility expects to be making a maximum of 30 bots in 2020."
"How My Fears Doomed My First Startup . As a nerdy engineer that went to software development conferences for holidays, David Smith believed that if he could just build a great product, people would buy it. He developed a great program but never sold it because he never let anyone know about it. His fears of communicating with others about his product stopped him from releasing a program that could help others, and he didn't even know if it was a program that other people would want to use."
Tilck (GitHub Repo). Tilck (Tiny Linux Compatible Kernel) is an educational monolithic x86 kernel designed to be the perfect playground for playing in kernel mode while being able to compare how the same usermode bits run on the Linux kernel. It is Linux-compatible at the binary level and can run mainstream Linux programs. Screenshots and more details about how Tilck works are available in the repository.
"The Race for the Next-Gen Space Station . The International Space Station is supposed to retire in 2024, though that date will probably be pushed back to 2030. It is slowly leaking air and getting increasingly expensive to maintain. NASA has awarded $415.6 million to Blue Origin, Nanoracks, and Northrop Grumman to develop a new commercial low Earth orbit destination. There will likely be multiple privately-owned space stations by the end of this decade. Illustrations of space station concept designs from several space companies are available in the article."
"I relearned typing to save my wrists . After experiencing severe wrist pain that limited their ability to type for extended periods, Gregory Witek switched to using an ergonomic keyboard and Colemak layout. Software developers mostly don't work in dangerous environments, but there are still health concerns with the profession related to being sedentary and constant exposure to screens. This article discusses issues with the ergonomics of most keyboards, how ergonomic keyboards work, the process of switching keyboard styles, and the benefits of the change."
"Google designed an envelope you can use to hide your phone from yourself . Google has released three apps that are designed to help you manage your time on your phone. These experimental apps are part of its Digital Wellbeing initiative. Envelope transforms users' phones so that they can only perform simple, specific functions. For example, users can choose to only be able to make and receive calls through a basic keypad interface, or to only be able to take photos or record video. Users can print out specially designed paper cases that help limit the function of their phones. Envelope is open-sourced on GitHub, so developers can alter the app if they want. Envelope is currently only designed for use with Pixel 3A devices. Activity Bubbles and Stopwatch are both apps that change users' home screens so that they can monitor their usage. Activity Bubbles creates bubbles on the phone background, with bigger bubbles indicating more time spent on the phone, and Stopwatch displays a timer for how long a phone has been unlocked."
"Hackers Are Finding Footage on Police Body Cams They Bought on eBay . People purchasing decommissioned police body cameras online have discovered unencrypted video data still on the devices. While there was an attempt to remove the data from the devices before selling them, the data was easily recoverable using existing data forensics tools. Used body cameras are commonly for sale online. Some hackers have bought up stocks of used cameras to investigate the footage."
Vite (Website). Vite is a build tool that provides a faster and leaner development experience for modern web projects. It consists of a dev server with rich feature enhancements over native ES modules and a build command that bundles code with Rollup. Vite is highly extensible via its Plugin API and JavaScript API.
"Amazon’s Biggest Campus In The World Opens In India . Amazon opened its biggest campus in Hyderabad on Wednesday, despite stringent regulations in India regarding foreign eCommerce sites and competition from companies like Walmart. The new campus covers 9.5 acres and has 1.8 million square feet of office space. It will be able to accommodate more than 15,000 employees. Amazon has budgeted more than $5 billion for its India expansion. Due to competition, it may partner up with local stores. Amazon originally entered India in 2004 but did not start focusing on its retail endeavors until 2013. It offers grocery delivery and video streaming through its Prime subscription, and it plans to add restaurant delivery services."
"Windows 10X is now Microsoft’s true answer to Chrome OS . A near-final version of Windows 10X has leaked. The operating system will ship on Chromebook-like devices later this year. It will only ship on new hardware. Windows 10X was originally designed for dual-screen devices. It has a simplified interface, with features comparable to Chrome OS. Screenshots are available in the article. Windows 10X will probably not support desktop apps at launch, but Microsoft is working on a container technology to run traditional apps in a lightweight virtual machine. A redesign of Windows 10 is planned for later this year."
"Here's How China Is Hunting Down Coronavirus Critics . When Joshua Left tried to send information about the coronavirus back to his family in China, he didn't expect to start receiving warnings from WeChat administrators and strange messages from contacts on his list. Left was concerned that his family in China was not getting accurate information about the virus within the country. Contacts on his list started asking for specific location details and other information soon after he sent the messages. When he refused to provide any information, the contacts urged him to return to China as soon as possible. It appears that the Chinese government is monitoring chat services and social media and moderating conversations amongst its citizens. People are being imprisoned for making posts on social media. China recently erased online protests after the death of the whistleblower doctor who tried to warn the world about the virus in December."
"Tailwind CSS tutorial: learn how to build websites using a utility-first CSS framework (18 minute read). Tailwind is built on a new way of building user interfaces using a utility-first CSS class structure. This tutorial walks through how to install, configure, and build a responsive hero section using Tailwind CSS. It walks through configuring the project using the recommended PostCSS powered Tailwind configuration file."
"Remember the Uber self-driving car that killed a woman crossing the street? The AI had no clue about jaywalkers . The first recorded death by a fully autonomous vehicle happened in March 2018, when a self-driving Uber car hit and killed a jaywalking pedestrian. An investigation into the accident found that the code didn't recognize the person as a pedestrian as they did not cross at an obvious designated crossing. The car had detected their presence, but it ignored them, classifying the person as a non-threatening object. At the time of the accident, the vehicle had a human driver at the wheel, but the driver was looking away from the road moments before the accident. The National Safety Transportation Board is set to hold a public meeting on November 19 to determine the probable cause of the collision. Uber will continue to improve the overall safety of their system by training it in scenarios that involve jaywalking, hard braking, and unprotected turns."
"Neural net-generated memes are one of the best uses of AI on the internet . A website from Imgflip automatically generates captions for memes using a neural network. Users can pick from 48 meme templates and they can generate as many captions as they want. The neural network was trained using images uploaded to Imgflip's meme maker. Memes containing profanity were not filtered out of the training data, so the generated memes may contain adult language. A link to the generator and examples of generated memes are available in the article."
"Chinese developers fear losing open source tech to trade war . The US-China trade war may begin to affect software developers in China as they question whether access to GitHub will be restricted. GitHub's export control rules state that the company must comply with US export laws, which may mean it must follow the same rules that restrict exports to Huawei and other similar companies. The Apache Software Foundation, another open-source distributor in the US, released a statement that said that open-source code was not subject to these trade agreements. Open-source code forms the backbone of a lot of projects, so this could have a large impact on the software industry in China."
"A New Gene Editing Tool Rivals CRISPR, and Can Make Millions of Edits at Once . Retron Library Recombineering is a powerful tool that can simultaneously edit millions of DNA sequences and keep track of changes without breaking any DNA strands. Retrons are floating ribbons of DNA that can be converted into a single chain of ssDNA that can replace DNA during recombination. This technique results in the cells' progeny inheriting the target traits. The changes last through generations as cells divide."
"Elon Musk is now the richest person in the world, passing Jeff Bezos . Elon Musk now has a net worth of more than $185 billion, surpassing Jeff Bezos, who is currently worth about $184 billion. Musk's wealth surge was the fastest rise to the top of the rich list in history. Tesla's share price increased more than ninefold in 2020, while Amazon's share price has remained more subdued due to the potential for increased regulation."
"For the first time ever, travelers can join an expedition to the deepest spot in the oceans . The Challenger Deep is believed to be the deepest point in the world's oceans at a depth of 10,928 meters. A travel company and an undersea diving company have teamed up to offer paid spots to join an expedition to dive to the bottom of the Marianas Trench. Until now, only seven people on Earth have visited Challenger Deep. Only three spots are available and they are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis at $750,000 each. The mission will take approximately eight days, with the divers spending up to four hours on the seafloor. No official date has been set for the mission yet. The submarine has been outfitted with comforts such as a 'Sky Bar' and a gym. No formal pre-departure training will be required."
"Quantum internet: A revolution in knowledge is almost a reality . Physicists in the Netherlands have successfully connected three quantum devices. It is the first time a network has been constructed from quantum processors. A quantum-powered internet would allow astonishing levels of privacy and security. It would theoretically be able to supply the processing power needed to solve some of humanity's most challenging problems. Fully-realized quantum internet is still far away, but the three-node network demonstrates how quantum devices could communicate with each other to create a functioning quantum internet in the near future."
Privilege Escalation Cheatsheet (GitHub Repo). Vulnhub is a website that provides virtual machines for penetration testing. It gamifies the experience by making the goal to 'capture the flag' inside the system. This repository contains cheatsheets and walkthroughs for Vulnhub players to help them understand the fundamentals of Privilege Escalation with examples.
"Rivian’s R1T electric truck brings adventure to the EV crowd . Rivian’s R1T electric truck is one of the first electric trucks to make it to the market. Starting at $67,500, the truck is built for adventure and has plenty of storage space for gear. The company also sells accessories, such as tents, that can be installed into the vehicle. With 835 horsepower and 908 pound-feet of torque, the R1T can go from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds. An in-depth video review of the R1T is available in the article."
"Alphabet’s Wing launches app to manage air traffic for drones . Wing has launched an app to manage air traffic for drones. OpenSky has been approved to manage drone flights in Australia, where Wing opened its first public drone delivery service earlier this year. Air traffic management for drones is important, especially for Wing, who wants to put thousands of drones into operation. Other companies are also working on similar air traffic control systems. Wing is still trying to gain approval for drone delivery in the US. Australia and New Zealand have become the leaders in small, electric, unpiloted aviation. Wing is also conducting drone delivery trials in Finland."
"Tesla can now scan for potholes and adjust vehicle suspension to avoid damage . Tesla's 2022.20 update enables Tesla vehicles to scan the road ahead for potholes and adjust the suspension for rough roads. The feature can be activated by selecting 'Comfort' under the Adaptive Suspension Damping setting. It will not affect Autopilot or Full Self-Driving, meaning that vehicles won't try to automatically steer around or avoid road damage. The update also includes a green light chime for vehicles equipped with the hardware 3.0 computer."
"Google announces grab bag of new Android features for the end of 2021 . Google has announced several updates coming to Android that include new widgets for some Google apps, new Android Auto features, and updates for Google Assistant and Google Photos. Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S21 owners can now use their phones as a car key with compatible BMW vehicles in selected countries. Google's Family Bell feature is being updated to work on mobile devices, and the permissions-reset feature will start rolling out on older phones starting next month. Videos from Google explaining the new Photos widgets and the Family Bell feature are available in the article."
"Google Brain, Intel, and UC Berkeley train robotic surgery AI with videos . Motion2Vec is an AI model created by researchers from Google Brain, Intel AI Lab, and UC Berkeley that is capable of learning how to do robotic surgery. It was trained with surgery videos from John Hopkins University and Intuitive Surgery, Inc. A two-minute video is available in the article that contains an overview of Motion2Vec as well as a demonstration of the model performing a suture."
Google Lens coming to desktop Chrome as new integrated image search tool . Google is bringing Lens to the desktop via Chrome browser. Users will soon be able to search images with Google Lens through the right-click menu. The desktop version of Lens allows users to crop and focus. Users can retry their search with Google Images if Lens doesn't provide the right results. The update will roll out with version 92 of Chrome.
"Laser pincers generate antimatter by recreating neutron star conditions . A team of physicists has outlined a new way to create antimatter by reproducing the conditions near a neutron star using lasers. Antimatter is like regular matter except that its particles have the opposite charge. Much is still unknown about it due to its scarcity and instability. The new method involves firing two powerful lasers at a plastic block in a pincer motion, causing clouds of electrons to shoot off and collide with electrons coming the other way from the other laser. This causes a reaction that creates antimatter, which can then be focused using magnetic fields. The concept has yet to be tested, but simulations show that the principle is feasible."
"Announcing Flutter 2 . Flutter 2 is now available. It has been broadened from a mobile framework to a portable framework, allowing developers to make apps for a variety of different platforms, including desktops, foldables, and embedded devices, with little or no change. Existing flutter apps can now grow to target desktop and web without a rewrite. Flutter 2 has production-quality support for the web. There are over 15,000 packages for Flutter. Flutter has an open-source toolkit for building apps."
"Go read this story of tech workers who secretly work multiple remote jobs . Some tech workers have started to earn two full-time paychecks while working remotely, without letting either employer know about the other. The workers have to balance the two jobs, sometimes using paid time off to juggle the occasional big project. Many do not work more than 40 hours a week at both jobs combined. The workers are unapologetic, as they are taking advantage of a system that they feel has taken advantage of them."
"Uber looks to create travel ‘superapp’ by adding planes, trains, and rental cars . Uber plans to add trains, buses, planes, and car rentals to its UK app this year. It will expand these services to other countries if the test goes well. The company is aiming to become a one-stop shop for all travel needs. It plans to add hotel bookings in the future. Uber recently secured a 30-month license to continue operating in London after a battle with city regulators over its ride-hailing app."
"Here’s everything Apple announced at the WWDC 2021 keynote . Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference was full of announcements with all the new things coming to its various devices. iOS 15 will be released in the fall with FaceTime updates, a Focus mode, Live Text, and improvements to Apple Wallet and Maps. AirPods will now work with the Find My app and spatial audio is coming to tvOS and M1-powered Macs. Updates to iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS were also announced. Siri will soon come to third-party devices, and devs will be getting some new tools and APIs. More details about the announcements are available in the article."
"Human aging process biologically reversed in world first . Scientists in Israel have reversed the aging process in humans for the first time. As people age, telomeres shorten and senescent cells build-up, preventing regeneration. Increasing telomere length and removing senescent cells is the focus of many anti-aging studies. The scientists found that giving pure oxygen to older people inside a hyperbaric chamber increased telomere length by 20 percent after just three months of treatment. Previous studies have already shown cognitive benefits using the therapy. The therapy achieved significant telomere elongation at rates far beyond any other currently known interventions."
"The world's first hydrogen train is now in service . The world's first two hydrogen powered trains are now running in Northern Germany. The trains are nearly silent and have a 1,000 km range. A hydrogen tank feeds a fuel cell to generate energy and push the electric train down the track. The train has a very small battery to maintain continuity and store energy from braking. While it's not currently clean, in the future companies will push towards creating H2 to power the trains with 100 percent renewables."
"Robert Downey Jr.'s Series on AI Is Available on YouTube Right Now . YouTube has released its new documentary series, The Age of AI. It is produced, hosted, and narrated by Robert Downey Jr. The series is eight episodes long and it looks into the future of technology and the possibilities of AI in the most humane way possible. RDJ debunks every myth about machine learning and artificial intelligence and offers insight into the latest advancements in the field. Google has recently made YouTube Originals free to watch. YouTube Premium subscribers can watch the entire show right away, while free users will have to wait a week for each new episode. A trailer for the show is available in the article."
"Tesla has a secret lab trying to build its own battery cells to reduce dependence on Panasonic . Tesla has begun to manufacture its own battery cells in an effort to reduce dependence on Panasonic. This may mean that production costs will be lowered and current deals to share data and information with outside vendors or partners will be ended. Elon Musk has acknowledged that innovation has been limited at Tesla due to its current batteries. Musk has been trying to achieve vertical integration with all levels of manufacturing within Tesla. In the past month, Tesla has been posting job listings for engineers with experience in battery cell design, producing battery cells, and manufacturing processes to make batteries."
"Hackers stuck a 2-inch strip of tape on a 35-mph speed sign and successfully tricked 2 Teslas into accelerating to 85 mph . Security researchers at McAfee were able to trick Tesla vehicles into speeding up by 50 mph by using tape to modify speed signs. The researchers stuck two inches of tape on a 35-mph speed sign, making it appear to look like an 85-mph speed sign. When the Tesla vehicles approached the speed sign, it read the incorrect speed limit and accelerated. MobilEye EyeQ3, the company that provides the Tesla 2016 models with their camera systems, dismissed the research, saying that the modified signs could have been misread by humans. Tesla's newer models use proprietary cameras and were not fooled by the modified sign."
"This dad took his son to Mongolia just to get him off his phone . Adventurer Jamie Clarke felt that he was starting to lose touch with his son Khobe due to technology. Both of them had become attached to using their mobile devices and it was beginning to make them more distant. He didn't realize how big the problem had become until they spent a weekend away to a place without an internet connection. After realizing the impact that technology had on their relationship, Clarke and Khobe started planning a year-long trip through Mongolia, a trip where they would live without being constantly connected to the world. They found the trip to be an interesting experience and will try to apply some of the lessons they learned to their everyday lives."
"Twitter launches voice tweets on iOS to test ‘a more human touch’ . A limited group of iOS users are now testing Twitter's latest voice tweet function. The new function allows users to broadcast audio of up to 140 seconds long. Audio that goes over the 140-second limit will automatically create a thread. While the feature is available only to select users, all users will be able to see and hear voice tweets. Twitter hopes that the feature will reduce misunderstandings and create a more human experience."
"U.S. Escalates Online Attacks on Russia’s Power Grid (10 minute read). Since 2012, the United States has been conducting reconnaissance into the control systems of the Russian power grid. Now, the strategy is shifting more towards offense, as the US moves to give warning to Russia and other countries who try to conduct cyber offensives against the US. It is unknown how deeply US code has penetrated Russian systems. Russia has also likely installed malicious code within US power systems. Cyber attacks against the US by Russia have so far elicited little response or retaliation. As the attacks continue, the US is required to take countermeasures in case a serious incident occurs, such as a nation-wide blackout during the 2020 elections, which experts believe may possible."
"How the Blockchain Could Break Big Tech's Hold on A.I. . The conventional wisdom surrounding AI is that the company with the most data wins. Now, startups are using blockchains to democratize data so that data remains under the user's control instead of Google's or Facebook's. Ocean Protocol is a Berlin-based startup that allows anyone to set up a data marketplace, with users of data paying for the data with digital tokens. Revel is a company that pays out tokens in exchange for training data sets, like collecting pictures of taxis. Oasis is a medical information blockchain using advanced encryption techniques such that no company, not even the one using the data, will have access to it. Researchers will be able to run the data through their machine learning algorithms and prove that calculations are done correctly all without ever having access to the underlying data. SingularityNET is a blockchain of AIs, so that if one AI cannot come up with an answer, it can pay another AI to help."
Raspberry Pi 4 (8GB). The Raspberry Pi Foundation has just released a Raspberry Pi 4 B with 8GB of RAM for $75. It is identical to the Raspberry Pi 4 B in every way except for the RAM capacity. A 64-bit version of Debian Linux for Raspberry Pi is in the works that will be able to take advantage of the extra RAM to improve performance. The new 8GB Pi has a switch-mode power supply that provides more power for the RAM. Benchmark tests show little difference in performance between the 4GB and 8GB models
"Making Video Games Is Not a Dream Job . While the video game industry has boomed in the past year, many thousands of video game developers have lost their jobs in the last 12 months due to cost-cutting measures and studio closures. Worker exploitation has always been a part of the video game industry, and recently developers have been considering the idea of unionization. While unionization will not stop game studios from firing their developers, it may help developers negotiate a better severance package, along with other worker benefits."
"How to design better APIs . This article contains 15 tips on how to design better APIs. It covers basic security considerations, HTTP methods, implementing authentication, requests and responses, and more. All tips are language-agnostic."
"One Step Closer to 1,000 km/h Train . The Korea Railroad Research Institute has achieved a speed of over 1,000 kilometers an hour in a 1/17 hyper-tube train aerodynamic test model. The test model ran in a near-vacuum tube of 0.001 atm. This is the first test model that has successfully reduced the atmospheric pressure to below 1 atm. The institute is planning to start actual track and vehicle development in 2022."
"YouTube wins naming rights for 6,000-seat event venue at Hollywood Park . YouTube Theater is a new live event venue in Inglewood, California. It will host concerts, comedy shows, YouTube creator events, esports competitions, and community shows. The 6,000-seat venue is at the site of the former Hollywood Park Racetrack. It has a 6,100-square-foot stage and a 3,500-square-foot private club. The theater will have a large-scale digital YouTube 'play' button icon outside that can turn into an immersive video screen. It is set to open later this summer."
"Tailwind CSS v3.0 . Tailwind CSS v3.0 is now available. It includes improvements to build times, colors, effects, layouts, styling, and much more. Developers can use Tailwind Play now to try out the latest features. A list of major changes, along with a summary description of the changes, is available in the article."
"dorking - how to find anything on the Internet . 'Dorking' is the term for using search engines to find very specific data. It can be used to find emails, webpages, files, coupons, SEO keywords, potential vulnerabilities, and more. This page contains a quick guide to dorking, with examples that can be copied and pasted directly into Google. A list of useful operators (components of a search query that narrow the results down) is available at the end of the article."
"Old Mice 'Rejuvenated' With Injections of Brain Fluid From The Young . A new study has found links between memory and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in mice. The study found that older mice that were injected with CSF from younger mice had improved memory. CSF composition changes with age and these changes are used to assess brain health and disease biomarkers. The study found that CSF from younger mice resulted in brain cells producing more myelin, a material that covers and insulates neuron fibers, in the hippocampus, an area of the brain associated with memory formation. There is still a lot of research to be done before the technique can be tested in humans."
"Here’s everything Apple announced at its ‘Spring Loaded’ event today . Apple just announced updates to its iMacs, iPad Pros, Apple TV, iPhones, and Podcast app. It also finally unveiled its long-rumored AirTag tracking device, which will launch at the end of the month. The new iMacs and iPad Pros will feature Apple's M1 chipset, providing significant performance improvements to both devices. The Apple TV will be powered by the A12 Bionic chip. It has a redesigned remote with a five-way click pad and an iPod-like scroll wheel. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini are getting a new purple color option. Apple's Podcast app has been redesigned, with options for paid subscriptions now available."
"In 'Digital India', Government Hands Out Free Phones to Win Votes . The BJP, one of India's two major political parties currently controls the national parliament and most state assemblies. They have created a $71 million free-phone program in the state of Chhattisgarh that is supposed to bridge the digital divide by bringing basic smartphones and cell service to rural India. However, now the 2.9 million people who received free phones are being targeted by the BJP, who are using this database of phone numbers in a new get-out-the-vote effort. One anonymous BJP worker says ""They are misusing state machinery for personal gains. When we are in the government and have done so well, why do we need to do this?"" The phones come with a smiling image of Chhattisgarh's BJP state minister Raman Singh as the default background, causing some to nickname the program ""Raman mobile""."
"Introducing draft pull requests . GitHub has introduced the ability to create draft pull requests, allowing developers to create pull requests which may not be aimed for deployment, but to create discussion and continued collaboration. Users can now opt to create a draft pull request by using the dropdown menu when selecting ‘Create pull request’. The draft pull request is styled differently, and users can choose to change the state of the draft to a full pull request by selecting the ‘Ready for review’ button near the bottom of the pull request."
"Apple AirTags tracking tags leaked in Apple’s own video . Apple's AirTags trackers were mentioned on a recent Apple Support video. The tracking tags will bring Find My iPhone-style location service to other items, such as keys. Apple's ability to create tailored hardware could make a huge impact on the tracking industry. The video has since been removed. It is not yet known when AirTags will be released. A link to a copy of the video is available in the article."
"I Quit My Job to Protest My Company’s Work on Building Killer Robots . Machine learning will make war more efficient and the technology is already being used in combat today. In 2014, Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk, along with thousands of AI researchers signed a pledge to never contribute to the development of lethal autonomous weapons, but these weapons are already being developed and used in other countries. While semi-autonomous weapons are common, they still require a human to authorize a kill. Fully autonomous weapons are able to select and kill targets, without any human authorization other than to start the operation. There are good reasons to fear this technology, which will change the way that humans wage war in the future."
"Firecracker (Github Repo). Firecracker is a virtualization technology designed for serverless deployments that's been open sourced by AWS. The purpose is to create super lightweight virtual machines (microVMs), to decrease memory footprint and startup times, it's currently being used in AWS Lambda and AWS Fargate. Not sure why AWS open sourced this since it seems like it'd be a pretty big competitive advantage but I'm glad they did!"
"Mysterious magnetic pulses discovered on Mars (13 minute read). The InSight lander has discovered that Mars' magnetic field will occasionally pulsate in ways that have never been observed before. InSight has been gathering information on Mars such as upper crust temperature, the sounds of alien quakes, and the strength and direction of the planet's magnetic field. It has found that Mars' crust is far more powerfully magnetic than scientists expected. There is a peculiar electrically conductive layer about 2.5 miles thick deep beneath the planet's surface. This layer may be a global reserve of liquid water, similar to Earth's groundwater. Mars' crustal magnetic field is ten times stronger than Earth's, suggesting that it once also had a major global magnetic field. Magnetic fields can be used to find the presence of underground water, but it is too early to tell exactly what is causing the fields and the magnetic pulses. A gallery of images taken on Mars is available."
"ByteDance picks Oracle as partner to try to save TikTok U.S . Oracle will partner with ByteDance to keep TikTok operating in the US. US officials had concerns over the user information that the app could potentially pass to China, so President Donald Trump ordered TikTok to be sold to a US entity or be shut down. Oracle will assume management of TikTok's US user data and is negotiating a stake in TikTok's US operations. The deal includes a commitment to creating a US-headquartered company with 20,000 new jobs. It is unknown whether the deal will be approved."
"Ask HN: What are your favorite low-coding apps / tools as a developer? (Hacker News Thread). Low-coding, or no-coding, is becoming more common and there are many apps that provide basic functionality for non-coders. However, these apps can be inflexible and make it hard to customize code. This thread contains recommendations of low-coding apps for lazy devs. Many of these apps make it easy for devs to focus on their core product rather than dedicating valuable time to build and maintain internal tools."
"Hate lawyers? Can’t afford one? Blockchain smart contracts are here to help. . Online firms like Rocket Lawyer and LegalZoom are experimenting with blockchain smart contracts that could track all the rights and obligations of a given contract and automatically trigger payments without anybody having to chase up payments offline. For example, if a business needed to pay a freelancer for a task, using smart contracts, it's possible to automate tracking the progress of the task and sending payment, all without the need for human intervention. Rocket Lawyer has already launched a beta for Rocket Wallet, a platform for ""contract execution and payment"" on the Ethereum blockchain, all without requiring users to actually handle or interact with cryptocurrency. LegalZoom has begun working on smart contracts as well."
"Walmart unveils an AI-powered store of the future, now open to the public . Walmart has revealed its new ‘store of the future’ which will operate out of a Walmart Neighborhood Market in Levittown, N.Y. The new store concept will use emerging technologies, such as AI-enabled cameras and interactive displays. Unlike Amazon Go stores, Walmart’s new Intelligent Retail Lab (IRL) stores will be larger and staffed by more than 100 employees. The AI cameras will be used to monitor stock levels rather than how many items a customer has selected. Walmart aims to use technology to aid employees in the store rather than as a way to replace employees."
"Leaflet (GitHub Repo). Leaflet is a JavaScript library for mobile-friendly interactive maps. It works efficiently across all major desktop and mobile platforms and is accessible on older browsers. Leaflet has all the mapping features most developers ever need, and it can be extended with a huge amount of plugins."
"AirPods, the world’s most popular wireless headphones, are getting even better . Apple has released its second generation of AirPods, featuring the new Apple-designed H1 chip, which is designed specifically for headphones. The H1 chip allows for 50% more talk time, more seamless switching between devices, and the ability to use 'Hey Siri' voice controls. A new Wireless Charging Case has also been introduced. Customers can purchase the new AirPods with the standard case for $159, or with the new Wireless Charging Case for $199. The Wireless Charging Case can be purchased separately for $79 and is compatible with first generation AirPods. A free engraving service is also available at checkout."
"Brain-cleaning skullcap gets US Army funding . The glymphatic system cleans out toxic waste products from the brain during deep sleep by flushing it with cerebrospinal fluid. Studying it could provide insights into sleep disorders and how to treat them. Currently, the only way to study the glymphatic system requires MRI machines. The US Army is funding the development of a wearable skullcap that can measure and control fluid flow in the brain during sleep to enhance soldiers' performance. Technologies that help clear waste in the brain would help those at risk for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's."
"Spotify confirms it paid $56 million for Parcast, taking its total podcast acquisition value to $400 million . Spotify has confirmed the $56 million cost to acquire Parcast, a story-based podcasting studio that it purchased last month. This is the third podcasting studio that Spotify has purchased in less than two months. Spotify purchased Gimlet and Anchor earlier this year for a confirmed amount of $344 million. In the Q4 shareholder letter, Spotify had notified investors that it had budgeted $500 million for similar purchases in 2019, so there may still be more acquisitions on the way. Podcasting is a major focus for Spotify and they are developing solutions to maximize ad revenue from the platform."
"Scientists Engineer Houseplants to Soak Up Cancer-Causing Chemicals . There is a gene that codes for a protein called cytochrome P450, which exists in many mammals' livers, helping them clean up toxins. Scientists spliced this gene from a rabbit's genome into a houseplant, and it began detoxifying the surrounding air, leaching carcinogens like chloroform and benzene out of the air. Synthetic biologist Patrick Shih says ""We're still in the early stages of what we can do with engineered plants...this could be a very cool application to make the household less dangerous."""
Folly: Facebook Open-source Library (GitHub Repo). Folly contains a variety of core library components used extensively at Facebook. It complements offerings such as Boost and std. Facebook will remove features from folly if or when std or Boost obsoletes them.
"101 GitHub Repos - Absolute List Of Useful Repos (12 minute read). This page contains a list of 101 GitHub repos that could be useful or interesting. The list is presented without categories and in no particular order. It covers a range of topics, with a slight bias towards JavaScript."
"Google announces the Pixel 5 for $699 . The Google Pixel 5 will be available in eight countries on October 15th, then in the US on October 29th for $699. Preorders are available now. The device features a Snapdragon 765G processor with Qualcomm's integrated X52 modem for 5G support, IPx8 water resistance, reverse wireless charging, 8GB ram, and more. Its display is a 6-inch 2340 x 1080 OLED panel with a full edge-to-edge display and a hole-punch selfie camera. There are two rear cameras, a 12.2-megapixel main camera with a 77-degree field of view and a 16-megapixel ultrawide that shoots at 107 degrees. More details, including a link for preorders, are available in the article."
"Hiring Without Whiteboards (GitHub Repo). Whiteboard interviews are where job interviewees are asked a series of CS trivia questions and judged on their competence on these on-the-spot answers. As many professionals in the IT industry understand, knowing how and where to find solutions and answers for their projects is a large part of their skillset. This GitHub repository has a large list of companies which hire potential employees through pairing on a real-world problem or through take-home exercises."
"A Guide to Production Level Deep Learning (GitHub Repo). This repository contains engineering guidelines for building production-level deep learning systems which can be deployed in real-world applications. It goes through each module, recommended toolset, and framework, as well as best practices from practitioners that fit each component. A graphical overview of different components in a production level deep learning system is available."
"Mmhmm turns your boring Zoom call into a Weekend Update-style TV show . Mmhmm is a virtual camera app that can be used with popular video and streaming services to transform backgrounds into virtual stages. It allows users to easily manipulate slides, backgrounds, and camera images. Users can work together to create collaborative presentations. The app can be used to create separate interactive presentations, making it potentially appealing to salespeople. It is currently available as an invite-only beta for macOS Catalina."
"Scientists reverse age-related vision loss, eye damage from glaucoma in mice . Scientists from Harvard Medical School successfully restored vision in mice by reversing aging in retinal cells. The work shows that it may be possible to safely reprogram complex tissues to an earlier age. Reversing the cells' age resulted in reversing vision loss in animals with a condition similar to human glaucoma. It is the first successful attempt to reverse glaucoma-induced vision loss. The treatment involved using an adeno-associated virus as a vehicle to deliver three youth-restoring genes. It is based on a new theory about aging, which postulates that changes to the epigenome over time causes cells to read the wrong genes and malfunction."
"Letter from Tim Cook to Apple investors . Tim Cook wrote a letter to investors warning investors that first quarter earnings would be much worse than expected, at around $84 billion instead of $89-93 billion as forecasted. Most of this is because of a huge drop in Chinese demand. Other divisions of Apple actually rose 19% over the past year, but the iPhone is their primary business, and sales have been sluggish especially as battery replacements caused more people to stay with their old phones instead of upgrading. Apple stock dropped 10% on the news."
"Meta hiring freeze for E4-E6 . Meta is cancelling scheduled virtual onsite interviews. Not all interviews are being canceled, but Blind users are reporting that some interviews between E3 to E6 were canceled. The hiring freeze suggests that Meta may be taking defensive measures against a potentially disappointing quarterly earnings report."
"Amazon announces 11 new and refreshed Echo-branded gadgets—like a wall clock . Amazon announced 11 Echo branded products. There is a new Echo Dot speaker for $50 that is 70% louder than the previous Echo Dot. Echo Input is a Chromecast Audio competitor, it doesn't have a speaker itself, but it plugs into other speakers and gives them Alexa capabilities (it does come with built in microphones). Echo Sub is a $130 subwoofer. Echo Plus is a $150 all in one speaker hub with a built-in temperature sensor. Amazon Smart Plug is a $25 dongle that helps you set up other Echo devices. Echo Auto is a $25 dongle that can connect to your car's audio either via Bluetooth or an auxiliary jack. Fire TV Recast is a $230 DVR. AmazonBasics Microwave is a $60 microwave. Echo Wall Clock is a $30 wall clock that has Alexa integration for no apparent reason. A new Echo Show is available, it's basically an iPad attached to a speaker for $230."
"Huawei partners with TomTom for Google Maps alternative . Huawei is unable to use anything made by Google on its phones due to a US ban on the Chinese tech company. TomTom and Huawei have struck a deal to build a Google Maps rival called Map Kit, which will support real-time traffic reports and augmented reality features. Huawei was able to skirt the US government's trade ban as TomTom is a Netherlands-based company. Its phones are still powered by Android, but they lack Google's apps and services, including the Play Store. This has impacted Huawei's ability to sell its phones outside of Asia. It has been looking for software alternatives just in case it is forced to ditched Android entirely."
"Amazon wants to scan your body to make perfectly fitting shirts . Amazon recently unveiled a brand called 'Made for You' that makes custom-fitted clothes. Its first product is a $25 custom t-shirt. The process starts with the user inputting body dimension data to create a virtual body double, after which they can choose the color, sleeve length, and neckline of the shirt. Amazon has declined to discuss its manufacturing process in detail, but its website says the shirts are made in the US with imported fabric. It plans to offer other types of garments on the platform."
"New bill would ban autoplay videos and endless scrolling . A new bill called the Social Media Addiction Reduction Technology Act, or the SMART Act, will ban features that keep users on platforms longer, targeting the tech industry's addictive designs. Big tech has designed many products using psychological tricks that make it difficult to look away. The new bill will also make it unlawful for tech companies to use deceptive designs to manipulate users into opting into services. Companies may be required to implement tools for tracking how much time users are spending on different apps and websites if the bill becomes law."
"Jack Dorsey’s Square changes corporate name to Block . Square will become Block from December 10 as it expands beyond its original credit card business and starts focusing on blockchain technology. The company remains focused on building tools to help increase access to the economy. It will still trade under the ticker SQ on the NASDAQ. Square Crypto, a part of the company dedicated to advancing crypto, will change its name to Spiral. Jack Dorsey, Square's CEO, recently stepped down from his other job as Twitter CEO to have more time to dedicate to Square's growing portfolio."
"Climate emission killer: construction begins on world’s biggest liquid air battery . The world's largest liquid air battery has begun construction near Manchester, UK. It will use spare green energy to compress air into a liquid and store it, releasing it back into a gas to power a turbine when required. The battery will be operational in 2022 and will be able to power up to 200,000 homes for five hours. It will store 250MWh of energy and cost £85m. The project will create 200 jobs, mainly in construction."
"A visit to the human factory (14 minute read). Clips of Engineered Arts' bot Ameca went viral last December as people were amazed by its realistic facial expressions when interacting with researchers. The robot displayed emotions and responded to questions and movements in an eerily human way. This article discusses Engineered Arts, the history of robotics, how Ameca was developed, and more. It contains many pictures and videos from Engineered Arts' offices where they build their robots."
Researchers have used a virus to fight a drug-resistant lung infection . Researchers have successfully used bacteriophages to treat an antibiotic-resistant mycobacterial lung infection. The patient had cystic fibrosis and had suffered a mycobacterial lung infection over a six-year period. They were denied a life-saving lung transplant multiple times due to the infection. The bacteriophage treatment ran for 200 days and was so successful that the patient was able to undergo the lung transplant.
"This 'snake robot' can fix pipelines on the ocean floor . Eelume is a six-meter-long snake-like robot that will make deep-sea oil and gas operations safer, cheaper, and less polluting. It can be kept at a docking station at depths of up to 500 meters for six months, travel up to 20 kilometers between charges, and it has parts that can be swapped out for different tasks. Eelume can work autonomously in confined spaces and send back video and data. The global underwater robotics market is expected to be worth around $7 billion in 2025. A 3-minute video that features the robot is available in the article."
"HTTPX (GitHub Repo). HTTPX is a next-generation HTTP client for Python which aims to provide more functionality than the requests module. In addition to the standard features of requests, HTTPX has sessions with cookie persistence, multipart file uploads, streaming downloads, browser-style SSL verification, and more. It is currently in an alpha development stage."
"Experimental Brain Implant Restores Visual Perception to the Blind . Researchers at UCLA Health have created a device that can help blind people navigate the world by restoring their ability to perceive objects and movement. So far, six blind patients have had the devices surgically implanted in them. With the implants, the patients are able to complete daily tasks like sorting laundry or finding and picking up items from a table. The device is designed for people who have lost their vision due to injury or disease. It is the first device of its kind that can be used in a patient's home without having to be plugged into another external device. The device works by converting images from a video camera mounted on sunglasses into a series of electric pulses that stimulate the 60 electrodes implanted on top of the patients' brain's visual cortex. Patients report seeing in 'dots' rather than full images."
"Tinder created an interactive show. Gen Z loves it . Swipe Night is a new four-part video series that was released by Tinder this month. An episode aired every Sunday during October in the US and was only available for 6 hours. During each episode, users were able to make choices by swiping left or right. These choices affected the rest of the story. Users were matched with other users depending on the choices they made. Matches on Tinder jumped 26 percent as a result, and messages increased by 12 percent. Tinder is planning an international rollout of the series in February 2020. The plot of the story centers around an apocalyptic scenario where a comet is set to destroy Earth in three hours."
"Startups In India Want To Build Their Own App Store To Bypass Google's . Nearly 60 executives from dozens of Indian companies are joining together to create an Indian app store as an alternative to the Google Play store. Starting next year, these companies will have to give 30% of in-app payments to Google if they continue using the Play store. Last month, Google removed an Indian payment app from the Play store, spooking Indian startups and raising questions about how much control Google had over the country's internet. 99% of smartphones sold in India use Android and there are no alternatives to the Play store for developers right now."
"Machine Learning Attack Series: Image Scaling Attacks . An image scaling attack involves hiding a smaller image inside a larger image so that an image is completely different when it is resized. This can be used to poison training data or to make machine learning models recognize different objects, as most models will resize images before processing them. The machine learning model will process the resized image rather than the original image, even though the two images are completely different. An example is available in the article."
"Psyche: NASA Mission to a Metal World (13 minute read). The Psyche mission, scheduled to launch in August 2022, aims to study the surface of 16 Psyche, an asteroid that is thought to be the remnants of a protoplanet. The asteroid is about as wide as Massachusetts and has a metal-like density. Orbiting an asteroid can be harder than orbiting a planet as they have little gravity, so the spacecraft's propulsion system must do all the work. This article talks about the Psyche mission and the technologies that were developed for it."
"A Self-Learning, Modern Computer Science Curriculum (GitHub Website). This website contains a modern computer science curriculum designed for someone with an interest in theory. Each resource is self-contained and covers all necessary background reading. Previous experience in programming and a basic understanding of calculus is highly recommended for the course."
"Daniel Ek (26 minute read). Daniel Ek is the co-founder and CEO of Spotify. This interview with Ek covers topics such as his daily routine, values, decision-making process, views on working, and more. Ek discusses Spotify's business, its structure, and its strategies."
"Crypto nerds are trying to buy the U.S. Constitution, because of course they are . ConstitutionDAO is a decentralized autonomous organization created to pool funds together to buy a first print of the US constitution. The print, of which 13 out of the original 500 copies remain, will be auctioned off on November 18. It is expected to fetch up to $20 million. The DAO plans to find a safe place to store the document, such as the Smithsonian. A link to the ConstitutionDAO website, which has a live tracker of how much they have raised, is available in the article."
Myopia correcting 'smart glasses' from Japan to be sold in Asia . Kubota Pharmaceutical Holdings is planning to release a wearable device that can project an image onto the wearer's retina to correct the refractive error that causes nearsightedness. Wearing the device for 60 to 90 minutes a day can correct myopia. The company is still testing the device to see how long the effect lasts and how many days a user needs to wear the device to achieve a permanent correction for nearsightedness. The device will be available in Asian markets in the second half of the year.
"Losses to romance scams reached a record $304 million in 2020 . Stay-at-home and social distancing may have played a major role in romance scams reaching record levels in 2020. Total losses were estimated at $304 million. The total dollar losses have increased more than fourfold since 2016. Targets of these scams send money to scammers thinking they are helping out someone they care about. Many romance scams start on social media networks and use gift cards for money transfers. All age groups were targeted last year, but victims aged 40 to 69 were targeted the most. Victims aged above 70 reported the highest average losses."
"How To Interview Engineers When You're Not Technical - Part II . The goal of an engineering interview is to ask questions that surface understanding of engineering culture and attitude. It is difficult to assess technical ability through programming quizzes or by reviewing code, so an interview should judge the engineer’s mastery of software process and communication. Asking questions related to a candidate’s problem-solving strategies, how a candidate sees their work, and how they would build their ideal team reveals important information about a candidate. Additional interview questions, as well as discussions on why they are effective, are in the article."
"Wing will test drone delivery in the US with Walgreens and FedEx . Wing will be launching a test program in Virginia with Walgreens, FedEx, and Sugar Magnolia. It will deliver snacks, over-the-counter medicines, and other selected packages. Only 22,000 people in Montgomery County will be eligible as Wing continues to figure out what works and what doesn't. When customers place an order, Wing's delivery drones head to a specific delivery location, where a human operator hooks a package onto the drone. The drone cruises at about 60-70 mph to the delivery location, where it lowers the package to the ground to be released. Packages can be up to 3 lbs. Delivery during the test phase will be free, and the first delivery will begin next month."
"/r/shortcuts (Subreddit). This is a new and quickly growing subreddit about iPhone Shortcuts (scripts that you can run using the new Shortcuts App). If you're the kind of person who likes to tinker with scripts on your own devices, there's a lot of cool stuff here, the subreddit already has 45k subscribers."
"Secret’s founder returns with anti-loneliness app Ikaria . Chrys Bader-Wechseler co-founded Secret in 2013. It closed down two years later after raising $35 million and serving 15 million users. The app allowed people to post without a name or consequences, making them open up, but also causing some bullying. Bader-Wechseler learned from Secret and developed Ikaria, a chat app that creates safe spaces to chat with close friends, family, or people going through similar life challenges. The app will provide a guided experience to help members reflect and discuss what is going on in their hearts and minds. Ikaria plans to develop a customer relationship with users, which could mean a subscription or in-app payments for content. The startup doesn't want to rely on advertising as it would mean that the app wouldn't serve its users properly."
"Developer Roadmaps (Website). This site contains step by step guides and paths to learning different tools and technologies. It includes guides for becoming a frontend developer, backend developer, DevOps, full-stack developer, or a QA engineer. Users can contribute to the project or request changes and additional information."
"US Cyber Command disrupted the notorious Trickbot botnet . The Trickbot botnet is a network of at least a million hijacked computers reported to be run by Russian-speaking criminals. Using malware, the operators of the botnet stole sensitive information and infected systems with ransomware. Trickbot was used to attack a healthcare provider with ransomware in September. A recent operation mounted by the US Cyber Command interrupted the Trickbot botnet's operations several times over the last few weeks, disconnecting infected computers from the servers used to control them."
"Datadog Monitoring and Security (Sponsor). Datadog provides a powerful, easy to use observability and security platform. Try it out today."
"Uber announces another round of layoffs as financial uncertainty looms . Uber has let go of another 435 employees, just a few months after it cut 400 employees from its marketing division. In August, Uber put a hiring freeze on new software engineers and product managers, but that freeze has now been lifted. Uber posted a record $5.2 billion net loss in its second-quarter this year. Despite the cost-cutting in its marketing, engineering, and product divisions, Uber has increased spending in other areas, such as its freight business. It has also joined with Lyft to spend $60 million in order to fund a ballot initiative in California to create a new classification for drivers. A bill in California could force Uber and Lyft to designate drivers as employees, which could increase labor costs by 30 percent if passed."
"Meet the Chinese operating system that’s trying to shift the country off Windows (10 minute read). Chinese tech companies have started developing their own software since the US has blocked China from using its software and hardware. Unified Operating System is a Linux-based system that can boot in 30 seconds on China-made chips. There are a variety of other Chinese operating systems. Screenshots and descriptions of these systems are available in the article. China missed an opportunity to switch operating systems when Windows XP reached the end of its lifecycle, but now the country is ready."
"Apple acquires patent portfolio of failed smart home security startup Lighthouse AI . Lighthouse AI was a startup that focused on augmented reality and 3D sensing with the aim of using the technology to make it easier to understand and sort through security footage. It shut down in December after failing to achieve commercial success. Apple has acquired eight patents and patent applications from the company, which relate to computer-vision based security, visual authentication, low-light video capturing, speech interference, communication interfaces, and incident sharing. It is still unknown what Apple plans to use these patents for, but they could be used to improve Face ID and expand HomeKit’s support for security systems."
PyBridge-iOS (GitHub Repo). PyBridge-iOS allows Python code to run in native iOS applications. It can send String or JSON messages to the Python interpreter without the need for any web frameworks. Developers just need to open the PyBridge-iOS project in Xcode to run.
"Why Andorra is the new ‘Silicon Valley for YouTubers’ . Andorra has become a creative hub filled with social media influencers from across Europe. The high concentration of other creators, along with other benefits like tax breaks, have attracted many to the area. Andorra allows business owners to put 'YouTube' as their company's purpose since 2019. There has been some backlash against those who have moved, with the national media in Spain calling them unpatriotic, especially during a time when the country is struggling with its economy."
"Looking Glass might have just invented the GIF’s 3D successor . Looking Glass is a company that is trying to make holograms effortlessly portable, just like GIFs. The Looking Glass Block is a new image format that lets people see inside a 3D scene even if viewed on a normal flat screen. They can be viewed on any modern web browser. Blocks can be scaled to any device of any resolution. Examples of Blocks can be viewed in the article."
"FedEx to end ground delivery business with Amazon . FedEx has announced that it will no longer make ground deliveries for Amazon, two months after it terminated its air delivery contract with Amazon. In a regulatory filing in February, Amazon stated that its competitors included transportation companies such as FedEx, and it appears that FedEx is treating Amazon like any other competitor by terminating services. Amazon has been growing its own fleet of air and ground transportation and reducing its reliance on FedEx, UPS, and the US Postal Service. Its plans to switch from two-day delivery to one-day delivery have proved to be more difficult than originally planned, with costs going higher than the estimated $800 million required for the transition. FedEx will continue to complete some deliveries for Amazon, and both companies released amicable statements regarding the separation."
"Hyundai latest concept 'car' walks to places it can't drive . Hyundai's Tiger X-1 is a vehicle that has long, bendable legs that it can use if its wheels can't get it to where it needs to go. It can drive in any direction, using either its wheels or legs. The legs can bend as the vehicle goes over uneven terrain, keeping the cargo area level. Hyundai designed the vehicle to be used for difficult rescue operations following natural disasters. It can be connected to an aerial drone to be flown to any location. Hyundai estimates that it needs at least another five years before the Tiger will be ready for the real world."
"SpaceX shifts resources to cybersecurity to address Starlink jamming . SpaceX has changed its priorities to cyber defense and overcoming signal jamming after some Starlink terminals near conflict areas were jammed for several hours at a time. It has rolled out updates that bypass the jamming and reduce power consumption, allowing terminals to be powered by a car cigarette lighter. Starlink is the only non-Russian communications system that is still working in some parts of Ukraine, making terminals possible targets for Russian forces. The change in focus for the company will cause slight delays for Starship and Starlink V2."
"Web security company Cloudflare files to go public . Cloudflare filed for its initial public offering on Thursday. The company has 74,873 customers, 408 who contribute more than $100,000 each in annual bills. It reported a $36.8 million loss in the first half of 2019, with a revenue increase of 48 percent since the first half of 2018. Cloudflare helps companies distribute content and keep it available online, and it provides services to companies such as DigitalOcean, IBM, and Discord. Its competition includes Cisco, Akamai, Amazon, and Microsoft. In 2017, Cloudflare stopped providing services to clients with certain ideologies, which caused some losses with potential clients who elected not to subscribe to its services as a result."
"Basking shark families go on road trips in search of fine dining . The basking shark is an endangered species that feeds on zooplankton, tiny creatures found near the surface of the ocean. It was once common off the coast of western Europe. A recent study has found that basking sharks like to travel to areas where there are high densities of zooplankton to feed. This causes hundreds of basking sharks to converge in inshore surface waters on the Scottish west coast, Ireland, and the Isle of Man. More than 80,000 basking sharks were slaughtered for their oily livers in the second half of the 20th century. The study reveals previously unknown behaviors about the sharks to conservationists, allowing them to more effectively protect the species."
"Inside Apple’s Top Secret Testing Facilities Where iPhone Defences are Forged in Temperatures of -40C (23 minute read). Apple tests its chips for security and privacy flaws in a special facility on its campus. When designing a product, Apple abides by a 'privacy by design' philosophy, where everything is created with privacy as a priority. Apple also follows a 'privacy by default' policy, which means that they won't allow data gathering unless there is a real need for it. Unlike software, chips can't be updated after they leave production, so Apple tests their chips in extreme conditions to make sure that they are able to keep customer information safe no matter what happens."
"IdeasAI (GitHub Repo). This page contains a collection of ideas generated by OpenAI's GPT-3. People can upvote and downvote ideas. Ideas are sorted by Top Monthly, Weekly, Yesterday, All Time, and New. Users can pay a fee to remove ideas from the website."
"India approves world's first DNA Covid vaccine . ZyCoV-D, a DNA vaccine against Covid-19, has been approved for emergency use in India. DNA vaccines, similar to other vaccines, teach the immune system to fight the real virus. They give the body information to make a fragment of the spike protein to trigger an immune response. DNA vaccines are used in animals, but they have been ineffective in humans in the past. ZyCoV-D is 66 percent effective in preventing symptomatic disease after three doses. It is administered using a needle-free injector. The vaccine is stable at temperatures -2C to 8C, making it easy to store and transport."
"Inside the Experiment to Create Mars on Earth . There are dozens of habitats around the globe that host simulations on what it would be like to live on Mars. These simulations run anywhere from two weeks to a full year while the inhabitants conduct experiments and figure out how normal humans can live and work on another planet. Some programs are open to people with no background in science, engineering, or astronaut training. This article describes a few of these habitats and what it is like living in them. Pictures and a video showing what it is like inside a Mars simulation project are available."
"Scoop: Amazon quietly building live audio business . Amazon is investing in a new live audio feature similar to Clubhouse. It will focus on live concerts and performances, but Amazon is also looking at radio programs and podcasts. The service will be integrated with Twitch, Amazon's live video service. Live audio services have exploded during the pandemic and many tech companies have made big investments in the space."
"Watershed Moment (11 minute read). Genki balls are mud balls that contain a microbial solution that promotes vigorous plant growth. They have been used to transform areas of environmental blight into healthy soil and clean water in one hundred countries. The canals of Waikīkī have become muddy due to urbanization and pollution. The Genki Ala Wai Project is a collaboration between schools to throw Genki balls into the canals. Three months after it started, much of the sludge has disappeared in parts of the canal and water quality has remarkably improved. The Genki Ala Wai Project plans to expand and teach the public how to make Genki balls."
"Instacart jumps into prescription delivery with Costco . Instacart is launching a prescription delivery service in a partnership with Costco. The service is now available from nearly 200 Costco locations in eight states. Instacart will expand the service nationally in the coming months. Customers will receive their medications in a sealed, tamper-proof bag in order to ensure customer safety and privacy. Instacart has expanded its services since the pandemic started, adding nearly 150 new stores to its marketplace and doubling the number of employees in its 'Care' team. Science &"
Using GPU to Improve JavaScript Performance . GPU.js is a JavaScript acceleration library that can be used for general-purpose computations on GPUs using JavaScript. It can fall back onto the regular JavaScript engine if there is no GPU on the device. This article is an introduction on how to use GPU.js. It includes examples and benchmarking results.
"A Gigantic ""Space Balloon"" Just Completed Its First Flight . Space Perspective has successfully conducted the first test flight of its prototype stratospheric passenger balloon. The balloon prototype, Neptune One, reached an altitude of 108,409 feet during its almost 7-hour flight. Neptune One can be tested without a pilot, so Space Perspective is able to thoroughly test it to ensure its safety. The balloon will eventually be flown by a pilot and carry eight passengers up to an altitude of 100,000 feet. Its first commercial flights will begin in 2024."
"How the placenta evolved from an ancient virus . The placenta is a temporary organ that serves as a baby's lung, its waste-disposal system, and its nutrition source. It allows for two human beings that are genetically different to live in one body, without one destroying the other. The organ is estimated to have evolved about 150 million to 200 million years ago. An analysis of the protein used by the placenta to fuse into the uterus shows that the DNA used to make it actually came from an ancient retrovirus. It is likely that a viral infection hundreds of millions of years ago resulted in the passing on of the DNA that eventually created placentas."
"DoorDash isn’t just delivering meals—it’s making them, too . DoorDash is opening a temporary kitchen to make meals for six restaurants in San Jose, California. The food will be available for pick up and delivery. The trial will run until November. Ghost kitchens have allowed many restaurants to expand their footprint in a low-cost and flexible way. The business model has been successful in India and the UK. Using ghost kitchens will help DoorDash take a larger portion of restaurant sales. Food delivery companies are evolving as they try to expand with the hopes of reaching profitability one day."
"Hacker Roadmap (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a guide on becoming a pen tester from scratch. It goes through the basic concepts of information security, discusses the basic steps and tools of pen testing, and also links additional resources for further information. Students are encouraged to practice their skills on challenges, rather than real targets, and to use the information responsibly."
"Hypersonic space cannon promises 10 minutes from ground to orbit . Green Launch is a company that wants to launch satellites into space using a huge gas cannon. A hydrogen impulse launcher is a long tube filled with hydrogen, helium, and oxygen. When it is fired, the gasses expand extremely quickly, launching projectiles at incredibly high speeds. Rockets launched by Green Launch's system won't need to carry as much fuel, but they will need a second stage rocket to steer into the correct orbit. The system would be able to send rockets into space every 60 to 90 minutes. Videos of the launcher being fired are available."
Create Dynamic Spinners only using CSS . This blog post teaches you how to build a dynamic spinner using only CSS. It breaks down each step of the animation to demonstrate how to put together a complex animation. The complete code is provided.
CalcuLaTeX (GitHub Repo). CalcuLaTeX is a pretty-printing calculator language. It outputs mathematical and scientific notation. Examples are available in the repository.
"Google Maps is getting a lot more detail . Google has applied a new color-mapping algorithmic technique to its satellite imagery to redesign the maps used in Google Maps. The new maps will make it easier to distinguish between natural features in the environment. Street features, such as roadways, sidewalks, crosswalks, and pedestrian islands, will also be included in maps of select cities. The new maps will start rolling out this week to all 220 countries and territories currently supported by Google Maps."
"2020 Internship Status - COVID-19 (GitHub Repo). This repository shows the current status of tech internships. It lists tech companies, whether internships have been canceled due to COVID-19 or not, and some extra notes regarding the company's hiring status. The page will be updated regularly as new information becomes available and a form is available for suggestions of other companies to watch."
fullstack.ai (GitHub Repo). fullstack.ai is an end-to-end machine learning project that shows key aspects of developing and deploying a real-life machine learning-based application. The example used in the project is a web-based bike trip advisor with trip time prediction.
"BERT (Github Repo). Google has open sourced TensorFlow code and pre-trained models for BERT, its breakthrough general purpose ""language understanding"" model. It's trained on a large text corpus like Wikipedia, and can then be used to perform really specific NLP tasks like ""question answering"". From what I've read, it seems to be much more effective than older NLP models, people seem super excited about this and it's gotten 3500 Github stars in one day, so if you're smarter than me you might want to take a look at this!"
"SQLGlot (GitHub Repo). SQLGlot is a Python SQL parser and transpiler. It can read, write, and translate a wide variety of SQL dialects. SQLGlot is fast and customizable. Examples are available."
"Everything we know so far about Apple’s rumored over-ear headphones . Apple has been rumored to be making its own over-ear headphones for over two years. More details about the project have been revealed in the last few weeks. The new headphones will be designed to complement the existing Beats and AirPods accessories. There will be a premium version with leather-like fabrics and a fitness-focused model with lighter, breathable materials with small perforations. The headphones will have a retro look with oval-shaped ear cups and touch controls for playback on the side. Users will be able to customize their headphones with a modular design, allowing them to swap out parts like the headband. The headphones will likely borrow the latest H1 chip from AirPods and will feature noise cancellation technology."
"Netflix is testing a ‘Shuffle’ button, because you’re tired of picking what to watch . Users might start seeing a 'Shuffle Play' button on the Netflix home screen. Netflix has been testing the feature since July. It will play a random movie or episode of a TV show. Netflix has previously tested a feature that shows a random episode of a specific TV series. The video streaming service tests features in different countries for different periods of time and only makes them broadly available if people find them useful."
"First-run movies at home for the ultra-rich - at just $2,500 a pop . Red Carpet Entertainment LLC is offering 3,000 rich Americans the chance to put up $15,000 and pay up to $2,500 per movie to watch the latest releases in their homes. The serviced was created to target the ultra-rich in a way that wouldn't disrupt the market. Most of the revenue from subscriptions goes back to the studios. Other high-end pre-screening services have not gained traction. Red Carpet Entertainment has almost 100 customers. Customers will pay at least $500 per movie and will be able to see the movie twice in a 36 hour period."
Sweetviz (GitHub Repo). Sweetvis is a Python library that generates visualizations for exploratory data analysis with a single line of code. It outputs a fully self-contained HTML application. An example report from the Titanic dataset is available.
"Facebook plans to launch 'GlobalCoin' currency in 2020 . Facebook will start testing on its new cryptocurrency 'GlobalCoin' by the end of this year. It plans to fully roll out the stablecoin by the first quarter of 2020. Facebook plans to partner with banks and brokers in order to create places where people can exchange their currency into GlobalCoin. A number of online merchants are in talks with Facebook to accept the currency as payment. In order to combat fluctuations in the price of the currency, Facebook will peg the value of the currency to several existing currencies, including the US dollar, euro, and Japanese yen."
"Facebook to launch officially licensed music videos in the US next month . Facebook will launch officially licensed music videos on its social network in the US next month. Artists will be able to toggle a new setting to add music videos to their pages ahead of an August 1st deadline. Facebook will automatically create a page of the artist's videos if no action is taken. By toggling the setting, artists will give Facebook permission to add their music videos, and they will not have to upload the videos themselves. Facebook will automatically share music videos through an artist's page as soon as it receives a new release from a music label. Artists will have control over the material after it is posted. Before the change, many artists were not able to share full videos due to licensing rights."
"Google Password Manager Just Got So Many Sweet New Features . The new features include the ability to manually add passwords, multiple password grouping, a homescreen shortcut, and iOS password generation."
"Portugal Makes it Illegal for Your Boss to Text You After Work . Employers could face penalties for contacting employees outside work hours, according to new laws passed by the Portuguese parliament on Friday. The laws were introduced following the expansion of home working during the pandemic. Employers who contact employees after work will be forced to pay for increased expenses as a result of working from home. Employers are also banned from monitoring workers at home. Workers will be required to meet with their employers every two months to stop isolation."
"Sri Lanka Blocks Social Media, Fearing More Violence . Sri Lanka has blocked several social media networks after the attacks that occurred on Sunday. Officials blocked these sites as they feared that misinformation would be shared and cause further violence in the country. Social media has been blocked in Sri Lanka before in 2018 when a series of viral posts, which spread rumors and calls to violence, appeared to cause a wave of anti-Muslim riots and lynchings. While social media has been credited with creating some positive change, such as helping bring democracy to Sri Lanka after years of civil war, many countries increasingly see it as a threat, as growing research puts the blame on these platforms for instigating religious and racial violence."
"Clipchamp is Microsoft’s new video editing app for Windows 11 . Microsoft will be preinstalling Clipchamp on all new Windows 11 devices. Clipchamp is a browser-based video editing app that supports trimming, splitting, transitions, filters, screen recording, text-to-speech, and more. Microsoft is also rolling out updates for Search and updated designs and names for some apps in Windows 11. The features will roll out gradually over many months."
"Reddit app revamp adds a Discover Tab for finding communities, new navigation . Reddit has launched the first major change to its mobile app in two years. It has added a new Discover Tab and a revamped navigation system. Reddit has over 100,000 active communities, but many are under-exposed. The changes will make it easier to discover lesser-known communities. Reddit will use users' existing subscriptions to make recommendations. It will not use demographic data for the Discover Tab. The feature will not recommend NSFW, banned, or quarantined communities."
"The Complete Guide to Full Stack Solana Development with React, Anchor, Rust, and Phantom (21 minute read). Solana is a proof-of-stake blockchain with a mechanism called proof-of-history. This article is a guide on how to build a full stack dapp using Solana. It introduces the ecosystem and developer tooling to help get developers up and running to build their own applications. The guide covers project setup, testing, front end client integration, airdrops, and app deployment."
"Delivery Drivers Are Using Grey Market Apps to Make Their Jobs Suck Less . Gojek is Indonesia's equivalent of Postmates, Apple Pay, Venmo, and Uber. It operates in more than 200 cities in South East Asia. Some delivery drivers are using unofficial apps to filter orders and spoof their GPS location to make their jobs easier. App developers charge monthly membership fees for ongoing support and access to online groups. Gojek has banned the use of these apps and it runs campaigns to discourage drivers from using them. The company has adopted some features originally created by unauthorized apps, but not all features passed their test trials."
"Scientists find genetic mutation that makes woman feel no pain . A genetic mutation has been discovered that plays a major role in pain signaling, mood, and memory. The mutation was found in a person who felt almost no pain, despite undergoing severely painful experiences, such as a late hip replacement and surgery for osteoarthritis. Two genes are affected by the mutation, one that creates an enzyme that breaks down a naturally occurring analgesic, and another, which was missing in the patient, that seems to moderate the production of the same analgesic. These mutations resulted in twice as much of the analgesic present in the patient compared to normal populations. Scientists hope to be able to apply this discovery to gene therapies to help people in chronic pain."
"An AI system identified a potential new drug in just 46 days . A team from an AI pharma startup used an artificial intelligence system to examine previous research and patents for molecules known to work against a drug target. It came up with 30,000 designs for potential molecules within 21 days. Six of these molecules were synthesized in the lab and tested in cells, with the most promising molecule tested in mice. The whole process took 46 days. Getting a drug to market is expensive and time consuming. Drug companies have invested a lot in using AI to expedite the process."
"Stephen Hawking's final warning for humanity: AI is coming for us . Stephen Hawking's posthumously published book ""Brief Answers To The Big Questions"", warns about the rise of AI. He writes, ""Whereas the short-term impact of AI depends on who controls it, the long-term impact depends on whether it can be controlled at all."" In the worst case, he imagines a scenario, ""People asked a computer, 'Is there a God?' And the computer said, 'There is now,' and fused the plug."" He also warned about other disasters, saying its ""almost inevitable that either a nuclear confrontation or environmental catastrophe will cripple the Earth at some point in the next 1,000 years."" He believes we need to expand to other planets, to not have all of our eggs in one basket. He also warns about gene editing, saying that the wealthy elite with access to gene editing technologies will become ""superhumans"" while normal people will probably ""die out, or become unimportant."" While he does have a lot of concerns, he believes that in the best case we can expand beyond Earth, and ""elevate humanity, bring people and nations together, usher in new discoveries and new technologies."""
"Instacart Workers Win Historic Union Election . A group of Instacart employees voted to unionize with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1546 on Saturday. Managers distributed anti-union literature prior to the vote, claiming that a union would drain paychecks and have a great deal of control over workers. Most of Instacart's workforce are independent contractors, but around 12,000 workers are legally employees. Instacart has stated that it supports the action of its workers. Workers at Instacart do not receive healthcare and other benefits as their work hours are capped at 29 hours a week. The tech industry has seen unprecedented levels of organization amongst its workers recently. In the last few months, many companies have experienced worker-led strikes, protests, and online boycotts. The victory sends a message to other gig workers around the country who are fed up with working conditions at Silicon Valley tech companies."
"Apple reportedly in talks to buy Intel’s 5G modem business for $1 billion . Intel announced in April that it was backing out of the 5G mobile modem business after Apple settled with Qualcomm in a deal where Apple would use Qualcomm modems in their devices again. Apple may now be buying a portion of Intel's business, which covers a portfolio of patents and staff, for $1 billion. After the deal with Qualcomm, Apple had reportedly been working on developing its own in-house modems. Purchasing Intel's modem business would make sense for Apple as Intel had previously produced modems for Apple. The merger would speed up the development process and allow Apple to operate independently of a third party."
"The Justice Department has filed its antitrust lawsuit against Google . The Justice Department has finally issued its antitrust lawsuit against Google. It seeks to restrain Google and to seek remedies for the effects of the company's conduct so far. The suit alleges that Google has a monopoly over the search market in the United States. 11 states have signed on to the suit alongside the DoJ. It will be the first significant legal challenge that Google has faced from US regulators. Google claims that people use their services because they choose to, and not because they are forced to, as there are alternatives. More details about the case, as well as a link to the full suit, are available in the article."
"Signs of Life discovered on Venus and atmosphere (Twitter Thread). Phosphine is a chemical that can only be produced in extreme environments, such as in the depths of Jupiter or Saturn, through organic processes, such as the decaying organic matter, or through synthesis by humans. Traces of Phosphine were discovered in the atmosphere of Venus. Scientists have investigated other possibilities for where the molecules originated but it is likely the molecules come from organisms living in the planet's atmosphere. A 2-minute video is available in the thread that explains the discovery in detail."
"Reddit to reportedly tokenize karma points and onboard 500M new users . Reddit is planning to convert its users' karma points into Ethereum-based tokens. The platform has already launched its own layer-2 rollup using Arbitrum technology for its Community Points system. Reddit communities will be able to fork blockchains through community-based decisions. The change will onboard 500 million users onto crypto and web3. Other social media platforms have also started allowing NFT exposure to their users, a sign of crypto's mainstream adoption."
"Recreating Real-World Terrain With React, Three.js & WebGL Shaders . Flight Simulator uses data from Bing maps to generate its maps in real-time, resulting in some of the most accurate recreations of real-life places. Players can even spot their own houses when they fly over in-game. This article is a guide to building something similar, but in much lower detail and on a much smaller scale using React, Three.js, and WebGL. An interactive working example is available."
"CookLang (Website). CookLang is a recipe markup language that simplifies recipe management, streamlines shopping routines, and makes cooking more fun. It creates human-readable text files with simple, focused, and efficient tools. CookLang can be used to automate cooking and shopping routines with existing UNIX command-line and scripting tools. An iOS app is available."
"Foxconn allegedly testing folding iPhone, projected Sept. 2022 release . According to supply chain reports, Foxconn is testing a folding iPhone for Apple. This potentially confirms a claim that Apple had ordered foldable screens from Samsung. Foxconn has been asked to test the screen as well as the folding element of the device. The new source claims that Apple plans to release the foldable iPhone in September 2022. Regular laptops are required to be opened and closed between 20,000 and 30,000 times during regular folding tests. Foxconn will be conducting over 100,000 opening and closing tests for the folding iPhone."
"SpaceX Flexes Giant Starship-Catching “Chopsticks” for the First Time . SpaceX flexed the 'Chopsticks' arm of its Mechazilla tower for the first time recently at the company's testing facilities in South Texas. The tower is designed to catch Starship and its accompanying Super Heavy booster to ensure a soft landing. SpaceX successfully completed a static fire test on a Starship prototype last week, indicating that the company may soon be ready for its first orbital test launch. A link to an animation showing how Mechazilla will likely work is available in the article."
"EasyDB (Website). EasyDB allows users to create a hosted database in the programming language of their choice in just one click. It is made for simple projects and hackathons. EasyDB is not recommended for projects that need super high availability or lots of transactions. Databases only last for around 24 hours by default. This can be extended to 72 hours with an account, or made persistent for $5 a month."
"PgCat (GitHub Repo). PgCat is a version of PgBouncer rewritten in Rust. PgBouncer is a lightweight connection pooler for PostgreSQL. PgCat features session and transaction modes, copy protocol support, query cancellation, round-robin load balancing of replicas, banlist and failover support, and sharding. It is still in alpha."
"The deepest-ever dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench found litter there . Retired naval officer Victor Vescovo piloted his submarine to 10,927 meters below the sea’s surface and spent around four hours at the bottom. This was the deepest-ever dive ever in the Mariana Trench, 50 feet lower than James Cameron’s dive in 2012. While Vescovo potentially discovered four new species on his dive, he also found plastic bags and candy wrappers. According to the United Nations, there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans by 2050."
"Apple Watch leak offers rare glimpse inside ‘Ultra security program’ . A video purporting to show an Apple Watch prototype has leaked. The prototype in the video is concealed by a security case that resembles a tiny iPod, and it runs Apple's own internal development apps on a pre-watchOS 1.0 software build. A label on the packaging indicates that the device is a prototype classified under Apple Confidential and that it was designated under an 'Ultra' security program. The two-minute video is available in the article."
"Watch Zoox’s autonomous car drive around San Francisco for an hour . Zoox recently published a video showing its autonomous system driving for an hour in downtown San Francisco. The video is available in the article. A safety driver was behind the wheel of the retrofitted Toyota Highlander. The video shows the car performing a range of complex maneuvers in heavy, multi-lane vehicle traffic and dense pedestrian crowds. Zoox's perception system can distinguish traffic lights, trams, construction vehicles, lane dividers, and more. It also tracks pedestrian attributes such as whether they are looking at a phone. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Zoox appeared to be making progress towards a commercial launch, but live tests of its level 3 vehicles have been canceled. Zoox has plans to deploy autonomous Highlanders in Las Vegas to transport passengers autonomously."
Apple to Buy NextVR from Best Virtual Reality Platforms . It has been rumored for months that Apple is planning to release VR and AR glasses. Some clues point to a 2022 release. NextVR allows users to watch events through VR glasses. Apple has acquired NextVR for $100 million. NextVR employees will have to move after the purchase is completed.
"Pfizer’s announcement shows the promise of gene-based vaccines . The announcement from Pfizer and BioNTech this week regarding their vaccine is good news for other coronavirus vaccines based on the same genetic technology. Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine is a gene-based vaccine, based on mRNA that contains instructions for our cells to carry out. Gene-based vaccines are relatively simple to develop and manufacture. However, the FDA has never approved its use in humans. The data from the studies still needs to be reviewed and the vaccine has still not yet been approved, but in theory, they should be very effective."
"Genetically Modified Tiny Worms Can Detect Pancreatic Cancer at an Early Stage . Japanese biotech startup Hirotsu Bio Science Inc. has developed a cancer screening test using roundworms that can detect early signs of pancreatic cancer from urine. The roundworms have a gene in their olfactory receptors that make them react to the urine of pancreatic cancer patients. When the gene is turned off, the roundworms are still attracted to the urine of people with other cancers, but not pancreatic cancer. During tests, the method was 100% accurate in detecting pancreatic cancer and 91.3% accurate for other types of cancer."
"AWS Containers Roadmap (Github Repo). AWS is publically releasing their roadmap on Github for their container services (ECS, ECR, Fargate, and EKS). This is an experimental effort to get direct feedback from customers and let customers plan their own infrastructure around AWS's future releases. Seems cool, especially for the bigger customers that need these sorts of container services."
"SpaceX Acquires Swarm, a 'Nano Satellite' Startup for Low-Cost Connectivity . SpaceX is acquiring Swarm, a startup that provides low-cost internet connectivity using small orbiting 'nano satellites'. Swarm has been mainly focused on supplying internet connectivity to IoT devices on farms, oil platforms, and energy grids. It currently has 150 satellites in orbit. The company's satellite technology is designed to relay small packets of data. It is unknown how SpaceX plans to use Swarm's technology in its network."
"Wikipedia wants to charge Google, Amazon, and Apple for using its content . The Wikimedia Foundation behind Wikipedia has created a new division called Wikimedia Enterprise, which will provide commercial products that tailor Wikipedia's content for publication on services provided by"
"minimalRL-pytorch (GitHub Repo). minimalRL-pytorch is a collection of pytorch-based implementations of basic RL algorithms with minimal lines of code. Each algorithm is complete within a single file, contains around 100-150 lines of code, and can be trained within 30 seconds without a GPU. minimalRL-pytorch can only be run on Python 3."
"Ploomber (GitHub Repo). Ploomber helps developers quickly build data pipelines. It features tool integrations with leading data science ecosystem tools, YAML and Python APIs, shorter development cycles, and automatic pipeline generation. Video demos are available."
"NASA's new planet-hunting spacecraft TESS has found its third distant world . NASA's TESS satellite has found a planet orbiting a small star just 53 light years away. The TESS satellite is the successor to the old Kepler satellite which also discovered planets, TESS is slightly different in that it looks specifically for close-by planets so we can examine them, measure their mass, and determine what is in their atmosphere. The newly discovered planet has a temperature of 300 degress Fahrenheit, is gaseous, and is roughly 23 times the size of Earth."
"Researchers Just Measured an Atom with a Half-Life of 18 Sextillion Years . Xenon is a noble gas that has a half-life of about 18 sextillion years, one of the longest half-lives possible. Scientists in Italy built a laboratory that uses a 3.5 ton tank of liquid xenon in order to detect dark matter in the universe, as xenon is one of the cleanest and most radiation-proof substances on Earth. While no dark matter has yet to be detected, the laboratory observed around 100 instances of xenon decaying into tellurium. The process of xenon decay is called ‘two-neutrino double electron capture’. In this process, xenon’s nucleus absorbs two electrons from its outer-shell simultaneously, releasing a double dose of neutrinos."
"Brave browser now includes a built-in crypto wallet . Brave has updated its desktop browser with a built-in crypto wallet. Users will be able to buy, sell, and swap their crypto with fewer security risks than the usual browser add-ons. It is a self-custody wallet with integrations with other wallets, as well as the ability to track crypto market data and control portfolios that include NFTs. The feature will be available on mobile devices soon."
"Ordering CSS Declarations . Most developers don't use any CSS declaration organization techniques. That can result in a lot of time wasted trying to figure out someone else's code. Some code editors can automatically order properties alphabetically, but this can cause issues as the ordering of properties in CSS matters. This article presents cases where using automatic ordering can result in issues to better understand the inner workings of CSS."
"This website uses AI to turn your selfies into haunted classical portraits . A website developed by the researchers at the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab is able to transform selfies into classical portraits. Trained on 45,000 classical portraits from a huge number of styles, covering a range of methods and artists, the website uses a generative adversarial network to generate new features from scratch. The AI might decide on certain styles of art depending on features within the selfies submitted. While apps like FaceApp have been criticized for its privacy policies, the researchers promise that the data collected won't be used for any other purposes and images are immediately deleted after use."
"Scientists use stem cells from frogs to build first living robots . US-based researchers have created living machines from cells cultured from African claw frogs. The machines are less than 1mm long and can be programmed. When damaged, the robots can heal themselves, and when their tasks are done, they can die and decay. These features make them ideal for tasks like cleaning up microplastic pollution in the oceans, locating and digesting toxic materials, drug delivery in the body, or removing plaque from artery walls. The robots are designed by an evolutionary algorithm that runs on a supercomputer. It runs tests in virtual environments to see which designs are the best, and then after about 100 generations, a design is chosen to be built in the lab. They have blood vessels, nervous systems, and sensory cells. Some groups have raised concerns over the ethics of the creation and use of these robots."
"Hangover 'Cure' Reduces Headaches, Anxiety for Drunk Finnish Subjects . In a study funded by Catapult Cat Oy, a seller of L-cysteine supplements, researchers found that a 1,200-milligram dose of L-cysteine reduced symptoms associated with hangovers. A 600-milligram dose was shown to relieve stress and anxiety. The randomized, double-blind study included 19 healthy male volunteers of varying alcohol tolerances, with some participants leaving the study as they couldn't consume all the alcohol needed for the trial."
"British Air Force Set A World Record For First Flight Using Only Synthetic Fuel . Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) set a Guinness World Record for completing the world's first flight powered only by synthetic fuel. Synthetic fuel is made by capturing carbon dioxide from the air and converting it to fuel by adding hydrogen molecules from water. It delivers the same energy density as fossil fuels without adding to carbon emissions, and it can be used in conventional engines without modifications. The RAF plans to become a net-zero force by 2040."
"The Dark Overlord Decrypts More 9/11 Insurance Files . A hacker group called ""The Dark Overlord"" is crowdfunding efforts to decrypt 9/11 insurance files it stole from a law firms and government agencies. Conspiracy theorists in particular are interested in these documents as they hope it will reveal a conspiracy around the attacks. The group says ""We've said it before, and we'll say it again: we're financially motivated, and you (the public) has spoken to us in our language (internet money, specifically Bitcoin)."" They have received about $11,000 in Bitcoin so far and say they will continue to drip release the documents as they receive more and more donations."
"New holographic camera sees the unseen with high precision . Synthetic wavelength holography is a new non-line-of-sight method that can rapidly capture full-field images of large areas with submillimeter precision. The method has endless potential applications, including noninvasive medical imaging, early-warning navigation systems, space exploration, underwater acoustic imaging, and more. It works by indirectly scattering coherent light onto hidden objects, which scatters again and travels back to a camera. An algorithm is used to reconstruct the signal and reveal hidden objects. It may still be over a decade before the technology will appear in everyday use."
Trump to 'sign executive order about social media' . US President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on social media firms after an incident where Twitter added fact-check links to one of his tweets. Trump threatened to 'strongly regulate' or even 'close down' social media platforms in response to the warning label. He claimed that Twitter was completely stifling free speech. Jack Dorsey responded to the criticism by standing by Twitter's decision to point out incorrect or disputed information about elections globally.
"My startup failed. Then I found out I was unemployable . Moving from working on your own startup to working for a company can be a challenge, especially when a lot of your skills are self-taught. Self-educated developers may find themselves struggling with tech interviews. Many companies try to justify lower pay for their workers, but in the end, employment might not be the best solution. One option is to work on temporary contracts with clear boundaries and compensation."
"Machine Learning from Scratch (Book). Machine Learning from Scratch is a book that covers the building blocks of the most common methods in machine learning. It covers the concepts, construction, and implementations of Ordinary Linear Regression, Linear Regression Extensions, Discriminative Classifiers, Generative Classifiers, Decision Trees, Tree Ensemble Methods, and Neural Networks. The book was written for readers interested in seeing machine learning algorithms derived from start to finish. It does not review best practices or discuss in depth when certain models are more appropriate than others."
"unc0ver (Website). unc0ver is an advanced jail-break tool that supports almost all devices on iOS 11.0-13.5. A list of tested devices is available. All Apple services will still work and the jailbroken device will still be able to receive future iOS updates as the modifications to iOS kernel are done in memory. However, updates will un-jailbreak the device if the new version is not supported by unc0ver."
"hue.tools (Website). hue.tools is a toolbox for working with colors. It features color mixing, blending, conversion, modification, detailed information, and more. hue.tools was built with TypeScript, Svelte, SvelteKit, and Tailwind. The tool can output in multiple formats, including HEX, RGB, HSL, HSV, HSI, and LAB."
"The World's First Programmable Organism (12 minute read). Xenobots are living robots that can be programmed. Their bodies are designed by an evolutionary computer algorithm. Xenobots are made up of living embryonic frog cells, which are carefully placed into molds designed by the algorithm. These simple organisms have no brains and their behaviors are determined by the shape of their bodies. The creatures show proto-cognitive capacities, preferences, capabilities, and IQ. This creates an ethical dilemma, as scientists don't know when a cluster of cells becomes a living creature."
"Microsoft previews a new, totally redesigned Outlook for Windows app . Microsoft has introduced a new Outlook client for Windows users that closely mirrors the interface and functionality of the Outlook web client. It is currently only available to Office Insiders in the Beta channel who have work or school Microsoft 365 accounts. The new app will eventually replace the current Outlook app, as well as Windows' built-in Mail and Calendar apps. It is still in early development and is missing many common mail client features, such as support for IMAP and Outlook.com accounts. Screenshots of the new client are available in the article."
"Why Instagram's founders are resigning: independence from Facebook weakened . When Facebook acquired Instagram, there was an understanding that Instagram would remain relatively autonomous. However, in May, Instagram's VP of Product Kevin Weil was replaced by former VP of Facebook News Feed Adam Mosseri, a member of Zuckerberg's inner circle. Adam and Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom did not get along according to sources. Systrom and Zuckerberg also had disagreements particularly about sharing on Instagram and Facebook, as Zuckerberg wanted more Instagram content to flow to Facebook. Recently, the shortcut to Instagram in the Facebook menu was removed, and Facebook alerts began appearing in the Instagram notifications tab. With Instagram's autonomy lessening and several long-time executives leaving, the time was right for Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger to make their departure."
"The Oculus Quest is getting controller-free hand tracking this week . Native hand tracking will be rolling out to the Oculus Quest starting this week. It will be available as an experimental feature in software version v12. There won't be much support for hand tracking at launch, with only the Library, Store, Browser, and TV apps supported for now. A developer toolset for hand tracking will be released to app makers next week. Oculus developed hand tracking using new techniques in deep learning and model-based tracking and it can perform more precise and realistic tracking of individual movements compared to using Touch controllers. The feature opens the door for the next wave of games and apps that will be able to support hand and fine-tuned finger gestures, as well as provide Oculus a running start against competing VR platforms that still rely on controllers."
"Netflix Removes 30-Day Free Trial Across Markets . Netflix has removed free trials across its markets. There are still no contracts, cancellation fees, or commitment requirements for the service. The option has been disappearing from markets around the world since last year. Netflix reached nearly 193 million global subscribers in March. Disney+ also removed its seven-day free trial option in June."
"You can now use Snapchat's augmented reality camera to identify dog breeds and plant species . Scan is a feature on Snapchat that allows users to get more information on objects around them. Snap launched the feature last year at its Partner Summit. New features for Scan were announced at this year's Snap Partner Summit, which was an online-only event. Users will now be able to use Scan to identify dog breeds and plant species, look up nutrition information for food, and more."
"Genius Steals (Newsletter). This newsletter is full of off-the-beaten path stories about technology and media. Basically anything interesting on the internet is fair game. It's also curated by a husband and wife team (both internet entrepreneurs), which I really love!"
"Amazon announces Halo, a fitness band and app that scans your body and voice (11 minute read). Amazon has unveiled the Halo Band, a fitness band that doesn't have a screen. It pairs with an app that provides standard fitness tracking features, along with the ability to create 3D scans for body fat and listen for emotions in users' voices. The Halo Band will cost $99.99 plus a subscription service of $3.99 per month for Halo's more advanced features. Invitees to Amazon's early access program will be able to purchase the device for $64.99 with a six-month subscription included."
"ToolJet (GitHub Repo). ToolJet is a no-code framework for building and deploying internal tools quickly and without much effort. It can connect to databases, API endpoints, and external services. ToolJet features a visual app builder with widgets, support for OAuth, query editors for all supported data types, and more."
"Amazon investing $10 billion to compete against SpaceX in satellite broadband . The FCC has approved Amazon's application for 3,236 low-Earth orbit satellites for its Project Kuiper broadband service. Project Kuiper aims to deliver high-speed, low-latency broadband to areas without good internet service. The satellites will orbit at altitudes of 590km, 610km, and 630km, providing much faster latencies than traditional satellite services orbiting at 35,000km. Amazon has six years to launch 50 percent of the satellites and will have to launch all approved satellites by July 30, 2029. It will offer service to customers once the first 578 satellites are launched. The service will cover customers in the US and other regions in the world."
"A Single Laser Fired Through a Keyhole Can Expose Everything Inside a Room . Researchers at Stanford Computational Imaging Lab have expanded on a technique called non-line-of-sight (NLOS) imaging so that a single point of laser light entering a room can reveal what objects might be inside. NLOS imaging uses algorithms to generate images based on reflected light, usually from lasers. The new technique's results are lower quality than other NLOS methods, but it still provides enough details to make guesses on the size and shapes of hidden objects. The research could one day result in a way for police or military to assess the risks of entering rooms."
"Google bans political discussion on internal mailing lists . Google has started rolling out a central flagging tool that allows employees to report internal communications content to a new team of community managers. The managers review the content and will attempt to educate employees on how they may have violated the rules before resorting to disciplinary actions. Google's communication guidelines require employees to follow its values: to respect the user, respect the opportunity, and to respect each other. Employees are to be inclusive and considerate in their communications. They must also treat Google's data with care and not violate its Data Security Policy."
AR Cut & Paste (Twitter Thread). AR Cut & Paste is an AR+ML prototype that can cut elements from surroundings using a smartphone and then paste the element into Photoshop. A 43-second video demo is available that shows the software in action.
"Use console.log(). Using console.log() for JavaScript debugging is common practice, and this article teaches you how to use it to set custom CSS styles, edit HTML elements, complete string substitutions, and more. It provides a list of commands with an explanation for what they do and a screenshot of the output."
"Jobs in Web3 - How I landed a job in 4 months . Minting NFTs, creating cryptocurrencies, and making DApps is just scratching the surface of web3. Finding a job in web3 development requires knowledge of advanced topics and a high level understanding of topics related to the job that is being applied for. This article follows a developer's experience in finding a job in web3. It details the mistakes they made on the way and gives plenty of advice on how to be successful in the space."
"Google’s latest virtual tour lets you walk the Great Wall of China . Google's Arts & Culture team has launched an online experience that lets users virtually walk the Great Wall of China. It features a 360-degree virtual tour of one of the wall's best-preserved sections, 370 images of the Great Wall, and 35 stories. The experience lets users learn about the Great Wall's history and experience parts of it that might be otherwise hard to access. Google has launched numerous 360-degree virtual tours, and students can create their own VR tours using Google's Tour Creator tool. A link to the Walk the Great Wall of China tour is available in the article."
PacVim (GitHub Project). PacVim is a game that teaches the player Vim commands. It uses the concept of the classic game Pacman to get users to practice Vim commands in a fun environment. It comes with 10 levels and users can create their own maps.
"Google employees worldwide are walking out today to protest handling of sexual misconduct . Over 1,500 Google employees world wide walked out of the office today to protest the company's handling of sexual harassment cases. The employees have five demands: an end to forced arbitration for harassment and discrimination cases, an end to pay and opportunity inequity, a public sexual harassment transparency report, an anonymous process for reporting sexual harassment, and elevating the Chief Diversity Officer to report directly to the CEO and appointing an employee representative to the board. They are using the hashtag #GoogleWalkout to spread the message on Twitter."
"Early mouse fetuses generated without sperm or eggs for first time . Scientists at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have created artificial embryos without sperm or eggs using pluripotent stem cells. These stem cells have the ability to turn into all three cell types found in early embryos. The scientists coaxed the stem cells into turning into these three embryo cell types and implanted the artificial embryos into female mice. These embryos were then removed via cesarean section. Examinations showed that they had started to form fetal structures. The fetal structures were majorly malformed, but this is the first time artificial embryos have been able to develop into fetal tissue in a uterus. Future research will fine-tune the process so that the fetuses can develop further."
"Translator API (GitHub Repo). This project implements a multi-lingual translation API that can be run on a single server. It supports translations between over 150 languages, and all tools used in the API are fully open source and modifiable. The prediction API can be run on both CPU and GPU instances. Translator API focuses heavily on cost savings, to the detriment of optimal performance. Tips for improving performance are provided."
"Sciter (Website). Sciter is an embeddable engine that allows developers to build cross-platform desktop applications with HTML, CSS, and script. Over the last 10 years, Sciter has become a popular platform of choice for some of the most prominent antivirus products on the market. Applications built with Sciter can be more than 10 times smaller than ones built with Electron or Qt."
"Microsoft confirms work on ‘Keystone’ Xbox game streaming dongle . Microsoft has decided to pivot away from the current iteration of its xCloud streaming device, code-named Keystone. It will refocus its efforts on a new approach that will deliver Xbox Cloud Gaming to more players around the world. It is unclear what the new approach will be. The company is working on an Xbox app that should debut on Samsung smart TVs within the next 12 months. More details about Microsoft's plans could be announced at an event on June 12."
"zheap (GitHub Website). zheap is a way to keep table bloat under control. It implements a new PostgreSQL storage engine capable of running ""UPDATE - intense workloads"" more efficiently. A link to a series of blog posts explaining how zheap works is available."
"This footage of 'coronal rain' was recorded by Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (3 minute video). This video shows coronal rain on the sun. A bright bubble forms on the surface of the sun, raining matter back to the surface. The footage is taken over a span of 9 and a half hours. An image of Earth is displayed to show the scale of the structure."
"London police’s face recognition system gets it wrong 81% of the time . An independent review into the London Metropolitan Police’s use of facial recognition has found that the systems used were 81 percent inaccurate. The police conducted 10 trials using facial recognition software and out of the 42 matches in the trials, only eight were confirmed to be correct. However, the police claim that their software is only incorrect in one out of 1,000 instances. It hasn’t shared how this statistic was created. As facial recognition becomes more prevalent, fears are growing that the systems display different biases or could be incorrectly identifying people. Last month, San Francisco banned the use of facial recognition systems by public agencies."
"Giant rhino unearthed in China was one of largest mammals ever to live . A new species of giant rhino has been unearthed in north-western China. A completely preserved skull and jawbone was found in the Linxia Basin of Gansu Province, where people have been looking for mammal fossils since the 1980s. The giant rhino had a long neck, slender skull, and two cone-shaped upper first incisors. It would have looked more like a horse than a rhino, but with a head height of 7 meters. The rhino is estimated to have weighed about 21 tonnes."
"Next.js 12 . This article provides an overview of the new features and improvements in Next.js. The Next.js 12 update is the team's biggest release ever. It features a backward compatible Rust compiler that is 17 times faster than Babel, middleware, URL imports, experimental React features, and much more. Many more details are available in the article."
"Monumental failure (20 minute read). When Tesla was looking for a site for its new Cybertruck factory, Tulsa, Oklahoma started a campaign to get the company's attention. The effort involved memes and altering an iconic statue in the area to have Elon Musk's face and the Tesla logo on it. Musk is known for his love of memes and the effort resulted in talks between Tesla and Oklahoma about what a factory in the state would look like. However, Tesla ended up locking in a location in Texas. Incentives played a large role in the company's decision. While Oklahoma missed out on the project, Musk said he will strongly consider the state for future projects."
"FunctionScript (GitHub Repo). FunctionScript is a language that allows developers with little programming experience, but who are familiar with JavaScript, to create HTTP APIs from JavaScript functions. It is intended to be an easy introduction to API development for developers of any skill level without sacrificing power or flexibility. There is a quick GIF demo of a ‘Hello World’ deployment of FunctionScript, and detailed documentation on how to use the language is available."
"Elon Musk says Tesla has a design ready for a James Bond-style submarine car . Elon Musk has revealed that he has a design for a submarine car, like the one from the James Bond movie ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’. As a child, Musk was awed by the scene where a 1976 Lotus Esprit drove off a pier and transformed into a submarine with the touch of a button. While designing such a vehicle is difficult, Musk claims that it is not impossible. He purchased a 1976 Lotus Esprit at an auction in London back in 2013 for around $997,000. While it might be fun to design and produce such a car, Musk admits that the market for this kind of vehicle would be very small."
"Urban Sky’s Earth-imaging stratospheric ‘microballoons’ are ready for a close-up . Colorado-based company Urban Sky is officially entering commercial operations after three years of working in partial stealth and raising funds. The company collects images and data of the Earth using small reusable stratospheric balloons that can be deployed off the back of a pickup truck and ascend into the sky in just minutes. It aims to provide imagery starting at $6 per square kilometer, around five to 10 times cheaper than the current average cost for Earth imaging and data collection. Urban Sky operates in Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Nebraska, and it plans to expand throughout the US."
"The Embedded YouTube Player Told Me What You Were Watching (and more). There was a bug in the embedded YouTube player that allowed hackers to view anyone's YouTube watch history, the links to their unlisted videos, their Watch Later playlist, the list of videos they've liked, and more. YouTube creates internal playlists for all users, which can be accessed by replacing some characters in the URL. You can't just view other people's private videos just with this knowledge, but the embedded player had a bug that could be exploited to do so. The bug was reported, but Google's response showed that they might not have seen the severity of the issue. It has now been fixed."
"Sunshine Contacts is an invite-only address book app from Marissa Mayer’s new startup . Sunshine Contacts is a new contact management application for iOS devices by former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer. It combines data from Apple's contacts app and Gmail with data from public sources to help organize and clean contacts, fill in missing information, and delete duplicate entries. Sunshine will launch as a free, invite-only service."
"Deep Learning Weekly (Newsletter). If you're interested in learning about deep learning, this is a great newsletter full of tutorials, open source library recommendations, and practical examples of deep learning being used in industry. Curated by Malte Baumann and Jan Bussieck of 9elements."
"Experimental Blood Test Detects Cancer up to Four Years before Symptoms Appear . A new method developed by a team of international researchers can diagnose cancer up to four years before symptoms appear. The blood test measures DNA methylation at 500 locations previously identified as having the greatest chance of signaling the presence of cancer. A machine-learning algorithm is then used to produce a score that indicates the person's likelihood of having cancer. It was found to be roughly 90 percent accurate, with a five percent false-positive rate. The test could be the first step to developing a commercial cancer-screening product, but further studies will be required before it can be used clinically."
"Startup Resources (Content Site). The name really says it all, this is just a well curated list of startup resources broken down into dozens of categories. The curator Jói Sigurdsson is a startup founder himself, he currently runs a SAAS startup called CrankWheel."
"Netflix Is Planning a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure 'Black Mirror' . Netflix is developing a slate of specials that will let viewers choose the next storyline in a TV episode or movie. These include one episode in the upcoming season of dystopian sci-fi show ""Black Mirror"" to be released in December, as well as several new series based on video games and a few childrens shows. While interactive shows have never really become popular, one industry insider says ""The time is right for interactive TV to become a mainstream experience""."
"150 mph without a driver: Indy autonomous cars gear up for race . Nine autonomous vehicles took part in the Indy Autonomous Challenge recently. The vehicles raced separately with a $1 million prize on the line. Each team, made up of students from around the world, was given the same model car and equipment. The teams programmed the code to control the vehicles, pushing them to their limits. The aim of the challenge was to increase trust in autonomous technology by proving that it can work in extreme conditions."
"The World’s Biggest Social Virtual Reality Gathering Is Happening Right Now . Virtual Market 4 is a Japanese expo that features virtual apparel and avatars. It is currently being held in the VRChat ecosystem. The event has drawn the attention of big brands and has created an almost CES-like feel. VRChat is the most popular social VR application, comparable to a modern Second Life. Virtual Market 3 hosted more than 710,000 people, and organizers are expecting more than a million visitors this year."
Programming Digest (Newsletter). Programming Digest is a weekly newsletter that curates interesting posts from engineering blogs as well as opinion pieces on programming.
"Notion (Website). Notion is an all-in-one workspace for teams to write, plan, and get organized. Notion API connects Notion pages and databases so developers can build interactive experiences for users within Notion. An API reference with examples is available."
"imgsquash (GitHub Repo). imgsquash is a full stack website code for image compression. It contains a full-service API and front-end written in node, react, and next.js framework. Users can choose between lossy or lossless JPEG or PNG compression."
Perflink (GitHub Repo). Perflink is a JavaScript performance benchmarker that evaluates code as it is being written. Users access the tool through a web interface. The tool was designed to measure the performance characteristics of different code snippets. It is a front-end only static web app so there is no build step.
"Human Contact Is Now a Luxury Good . As technology develops and becomes cheaper, a growing trend is occurring where the poor are living increasingly digital lives and the rich are living lives where screens are becoming less common. A startup called Care.Coach makes a program for the poor and elderly to keep them company with a digital avatar who talks and interacts with them, while the rich are purchasing more experience holidays and private human tutoring for their children. In the not too distant past, technology was a status symbol, but now, being able to separate yourself from technology and having more human interaction is a luxury."
"The Pentagon Wants Elon Musk to Yeet Cargo Around the Planet In an Hour . The Pentagon has contracted SpaceX to develop rockets to deliver packages around the planet in under an hour. One of the US Military's strongest points is its ability to move troops, weapons, and supplies quickly. It was using C-17 transport planes but the planes are no longer being made. The partnership will allow SpaceX to keep the rights to the patents developed during the research. There is no timeline for when the project will be complete."
"Watch Jetpack Daredevils Fly Alongside the World’s Largest Passenger Airliner . On November 5, 2015, an Emirates Airbus A380 and the Jetman Dubai duo took to the skies of Dubai in a meticulously choreographed aerial display. The Jetman Dubai duo are two experienced pilots and operators of small jet-propelled wings. The display was carefully planned to ensure that nothing went wrong, with pilots, flight operation managers, and air traffic controllers collaborating to plan the smallest details of the mission. The duo's formation positions were carefully chosen to avoid areas of wake turbulence and jet efflux from the aircraft. A video of the event is available in the article."
"Apple job listing mentions “homeOS” days before WWDC keynote . Apple recently posted a job listing that mentioned homeOS. The listing was later updated to replace the name with other existing products. homeOS could be an internal name for the operating system that HomePods use, but recent rumors suggest that it might be the name for a new operating system that will unify the HomePod, Apple TV, and other smart home products that Apple might introduce in the future. Any announcements about homeOS will likely be made at Apple's WWDC developer conference on Monday."
"origamisimulator (Website). origamisimulator can simulate how any origami crease pattern will fold. Rather than folding paper in steps, it attempts to fold every crease simultaneously. Users can import example models, create their own models, and export models in STL or OBJ."
"Car design is about to change forever. This video encapsulates how . A one-minute video from an Israeli startup shows electric vehicles that are basically just giant skateboards. Any sort of seating or storage arrangement can be installed onto the flat base to create almost any form imaginable. Traditional car manufacturing fixes a vehicle's floor plan from its earliest moments on the assembly line, whereas these vehicles can be altered at any time. The video is available in the article."
"Google is putting an algorithmic audio news feed on its Assistant . A new service called 'Your News Update' is coming to Google Assistant. It will turn an algorithmically determined news feed into an audio stream. These news bites will be similar to the hourly news updates that can be heard on the radio. Before, users had to ask for the news and then choose from specific news sources. Now, users will hear individual, topic-specific news bites. Users will be able to choose to stay on the old system if they want. Google has licensed audio from a variety of news sources and local radio stations. It has paid its partners to create stories that work with Your News Update."
tmpsms (GitHub Repo). tmpsms generates a temporary phone number for receiving SMSes. It was designed for bug bounty hunters who don’t want to use their personal phone numbers. tmpsms can be integrated with other scripts to improve workflow.
"Virgin Galactic unveils 'VSS Imagine,' the first of its next-generation spaceship series . Virgin Galactic unveiled the VSS Imagine on Tuesday, the first of its next-generation SpaceShip III class of vehicles. It is the third spacecraft the company has built to date. The VSS Imagine was designed with lessons taken from flight testing on VSS Unity in mind. SpaceShip III class spacecraft can be manufactured faster and take less time to maintain between each flight compared to SpaceShipTwo class spacecraft due to their modular design. Virgin Galactic is on track for a test flight in May, after a delay in December."
"Tetra (GitHub Repo). Tetra is a full-stack component framework for Django. It uses Django in the backend and Alpine.js in the browser to make development easier and quicker. Tetra features component encapsulation, resumable server states, public server methods, shared public states, component library packages, and much more. Examples are available on Tetra's website."
"Inside Uber before its self-driving car killed a pedestrian: sources describe infighting, ""perverse"" incentives, and questionable decisions (15 minute read). Earlier this year, one of Uber's self-driving Volvo SUVs struck and killed Elaine Herzberg in Tempe, Arizona. Now internal documents show that Uber's self-driving car team had disabled the car's emergency brakes and reduced the car's ability to swerve, because it wanted to show their new CEO progress in the form of a smoother rider experience. At the time of the accident, engineers knew the software was immature, and it was having trouble recognizing and predicting paths of pedestrians and wasn't always detecting objects within a couple of meters of it. One engineer says ""This could have killed a toddler in a parking lot."" Engineers describe a ""toxic"" culture, where the bonus structure incentivizes quickly hitting milestones with or without careful testing. A former engineer says ""At ATG, the attitude is I will do whatever it takes and I will get this huge bonus. I swear that everything that drives bad behaviors was the bonus structure."" Uber stopped testing their self-driving cars on public roads after the incident, but plans on starting up again in 2019."
"Inside the Social Media Cult That Convinces Young People to Give Up Everything (1 hour read). In 2013, an aspiring musician was contacted by strangers on Twitter who seemed extremely interested in his music and career. They eventually met, and the strangers presented the musician with business ideas, conversations about spirituality, and a bag full of white designer clothes. The strangers were part of Tumple, a magic sex cult that recruited from Facebook meme pages. It targeted young artists and musicians, getting members to generate content to receive PayPal donations, which were then delivered to the cult leaders. Cult members were required to make posts for rewards and were discouraged from continuing their artistic pursuits once they joined. Tumple eventually rebranded to the DayLife Army. The DayLife army is still operating, but their numbers are starting to dwindle, with members openly announcing their departures on social media."
"Stupid solutions: Live server push without JS . MJPEG is a standard for sending a stream of JPEG frames as a video that is used by a lot of webcams, security cameras, and Raspberry Pi hacks. It can be made into a service that indefinitely waits for frames to stream. While it isn't the best way to do things, it's a good example of a fun hack that works quite well across browsers. There can also be some other potential applications for it, such as tracking data for when frames stop loading or serving ads without JS."
"Epic Games buys a huge mall for its new global HQ . Epic Games is buying an old shopping mall and converting it into its new global headquarters. The Cary Towne Center was sold for $95 million. Epic has been based in Cary, North Carolina, since 1999. It has about two dozen subsidiaries and studios in other locations around the world. The Cary Towne Center has struggled to remain open due to online shopping, and much of the mall is blocked off. Its owners got the Cary Town Council to approve its rezoning, permitting Epic to use it for office space. Epic's new campus will include office buildings and recreational spaces."
whatthefuck.is (GitHub Repo). whatthefuck.is is an opinionated glossary of computer science terms for front-end developers. It is currently a work in progress and open for question submissions. A curse-free mirror is available.
A Self-Driving Bicycle Is Something To Marvel At . A YouTuber recently unveiled a self-driving bicycle that can hold itself perfectly upright even while balanced on a fence rail. It can drive itself without a rider using an onboard camera and LIDAR system. The 11-minute video showing off the bike is in the article. It is in Mandarin with no subtitles or translation.
"Microsoft's underwater data centre resurfaces after two years . Microsoft sank a data center off the coast of Orkney two years ago in an experiment to assess its performance and energy efficiency underwater. The data center had a lower failure rate than conventional data centers, with only eight out of 855 servers on board having failed after two years out on the bottom of the sea. This result may be because nitrogen was used in the capsule rather than oxygen as there were no humans on board. The cost of cooling data centers would be lower if they were underwater. Underwater locations are also more secure without having the large infrastructure costs of constructing a building."
"Elon Musk tells Joe Rogan he wants the new Tesla Roadster to hover . Elon Musk has been working on adding rocket thrusters to the second-generation Tesla Roadster for speed. He told Joe Rogan in a recent interview that he has been considering using the thrusters to make the Roadster hover as well. Making a car hover is dangerous, but Musk thinks it will be ok if the car doesn't hover too high. It is sure to create a headache for safety regulators if he is able to pull it off when the new Roadster comes out in 2022."
COBOL Programming Course (GitHub Repo). Common Business-Oriented Language was designed specifically for business use and it is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the world's economy. It continues to distinguish itself from other programming languages due to its inherent ability to handle vast amounts of critical data stored on the largest servers. This repository contains training materials and labs for a beginner’s course on COBOL.
"Microsoft to curb use of non-competes, drop NDAs from worker settlements, disclose salary ranges, launch civil rights audit . Microsoft has announced a series of reforms that will curtail or end some of its most controversial workplace policies and practices. It will no longer include non-compete clauses in its US employment agreements and remove them from existing agreements for all employees except senior leaders. Non-disclosure clauses that prevent employees from disclosing allegations of misconduct will no longer be included for US workers. Microsoft will publicly disclose salary ranges in job posts in the US starting in 2023. It will also commission and publish findings from a third-party civil rights audit in the upcoming fiscal year."
"Pentagon Announces Task Force to Study UFOs . The Department of Defense has approved the establishment of an Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force to detect, analyze, and catalog UAPs that could potentially pose a threat to US national security. There is a long history of government research into UFOs. The UAP Task Force will work with multiple agencies. Congress has requested information regarding unidentified aerial objects and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence is evaluating the proposal and how best to respond to the request."
"Decrease recovery time with a single search (Sponsor). Decrease recovery time with a single search . Search across all your repositories to find and resolve vulnerabilities in minutes, not days. Sourcegraph’s code intelligence platform enables developers to understand, fix, and automate across their entire codebase. Identifying & resolving security vulnerabilities is painful...but it doesn't have to be. Learn more."
"Eight-year-old discovers iPhone Screen Time workaround to watch more YouTube . An eight-year-old has discovered a way around her Apple Screen Time limits by using the iMessage App store. By accessing YouTube through the iMessage App store, the girl was able to keep watching YouTube well beyond her allotted app time. Children have always been finding ways around restrictions that parents place on them. Apple's parental controls aren't perfect, and iOS 13 was Apple's buggiest release in a long time. The company has since implemented new ways of developing and testing its software for the upcoming iOS 14 release."
"Apple purchases hyperlocal weather app Dark Sky, ending API and killing Android apps . Apple has purchased Dark Sky as part of a move to improve its native weather app for iOS. This means that Dark Sky will no longer be available for Android. Its API will also be disabled so other apps that rely on it will no longer function after 2022. Dark Sky is still available for purchase on the iOS App Store but it is expected that its functionality will be integrated into the native iOS weather app in the future."
"Portland quietly launches mobile location data project with Alphabet’s controversial Sidewalk Labs . Portland's citizens will unknowingly be part of a trial run of Sidewalk Lab's Replica Software. The software will collect location data from smartphones, anonymize the data, and then provide reports to the city on traffic patterns, the impact of ride-sharing on traffic, and other location-reliant information. It is expected that the project will cost at least $457,000, but the information provided will hopefully be able to help the city improve its infrastructure and policy."
"TF Quant Finance (GitHub Repo). TF Quant Finance is a high-performance TensorFlow library for quantitative finance. It provides TensorFlow support for foundational mathematical methods, mid-level methods, and specific pricing models. End-to-end examples are available."
signald (GitHub Repo). signald is a daemon for interacting with Signal. There are several libraries for Python and Go to make it easier to interact with signald. Multiple clients for signald are available.
"Oculus Quest (8 minute video). This is a video of Mark Zuckerberg announcing Oculus Quest, a wireless All in One VR headset with touch controllers shipping next spring for $399. There will be 50+ games available at launch."
"Awesome WAF (GitHub Repo). A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is a security policy enforcement point between a web application and the client endpoint. This repository contains a large amount of information regarding WAFs, including definitions, how to detect, evade, or bypass WAFs, tools for exploring WAFs, and links to more information."
"MicroPython: An Intro to Programming Hardware in Python (17 minute read). Hardware programming is now an easy area to get into, with robots, microcontrollers, electronics, and other hardware easily accessible by anyone. Traditionally, developers had to learn low-level languages like assembler or C++ to effectively program these devices. With the introduction of languages like MicroPython, developers no longer need to sacrifice functionality to program devices. This tutorial is an introduction to MicroPython and the world of electronics hardware."
"SpaceX launches Starship “hopper” on dramatic test flight . SpaceX's Starship 'hopper' is a sub-scale version of the Starship's propulsion system. It uses the Raptor engine, which burns cryogenic methane with liquid oxygen. The hopper completed a one-minute flight at a test facility in Texas, rising up to its FAA-approved 492-foot altitude before moving sideways and descending on a nearby landing pad. The new two-stage booster-Starship system will eventually replace the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets as well as the Cargo and Crew Dragon capsules. It consists of a Super Heavy Rocket and a winged Starship. Starship is designed to deliver satellites into space at a lower cost than the current Falcon vehicles. Elon Musk's goal is to launch a cargo mission to Mars in 2022 and a crewed flight as early as 2024. There is a video showing the hopper’s test launch."
"Microsoft's 'Netflix-for-gaming' service launches on iPhone and PC this week . Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming service will roll out in beta on iOS and PCs this week. It is already available for Android. The release on iOS was delayed due to changes to the App Store rules made in September. Xbox Cloud Gaming allows users to stream games without having to download them. People who have the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate plan will be able to stream more than 100 titles, as long as they have a fast enough internet connection. The service will initially roll out in 22 countries."
"Anyone can fingerprint unlock a Galaxy S10—just grab a clear phone case . Samsung's Galaxy S10's fingerprint reader can be fooled with a piece of transparent plastic. A user's wife discovered that she could unlock her husband's phone by putting a screen protector between her finger and the fingerprint sensor. Samsung is aware of the malfunctioning fingerprint recognition and will soon issue a software patch. The exploit also works on the Galaxy Note 10, which uses the same fingerprint technology. The phones use Qualcomm's ultrasonic fingerprint reader technology, which was supposed to be more secure as it used sonic waves to take a 3D scan of your finger as well as to detect blood flow within the finger. The fingerprint reader was previously fooled with a $450 3D printer."
"Takeover.sh (GitHub Repo). Takeover.sh is a script that will take control over a running Linux system remotely, allowing admins to log into an in-memory rescue environment. Users will be able to remotely unmount the root file system and replace a distro without needing to have physical access to a machine. It is recommended that the script is only run by people who know what they are doing as much of the script is experimental. The instructions are written ambiguously on purpose in order to prevent inexperienced users from being able to use the script."
"Samsung takes a stab at its own immersive metaverse store . Samsung 837X is an immersive metaverse experience that will be open in Decentraland for a limited time. It will allow guests to experience the physical Samsung 837 building in New York. Guests can complete quests with rewards like NFT badges and limited-supply wearables. There will be a mixed reality live dance party with Gamma Vibes. Samsung plans to bring Samsung 837X to more metaverses, with different experiences."
"A New Sunflower-Like Solar Panel Tracks the Sun for Maximum Energy . SmartFlower Solar is a Boston-based company that makes smartflower solar panels that track the sun to generate more energy. The smartflowers stand 16 feet high and generate about 5,000 kWh of power annually. They come with their own battery source that is viable across temperature extremes. Over 2,000 smartflowers have been installed worldwide. A picture of a smartflower is available in the article."
"Why do we round corners? . Rounded corners are everywhere in design. Rectangles with rounded corners are easier on the eyes because they take less cognitive effort to visually process. While our brains prefer rounded corners, using rounded corners on everything is not a good approach. This article discusses the science behind why we prefer rounded corners and provides some tips on how to use them effectively."
"What do you do as a DevOps? . Working in DevOps means that you end up working with many different technologies. The role is varied and the definition can change depending on the job. It requires a wide knowledge of coding languages, infrastructures, security, networks, and also the ability to work and communicate effectively with a team."
Malaria 'completely stopped' by microbe . A microbe was discovered in mosquitoes in Kenya that can completely protect mosquitoes from malarial infections. Microsporidia are closely related to fungi and most are parasites. Data from studies suggest that the microbes can completely block malaria in mosquitoes. Researchers are investigating different strategies for increasing the number of infected mosquitoes.
"Fitness app Supernatural is becoming part of Meta after Facebook touts VR fitness . The studio behind VR workout game Supernatural is joining Meta's Reality Labs. Meta has purchased many popular VR studios over the last few years. While the company is doing this to add popular games to its roster, it is raising concerns that Meta may end up owning the entire virtual reality market. Meta says that the purchase will help the company make better hardware for VR fitness apps."
"Security startup Verkada hack exposes 150,000 security cameras in Tesla factories, jails, and more . Silicon Valley security startup Verkada suffered a major security breach, with the hackers gaining access to over 150,000 of the company's cameras. Verkada serves companies like Tesla, Cloudflare, and Equinox, and it also serves hospitals, jails, schools, and police stations. The group had access to the full video archive of all of Verkada's customers. Verkada has disabled all internal administrator accounts and the company is investigating the scale and scope of the issue. The hackers managed to gain super admin-level access using credentials they found publicly on the internet."
"School of SRE (GitHub Repo). This repository contains the curriculum that Linkedin uses for onboarding non-traditional hires and new college grads into the Site Reliability Engineer role. The course covers topics such as Linux Basics, Python and Web, Data, Systems Design, and Security. Every module has additional references for further learning."
"Netflix is currently down for many users around the world . Netflix is experiencing outages around the world, mostly affecting users in the US and Europe. Many people are still unable to connect to the service. Netflix started lowering its streaming quality last week in several countries in order to handle the increased traffic from people going through lockdown or quarantine."
Modi puts all of India under lockdown for 21 days to fight coronavirus . Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that the country will go into lockdown for 21 days. All citizens will be banned from venturing outside their homes. India currently has 482 confirmed cases for COVID-19 and nine deaths.
"Introducing the Redis OM Client Libraries . Redis has announced a preview release of Redis OM: Object Mapping. It will launch with support for .NET, Node.js, Python, and Java. Redis OM allows developers to get the performance of Redis even if they don't have time to compose their own abstractions using the core data structures Redis provides. It gives developers a toolbox of high-level abstractions that make it easy to work with Redis data."
"New Spring-Loaded Screw Turns Drywall Into Sound-Absorbing Panels . The Sound Screw is a new type of spring-loaded screw that can reduce sound transmission through drywall by up to nine decibels. Drywall is flexible and can easily transmit sounds. The screws add a slight gap that allows the spring to expand and compress, dampening the energy of sound waves hitting the walls. It is a more economical alternative to other sound-proofing methods. The creator is still looking for manufacturers to put the Sound Screw into mass production."
"Engineers Are Building Huge Salt Caves to Store Huge Amounts of Hydrogen . Scientists are using salt mines to store large quantities of hydrogen for energy. A project that involves a huge system of caves in Utah will be operational by 2025 and initially have enough energy to power 150,000 households. Hydrogen energy is hindered by logistical problems such as storage. Salt mines provide a good medium to store hydrogen energy and a location that is easy for transport to nearby municipalities. Hydrogen can be converted into water and then reconverted to electricity when required by using hydrogen electrolyzers powered by renewable energy sources."
"Twitter acquires newsletter platform Revue . Twitter has acquired Revue, a Dutch startup that lets users publish and monetize email newsletters. Revue serves major publishers like Vox Media and The Markup. While newsletters might not be an obvious fit for Twitter's platform, it would make it easier for writers to connect to subscribers while giving them a way to receive additional income. Revue already supports paid subscriptions. It will continue to operate as a standalone product. Revue's pro features are now free for all users and the fee for paid newsletters has been lowered to 5%."
"Replaceable Batteries Are Coming Back To Phones If The EU Gets Its Way . The EU's new battery regulations will require a wide range of manufacturers to produce devices with easily removable, replaceable, and recyclable batteries. Devices affected by this law include smartphones and other typical consumer appliances. It also affects batteries for light means of transport, such as e-bikes and e-scooters. The law will mean that many devices will have to be redesigned. Manufacturers have until January 1, 2024, to comply with the law."
"Feb 17: Join Chief Measurement Strategist at Google, Neil Hoyne, for a moderated Q&A where your questions are answered live! (Sponsor). Feb 17: Join Chief Measurement Strategist at Google, Neil Hoyne, for a moderated Q&A where your questions are answered live! . We have new and exciting developments in store for you during our upcoming Digital Experience Summit, February 16-17! On day one, qualified attendees receive a complimentary $15 toward lunch on us. On day TWO we're hosting an exclusive, live ""Ask Me Anything"" with Neil Hoyne, Chief Measurement Strategist at Google, author of ""Converted: The Data-Driven Way to Win Customers’ Hearts"".Book Now!"
"Google Caught Hackers Using a Mac Zero-Day Against Hong Kong Users . Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) has found evidence of hackers targeting users in Hong Kong by exploiting vulnerabilities in Apple's Mac operating system. TAG did not identify any specific hacking group or country, but it did note that the group was well resourced, likely state-backed, and that there were strings in the code written in Chinese. Targets were hacked by visiting legitimate websites of a media outlet and a prominent pro-democracy labor and political group. The vulnerabilities exploited in the attacks have since been patched."
"A new TikTok clone hit the top of the App Store by paying users to watch videos . Zynn is a TikTok clone app that has recently reached number one in both Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store. Its interface is identical to TikTok's except that there is a timer that fills up with points as a user watches videos. The points can be redeemed later for cash or gift cards. Zynn originated in China by a startup called Kuaishou. It hopes to make more money selling ads than it pays out to users. Kuaishou recently received a $2 billion investment from Tencent, who hopes the investment will help it compete against ByteDance. Zynn has a referral scheme that promises $110 to users if they can get five people to sign up and use the app regularly. Users must link the app to an existing phone number, Google, Facebook, or Twitter account to receive rewards. A PayPal account is required to cash out rewards."
"Bayard (GitHub Repo). Bayard is a full-text search and indexing server. It makes it easy for programmers to develop search applications with advanced features and high availability. Bayard features full-text searching/indexing, index replication, bringing up a cluster, and a command-line interface."
"SpaceX Starship prototype rocket explodes on landing after test launch . A SpaceX Starship prototype rocket exploded on landing during an experimental launch on Tuesday. The previous test rocket was destroyed in a similar accident. Starship SN9 initially performed a flawless liftoff, but one of its Raptor thrusters failed when it began its final landing. Video and images of the explosion are available in the article."
"Professional Programming (GitHub Repo). This is a collection of books, articles, and other materials to self-study any area of being a professional programmer (algorithms, project management, dotfiles, security etc.). Incredibly comprehensive."
"Lab-Grown Edible Muscles: Researchers Take a Huge Step Forward in Fake Food . Researchers at Harvard University grew rabbit and cow muscle cells using edible gelatin scaffolds. The techniques used allowed cells to grow in a way that realistically mimicked the texture and consistency of real meat. One of the biggest challenges in creating lab-grown meats is recreating complex skeletal muscle fibers. The cells need something to hold onto as they grow. A technique called Rotary Jet-Spinning uses centrifugal force to spin long nanofibers of predetermined shapes and measurements. This technique was used to create edible gelatin fibers, which formed the scaffold material that held cell tissues together to create a more realistic texture. Using RJS, it is possible to create different meats with specific textures and consistencies that could resemble the flesh of different types of animals."
"SpaceX seeks FCC approval for up to 1M Starlink satellite earth stations . SpaceX has filed an application with the FCC to approve its Starlink service. Starlink aims to bring high-speed, reliable, and affordable broadband to consumers in the US and around the world. If everything goes according to plan, SpaceX expects the service to be launched in 2020."
"NYPD using VR to train for active shootings and real-life scenarios (YouTube). In this five minute video, New York City policemen are seen using VR to train in different scenarios. Police officers are equipped with special sensors and weapons that provide recoil so that the scenarios are as close to reality as possible. They can be monitored from various angles and all movement can be assessed for training. Officers can be trained in different scenarios quickly and effectively. The software used can generate new scenarios easily, so the training can be flexible and evolve as required."
"Researchers developed a device that could boost broadband speeds 100-fold . Currently when light is used to transmit information, the info is stored by light color and whether the wave is horizontal or vertical. Researchers have figured out a way to twist light into a spiral, essentially adding a third dimension (angular momentum). Researchers have also created a detector the size of a human hair that can detect the angular momentum of light sent through a cable. Professor Min Gu, who co-authored the paper says ""It fits the scale of existing fiber technology and could be applied to increase the bandwidth, or potentially the processing speed, of that fiber by over 100 times within the next couple of years. This easy scalability and the massive impact it will have on telecommunications is what's so exciting."""
"Google Tensor debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall . Tensor is Google's first custom-built System on a Chip specifically for Pixel phones. It will power the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones that will debut this fall. Tensor is built for AI and ML tasks and it will improve existing features, as well as make it possible to create new ones. The Pixel 6 will have the most layers of hardware security in any phone. It will have an upgraded rear camera system, with a camera bar rather than the traditional square. Pictures of the new phone are available in the article."
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Booby-trapped sites delivered potent new backdoor trojan to macOS users . DazzleSpy is a macOS malware that was installed using an exploit that only required targets to visit a booby-trapped webpage. The malware would have required significant resources to develop. It was found on sites appealing to pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong. Apple has patched the vulnerabilities exploited in the attack. This article describes how the attack worked. It includes a table showing a list of commands accepted by the malware and their purpose.
Facebook and Google to face mandatory code of conduct to 'level playing field' with traditional news media . The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission is developing a mandatory code of conduct to govern commercial dealings between tech giants and news media companies. These rules will require digital platforms to pay news media businesses for the content they produce. The Australian government believes it is unlikely that companies like Google or Facebook will reach a voluntary agreement over the issue. Media companies are facing significant financial pressure due to a sharp downturn in advertising revenue. The blame has been put onto digital platforms for not sharing traffic or revenue while still using the content that the media companies generate.
Is This the Hottest Market on Earth? (Sponsor). Is This the Hottest Market on Earth? . The global wealth of billionaires has soared by $5 trillion since the pandemic and they know what they want: art. A lot more. With some works selling for 15X
"Samsung Working on Two More Foldable Smartphones . Samsung has only just announced their Galaxy Fold phone, but they’re already working on concepts and designs based on the feedback that they’re receiving from their first foldable device. Two design ideas have been leaked, one that is a clamshell-like device and another that folds outwards, similar to Huawei’s Mate X. The new devices will be unveiled later this year or early next year and may have an extra screen on the outside, depending on the reception of a similar display on the Galaxy Fold. While Samsung works on these devices, they are still figuring out ways to improve on the current Galaxy Fold phone, as the device has an issue where a crease will appear on the panel after it has been folded 10,000 times."
"S&P Dow Jones Indices to launch cryptocurrency indexes in 2021 . S&P Dow Jones Indices will launch cryptocurrency indices in 2021, using data from Lukka, a New York-based virtual currency company. S&P's clients will be able to create customized indices and other benchmarking tools. The move could help cryptocurrencies become more mainstream investments. Bitcoin has soared around 170% this year. Cryptocurrencies have started attracting interest from large financial companies over the last few years, with the increase in mainstream market infrastructure making the asset class more accessible for institutional investors."
"Google Engineer On Leave After He Claims AI Program Has Gone Sentient . A Google engineer has been placed on paid administrative leave for violating the company's confidentiality policy after he claimed that Google's LaMDA AI had become sentient. The engineer had presented his conclusions to Google's vice president and head of Responsible Innovation, but his claims were dismissed. A Google spokesperson says that there is no evidence that LaMDA is sentient and that there was a lot of evidence against the idea. Excerpts from chats that the engineer had with the AI are available in the article."
"Apple no longer sells third-party audio accessories ahead of AirPods Studio announcement . Apple will no longer stock Bose, Sonos, Logitech, and other third-party headphones in its stores. The company is rumored to be releasing its own over-ear headphones called 'AirPods Studio' later this year. AirPods Studio will be able to customize its shape to the wearer and it will feature an advanced equalizer aimed at professional users. Apple is expected to announce the headphones at a special event this month along with the new line of iPhones."
I reverse engineered McDonald's internal api... (Twitter Thread). Mcbroken is a service built by @rashiq that exploits McDonald's internal API to create a map that shows up-to-date information on which US locations have a broken ice-cream machine. No ice-cream was wasted in making the site.
"DS Cheatsheets (GitHub Repo). This is a set of open source cheatsheets for topics in data science including deep learning, machine learning, data visualization, Python, R, SQL, and more. They're all in PDF form so if you want to print them out and tape them somewhere you could probably do that too."
"JPMorgan Provides Banking Services to Crypto Exchanges Coinbase and Gemini . JPMorgan Chase has taken on US-based cryptocurrency exchanges Coinbase and Gemini as customers. The bank is not processing cryptocurrency transactions but is providing cash-management services. It will process all wire transfers, dollar deposits, and withdrawals. JPMorgan's CEO has been a vocal Bitcoin critic in the past but the bank has been positive about blockchain's potential, even creating its own digital currency in early 2019."
"Microsoft has turned the Surface Duo into a handheld Xbox . Microsoft has updated its Xbox Cloud Gaming app for Android, adding support for the dual-screen Surface Duo. Surface Duo users will see a virtual gamepad on one screen and the game on the other. Microsoft has added Xbox Touch Controls to more than 50 titles. Regular Bluetooth or Xbox controllers can be used with the Surface Duo."
"Experimental US Air Force space plane breaks previous record for orbital spaceflight . The US Air Force's Boeing-built X-37B space plane has broken its previous record for time spent in space at 719 days and counting. It was launched with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on September 2017. The plane's mission is classified, but it involves spending time in space and conducting experiments that can be returned to and examined on Earth. It is completely autonomous, with no crew on board, and it can land itself horizontally on a runway. The X-37 program began at NASA in 1999, after which it was transferred to DARPA, and finally to the US Air Force in 2004. It has flown four times, with a total of 2,085 days in space."
"Tulsi Gabbard sues Google, claims 'election interference' over suspension of ad account . Google is facing legal action by member of Congress and Democratic presidential candidate, Tulsi Gabbard, due to the suspension of Gabbard's campaign advertising account during the first Democratic presidential debate. It is alleged that Gabbard's account was suspended for several hours during the first Democratic debate when Gabbard was briefly the most-searched candidate on Google. Google claims that the suspension was due to an automated system that flagged the account for unusual activity, and that the account was reinstated shortly after the suspension. Gabbard claims that the suspension was a threat to free speech, fair elections, and to democracy."
"Kyverno (GitHub Repo). Kyverno is a policy engine designed for Kubernetes. It manages policies as Kubernetes resources and it is compatible with kubectl, kustomize, and Git. Kyverno can validate, mutate, and generate configurations using admission controls and background scans."
"Facebook is changing its algorithm to take on TikTok, leaked memo reveals . Facebook employees were recently given a new directive to make the app's feed more like TikTok's. It plans to start heavily recommending posts regardless of where they come from rather than prioritizing posts from accounts people follow. It will also recombine Facebook and Messenger to mimic TikTok's messaging functionality. The company increasingly sees TikTok as a threat. More details about Facebook's new plans and a copy of the leaked memo announcing the changes are available in the article."
"Kuo: 16-inch MacBook Pro, 31-inch 6K display, iPhones w/ upgraded Face ID & bilateral wireless charging coming in 2019 . Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has released a new investor note detailing Apple’s upcoming releases for 2019. The note discusses the release of new updates to iPads, MacBook Pros, Apple Displays, iPhones, iPods, Apple Watches, and AirPods. It is expected that the first announcements for the new products will be in March."
"Octopus and human brains share the same “jumping genes” . Researchers in Italy studying octopus brains found that octopus brains have active transposons, also known as jumping genes. Transposons help the DNA inside the nucleus of cells cut or copy and paste into different regions of the genome. Some of the transposons are similar to transposons that are active in the human brain. The similarities between the human brain and the octopus brain can be explained by convergent evolution."
"Amid scandal, Pornhub hires “biometric technology” firm for user verification . Pornhub has announced new security features and policies to ensure that the videos on its platform do not contain potentially illegal material. The company received criticism last year after it was accused of profiting from illegal material. It responded by suspending activity from unverified users and deleting nearly 80 percent of its hosted content. Pornhub has partnered with Yoti, a London-based company that acts as a middle-man for biometric verification. This will allow Pornhub to verify users without ever seeing their private information."
"A robotic spacecraft just latched onto an active satellite in orbit . The Mission Extension Vehicle-2 (MEV-2) recently latched onto an old communications satellite while in orbit. The mission is Northrop Grumman's second successful docking of an object in space. MEV-2 launched last year and spent six months raising its orbit to meet a 17-year-old satellite more than 22,000 miles from Earth. The satellite had operated for beyond its lifespan, but MEV-2 will extend its life by at least another 5 years. Northrop plans to launch an upgraded satellite servicing system called the Mission Robotic Vehicle by 2024."
"Amazon’s broadband satellite venture Kuiper teams up with Verizon to expand 5G coverage . Amazon is teaming up with Verizon to expand 4G/LTE and 5G coverage to remote areas of the globe. It is unknown how much Verizon is paying for the service. Amazon's Kuiper satellites will provide connectivity to cell towers with throughput speeds of up to 400 Mbps. They will enable rural and remote locations to be connected without having to lay cables. Amazon has yet to launch any satellites, but it must launch at least 1,618 by 2026 according to its license with the FCC."
"Easy OCR (GitHub Repo). Easy OCR is a package for detecting text in images. It supports 42 languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Thai. Examples and a list of supported languages are available in the repository."
"TurboTax owner Intuit has plans to buy Credit Karma for $7 billion, report says . Intuit is looking to acquire personal-finance portal Credit Karma for $7 billion this week. The move, which is expected to be announced early in the week, will be the largest purchase Intuit has made in its 37-year history. Credit Karma will remain functional as a standalone business with the same CEO. The startup serves more than 85 million Americans by offering credit cards and loan referrals. Intuit is currently estimated to be worth $77 billion and owns other personal finance products such as TurboTax and QuickBooks. Other financial technology mergers this year include Morgan Stanley's purchase of E*Trade and Visa's planned purchase of Plaid."
"Chinese netizens curious of Japanese AI blind date program . The Japanese government has a matchmaking project that uses AI to recommend partners based on the potential fit between people, rather than on conditions such as age and income. Chinese netizens have begun asking if China could also use the technology to find marriage partners for its citizens. The marriage rate in China has continued to decline since 2014. Experts say the low marriage rate is a result of changing lifestyles, the high cost of marriage, and a loss in confidence about marriage due to an increasing divorce rate. While AI might improve efficiency and save on labor costs associated with setting up blind dates, it cannot control how people will feel about someone else."
"China wants to launch to Mars next year . China will launch its first mission to Mars in 2020. The rover will be used to probe Mars' geological features, internal structure, and atmosphere. The solar-powered, six-wheeled rover will have a ground-penetrating radar and will search for pockets of ice. It is part of a long term effort to be bring back samples of Martian soil by 2030. The HX-1 spacecraft is scheduled to launch in July or August of next year."
"undelete_jpg (GitHub Repo). undelete_jpg is a program that recovers deleted JPG files. When files are deleted, only the directory entry to the file is removed but the content usually remains on the device. If new data has been written to the deallocated device space, the recovered files may be corrupted."
Twitter bans posting pictures of ‘private individuals’ against their wishes . Twitter now lets private individuals request takedowns of media featuring them. The change is aimed at preventing harassment or invasions of privacy. It includes exceptions for posts that are shared in the public interest or add value to public discourse. The policy does not apply to public figures and other well-known people. A first-person complaint is required for a takedown request. Twitter will likely have to depend on moderators to judge the nuance of each situation.
"CML (GitHub Repo). Continuous Machine Learning is a library for implementing continuous integration and delivery in machine learning projects. It can be used to automate model training and evaluation, monitoring changing datasets, and more."
"Forget Exercise—These Mice Got Ripped With Gene Therapy . Scientists have created a gene therapy that builds muscle mass and reduces obesity in mice even while eating a diet high in fat and not exercising. The therapy targets FST, a gene responsible for muscle growth and metabolism control. In the 18 weeks of the trial, the mice more than doubled their muscle mass and strength level. They also experienced reduced damage related to osteoarthritis, less inflammation in their joints, and healthier hearts and blood vessels, despite their diet and lack of exercise. If the treatment can be used in humans, the research team aims to use it to help people with conditions like muscular dystrophy or severe obesity."
"Foxconn boss Terry Gou is running for president of Taiwan . Billionaire Terry Gou, the founder and now former chairman of Foxconn, will be running for the role of president of Taiwan if he is successful in the primaries for the Kuomintang opposition party. According to Gou, the sea goddess Mazu came to him in a dream encouraging him to promote peace across the Taiwan Strait. If successful, he poses a significant threat to the current president, who is battling low approval ratings. Gou’s relationships with China and the US may prove to be a significant factor in improving Taiwan’s relationships with both countries."
"Facebook announces Bulletin, its Substack newsletter competitor . Facebook just announced a newsletter product called Bulletin. Bulletin allows writers to publish free and paid newsletters on the web, to subscribers' emails, or on Facebook. Facebook won't take a fee from writers at launch, and writers retain full ownership of their content and subscriber lists. Facebook has signed up writers already to cover topics from sports to finance. Newsletter platforms are growing in popularity as they offer a way for creators to monetize their work. Bulletin is not currently accepting writers."
"Dispatch (GitHub Repo). Dispatch is an incident-management tool that deeply integrates with existing tools used throughout an organization. It allows users to focus on creating resources, assembling participants, sending out notifications, tracking tasks, and assisting with post-incident reviews."
"Troll Research Station: how to operate an airport in Antarctica . In 2005, the Troll Research Station in Antarctica opened a 3000-meter blue ice runway, allowing people to get to the station without weeks of travel. Construction of the runway took two years. A laser cutter was used to level the blue ice near the station. Preparing the runway for flights is a two-week process. The runway moves a few meters each year as it sits on a glacier. Fuel is sent to Troll once a year. Pictures of the airfield are available in the article."
"Cybercriminals who breached Nvidia issue one of the most unusual demands ever . Lapsus$, a ransomware group that stole up to a terabyte of data from Nvidia, has told the company to let its graphics cards be used for faster cryptocurrency mining or it will release Nvidia's trade secrets. Nvidia's GPUs have a feature that looks for signs of the Ethereum mining algorithm and limits the hash rate by around 50%. The feature was designed to discourage miners from purchasing the GPUs as they were intended for gamers. Nvidia has not indicated if it will comply with the demands."
"Starship (GitHub Repo). Starship is a minimal, fast, customizable prompt for any shell. It displays important information in a sleek and unintrusive manner. A quick GIF demo is available showing the prompt in action."
Scientists Have Measured a Perceptual Ability Called 'O'. How Good Is Yours? . 'O' is the general ability for object recognition.
"Kuo: 'All-new design' AirPods in 2020, wireless charging model in first quarter 2019
Apple will be coming out with new wireless-charging Airpods in early 2019. In 2020, they will be coming out with a new AirPod design, rumors are that these Airpods will be water/sweat resistant and offer voice activation (the current version requires you to tap it twice to activate). Apple will be coming out with new wireless-charging Airpods in early 2019. In 2020, they will be coming out with a new AirPod design, rumors are that these Airpods will be water/sweat resistant and offer voice activation (the current version requires you to tap it twice to activate). Airpods are Apple's most popular accessory ever, and existing iPhone owners are more likely to buy Airpods than a new iPhone."
"The Painfully Shy Developer's Guide to Networking for a Better Job (17 minute read). Making small talk with colleagues might be the last thing you want to do as an introvert, but networking is an important skill that can create career opportunities. This article talks about how to network without being awkward or creepy. It aims to teach the reader how to build relationships with influencers at companies in a way that is authentic and natural."
"A first look at Microsoft’s new Windows 10X operating system for dual screens . Windows has released its first emulator for Windows 10X, its operating system designed exclusively for foldable and dual-screen hardware. Developers will have a chance to start optimizing apps before devices launch later this year. It feels like a slightly more modern version of Windows 10 with a simplified look. The Start Menu behaves like a task launcher where you can search for apps, documents, and web content. Cortana is missing from the operating system. The biggest changes can be found in the way Windows 10X handles multitasking. Apps will open by default on a single screen and can be stretched across dual-screen devices. The old Windows desktop and File Explorer have both been replaced. A new Wonder Bar, designed to sit above or below a hardware keyboard, will allow similar functionality as Apple's Touch Bar."
"Tilt (GitHub Repo). Tilt is an open source project that makes it really easy to run Kubernetes locally, and gives you visibility into problems with your builds, yaml files, etc. It's a simplified alternative to kubectl, you can just run ""tilt up"" and your app will go live at http://localhost. There's a one minute demo video in the repo."
"Embrace your inner yellow blob with Headspace’s new Netflix meditation show . Headspace has announced a three-series deal with Netflix called the Headspace Guide to Meditation. It is set to premiere next month. Andy Puddicombe, Headspace's co-founder, will voice the eight-episode series, providing guided meditations and teaching the benefits of the practice. Each episode will be 20 minutes long. The series will be subtitled and dubbed in 30 languages. Headspace has provided free content to a variety of audiences during the pandemic. The official trailer for the show is embedded in the article."
"Secretive Seattle startup Picnic unveils pizza-making robot — here’s how it delivers 300 pies/hour . Picnic, a Seattle startup, has created a system that makes custom pizzas with little human intervention. The device looks simple, but it is able to assemble up to 300 12-inch pizzas per hour. While machines have been making frozen pizzas for years, Picnic's robot is different in that it is small enough to fit in most kitchens, the recipes are easily changed, and the ingredients it uses are fresh. It still requires humans to prepare the dough, make sauces, and to bake the finished pizza. Picnic uses a camera to make sure that the ingredients are distributed evenly across the pizza. Restaurant owners can rent the device. Technology changes quickly, so many people don't want to buy a whole device only for it to be obsolete within a few years. While the machine has the potential to take over fast-food workers' jobs, restaurants have been having trouble filling in these positions anyway. More than 80 percent of workers in fast-food positions change jobs each year, requiring employers to constantly train new recruits."
"Nearly half of game developers want to unionize . A survey of nearly 4,000 games developers found that 47% believed that they should unionize, 16% said they shouldn't, and 26% were unsure. However, only 21% thought a union would actually happen. This is in response to poor conditions where developers worked 100 hour weeks to finish Red Dead Redemption 2 and bitter layoffs at Telltale Games (producer of the Walking Dead game). One developer says ""There is too much supply: too many people want into the industry. Those who unionize will be shoved out of the way as companies hire those with fewer demands."""
"Rex (GitHub Repo). Rex is a project to train an open-source 3D printed quadruped robot. It aims to train the robot to learn domestic and generic tasks using simulations and then transfer the knowledge onto a real robot without any other manual tuning. This repository contains different OpenAI Gym Environments used to train Rex, the Rex URDF model, the learning agent, and some scripts to start the training session and visualize the learned Control Policies."
"Forget drones, Amazon’s real robot innovation is in the warehouse . Amazon has revealed two new robots at the re:MARS conference that are designed to move products around its warehouses. The Xanthus is an upgrade for Amazon’s shelf-bots that will let them operate in more environments, and the Pegasus is a completely new system that replaces the conveyors normally employed. Unlike Google or Facebook, Amazon’s business depends on being able to move billions of items through its fulfillment centers, so the company is at the forefront of developing more advanced robots with AI. While Amazon has been criticized for replacing workers with robots, these jobs are usually mindless and repetitive, and not necessarily jobs that people want to do. Amazon has also created new job positions, such as the Flow Control Specialist, who monitors the Pegasus machines."
"Pprint (GitHub Repo). Pprint is a pretty printer for modern C++. To install, users just need to include the pprint.hpp in their code. There are many examples of how to use pprint available on the repository."
"We ate Impossible Foods' faux pork and it was good as hell . Impossible Foods has debuted its plant-based pork at an invite-only event at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay. In a review, the pork was sampled in a variety of dishes, including banh mi, meatballs, noodles, spring rolls, and shumai. The pork was described to be delicious and has the same texture as real pork. Impossible says its plant-based pork has 40 percent fewer calories than real pork, and it doesn't contain any gluten, animal hormones, or antibiotics. The Impossible Sausage will make its debut in Burger King's breakfast croissants later this month."
"Android 12 developer preview is available now with many under-the-hood updates . The developer preview for Android 12 is now available for Pixel devices. Android 12 updates how the OS handles images, videos, and future security updates. The developer preview is full of developer-facing changes and it is likely nowhere near ready for day-to-day use. Many UI changes will not be included until after the Google I/O conference. The official release isn't expected until after August this year."
"Tesla Model 3 Spoofed off the highway – Regulus Navigation System Hack Causes Car to Turn On Its Own . The navigation systems of the Tesla Model 3 and Model S were tested with the aim of exposing potential flaws within the software. The Model S was found to be less susceptible to GPS spoofing attacks as it used different navigation software to the Model 3. Tesla’s Model 3 uses Navigation on Autopilot, which can suggest and make lane changes with driver supervision. The requirement for driver confirmations on lane changes can be waived. As the Model 3 depends heavily on GNSS reliability, GPS spoofing resulted in the navigation system behaving erratically. Tesla responded to information about the potential vulnerability by pointing out that this was a general problem with GNSS-based GPS systems, and that they plan to implement features to minimize the issue. According to security experts, attackers can potentially take over the GPS system of any autonomous driving vehicle and alter its route."
"CoreUI Icons (GitHub Repo). CoreUI Icons contains more than 1,500 icons in multiple formats. It is free and open-source, and the icons can be used for commercial projects, open-source projects, or almost anything else. A Pro version is available with more than 2,000 icons and more styles."
"Intel’s strategy for outflanking Arm takes shape with bet on RISC-V . Intel has announced a $1 billion innovation fund that will bet on a couple of key technologies, including RISC-V, an open-source instruction set that shows promise in low-power and embedded systems. Arm may have the smartphone market, but simple, small, and low-power chips will be needed in everything from cars to smart light bulbs. RISC-V supplier Andes Technology shipped more than 3 billion RISC-V chips in the last year. Nvidia recently announced its intention to purchase Arm, but the sale was blocked by regulators. Arm may be in the process of filing for an IPO."
"CRISPR tomatoes genetically engineered to be richer in vitamin D . Researchers at the John Innes Center have genetically engineered tomatoes to provide a new source of vitamin D. Tomato leaves contain very low levels of a vitamin D precursor. The researchers used CRISPR technology to switch off a specific enzyme that normally converts the precursor into other molecules, which allowed the precursor to accumulate in the flesh, peel, and leaves at much higher levels. This resulted in tomatoes that contained as much vitamin D as two eggs. The technique could be used in other plants, like aubergines or potatoes, as they have similar biochemical pathways."
"Walmart to test drone delivery of grocery, household items . Walmart is running a pilot for delivering groceries and household products using automated drones. It will partner with Flytrex, an end-to-end delivery firm, for the project. Walmart has seen online sales double in the second quarter. It has explored its options with deliveries through autonomous vehicles with Ford and other self driving car startups in the past."
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"Delta (GitHub Repo). Delta is a syntax-highlighter for git and diff output on the command line. It is compatible with all syntax-highlighting themes available on bat. Delta features language syntax highlighting, within-line insertion/deletion detection, multiple insertion/deletions detected per line, and matching of unequal numbers of changed lines. Examples of Delta in use are available."
"Disney Crushes Own Global Box Office Record With Historic $10 Billion . Disney has become the first studio to surpass $10 billion at the worldwide box office. It crossed $3.28 billion in North America and $6.7 billion overseas over the weekend. These numbers don't include Fox titles, which if included, would push the record up to $11.9 billion. Disney established a new record in August for having five movies cross $1 billion in a single year. Frozen 2 and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker could potentially put that number to seven movies for the year. Disney currently holds six of the 10 biggest movies of the year globally, including Avengers: Endgame, the highest-grossing film of all time."
"LightSail 2 Spacecraft Successfully Demonstrates Flight by Light . The Planetary Society's crowdfunded LightSail 2 spacecraft is successfully raising its orbit solely using the power of sunlight. In the past four days, the spacecraft has raised its orbit by about two kilometers. The mission team has confirmed the increase can only be attributed to solar sailing. An image from the LightSail 2 captured by its camera during solar sail deployment is available. The LightSail 2 will continue to raise its orbit for roughly a month, after which it will begin to deorbit, eventually reentering the atmosphere. Around 50,000 people contributed to the mission, donating the $7 million required for it to be successful. The results of the mission will be shared with other organizations so that solar sail technology can be applied to future space exploration missions."
"Holograms, light-leaks and how to build CSS-only shaders (10 minute read). WebGL and tools like threejs bring a whole new level of visual effects to the browser. CSS now has access to many of the most common shading techniques, It is possible to build surprisingly high-quality effects without the need for any JavaScript dependencies. This article discusses CSS shaders and how to use them to create visual effects."
"Notch will sell you insurance in case your Instagram gets hacked . Notch is selling Instagram account insurance starting at $8 a month. The company will pay a calculated amount to its customers for every day that they are locked out of their accounts after a hack. It will use a number of metrics to craft its policies. Notch will only cover hacks, and customers must have multi-factor authentication turned on. The insurance will not cover bans or suspensions."
"Free Zoom backgrounds you can use to disguise your messy remote work rooms . As social distancing becomes ubiquitous, people are setting up work conferences or virtual parties to chat with friends through Zoom. Zoom has a custom background tool that can hide messy backgrounds. There are several resources that are handy for finding backdrops to use. Canva offers several free templates, Unsplash is a library of free high-quality stock images, Modsy has rooms from homes in popular TV shows, and Verge has a Staff Favorites list which is included in the article."
"Why Chinese sellers are quitting Amazon . Chinese sellers are leaving Amazon due to bans related to artificially inflated ratings. Sellers were repeatedly warned over manipulated reviews. The bans did not target sellers based on nationality. Sellers have been facing increasing costs and restrictions on the platform. Their attempts at gaming Amazon's system were unsuccessful and many have moved to other platforms. Amazon is still recruiting newer and smaller Chinese sellers, proving that Chinese exports are still important to the company."
"US will rewrite safety rules to permit fully driverless cars on public roads . Currently, cars in the US are required to have steering wheels, mirrors, and foot pedals. The US Department of Transportation issued a statement saying that it ""intends to reconsider the necessity and appropriateness of its current safety standards"" to accommodate autonomous vehicles. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao believes that the new technology could save many lives, citing a statistic that 37,000 died in car crashes last year in the US. The DoT is also removing the 10 ""official test site"" designations created by the Obama administration, now self driving cars can be tested anywhere and still qualify for the $60 million in congressional grants set aside for autonomous driving technologies."
"Samsung Electronics to Showcase Successful ‘C-Lab Inside’ Projects and ‘C-Lab Outside’ Start-ups at CES 2020 . Samsung Electronics will be showcasing five innovative projects from its C-Lab Inside program and products from four start-ups participating in its C-Lab Outside program at CES2020. C-Lab Inside is an in-house incubation program that encourages Samsung employees to develop innovative ideas. The C-Lab Inside projects to be unveiled this year focus on creating a convenient and healthy lifestyle. They include a virtual keyboard solution, a smart highlighter pen, a home care solution for scalp treatment and hair loss prevention, a window-shaped artificial sunlight, and an ultraviolet monitoring sensor and service. C-Lab Outside is a startup acceleration program that provides startups with financial support, business collaboration, and opportunities to participate in global IT exhibitions. This year, C-Lab Outside will showcase a companion robot, a healthcare data-based ICT service, a gesture control technology, and a multi-party video call service."
"Great Barrier Reef: Scientists find reef taller than Empire State Building . A 500m high coral reef has been found north of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. It is the first such discovery in 120 years. Scientists used an underwater robot called SuBastian to explore the reef. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef, but it has lost more than half of its corals since 1995 due to climate change. The new reef is detached from the Great Barrier Reef. At 1.5km wide, it is one of seven other tall reefs in the region. 3D maps of the reef are available in the article."
"Zomato buys Uber Eats in an all-stock deal . Zomato has acquired the Indian operations of Uber Eats for around $350 million. The deal will give Uber about 10 percent shareholding in Zomato. Uber Eats customers will be redirected to Zomato, and it will cease to exist as a separate brand locally. The Uber Eats team will not be absorbed, and executives will either be reallocated to Uber's other divisions or laid off. Zomato is now expected to corner more than 50 percent of the Indian market. Uber Eats was the third biggest player in the market, behind Zomato and Swiggy. It was underperforming in the market, operating on losses throughout last year."
"Twitter announces paid Super Follows to let you charge for tweets . Twitter recently announced two new features during a presentation for analysts and investors. Super Follows will allow users to charge followers for extra content. Twitter has not yet revealed what fees will be charged for the service. Communities is similar to Facebook Groups, where people can create and join groups around specific interests and see more posts focused on those topics. Twitter did not reveal when either of these features will be launched."
"Cruise, GM partner with Microsoft to commercialize self-driving vehicles . Cruise and General Motors will partner with Microsoft to commercialize driverless autonomous vehicles. Cruise is now valued at around $30 billion. The company will use Azure for its self-driving vehicles. GM will work with Microsoft to develop its digitization initiatives and to explore opportunities to streamline operations."
"Django SQL Dashboard (Website). Django SQL Dashboard provides an authenticated interface for executing read-only SQL queries against PostgreSQL databases. It can safely run multiple SQL queries, bookmark queries to be shared, create saved dashboards from queries, produce charts, and more. Screenshots and examples are available."
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"Calico (GitHub Repo). Calico is a utility that is cat for colors. It accepts delimited hex colors or the GPL palette format as input, and the output is highly configurable. Calico can modify the hue, saturation, and luminosity values of all colors in the palette using a primitive command language."
"DeepMind’s StarCraft 2 AI is now better than 99.8 percent of all human players . AlphaStar, DeepMind's StarCraft II AI software, has reached the level of grandmaster in the game. This means that the bot is able to beat 99.8 percent of all human players in competition. The program is now able to play all three of the game's playable races. It is only limited to viewing the portion of the map a human player would see and to 22 unique actions every five seconds of play. AlphaStar is proof that general-purpose reinforcement learning may be one day able to be used to train self-learning robots, self-driving cars, and to create more advanced image and object recognition systems. With enough time, effort, and resources, sophisticated AI software may be able to best humans at virtually any competitive cognitive challenge."
Hate Needles? This Robot Delivers Vaccines Without Them . Cobi is a versatile robotics platform that can create completely automated robots. The company recently revealed a version of the robot that can deliver injections using a high-pressure fluid jet to demonstrate the technology. Cobi can be programmed for use in the cleantech and hospitality industries. It will still be a few years before the robot will be ready to go to market. A video showing a person receiving an injection from the robot is available in the article.
"Los Angeles Uber drivers join cities across the U.S. in strike ahead of much-anticipated IPO . Uber, who is about to launch one of the tech world's most anticipated Initial Public Offerings, faced a protest from their drivers just days before the sale. Drivers across 10 cities in the US, as well as in some European locations such as London, protested against unfair pay and a lack of transparency. Passengers did not seem to notice much difference during the protest as they were still able to hail rides without much difficulty, but the goal of the protest was so legislators would take notice. A change in legislation may affect the company's value and sale price, which the protestors are trying to use as leverage against the company."
"In A 1st, Doctors In U.S. Use CRISPR Tool To Treat Patient With Genetic Disorder . Doctors in the US have used CRISPR to treat a patient with Sickle cell, a disease that affects millions of people around the world. It will still be a few months before the treatment is deemed safe and can be assessed for effectiveness. Cells from the patient's own bone marrow were genetically modified with CRISPR to make them produce a protein that is usually only made by fetuses and babies. The theory is that the protein will compensate for the defective proteins that cause sickle cell disease. Trials of the new treatment are being conducted on more patients across eight sites in the US, Canada, and Europe. While the treatment shows promise in the lab, this may not be the case in real-world scenarios."
"Researchers build a metadata-based image database using DNA storage . DNA-based data storage offers phenomenal data density and can store data for centuries without using any energy. Due to DNA's role in biology, humans will likely be able to maintain the ability to read it. However, DNA storage is expensive and slow and every time the data is read, it degrades. A team of researchers from MIT has created a DNA-based image storage system where it is possible to access just the data that is required, leaving the rest of the data untouched. The system prevents data loss and makes DNA storage significantly more stable and useful."
"Osmedeus (GitHub Repo). Osmedeus is a collection of reconnaissance and vulnerability scanning tools. It is able to scan subdomains, provide basic information such as IPs, discover ports and vulnerabilities, and more."
"NASA taps startup Axiom Space for the first habitable commercial module for the Space Station . Axiom Space has been selected by NASA to build the first commercial habitat module for the International Space Station. The module will be used as a destination for future commercial spaceflight missions, including housing experiments, technology development, and more. Axiom Space was founded in 2016 and it has a lot of ex-NASA talent on its team. Its goal is to eventually build its own private space station using modules. NASA has extended the planned service life of the ISS, but it is encouraging private and commercial entities to begin space ventures in order to eventually replace the space station."
"Skybison (GitHub Repo). Skybison is an experimental performance-oriented greenfield implementation of Python 3.8 by Instagram. It features small objects, hidden classes, an experimental template JIT, and more. The project is no longer under active development."
"China’s smartphone giants reportedly unite to challenge Google’s Play Store . Android users with Chinese-made smartphones have had to download their apps through a variety of different app stores since the Google Play store was banned in China. Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo have joined together to create a platform where developers can upload and distribute their apps to all the different stores simultaneously. The Global Developer Service Alliance appears to be an attempt to challenge the Google Play Store's near-monopoly. Together, these companies control over 40 percent of worldwide smartphone shipments. Huawei is working on its own operating system called Harmony OS as an alternative to Google's services. The Google Play Store generated around $8.8 billion of revenue last year."
"The Google Assistant gets more visual . Google will be rolling out a new version of Assistant over the next few weeks. The updates will give users more visual feedback for tasks like checking the weather and managing smart home devices instead of relying solely on voice commands. However, the most exciting part of this update in my opinion is for developers. Assistant will now allow developers to sell digital goods as well as recurring subscriptions directly through Assistant. In addition, developers can sync their applications with Assistant by signing users in using Google Sign In with a simple tap or even a verbal confirmation instead of requiring users to type in a full username and password."
"Coronavirus: Apple and Google team up to contact trace Covid-19 . Apple and Google are creating a technology to alert people if they have come into contact with someone diagnosed with the coronavirus. Initially, the companies will help third-party contact-tracing apps run efficiently, but they will eventually do away with the need to download dedicated apps. The companies' approach will keep users anonymous, addressing privacy concerns. It will use Bluetooth signals to determine if a person was in close contact for long enough to have potentially transmitted the virus. If a person is later diagnosed with COVID-19, a warning will be sent to those affected."
CRYPTOHACK (Website). Cryptohack is a platform for learning modern cryptography. It provides a series of interactive puzzles and challenges for users to learn about modern cryptographic protocols. There is a scoreboard for users to measure their progress and compete against other challengers. New challenges are added regularly.
'An army of robots' and zero human workers will build a dam in China . China is building a dam project on the Tibetan Plateau using artificial intelligence and unmanned machinery. It will build the dam using a similar process to 3D printing. The dam will be capable of producing nearly five billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year once it is completed in 2024. Some jobs will still be handled by humans due to task complexity. Construction robots can help offset the decline of manual labor caused by low birth rates.
"New company Space Perspective wants to take you to the stratosphere via high-altitude balloon . Space Perspective is a company that can take you up to the stratosphere in a balloon. Customers will be sent up to 100,000 feet high to see the Earth from above without having to strap into a rocket. Other companies such as Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic are aiming to send space tourists much higher, between 50 to 62 miles above the Earth, but development has been slow. Space Perspective's Neptune is propelled by a hydrogen-filled balloon. It ascends at 12 miles per hour and can carry eight passengers plus a pilot. The experience will last six hours, with two hours spent hovering above the Earth. Wi-Fi will be available."
"In Rural Fukushima, 'The Border Between Monkeys And Humans Has Blurred' . Nine years after hundreds of thousands of people fled the area, nature has started to reclaim the space around Fukushima in Japan. In recent years, many evacuation orders have lifted and people have started to return to the area. Monkeys had moved into the area after the disaster as gardens were still growing and provided plentiful food. The monkeys have gotten comfortable with people, and are becoming a problem as only older residents are moving back and they can't manage the monkeys without backup. The local government has provided fireworks for residents as an aid. Locals have to sign an agreement that they will not hurt any animals with them. The fireworks are designed to emit a loud noise to scare away the monkeys."
At Last: New Synthetic Tooth Enamel Is Harder and Stronger Than the Real Thing . Tooth enamel is the hardest biological material in the human body thanks to its complex structure. The material has exceptional damage resistance even with only a thin coating. A team of scientists have engineered enamel with the same complex structure as natural enamel at multiple scales. A series of tests demonstrated that the artificial tooth enamel was harder and stronger than natural enamel.
"Airbus’ solar-powered Zephyr S has been flying non-stop for more than 17 days . Airbus' 165-pound uncrewed Zephyr S solar-powered aircraft has flown for more than 17 days. It flew several patterns over the Yuma Test Range and Kofa National Wildfire Refuge, after which it flew over the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea to the airspace above Belize, before returning to the US. Its previous record was 26 days in 2018. The latest flight will test the aircraft's energy storage capacity, battery longevity, solar panel efficiency, and station-keeping abilities."
"Google Duplex launches on the web, starting with movie tickets . Duplex is launching as 'Google Assistant in Chrome' and it will be able to help users buy movie tickets. Users can interact with an interface presented by Assistant instead of navigating ticketing websites. Duplex for movie tickets supports more than 70 cinemas and ticketing services. It can currently also make restaurant reservations. Google hopes to expand its abilities in the future, with car rentals coming next."
"Elon Musk tweets using SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet . Elon Musk sent a tweet through an internet connection provided by Starlink's constellation of broadband satellites. The aim of Starlink is to provide global high-speed stable broadband connectivity. Earlier this month, SpaceX applied to put up to 30,000 extra satellites into orbit, on top of the previously planned 12,000. SpaceX is preparing for strong demand for its Starlink service. There are currently around 60 operational satellites in the network."
Alphabet is launching a company that uses AI for drug discovery . Isomorphic Laboratories is a new company from Alphabet that will use artificial intelligence for drug discovery. It will use the work done by DeepMind to build tools that can help identify new pharmaceuticals. DeepMind and Isomorphic will stay separate but collaborate occasionally. Isomorphic may not develop its own drugs but instead will only sell its models. It will focus on developing partnerships with pharmaceutical companies.
Japanese Engineers Build Earthquake-Resistant Checkered Block Wall . Japanese engineers have designed an earthquake-resistant block wall made from checkered blocks of Cross-Laminated Timber. CLT is a renewable resource and does not lead to carbon emissions during production. The design allows for sufficient light and ventilation for its structures. It uses steel plates and draft pins to make the walls earthquake resistant. The wall structure has been extensively tested. A picture of the wall design is available in the article.
"Chinese hackers cloned attack tool belonging to NSA’s Equation Group . A Windows zero-day exploit tool was stolen from the NSA's Equation Group by Chinese threat actors, who used the tool for years before the flaw was patched. A hacking group released tools and files belonging to Equation Group in 2017, forcing vendors to issue emergency patches and fixes. A tool that exploited one of the vulnerabilities that was fixed during this time was thought to be the work of a Chinese advanced persistent threat group, but it turns out it was actually a clone of one of Equation Group's tools. There are other cases of Chinese teams stealing and repurposing Equation Group tools."
"How My Startup Was Almost Acquired by Facebook . This article tells the story of how a startup was almost acquired by Facebook. It details how the company was founded, how it raised its initial investments, its growth, its dealings with Facebook, and the lessons learned from the process. The article gives an inside look at how Facebook approaches and evaluates companies."
Chess Engines: A Zero to One (30 minute read). A guide on how to build a chess engine from scratch.
"Some potential things likely to happen in next 3-18 months for tech startup world . This Twitter thread contains a list of eight things that are likely to happen within the next 18 months in the tech startup world. The market is likely to continue to drop and layoffs are just beginning. Companies will start focusing more on customers, business building, and their core missions, and a number of great companies will be built during this period."
"Google will keep employees working remotely until July 2021 . Google will keep its 200,000 full-time and contract employees working remotely until at least July 2021. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, made the announcement last week following a meeting with top company executives. Google has reopened some offices for a limited number of employees, but working in the offices is optional. Other companies such as Facebook, Twitter, and Square have announced plans to keep employees working from home indefinitely."
StreetComplete (GitHub Repo). StreetComplete is an OpenStreetMap data editor for Android. It is designed for users who don't know OSM tagging schemes but still want to improve OSM data. The app uses quests and simple questions to help users fill in data. Data is automatically processed and uploaded directly to the OSM database. The app can be used offline. Screenshots are available in the repository.
"A Blank Wall Can Show How Many People Are in a Room and What They’re Doing . Side-channel attacks take advantage of unassuming inputs to reveal secrets. A research team from MIT has trained an AI to detect how many people are in a room and what the people are doing based on the soft shadows on a blank wall. The system only works for group sizes and activities for which it has been trained and it requires a high-resolution camera. Many side-channel attacks are impractical for real-world use, especially when most surveillance targets already carry smartphones or use smart devices."
"Why You Shouldn’t Believe Tech Companies . Tech companies like to frame new technologies as 'inevitable evolutions', but that is not true. More cameras and microphones are entering into consumers' lives as tech companies research, develop, and market new products. New technology does not have to come at the cost of privacy, despite what tech companies say. Stopping companies and governments from mining data from people will not be easy. Attempts are already being made to regulate facial recognition technology while the technology is still in its infancy. Some companies, such as Google, have made the process of deleting customer data easier, giving consumers a bit more control over their lives."
"My Custom CSS Reset (10 minute read). A CSS Reset is a stylesheet designed to reduce browser inconsistencies. This article discusses a CSS reset that can be used for any project, no matter the aesthetic. It contains many tips for improving user experience and the CSS authoring experience."
Simplql (Website). Simplql is an in-browser tool that lets you query data files with SQL without using a database. It does everything in the browser and doesn't upload your data files to the server. Users can export the results from their queries in CSV or JSON.
"New 'Super-White' Paint Can Cool Down Buildings and Cars . Engineers at Purdue University have developed a white paint that can keep surfaces up to 18 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than their ambient surroundings. The paint reflects 95.5% of sunlight and efficiently radiates infrared heat. It reflects heat back into the universe, which is an infinite heat sink. The paint could one day be used to combat global warming. There is a one-minute video in the article that shows the paint being used in an experiment."
"Startup Markets, Summer 2022 Edition . Predictions for the next 3-18 months in the startup financing and employment environment."
"A Google intern built the AI behind these shockingly good fake images . Three researchers at DeepMind have created a new algorithm called BigGAN, which can generate incredibly realistic fake images. The algorithm uses a few computational tricks and a ridiculous amount of computing power ""enough to power Cleveland for the afternoon"" as one researcher put it. The article includes pictures of dogs and birds generated by the algorithm."
"Weird Startup Proposes Dropping Artificial Human Organs From Space . Inversion Space is a startup that wants to store goods up in space in special capsules to be sent down to Earth when needed. The capsules could store things like artificial human organs, mobile hospital units, or other items and deliver them anywhere on the planet at blistering speeds. Inversion Space has already secured $10 million in seed money to fund the venture. Many major advances will be required before Inversion can realize its mission."
"3D-printed ‘bionic corals’ mimic a reef’s powers of photosynthesis . Corals are a highly evolved symbiosis between coral organisms and the algae that live inside them. The algae provide energy for their host and the coral provides a safe living environment. A team at Cambridge has successfully imitated the coral micro-ecosystem by replicating the way coral captures and diffuses sunlight within it for use by resident algae. The artificial corals they created are able to grow algae at many times the speed of an ordinary medium. While the technology likely won't be able to restore coral reefs, its ability to grow algae at fast speeds has commercial appeal."
"U.S. blacklists China's Huawei as trade dispute clouds global outlook . The US has hit Huawei with severe sanctions, banning the company from acquiring components and technology from US firms without government approval. An executive order was also signed that barred US companies from using telecommunications equipment made by firms that posed a national security risk. While Huawei was not explicitly named in the executive order, the government has been vocal in labeling Huawei a security threat. China is not the only country that the US has imposed controversial tariffs on as the US continues to fight a global trade battle. As the battle continues, global supply lines and economic growth are disrupted. The costs of these tariffs are usually passed on to consumers."
"Meta warns employees of ‘serious times’ in internal memo listing key product bets . An internal memo at Meta outlines the company's priorities and challenges to its business going forward. Privacy changes are affecting Meta's ad business. Meta will deepen its investments in metaverse products, AI, messaging, Reels, monetization, and meeting new privacy requirements. Its teams will have to prioritize more ruthlessly without the help of new staff or budgets. A full copy of the memo is available in the article."
"Reusable ""Microballoons"" could give satellites a run for their money . Urban Sky's Microballoon system can take high-res aerial photographs at a much lower cost than satellites, drones, or full-sized aircraft. Each Microballoon consists of a reusable stratospheric balloon and a payload module that houses a high-res optical camera. The system can image approximately 1,000 square kilometers per hour. Microballoons are already being used by a handful of paying clients. Urban Sky recently won a contract from the US Air Force to develop Microballoons for real-time monitoring of forest fires."
"620 Free Online Programming & Computer Science Courses You Can Choose from to Kick Off 2020 (Website). Close to 1,000 schools around the world have created thousands of free online courses, known as Massive Open Online Courses. This website contains a list of over 620 free courses that can be started this month. Most courses are completely self-paced, and they are sorted by difficulty."
"CSS.gg (Website). This site contains over 700 CSS, SVG, and Figma UI icons available in SVG Sprite, styled-components, NPM, & API. The library is searchable and users can customize the size and color of the icons."
"How Amazon’s CamperForce program doubled this year, adding jobs for seasonal workers who live on the road . CamperForce is a program from Amazon that hires people living in caravans for seasonal jobs. It started in 2008 at just one location and this year it expanded to 26 sites across 14 states. Workers gain benefits after working for certain periods and have some of the cost of their campground fees reimbursed. Some workers are able to work for CamperForce over one season and live off casual jobs while traveling for the rest of the year. A 15-minute video following the lives of some of the workers in the program is available in the article."
"Major Climate Report Describes a Strong Risk of Crisis as Early as 2040 . A UN climate change panel found that the climate change crisis is worse than we previously thought, and we could be looking at worsening food shortages, wildfires, and mass coral reef die offs by 2040. We previously thought that we wouldn't see terrible things happen until global temperatures were 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels, but it turns out that we will see terrible things happen at just 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels (which is what we're on track to be at in 2040). They estimate that we will cause $54 trillion in damages. There is still time to stop this, but the scientists concede that the required measures (like heavy taxes/penalties on CO2 emissions) are politically unlikely."
"New data will give insight into Facebook’s influence on elections . Facebook has announced a new set of research projects that will look into the company’s impact on democracy. More than 60 academics will have access to privacy-protected Facebook data through various APIs. Facebook will not be involved in selecting the academics that will be approved for the projects nor will it interfere with the research going forward. The research is important as the use of social media for spreading misinformation, political advertising, and other polarizing messages has been rising and its effects have yet to be quantified."
"Amazon in advanced talks to buy self-driving startup Zoox . Amazon is in advanced talks to buy self-driving startup Zoox, which was valued at $3.2 billion in 2018. The deal is still being finalized and discussions could still fall apart. Amazon has stepped up investments in the automotive sector, participating in Aurora Innovation's $530 million funding round early last year."
"Netflix raising prices for 58M US subscribers as costs rise . Netflix is raising its US prices from $8, $11, and $14 dollars/month for its three plans to $9, $13, and $16 dollars/month respectively. The price increases take effect immediately for new signups and will be rolling out over the next three months for existing users. Netflix has 58 million US subscribers and 79 million non-US subscribers."
"Plasmo Framework (GitHub Repo). The Plasmo Framework is a browser extension SDK that allows developers to build their products without worrying about config files and the quirks of building browser extensions. It features React and TypeScript support, live-reloading, remote code bundling, automated deployment, and more. An examples repository is available."
"Lidar helps uncover an ancient, kilometer-long Mayan structure . Lidar is becoming increasingly useful in archaeology as it can reveal structures within hours that would've otherwise taken months to discover with other methods. Using lidar, a team from the University of Arizona scanned forests in the Tabasco region of Mexico and found an enormous Mayan structure that was more than 3,000 years old. The lidar produced large-scale, low-resolution images of the area which are available to view in the article. A seven-second video is available showing an aerial view of the site."
"Where the sun always shines: Putting solar in space . Caltech received over $100 million in August to foster the development of space-based power. A space-based solar panel would get 30 percent more photons than on the ground, and they're available 24/7. While the generating system will sometimes be at less optimal angles, the net power generated would still be significantly more than on Earth. This article discusses Caltech's design for its space-based power system, detailing the challenges in designing the system and how they were overcome. Caltech plans to do a space-based demo of the system by early 2023."
"I charged $18,000 for a Static HTML Page . Ibrahim Diallo, a freelance web-designer who was used to hopping from project to project, talks about his experience where he was offered a fairly easy project at a large company. The project involved designing a static HTML page, a job which he estimated would take him only a few hours, but the company also wanted his exclusive attention to the project. After quoting the company 20 hours, he then spent most of his time waiting for the work to be sent to him. The project ended up taking seven weeks due to delays in receiving the required materials to complete it. After everything was done, Diallo calculated that if he went with his original quote, $1,500 for a 20 hour project, he would’ve ended up being paid a total of $5.35 an hour. In the end, he quoted the company for $18,000, the same rate he originally quoted, accounting for the extended time. A manager wrote back breaking down the actual time he worked and it resulted in a quote of $21,000, which he was asked to confirm. Diallo quickly confirmed the quote."
NES.css (Open Source). This is a new open source CSS framework that makes your whole site look like an old school Nintendo game. If anybody decides to use this in a real project please let me know because it looks really cool!
"pdoc (Website). pdoc auto-generates API documentation from a project's Python module hierarchy. It supports type annotations, cross-links between identifiers, customizable HTML templates, numpydoc and Google-style docstrings, and more. It comes with an integrated live-reloading web server. An example is available."
"What you need to know about Amazon Sidewalk . Amazon Sidewalk is Amazon's local networking system that extends smart homes into smart neighborhoods. The technology uses various communication protocols to create a mesh network across the neighborhood so that everyone in the area can achieve better connectivity. For example, the network can ensure that a security camera has adequate connectivity even if it is far from the home Wi-Fi router. While the network can be used to access the web, it has very limited bandwidth. There are some security concerns with Sidewalk, including the extra data that it sends to Amazon. Users can disable Sidewalk, but doing so will opt out all their devices from the neighborhood network."
"zola (GitHub Repo). Zola is a static site generator (SSG) that uses dynamic templates to transform content into static HTML pages. It comes as a single executable with no dependencies. Zola features shortcodes and internal links to make it easier to write content. SSGs are fast and don't require a database, making them easy to host."
"UTM (GitHub Repo). UTM is a full-featured virtual machine host of iOS which can run Windows, Android, Linux, and more on iPhones and iPads. It supports over 30 processor types and doesn't require a jailbreak. Users will be able to create, manage, and run VMs directly from their devices."
Google performed the first quantum simulation of a chemical reaction . Google simulated a simple chemical reaction on its Sycamore quantum computer. Sycamore achieved quantum supremacy in 2019 after completing a calculation that would have taken an impractical amount of time to complete on a classical computer. Quantum simulations could potentially be used to develop new chemicals. A picture of a quantum computer from Google's Lab in California is available in the article.
"DuckDuckGo Isn’t as Private as You Thought . DuckDuckGo has a deal with Microsoft to pull its search results from Bing. A security researcher recently discovered that the mobile DuckDuckGo browser doesn't block Microsoft trackers on third-party websites. The CEO of DuckDuckGo claims that Microsoft can not see what users search in the DuckDuckGo browser, but users' data may be exposed if they visit websites with Microsoft trackers. DuckDuckGo signed a confidentiality agreement, so it is unknown how the data is used. The company claims that it is working to improve its deal with Microsoft."
"The 'megascale' structures that humans could one day build . As humans discover new laws governing the universe, we start to find out what our physical limits are, and also what we are not limited to. The discovery of new technologies opens up possibilities for us to build bigger things. Whenever a physical law is revealed as universal, the next natural step is to scale it up and to explore the theoretical consequences. Whether or not it is the right thing to do, it is possible to redesign Earth. Megascale engineering has already happened in parts of South East Asia, Europe, and the US. Even larger projects would require a high level of coordination. Each part of the project would need to function perfectly, as well as be maintained."
"TikTok is building its own AR development platform, TikTok Effect Studio . TikTok is building tools to allow developers to build augmented reality experiences and features on its platform. Effect Studio is currently in private beta testing. Developers can sign up for early access on TikTok's new Effect House website. Effect Studio is still an early experiment and might not make it to launch. TikTok has been increasing its investment in developer tools over the last few years, with a focus on toolkits aimed at third-party developers for better app integration."
"Preline UI (Website). Preline UI is a set of pre-built UI components based on Tailwind CSS. It features more than 250 component examples, JavaScript plugins, and dark mode. The components include navigation bars, forms, overlays, and tables."
"The Army's New Night-Vision Goggles Look Like Technology Stolen From Aliens . The army's new Enhanced Night Vision Goggle-Binoculars are a huge upgrade from traditional night vision goggles. They use white tubes that produce better contrast and brighter images. The goggles offer stereo vision and can see through obstructions like dust and smoke even with zero illumination. Augmented reality enhancements allow the goggles to enhance and outline objects, and they can wirelessly communicate with an electronic scope so soldiers can aim without exposing themselves. Images of the goggles are available in the article."
"'Glowing' Tardigrade Shows High Resistance to Lethal Levels of UV Radiation . Tardigrades are microscopic animals with incredible resilience against radiation, dehydration, the cold, and even the vacuum of space. There are around 1,300 known species of tardigrades, which are found all around the planet. A newly discovered species of tardigrade features a natural fluorescence that creates a blue glow under ultraviolet light. The light shields the tardigrades from levels of UV radiation that are known to be lethal. The scientists were successful in transferring the ability to other species of tardigrades."
"Inside China’s Plan to Power Global Blockchain Adoption . China is about to launch its national blockchain platform, the Blockchain Service Network. The BSN is designed so developers will be able to build blockchain-based applications as easily as assembling lego sets. It will be the first global infrastructure network innovated and controlled by China. Experts compare the initiative to how China has provided other countries with infrastructure in order to gain an advantage. BSN could potentially be used for smart city applications, energy conservation, and many other identity registration and data storage applications."
"FuzzBench (GitHub Repo). FuzzBench is a free service that evaluates fuzzers on a variety of real-world benchmarks. It was designed to make fuzzing research easier to evaluate and adopt. Fuzzbench features an easy-to-use API, benchmarks from real-world projects, and a reporting library. A sample report is available."
"HQ Trivia and Vine co-founder Colin Kroll found dead of suspected overdose . Colin Kroll, the 35-year-old co-founder and CEO of the HQ Trivia app and co-founder of Vine, was found dead of a drug overdose. The HQ Trivia app broadcast a ceremony for him yesterday, and his co-founder Rus Yusupov will likely take over as CEO."
"Dream-shaping tech from MIT channels suggestions into your dreams . Scientists can manipulate dreams using an app combined with a sleep-tracking device called Dormio. In a recent study, the researchers inserted certain topics into a person's dreams using the technique. Targeted dream incubation (TDI) targets an early sleep stage known as hypnagogia to achieve results similar to the rare dream state known as lucid dreaming. Using TDI, the scientists introduced targeted information to a sleeper, which resulted in direct incorporation of the information into dream content. Mechanisms that control sleep and dreaming are not well understood, so it is unknown yet what benefits the technology could bring."
"Apple’s ‘Hi, Speed’ iPhone 12 invite sparks speculation: Midnight Blue, 5G, AirTags, more . Apple has sent out invitations for its 'Hi, Speed' event on October 13th at 10 AM PT. The tagline is a clear reference at 5G connectivity and the A14 processor for the iPhone 12. A variety of reports suggest that 5G will be available for the entire iPhone 12 lineup. The rings displayed on the invite may be referencing one of several new possible products, including a smaller HomePod with Siri control, Apple's AirTag item trackers, or the new AirPods Studio over-ear headphones. The event may include news about the Apple Silicon transition for the Mac lineup, but those announcements might be delayed until sometime in November."
"Exclusive: Amazon's cloud unit readies more powerful data center chip - sources . Amazon's cloud computing unit has designed a new data center processor chip that is at least 20 percent faster than Amazon's first Arm-based chip. If Amazon Web Services' chip is successful, it could lessen its reliance on Intel and AMD for server chips. Intel controls more than 90 percent of the server processor market. Several companies are aiming to make Arm chips suitable for data centers. Arm chips are cheaper and consume less electricity, but they are less powerful. Amazon's new chip will have at least 32 cores and it will be able to connect with other chips to speed up tasks like image recognition."
"Why nobody hires junior developers and what happens next (10 minute read). This article looks at the reasons why junior developers are having a hard time landing jobs. It makes some suggestions on what to do to help improve the market. While the number of job opportunities and salaries skyrockets for software developers around the world, fresh grads and junior developers struggle to even get invited for interviews. Companies are reluctant to hire junior developers as they require training and the investment is lost if the developer gets another job once they're trained."
"Peloton’s app indicates a rowing machine may finally be coming . Peloton's Android app contains code that hints at the company's rumored rowing machine. The company has been rumored to be developing the rowing machine for years now. Other companies have already produced machines, so Peloton won't be first to the smart-rower market. Peloton has been working to make its treadmills safer in recent months due to a string of injuries and the death of a child. The company is also rumored to be working on an armband to monitor heart rates."
"Sidewalk Labs launches Pebble, a sensor that uses real-time data to manage city parking . Since Sidewalk Labs shut down its $1.3 billion tech-enabled real estate project in Toronto a year ago, it has focused on developing smaller-scale solutions that can be used to improve cities. It has since unveiled Delve, a tool to create optimal design plans for urban projects, and Replica, a platform that can simulate scenarios in the real world. Sidewalk Labs recently announced the Pebble, a vehicle sensor that can help manage parking in cities by providing real-time parking and curb availability data. It doesn't use cameras or collect identifying information. The sensors could help cities run better by providing data to address blindspots about how people actually use parking spaces."
"United Airlines aims to revive Concorde spirit with supersonic planes . United Airlines has bought 15 planes capable of traveling at 1,300mph, with an option on an additional 35 planes from the manufacturer. The planes will carry between 65 to 88 passengers. Seats will be initially priced the same as business class fares. The planes will be the first large commercial aircraft to use 100% sustainable aviation fuel. Concorde currently holds the record for the fastest transatlantic flight by a civilian plane, but the airliner retired from service in 2003."
"AWS launches Braket, its quantum computing service . Amazon Web Services has partnered with D-Wave, IonQ, and Rigetti to launch Braket, a quantum computing service. It has also announced the launch of the AWS Center for Quantum Computing and the AWS Quantum Solutions Lab. Developers can use Braket to build and test basic applications using quantum algorithms. Braket will have a fully managed Jupyter notebook environment for developers to explore their algorithms. Amazon will provide plenty of pre-installed developer tools, sample algorithms, and tutorials. Researchers will have access to collaboration tools through Amazon's new Solutions Lab. Its Center for Quantum Computing will focus on making the technology more accessible to developers."
"Waymo’s robo-taxi service opens to the public in Phoenix . Waymo is relaunching its fully automated robo-taxi ride-hailing service in Phoenix. The service will offer rides in unattended minivans to people within a 100-square mile area of Phoenix. Passengers will need to use the Waymo app to book rides. Earlier this year, Waymo raised more than $3 billion, mostly from outside investors. Its vans will be monitored remotely and cleaned regularly. Passengers will be reminded to keep masks on while inside the vehicles. The vans have a system that can flush the air from inside the vehicles between each ride. There are currently no standards or safety regulations in the industry as the US Congress has failed to act on proposals to create them."
"DbGate (GitHub Repo). DbGate is a database manager that supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, and MongoDB. It features multiple DB connections, NoSQL database support, plugins, a SQL generator, and more. DbGate works on all platforms and is based on standalone NPM packages that can be run without DbGate."
"Gmail can schedule messages to send them at a better time . Gmail is now 15 years old, and the email service has learned new tricks for its birthday. Users can now delay sending emails and schedule them for better times. Another new feature is called Smart Compose, and it uses AI to recognize your usual greetings and predict email body text. While Smart Compose has been rolling out since March, Google has now confirmed it is now available for all Android devices and that it works in English, French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. iOS support is coming soon."
"Spotify officially launches a shared-queue feature called Group Session . Group Session is a new feature on Spotify that will allow two or more Premium users in the same space to share control over the music being played. Participants will be able to control what is playing and also contribute to a collaborative playlist for the group. Spotify already offers the ability to build collaborative playlists with friends and Premium Family plan members have a personalized playlist called Family Mix. However, neither of these features allows users to collaborate in real-time, unlike Group Session. The feature will be available soon to all Premium users worldwide."
"Clipboard Health is Hiring Remote Engineers (Sponsor). We’re a Series B startup in YC's Top Companies helping healthcare professionals find shifts at nearby facilities. CBH is a two-sided marketplace and we've grown 20x in the past 18 months. We need your help in serving more healthcare professionals, facilities, and patients."
Amazon’s COVID-19 test is now available to consumers . Amazon is now selling its own Covid-19 test kit. Customers can swab their noses at home and then send tests to the lab using a prepaid shipping return label. The results from the test then appear on Amazon's diagnostic website. Amazon also sells Covid-19 test kits made by other companies. The test kits are Amazon's latest expansion into healthcare. Amazon started offering a telehealth and at-home healthcare program for employees in March and it also sells prescriptions through its Amazon pharmacy program.
"Apple announces iPad Pro and Mac event for October 30th . Apple has issued invites to an event on October 30th in Brooklyn, New York. It is expected to unveil the new iPad Pro, a successor to the Macbook Air, and potentially a new Mac Mini designed for power users. The iPad Pro is rumored to have slim bezels and Face ID."
"Amazon One lets you pay with your palm . Amazon Go stores in Seattle will soon use Amazon's palm recognition technology called Amazon One. The technology uses the human palm as identification, linking the details of the palm to the person's account. Amazon plans to offer the service to third parties such as retailers, stadiums, and office buildings. Palm identification was chosen over other biometric alternatives as a person's identity can't be determined by just looking at an image of their palm and it requires someone to make an intentional gesture to hold over the device to use it. Anyone can use the service as long as they have a phone number, a credit card, and a palm. Customers can delete their biometric data from the company's online portal if they no longer want to use the service."
"Google abandons FLoC, introduces Topics API to replace tracking cookies . Topics is Google's new method of showing advertisers which ads to serve to users. Its previous replacement for third-party cookies was heavily criticized and many browsers have refused to use it. The new Topics API identifies five user interests based on recent web activity and stores the information on the user's device for up to three weeks. Browsers will be able to view the topics and serve relevant ads to users without all the privacy concerns that cookies present. There is no information on when developer trials for Topics in Chrome will begin. Google has promised to replace third-party cookies in Chrome by 2023."
"Uber driver reclassified as employee in France . France's Court of Cassation has ruled that a former Uber driver was an employee, rather than a self-employed partner of Uber. As the Court of Cassation is the equivalent of the supreme court of appeal, Uber will not be able to appeal the decision. The driver filed a lawsuit against Uber in June 2017 after their account was deactivated. Uber drivers follow orders from Uber, are not allowed to create their own customer base, can't set their own prices, and are constantly being monitored by the company. The court ruled that self-employed people should be able to manage clients themselves, set prices, and choose how to execute a task."
"Apple's big iPhone update lets you FaceTime with Windows and Android users — here's how . Apple's iOS 15 update lets users invite Windows and Android users to FaceTime calls. Users will now have an option to share a link to invite people to join FaceTime calls via web browser. Hosts will have to approve anyone trying to join the call. An Apple device is required to start a call, but anyone can join after the call has started. Instructions on how to start and join a call are available in the article."
"unspun - custom-built jeans via 3D iPhone scans (Sponsor). unspun - custom-built jeans via 3D iPhone scans . Tired of online returns or wasting time in stores? unspun is an ultra-sustainable denim brand, recently named one of TIME's Best Inventions. They guarantee their $200 bespoke jeans will be your new favorite pair, and they're recruiting beta testers to give UX feedback in exchange for a $40 gift card — sign up above."
"What It’s Like to Work Inside Apple’s ‘Black Site’ . While Apple’s main campus in Cupertino is widely known for its large, well-designed, and employee focused facilities, its lesser-known ‘Black Site’ offices 6 miles away show a completely different side of the tech giant. The office, which mainly houses contractors, is much smaller, with under-stocked vending machines and insufficient facilities. A past employee who worked at the facility shares their experience working on the site, documenting a side of Apple that most people who aspire to work for the company do not know."
"ImHex (GitHub Repo). ImHex is a Hex editor for people who value their eyesight. It features byte patching, patch management, string search, data importing and exporting, a disassembler that supports many architectures, and much more. Screenshots are available in the repository."
"Can artificially altered clouds save the Great Barrier Reef? (11 minute read). In March, Australian researchers conducted an experiment that involved using a mist machine to convert seawater into clouds of nano-sized droplets engineered to brighten clouds and block sunlight. The experiment was part of the $300 million Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program that aims to save the country's reefs. Geoengineering is a controversial topic amongst scientists and research has struggled to attract funding. However, the technology may be vital one day if humans are not able to stop climate change."
Atropos (Website). Atropos is a JavaScript library for creating touch-friendly 3D parallax effects. It is lightweight and customizable with zero dependencies. Examples are available.
Scaling Kubernetes to Over 4k Nodes and 200k Pods . PayPal recently started testing Kubernetes after running a majority of its workloads on Apache Mesos. This article discusses the challenges that the PayPal team faced when scaling with Kubernetes and how the issues were resolved. The update resulted in a huge improvement in latency. Benchmark results are available.
"Cutestrap Two (Website). Cutestrap Two is a strong, independent CSS framework that is only 2.7KB when compressed. It uses a simple API and has robust customization options. The website contains examples and instructions on how to use the framework."
Which Computational Universe Do We Live In? . There are five possible computational worlds that we could be living in. Each world has different implications for whether secure cryptography truly exists. A truly secure encryption method requires a computational problem that is hard enough to create a provably insurmountable barrier for adversaries. Scientists recently discovered a new problem that could help determine which world we are living in. A description of each world and its implications for cryptography is available.
"Huawei reportedly helped North Korea build its wireless network . According to several sources, Huawei worked with the North Korean government to build and maintain a commercial wireless network. Documents show that Huawei partnered with a Chinese state-owned firm on several projects over eight years. Huawei states that it has no business presence in North Korea and that it is fully committed to complying with all laws and regulations in the areas where it operates. In the last few months, Huawei has been involved in several legal disputes, including trade sanctions from the US and criminal investigations by the Department of Justice."
"Nvidia shows off AI model that turns a few dozen snapshots into a 3D-rendered scene . Instant NeRF is a new tool from Nvidia that can convert 2D images into a rendered 3D scene in seconds. NeRF (Neural Radiance Fields) is a technique that maps the color and light intensity of different 2D shots and then generates data to connect the images from different vantage points to render a 3D scene. It can be used to create 3D objects, maps, training scenarios for AI, architecture, and more. Nvidia has yet to release details such as how many images are required. A video showing the method in action is available."
"More than one third of music consumers still pirate music . 38% of global music listeners are still doing so through illegal means, mostly by downloading music directly off of Youtube or through file-sharing services. Most of these listeners report doing so because services like Spotify do not allow you to listen to music while offline unless you upgrade to their Premium plan. The study was done by interviewing a representative sample of 16-64 year olds in the US, UK, France, Brazil, South Kroea, and South Africa."
"Google to invest $1 billion in new campus in New York City . Google will invest $1 billion in a new 1.7 million square foot ""Google Hudson Square"" campus on New York City's Hudson Street. They will move into the buildings by 2020. Earlier this year Google purchased Chelsea Market near NYC's Hudson River for $2.4 billion. They plan on doubling their NYC headcount of 7,000 over the next 10 years."
"A Cure for Baldness May Lie in Engineering Stem-Cells That Regenerate . Scientists in Japan have made an important breakthrough when working on ways to regenerate lost hair from stem cells. Mammalian hair develops in a cyclical process where it grows, falls out, and grows again. By using a special cultured medium, the researchers were able to grow mice fur and whiskers that could recycle themselves. 81% of hair follicles grown in the medium went through at least three hair cycles. The next step in the research is to run clinical trials with humans."
"Elon Musk hints at Tesla’s secret project ‘Dojo’ making the difference in race to full self-driving . Tesla's aggressive deadline for full self-driving capability seems more possible now that Elon Musk has revealed Project Dojo. While most people were focused on Tesla's new HW3 Full Self-Driving Computer during Tesla's Autonomy Day presentations, the Dojo computer went under the radar. It only had a brief mention during the presentations where Musk described it as a super-powerful training computer that will be able to take in vast amounts of data and complete massive amounts of video training unsupervised. Current machine learning systems process videos frame by frame, but Dojo may be able to handle videos on its own. Being able to process video footage unsupervised may potentially accelerate the pace of progress with autonomous driving significantly."
Scientists Found a Way to Delete Short Term Memory of Mice. Using Light? . Scientists from Japan have successfully manipulated mice memories using a neural-optic system. The experiment involved putting mice in a dark chamber that gave them electric shocks to make them anxious around the chamber. Mice that received the treatment forgot about the dangerous environment and entered it again. The treatment involved illuminating certain neurons to inhibit a protein essential to consolidating memory during sleep. The technology provides a method for isolating memory formation and could lead to a range of treatments for mental disorders.
"NYC subway riders will be able to swipe in with Apple Pay starting Friday . New Yorkers on the 4, 5, 6 line will be able to start using Apple Pay to catch a ride. The system will be trialed in 16 stations between Grand Central and 42 Street in Manhattan, and Atlantic Avenue to Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Commuters will only be able to purchase single-ride passes during the trial. More fare options will be available in 2020, and the city expects to have expanded their Apple Pay capabilities to all subways and buses by that time."
"Would you give up Google for $17,000 a year? The Federal Reserve wants to know . The Federal Reserve is trying to work out the value of the internet, as while the current expansion of the economy is the longest in history, productivity gains are weak, and GDP growth is far from stellar. This may be due to the fact that many of the most used products on the internet are free, and GDP measures the value of products and services that are bought and sold. In a study on the value of these services, it was found that the median user of Facebook would give up the service for $48 a month, people would give up YouTube for $1,173 a year, and it would take $17,530 for users to give up search engines for a year. The studies on the value of free internet services found that the GDP would be higher if the value of these services were included in calculations."
Meta is dumping Facebook logins as its metaverse ID system . Meta is introducing a new type of login called a Meta account.
"Pinia (GitHub Repo). Pinia is an intuitive, type-safe, and flexible Store for Vue. It features Devtools support and support for extensions. Pinia works for both Vue 2.x and 3.x. Demos are available."
Lyft launches a car rental service with no mileage limit . Lyft is launching a car rental service that will be available in its main smartphone app. Customers who use the service will receive a $20 ride credit to help them get to and from the rental vehicle. Renters must be over 22 and have a valid driver's license. There will be no mileage limit and users will be charged a local market rate for gas. Vehicles can be rented for up to two weeks. Prices start from $35 a day for a Volkswagen Passat sedan. All cars will feature Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Lyft will also be selling coverage options for the rentals.
"Coronavirus: Spain and France announce sweeping restrictions . Spain and France have announced emergency restrictions to combat the spread of the coronavirus. In Spain, people can only leave home to work or buy essential supplies and medicines. Cafes, restaurants, cinemas, and most shops are now shut down in France. According to the World Health Organization, Europe is now the epicenter of the pandemic. Many other countries are now implementing self-quarantine rules and other restrictions. Italy, Spain, and France have been hit hard with the coronavirus, with 1,440, 191, and 91 deaths in each country respectively."
"China built a tower that acts like 'the world's biggest air purifier,' and it actually works . China has built the world's largest air purifier, a 100 meter tall tower to fight their smog problem. It works by sucking in polluted air, heating it up with solar energy, then circulating it through multiple layers of cleaning filters. The purifier improves air quality over an area of 10 square kilometers, and produces more than 10 million cubic meters of clean air per day. A student who lives a few hundred meters from the tower says ""I can't help looking at the tower each time I pass. It's very tall, very eye-catching, but it's also very quiet. I can't hear any wind going in or out. The air quality did improve. I have no doubt about that."""
Brave’s nontracking search engine is now in beta . Brave's search engine has been launched in global beta. The non-tracking search engine is built on top of an independent index and is marketed as a privacy-safe alternative to products like Google search. Brave will make Brave Search the default search for its browser later this year. Pro-privacy consumer tech has been building momentum over the last few years as the public is becoming more educated on surveillance-based business models.
"Diluting blood plasma rejuvenates tissue, reverses aging in mice . Researchers at the University of California have discovered that diluting the blood plasma of old mice can rejuvenate tissues and reverse the signs of aging. In the study, scientists diluted the blood plasma of old mice with a mixture of saline and albumin. The procedure had no detrimental effects on young mice. Therapeutic plasma exchange has already been FDA-approved in the US for treating a variety of autoimmune diseases and the research team is now finalizing clinical trials to determine if the procedure produces a similar effect in humans."
"This Fake Travis Scott Song Created By Artificial Intelligence Sounds Almost Like The Real Thing . A digital agency created an entirely AI-generated song, complete with lyrics and melodies, modeled after Travis Scott's music. The result was a track titled 'Jack Park Canny Dope Man' - the music video is linked in the article. It features heavily auto-tuned vocals with nonsensical rhymes. During its training phases, the AI kept generating lyrics about food."
Elon Musk shows off the Boring Company 'disturbingly long' LA tunnel in a short video . Elon Musk's Boring Company will be opening its first tunnel to the public on December 10th in Los Angeles. The tunnels use electric skates to move 8 to 16 people at speeds up to 150 mph. The article contains a 30 second video showing the entire length of the tunnel that Elon Musk posted on Twitter.
Donald Trump signs executive order targeting social media companies . President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that targets tech companies. Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act gives internet companies broad immunity from liability for the content their users post on their platforms. The draft order asks that the FCC reinterpret the law and decide what it means for a platform not to be acting in 'good faith' under the provision. Trump signed the order in reaction to Twitter fact-checking two of his tweets earlier in the week where he made false and misleading claims about mail-in voting and voter fraud. Repealing or limiting Section 230 of the Community Decency Act may result in more restricted speech online as companies will not want to be exposed to the potential liability for everything their users want to say.
"Recommenders (GitHub Repository). This repository provides examples and best practices for building recommendation systems. It focuses on five key tasks: preparing data, building models, evaluating algorithms, optimizing models, and operationalizing models in a production environment."
"Japan's New Rocket Engine Uses Shock Waves As Propellant . Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully tested a rotating detonation engine (RDE), lifting a 30-foot single-stage rocket 146 miles within four minutes. The flight lasted eight minutes in total. RDEs use detonation waves to combust a fuel and oxidizer mixture. They release significantly more energy using significantly less fuel mass compared to combustion engines. JAXA calculates that RDE-based rockets could be in use by 2026. The article discusses other types of engines currently being developed for space travel."
"SiriusXM to Buy Pandora for $3.5 Billion in Bid to Expand Reach . SiriusXM is acquiring Pandora for $3.5 billion (all stock), Pandora has 70 million users (5.6 million paying) while SiriusXM has 36 million. Pandora is expected to lose $150 million this year. It appears that the service will continue to operate as before."
Ten Years of Logging My Life . Art Chaidarun recorded all of their daily activities for over 10 years to be self-aware and create balance in their life. They started by using a spreadsheet but later went on to create their own Android app as it would be more accurate and could track geolocation data. This article details their findings from the experiment. A link to the APK for the Android app is available.
"Open Sourcing the Netflix Domain Graph Service Framework: GraphQL for Spring Boot . Netflix's Domain Graph Service framework is now open source. The framework simplifies the implementation of GraphQL. It features an annotation-based Spring Boot programming model, a test framework for writing query tests as unit tests, easy integration with GraphQL Federation, file uploads, and more. The article contains examples of how to use the framework."
"China is about to launch its own digital currency. Here’s what we know so far . The People's Bank in China is rumored to be almost ready to launch a digital version of the renminbi. It is unknown whether it will use blockchain technology or how private the system will be. The announcement of Facebook's Libra has apparently accelerated China's plan to roll out its own digital currency. China aims to use the currency to protect its monetary sovereignty. There are many electronic payment methods in China already, with private companies handling trillions of dollars' worth of transactions per quarter. A government-owned currency would be more secure in the case of a private company declaring bankruptcy. The currency is likely to be similar to Libra. China aims to strike a balance between anonymous payments and preventing money laundering. The new digital tokens will be able to be used without an internet connection."
"Radix Colors (Website). Radix Colors is a color system for designing websites and apps. It features multiple combinations that are guaranteed to pass WCAG contrast ratio, dark mode, and transparent variants for UI components that need to blend into colored backgrounds."
"The world's first floating farm will house 40 cows and be hurricane-resistant . A Dutch company called Beladon is creating the world's first floating dairy farm. The farm will house 40 cows, and will recycle as much as it can. Cows will be fed waste products like grains left over from local breweries and by-products from mill, as well as clovers and grass grown on the farm. The cow manure will be processed and sold as fertilizer. The goal is to create farms that can adapt to changes in the climate and be hurricane-resistant, the company also plans on launching floating chicken farms and floating vertical farming greenhouses."
"The Incredible PyTorch (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a curated list of resources for PyTorch. Categories include tutorials, object detection, visualization, optimization, neural network compression, and much more."
Meta is launching Horizon Worlds on web and mobile . Meta is working on web and mobile versions of Horizon Worlds. It is also considering creating versions for game consoles. There aren't many details about the web and mobile versions of the virtual reality platform except that creators will only be charged a 25% fee for purchases on the web platform compared to 47.5% in VR.
"Pepper the robot set to appear before U.K. Parliament as witness . The UK Parliament will be questioning Pepper, a robot capable of recognizing human emotions and mood, as part of its inquiry into robots and artificial intelligence. Pepper was originally designed to care for the elderly, and while the particular lines of questioning are unknown, the chair of the committee doing the questioning expressed concern about robot and AI driven job losses, saying ""The fourth industrial revolution is possibly the most important challenge facing our nation over the next 10, 20 to 30 years. This is not about someone bringing an electronic toy robot and doing a demonstration, it's about showing the potential of robotics and artificial intelligence and the impact it has on skills."""
"Text Editing Hates You Too . Text input is difficult. Windows' text input APIs contain 128 interfaces, with several different types of locks to fix concurrency issues. Building your own text field implementations can be daunting and many unexpected issues may come up. For example, simply moving a caret vertically can become a challenge, as the positioning of the caret may change due to the system not correctly storing or identifying the correct position. Multiple lines, emojis, bidirectional text, and input methods also present their own headaches. Text editing is an example of where something that seems simple actually requires a lot of complex problem-solving. It is a miracle that we can use simple tags to create input text areas for applications nowadays."
"We tasted the first lab-grown sausage made without slaughtering any animals - here's what it was like . A startup called New Age Meats allowed a group of journalists and potential investors to taste its farm-free pork sausage. The pictures in the article look delicious, the sausage is actually made from fat and muscle cells generated from a single sample of a live pig named Jessie. A few things are preventing lab grown meat from getting mainstream adoption. Cost is a big one, the first cow cell patty cost $330,000 to produce in 2013, this cost is coming down quickly but it will still be 5-10 years before it is economically viable. Another is that most of these startups (including New Age Meats) are using fetal bovine serum (FBS), a standard and relatively inexpensive lab medium made from the blood of pregnant slaughtered cows to feed their cells. Eventually, the industry wants to move away from using this serum for ethical reasons. Finally, texture can get very complex for things like steak and chicken, it is much easier to mimic the texture of ground meat and sausage, doing steak or chicken could require much more advanced techniques."
"H2 Clipper Will Resurrect Hydrogen Airships to Haul Green Fuel Across the Planet . H2 Clipper is a startup that plans to build airships that will use hydrogen to provide buoyancy and hydrogen fuel cells to power their engines. The project is still in its concept stage, but the startup plans to build airships that are faster, safer, and more efficient than its predecessors. The airships will cruise at about 175 mph for distances up to 6,000 miles. They will have a cargo volume of 265,000 cubic feet and will be able to carry up to 340,000 pounds of payload. There are still many hurdles to overcome before the airships will become a reality, one being that the US currently bans the use of hydrogen as a lift gas in airships."
"Oddly heavy particle may have just broken the reigning model of particle physics . Scientists at the Fermilab in Illinois have measured the mass of a subatomic particle called the W boson. The ultraprecise measurement found that the particle had a mass seven standard deviations higher than the Standard Model predicts. The Standard Model is a framework that governs the world of quantum physics. There is an incredibly small probability that the result occurred by chance. Another experiment will be conducted to confirm the measurement. If the result can be replicated, it could mean a revision or extension of the Standard Model."
"Future Chrome update may kill ad-blocking extensions . Google has proposed a change to Chromium (the engine that runs the Chrome web browser) that would kill ad-blocking extensions like uBlock Origin and uMatrix. This change would have performance benefits, but would also greatly limit what adblockers are able to block. This is just a proposal at the moment, so it's still possible Google could change their mind."
"Time Magazine Sold to Salesforce Founder Marc Benioff for $190 Million . Salesforce Founder (and cousin of Game of Thrones showrunner David Benioff!) Marc Benioff bought Time Magazine for $190 miillion. It will not be part of Salesforce, it is a private acquisition by Marc and his wife Lynne Benioff. The Benioffs said they won't have a role in day-to-day operations of the magazine or journalistic decisions. In a note to staffers, Time's editor in chief said the Benioffs have already challenged the publication to think big and long term. ""What will Time look like in 2040? What will it mean to people decades from now?"""
"How Big Tech Runs Tech Projects and the Curious Absence of Scrum (25 minute read). This article looks at survey results from a study of over 100 companies to see project management approaches across the industry. It looks at how big tech manages projects to see how smaller teams should be run. The study covered a wide range of management styles. Big tech generally did not mandate a single approach, but teams received a lot of organizational support to make the process work."
"No Design Development (Website). This website contains a collection of tools to help developers design websites without requiring any artistic ability. Developers can select resources from categories including Art, Fonts, Color, Generators, Inspiration, Videos, and more. Examples of resources include photo libraries, CSS generators, and logo makers."
"A Cloudflare outage broke large swathes of the internet . Cloudflare experienced an outage on Tuesday morning, impacting a range of sites such as Discord, Shopify, Grindr, Fitbit, and Peloton."
Google will temporarily let Match use alternate payment systems ahead of 2023 trial . Google has reached an interim agreement with Match Group that will allow Match's apps to remain on the Google Play Store while offering alternate payment systems. Match Group will set aside a $40 million escrow fund for payments that occur outside of Google's billing system until an official agreement has been reached. The companies are set to go to trial in April 2023. Epic Games-owned Bandcamp has also reached a similar agreement. The platform will place 10% of its proceeds from purchases made on Android into an escrow fund until Epic's broader antitrust lawsuit against Google moves forward.
"Delivery Only: The Rise Of Restaurants With No Diners As Apps Take Orders . Food delivery apps allow customers to summon food with a tap on a smartphone screen. Companies such as DoorDash have started building delivery-only kitchens and renting them out to restaurants. Restaurants can move into a DoorDash kitchen and then be live on the platform the next day. DoorDash's tenants include Chick-fil-A. Its delivery-only kitchens allow restaurants to deliver to wider areas. Restaurants can test areas without the expensive costs of setting up a full business. Uber is encouraging some of its restaurants to set up separate app-only restaurants under different names. Restaurants have been receiving additional sales from delivery apps, but the apps take around 30 percent from each order, making it tough for businesses to cover expenses."
PyScript (Website). PyScript is a framework that allows developers to create Python applications in the browser using an HTML interface. Developers can run many popular Python packages and use Python with JavaScript. PyScript has readily available UI components and a flexible and extensible framework.
"China’s CRISPR twins might have had their brains inadvertently enhanced . The removal of the CCR5 gene has been shown to have an effect on memory, cognition, and brain recovery. A lack of the CCR5 gene also protects against HIV, as the virus requires the gene in order to attach to a host. A scientist in China used CRISPR to delete the CCR5 gene in a pair of twin girls while they were embryos. It was claimed that the procedure was done in order to make the girls immune to HIV. The scientist is under investigation by China, but there is a lack of evidence that the procedure was done with the intent of enhancing the cognition of the twins."
Wild turtles age slowly. Some basically don’t age at all . Several species of turtle essentially don't age at all in the wild.
"Amazon boss Jeff Bezos's phone 'hacked by Saudi crown prince' . Jeff Bezos’s phone was hacked in 2018 after receiving an infected video file sent from the personal WhatsApp account of the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Bezos and the prince were reportedly having a friendly chat on the app when the video file was sent, resulting in large amounts of data being exfiltrated from Bezos' phone within hours. The move indicates that the prince may have had personal involvement in targeting the world's richest man, raising concerns for westerners looking to invest in Saudi Arabia. A Washington Post journalist was killed five months after the hack, and some of Bezos' intimate details and text messages were published nine months after the hack. Saudi Arabia denies all involvement with the hack or the killing."
"Poparazzi hypes itself to the top of the App Store . Poparazzi is a new social networking app that lets users create accounts that only their friends can post to. It used TikTok to launch itself into the number one spot in the App Store. The app requires users to give permission for the app to access their camera, contacts, and notifications. It demands a full address book upload, despite offering other ways to add friends. The app automatically matches users' with the contacts in their phone books. This practice, among others, has raised concerns with security experts."
"Alphabet’s Loon balloons will provide internet to remote parts of the Amazon next year . Loon is a company owned by Alphabet which makes high-altitude balloons that can provide mobile internet. The company has signed a commercial agreement with Internet Para Todos Perú to provide internet to parts of the Amazon rainforest starting in 2020. It will initially provide service to an area where nearly 200,000 people live. Peru will be the first country in Latin America to use high-altitude balloons to provide internet connectivity on a sustained, non-emergency basis. Loon has two other commercial contracts, one with Telkom Kenya and one with Telesat, a Canadian satellite company."
"This is the highest-resolution photo of the sun ever taken . The highest-resolution ever image of the sun, taken by the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Maui, has been released. Astronomers built the DKIST to make precise measurements of the sun's magnetic field throughout the corona in order to find out why the corona is millions of degrees hotter than the sun's surface. It can observe structures on the sun as small as 18.5 miles. The telescope is still under construction, and in the next six months, it will have the capability to record temperature, velocity, and solar structures. DKIST has one of the world's most complex solar-adaptive optic systems. It uses deformable mirrors that adjust 2,000 times per second to offset distortions caused by Earth's atmosphere. A swimming pool of ice and 7.5 miles of pipe-distributed coolant is used to cool down the telescope during operation."
"First 'Non-Cuttable' Material in the World: Proteus . Proteus is a new non-cuttable material created from ceramic spheres arranged in a cellular aluminum structure. With only 15% steel density, Proteus can resist cutting tools such as angle grinders or drills. Its design was inspired by grapefruit skin and mollusk shells. The material is designed to be harder to cut when damaged. It is equally effective against water jet cutters."
"LASER (GitHub Repo). This is a library open soured by Facebook that represents sentences in a language agnostic way, so you can easily translate sentences into many languages including ones where training data is extremely limited. It's built on top of PyTorch."
"Domino’s Now Using AI and Cameras to Make 'Perfect' Pizzas . According to the CEO of Domino’s Pizza, the number one complaint that they receive from customers is that the pizza doesn’t look the same as in the advertisements. In order to combat this, Domino’s has introduced the DOM Pizza Checker, a ceiling mounted device that will scan pizzas and determine whether they are customer ready. The device will detect the type of pizza and analyze the distribution of toppings and cheese. If the pizza does not pass the test, the pizza will be remade. At the moment the DOM Pizza Checker is only available in Australia and New Zealand."
"Facebook gets into the meme-making biz with experimental Whale app . Facebook has quietly launched a meme-making app called Whale on the Canadian App Store. It was developed by Facebook's New Product Experimentation team. The NPE was set up so Facebook could set the expectation that these apps could change quickly or be shut down. Facebook's app experiments come during the meteoric rise of TikTok. TikTok is on its way to having 1.5 billion users in total. It has been criticized for censoring criticism of the Chinese government. Bytedance, TikTok's parent company, is being investigated by US lawmakers for its links to Beijing."
mitmproxy2swagger (GitHub Repo). mitmproxy2swagger is a tool that can automatically reverse-engineer REST APIs just by running the apps and capturing the traffic. A short video showing how mitmproxy2swagger works is available.
"Jumpstart Jamstack monitoring with New Relic and Netlify (Sponsor). Jumpstart Jamstack monitoring with New Relic and Netlify . Add observability to your Jamstack application and build process, without the manual setup, with the New Relic Netlify plugin and quickstart."
"Facebook is building an operating system so it can ditch Android . Facebook doesn't want its hardware to be at the mercy of Google and its Android operating system, so it has started to develop its own operating system from scratch. Using its own OS, Facebook will have more control over social features and privacy. One possibility is that a custom OS may be developed specifically for augmented reality. Facebook's previous attempts at developing its own custom OS have failed. A new office for the AR/VR team will house around 4,000 employees and allow the public to come to play with Facebook's augmented reality and virtual reality products. Facebook is considering implementing a retail space so people can also purchase devices. It has been focusing heavily on hardware, as it aims to keep up with new technologies in order to continue to data-mine."
"Tesla confirms plan to open Supercharger network to other automakers next year . Tesla will open up its Supercharger network to other automakers by September 2022. The network is the most extensive electric vehicle fast-charging network in the world. It has over 25,000 Superchargers at over 2,700 stations globally. The decision to share the network will depend on how costs will be divided. Tesla uses a proprietary plug on its vehicles and charging stations in North America. It will be easier to open up its network in Europe, where there is a standard connector for the region."
"YouTube is taking on over-the-air TV with nearly 4,000 free episodes of TV . YouTube is now streaming nearly 4,000 free TV shows with ads. The platform also has a lineup of free movies with ads. YouTube plans to add up to 100 shows and movies each week. The new offerings allow YouTube to take on a number of major competitors like Roku, a company that Google has had public disputes with."
"Automated Drywall Robot Works Faster Than Humans in Construction . Canvas is a robotics startup that was founded in 2017. It announced its public launch this month, with $19 million in financing and multiple partnerships. The startup's robotic arm has sensors that automate the process of drywall installation. Once Canvas perfects the process, it will move onto automating other construction tasks. The robots are operated by trained workers from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, creating new career opportunities. Canvas currently only operates in the San Francisco Bay Area, but it plans to expand to other cities as the robotic and AI worker market has seen a boom in recent months."
"Dapr (GitHub Repo). Dapr is a portable, serverless, event-driven runtime for building resilient, stateless, and stateful microservices that run on the cloud. It codifies best practices for building microservice applications into building blocks to enable development with the language and framework of your choice. Dapr can transition seamlessly between platforms and underlying implementations without rewriting any code."
"I sold my startup 2 years ago, this is what I would do today . This Twitter thread contains advice for startup owners about setting up a business. Many things should be done from a tax and estate planning perspective that aren't usually taught. The thread covers how to structure a startup and how to structure an estate."
"oneshot (GitHub Repo). oneshot is an easy way to set up an HTTP server to share files, web pages, or other outputs using the command line. Users just need to specify the path to a file and oneshot will make it available via HTTP on the computer's IP address. Secure file transfers are supported."
Go recipes (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a set of handy commands to run in Go projects. The commands help you manage packages and dependencies. Example outputs from the commands are included.
Apple Collaborating With LG to Develop iPads and MacBooks With Foldable OLED Displays and Ultra-Thin Cover Glass . Apple and LG are collaborating to develop a foldable OLED display panel with ultra-thin cover glass for future iPad and MacBook models. LG has growing expertise in foldable OLED displays and sells them to other manufacturers such as HP and Lenovo. Apple's display could be around 20-inches in size. It may be creating a new product category for the device. The device won't be launched until after 2025.
"Qualcomm surges after announcing a settlement with Apple over patent royalties . The disputes between Apple and Qualcomm have ended, with the companies reaching an agreement that involves payment of an unknown sum from Apple to Qualcomm. All litigation between the companies will end. The companies have also signed a six year licensing agreement with each other, with an option to extend for another two years. Apple will now be purchasing chips from Qualcomm. Qualcomm stocks rose sharply by more than 20% after the news was released."
"How This Uncrushable Beetle Can Survive Being Run Over by a Car . The diabolical ironclad beetle boasts one of the toughest natural exoskeletons, capable of protecting the animal from being run over by a car. While the beetle's exoskeleton is extra tough, it takes on an elastic quality when under pressure that results in a kind of stretching rather than breaking. The discovery of this mechanism could lead to the creation of innovative protective materials."
"Facebook needs regulation to combat fake news, say MPs . With deep-fake technology becoming more common, politicians are becoming more concerned with disinformation and fake news being propagated without restrictions. Damian Collins, a politician in the UK, has spoken out against social media giants such as Facebook, calling for stronger policies and action against such content. He states that social media companies have a responsibility to identify and remove content that is designed to spread misinformation. With the current algorithms, if a user engages with specific content, they are served with more of the same material, causing users to be stuck in feedback loops."
"Cyber Security Resources (GitHub Repo). This repository contains thousands of cybersecurity-related references and resources. There are over 7,000 references, scripts, tools, code, and other resources. Topics include hacking environments, offensive security techniques, vulnerability research, exploit development, and more."
"Introducing the Android Game Development Kit . The Android Game Development Kit (AGDK) is a range of tools and libraries for developing, optimizing, and delivering high-quality Android games. The libraries were built and tested with performance in mind using C or C++ APIs and they work across many different Android versions. A 16-minute video that introduces the AGDK is available in the article."
"Tiny 'skyscrapers' help bacteria convert sunlight into electricity . A team of researchers from the University of Cambridge has increased the amount of energy extractable from photosynthetic bacteria by over an order of magnitude. Scientists have been trying to rewire photosynthetic bacteria to extract more energy from them for several years. The breakthrough involved 3D printing a structure similar to a glass skyscraper that allows for a balance between surface area and light. The technique is more efficient than other current bioenergy technologies, such as biofuels."
"Google is crowdsourcing a map of Mexico’s street foods . Food stands line the streets of towns and cities across Mexico, accounting for almost 50% of total business in the country. These businesses operate overwhelmingly outside of Google Maps, which could become a problem as people's tastes are increasingly dictated by algorithms and user-generated reviews. A freelance data analyst started making custom maps for these stands and Google Mexico took notice. Google then proposed a project where it would crowdsource maps for all types of street stalls. Even though businesses are more visible when they are listed on Google Maps, many only see a slight uptick in business."
Meet the first NASA astronauts SpaceX will launch to orbit . Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will be the first astronauts to launch in SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft. The pair will launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 27th. They will be the first people that SpaceX has ever launched into space and the first people to launch to orbit from the United States since 2011. It is unclear when the astronauts will return home. NASA will decide on a return date once the astronauts are on board the International Space Station.
"Instagram's Co-Founders Said to Step Down From Company . Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, the cofounders of Instagram, have resigned and plan to leave the company. No reason is given in the article, but it is noted that Jan Koum (the Whatsapp founder) left Facebook in April, and this is definitely a time of turmoil at Facebook, so it's not clear if they're leaving for personal reasons or because the company is going through trouble."
"Merge Faster with WorkerB for PRs Chrome Extension (Sponsor). The average PR sits idle for 2 days! Add context to your PR & merge faster with WorkerB magic links. Get estimated review time, number of changes, & related ticket in one click! Install it today."
"The genetic mistakes that could shape our species (14 minute read). Gene editing is not an exact science yet, with approximately 16 percent of genetically modified human embryos containing accidental mutations. In 2018, a Chinese scientist announced that they had genetically modified a set of twins to be more resistant to contracting HIV. Further studies have found that the twins did not receive the intended edits. Newer gene-editing techniques target specific organs, but it's still possible for the genome editors to accidentally travel to the reproductive organs. Many risks are still unknown."
"The State of Machine Learning Frameworks in 2019 (13 minute read). It seems that researchers are abandoning TensorFlow in favor of PyTorch, while in industry, Tensorflow is still the platform of choice. An analysis of published research shows that a majority of papers implemented PyTorch. This may be due to its simplicity, API, and performance. Tensorflow still has more job listings available, but this may only be due to inertia, as PyTorch is still relatively new. Industry requirements are also different to research, as some companies reject the use of Python and require code to be run on mobiles. New developments, such as TorchScript and Eager may affect the future of the frameworks. Frameworks do not only enable us to research or develop machine learning further, but they are also responsible for restricting or opening up areas of research due to their capabilities."
"Researchers Just Set a New Record For Data Transmission Speed . A team at the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology in Japan has set a new record for data transmission by sending 1.02 petabits per second over 51.7 kilometers. A 0.125 mm diameter multi-core fiber with wavelength division multiplexing that sent a total of 801 parallel wavelength channels was used for the experiment. Various other optimizations, such as using four cores, signal boosting, and decoding technologies were also used. The feat was achieved using an optical fiber network similar to those used currently for internet infrastructure, making future upgrades to this technology easier."
"Tim Cook says Apple wants to use AR to make conversations better . Tim Cook offered some hints about Apple's thinking on augmented reality and cars in a recent interview with The New York Times. Augmented reality is critically important to Apple's future. It could be used to enhance conversations with imagery in many fields, such as health, education, retail, and gaming. The latest leaks suggest that Apple plans to launch a mixed reality device next year. Cook hinted at the company's plans to develop a car, but he also noted that not every project eventually ships."
"Meta introduces Instagram Reels APIs for developers . Meta is releasing its Reels API to developers starting tomorrow. The API will be able to schedule Reels and get social interaction metrics. It will also allow developers to reply, delete, hide/unhide, and disable/enable comments on Reels. The API will be available for the current version and all previous versions of the Instagram Graph API. Developers with access to applicable APIs will not have to put their apps through additional App Reviews."
"Impossible Foods gets FDA approval to sell fake meat in grocery stores . Impossible Foods has been granted approval by the FDA to sell its plant-based meat in US groceries this fall. The additive in Impossible Burgers that gives it a meat-like flavor and makes it 'bleed', soy leghemoglobin, has been deemed safe for consumers to eat. Competitor Beyond Meat already sells its plant-based meat products in grocery stores, recently selling out at some Whole Foods locations. Currently, consumers can only purchase Impossible Foods' fake meat at partnered restaurants, including Burger King, Qdoba, and Claim Jumper. The demand for meat alternatives is likely to grow as people become more health-conscious."
The Pentagon reportedly gave a small company control of its IP addresses to find security issues . The US Department of Defense gave control over about 175 million of its IP addresses to tiny Florida company Global Resource Systems as part of a pilot effort to identify potential vulnerabilities and prevent unauthorized use of DoD IP address space. The DoD still owns the addresses. Global Resources Systems was founded in September. The initiative was headed by a group which reports directly to the secretary of defense.
"Ultimate Python study guide (GitHub Repo). This study guide serves as a resource for Python newcomers and as a pure guide for those who want to revisit core Python concepts. It contains a collection of standalone modules with carefully crafted comments to guide the reader through programs step-by-step. The guide covers Syntax, Data Structures, Classes, and more. Links for other learning resources are available."
"Tesla reveals revolutionary new wiring architecture to help robots build upcoming cars like Model Y . Traditional wiring for vehicles is inefficient, and due to its lack of rigidity, assembly is difficult to automate and usually requires using human hands. Tesla has redesigned the wiring architecture for its cars, enabling more robot automation during manufacturing while using fewer materials. The Model 3 has about 1.5 kilometers of wiring harnesses, and the new design will bring this down to just 100 meters starting with the Model Y. Tesla has released drawings of its new design with its patent application, which are available to view on the article."
"The Great Firewall of China blocks off Wikipedia . China blocked Wikipedia in April, using DNS injections to prevent its citizens from accessing the encyclopedia. There has been no official statement as to why the website was blocked. In May 2017, China put forth plans for making its own encyclopedia with over 300,000 articles from 20,000 scholars. Other countries such as Turkey, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela have also blocked access to Wikipedia in the past."
"Website feedback and bug tracking that's visual, not vague (Sponsor). BugHerd is the easiest way to track bugs and get actionable feedback for your website. It’s like sticky notes on a website."
"DigitalOcean Managed Databases (Beta). I'm sure a lot of you use DigitalOcean (I'm personally a big fan), it's a pretty cheap VPS provider that's now starting to build out more managed services (they have stuff like load balancers and block storage now). They've just begun an open beta for a managed Postgres service, with MySQL support coming soon."
"Instacart hires Facebook executive as new CEO ahead of expected IPO . Facebook executive Fidji Simo has been appointed as the new CEO of Instacart. Simo joined Instacart's board of directors seven months ago. She was formerly the vice-president and head of the Facebook app. Simo is the co-founder of Women in Product, a nonprofit organization for women in product management. Her rise to chief executive likely signals a change in how Instacart will conduct its business."
"“They’re more attractive than real boyfriends.” Inside the weird world of Chinese romance video games . While TV shows, movies, and books commonly feature romance as an integral part of their stories, romantic games are still relatively uncommon. Previous attempts have generally been unsuccessful, as the more emotional nuances to relationships are difficult to translate into game controls, usually resulting in transactional-relationship type interactions in games. A mobile game produced in China, Love and Producer, has become a hit, attracting millions of female users looking for love. Users play a TV producer with four love interests, and they can interact with these characters through phone calls and social media updates. Players can purchase special voice episodes where they can ‘talk’ to their virtual sweethearts on the phone. Producers say the success of the game is due to their focus and understanding of the emotional needs of their audience."
"Google’s Project Starline is a ‘magic window’ for 3D telepresence . Google's Project Starline uses a combination of specialized hardware and computer vision technology to create life-sized 3D images of people. It appears to require an elaborate set up including a photo booth with lights, sensors, and a large display. Google claims it creates an immersive video chat experience that makes users feel as if they are actually with the people they are speaking with. It is planning trial deployments with enterprise customers later this year."
"California-based game company Blizzard bans pro esports player and confiscates his prize money after he voices support for Hong Kong protesters . A Hong Kong-based player has been fined his prize money and given a year-long ban after he voiced support for Hong Kong's protestors during a postgame interview. Blizzard also announced that the two commentators who appeared on the stream will no longer work with the company. Blitzchung, whose real name is Chung Ng Wai, said it was his duty to speak out about the Hong Kong protests, even though it could affect his personal safety in real life. Blizzard is a US-based company, but it has a partnership with China-based company Tencent. Tencent is also a partner of the NBA, who has recently faced backlash in China when Houston Rockets' general manager, Daryl Morey, tweeted in support of Hong Kong protestors. Rockets games will no longer be broadcasted on China Central Television or Tencent's platforms. Blizzard stands behind their decision, saying that Chung violated rules of the competition by offending a portion or group of the public or damaged the company's image. The company has disabled comments on its blog post announcing the ban."
"This Robot Will Look For Signs Of Life On Jupiter’s Satellite Europa . The Buoyant Rover for Under-Ice Exploration (BRUIE) is a robot that was designed to explore Europa's glaciers. It successfully passed tests in the cold waters of Antarctica and will look for evidence of life under the frozen ice on Jupiter's satellite. The Europa Clipper is scheduled for launch in 2025, and it will scan Europa from different angles to map the satellite. Europa is one of the best candidates for extraterrestrial life in our solar system."
"xg2xg (GitHub Repo). Google has many internal tools that help its engineers, and ex-Googlers may find it hard to survive in the real world after having access to these tools. This repository contains open source and Google external tools that perform functions similar to Google's internal tools."
"Awesome Developer Resources . This article contains a list of resources for developers. Sections include Fonts, Icons, Animations, Youtube Channels, and more."
"Microsoft’s AI generates voices that sing in Chinese and English . Researchers at Zhejiang University and Microsoft have developed an AI that can generate singing voices in multiple languages. Deepsinger was trained using data from music websites. It can generate songs in Chinese, Cantonese, and English. The resulting voices are high quality in terms of both pitch accuracy and voice naturalness. A sample from Deepsinger is available in the article. Technology like this has already caused issues in the music industry, with Jay-Z's Roc Nation label recently filing copyright notices against videos that used AI to make him rap a Billy Joel song."
"Giving GPT-3 a Turing Test (11 minute read). GPT-3 is a general language model that is trained on a large amount of uncategorized text from the internet without any guidance. It tries to guess what text comes next given a prompt like a question, sentence, or description. While it can answer many normal questions and almost pass for a human, its performance starts to crack when you ask it abnormal questions. It always tries to answer a question, rather than saying it doesn't know the answer to a question. GPT-3 is still in a closed beta. A link to join the beta is available at the end of the article."
"The GitHub Student Developer Pack is back . Verified students on GitHub can apply for the GitHub Student Developer Pack, a program which represents almost $45,000 in savings for students. Students will receive GitHub Pro at no charge during their time in school, as well as receive special offers from the many GitHub Education partners who contribute to the program. The list of partners includes companies such as DigitalOcean, Microsoft, Amazon, JetBrains, and Stripe."
HTTP/3 is Fast . HTTP/3 is here and it provides major improvements to web performance. It uses a new transport protocol called QUIC that allows clients to create a series of stateful streams over UDP. This article provides an explanation of the new protocol along with benchmark results comparing site load speeds in various countries.
Food delivery startup Wonder valued at $3.5B after $350M funding round . Wonder Distribution is a new food delivery startup that operates a network of truck-based restaurants. Users can order food using a mobile app. Wonder's trucks drive to a location near the customer's home to prepare the food to ensure fresh deliveries. The company operates at least 60 restaurants in four New Jersey towns. Wonder has raised about $900 million in debt and equity financing since its launch. It has invested heavily in making its restaurants more efficient. The startup plans to make its service available nationwide by 2035 and eventually expand into new market segments.
"Tesla Model Y SUV will be unveiled March 14th . Tesla will unveil its Model Y SUV at their LA design studio on Sunday. The SUV will share 75% of its parts with the Model 3 and will be about 10% bigger and 10% more expensive, with a slightly smaller range. Test rides will be available on the day, suggesting that there will be a few pre-production prototypes present at the event. Further details have not been released, except for a black and white silhouette image of the Model Y and a statement that it won’t have the “Falcon Wing” doors that the Model X has. Elon Musk has also announced that their new Supercharger 3 electric car charging station will be revealed later this week, with a charging rate of 350 kW or more."
"China launches world’s fastest programmable quantum computers . Physicists in China have built two quantum computers with performance speeds way above their Western competitors. Zuchongzhi 2 is a 66-qubit light-based machine that is 10 million times faster than the world's fastest supercomputer. Jiuzhang 2 is also light-based, but it has a narrower field of applications. At this stage, the machines can only work in protected environments for short periods on highly specific tasks. The researchers hope to achieve quantum error correction over the next five years so that the machines can be more useful."
"A Quantum of Sensing—Atomic Scale Bolsters New Sensor Boom . Quantum sensors use the fragility of quantum effects to achieve extraordinary sensitivity to the slightest disturbances in the environment. They could be used to study brain conditions, reveal hidden underground features, detect Covid-19 in seconds with just a few hundred strands of viral DNA, navigate underground and underwater without GPS, and more. This article discusses the many possible applications of quantum sensors and the current state of projects in the field."
Apple discontinues the iPod after 20 years . Apple is discontinuing the iPod Touch. It will still sell the current Touch while supplies last. The first iPod Touch was introduced over 20 years ago. The current seventh-gen model was introduced in 2019. It was popular with those who wanted an iPhone-like experience but didn't actually need a phone.
"Male seahorses grow placentas to incubate their young . The seahorse placenta is a fascinating example of convergent evolution. Male seahorses' brood pouches develop and function like human placentas. During pregnancy, the males provide embryos with everything they need. As the embryos grow, the brood pouch becomes thinner and sprouts more blood vessels, much like a mammalian placenta. This allows the baby seahorses to breathe inside the pouch. The pouch reverts to its prepregnancy form 24 hours after giving birth."
"Amazon’s new smart shopping cart lets you check out without a cashier . Amazon has a new smart grocery store cart that is equipped with a touchscreen and other hardware to automatically detect what items are being placed inside it. Shoppers can take the Dash Cart through a special lane when they are finished shopping to digitally check out their items without a human cashier. Amazon will deploy its first Dash Carts in a grocery store in the Los Angeles area. The store is currently up and running for online orders and will open for customers later this year. Dash Carts will only be able to handle about two bags of items, so customers who want to purchase more will need to use traditional carts and standard checkout lanes."
"Chinese Tesla Competitor Unveils Flying Car at Beijing Auto Show . Xpeng Motors, who just sold $1.7 billion in a stock sale last month, unveiled a drone-like vehicle called the Kiwigogo at the 2020 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition. The Kiwigogo is equipped with eight turbofans and can carry two passengers up to 82 feet high. Xpeng plans to develop a flying car to create new avenues for its research into mobility and electrification. It plans to be more than just a Tesla clone as it branches out into various forms of electric mobility. Images of the Kiwigogo are available in the article."
"Want to Buy a Ticket to the Space Station? NASA Says Soon You Can . NASA announced on Friday that it will allow private citizens to fly to the International Space Station. However, it is not changing into a space agency. Other private companies will have to organize rocket flights to and from space while paying NASA $35,000 per passenger to sleep in the station’s beds and use its amenities. The consumer price to stay at the station will likely cover these costs and more. In the past, NASA has frowned upon using the ISS as a place for business, but several new changes will allow for private companies to start conducting for-profit ventures on the station. The ISS will not sell space for corporate sponsorships. These business ventures will probably not turn a profit for NASA but will help to cover costs for running the ISS."
"Meta plans virtual currency, creator coins for its apps . Meta is planning to introduce virtual tokens and cryptocurrencies to its apps. It will use the tokens to reward creators and for lending and other financial services. The tokens could give Meta a new revenue channel and control over transactions on its platforms. Meta's tokens might not be blockchain-based and may be centrally controlled by the company. Meta is part of the Crypto Open Patent Alliance, a group that pledges to promote open access to cryptocurrency technologies."
eDEX-UI (Github Repo). Somebody actually built a working version of the Tron Legacy sci-fi movie style computer dashboard. It works on all OSes and there's a screenshot in the repo that shows how incredible this looks (I ran this on my Macbook and it works like a charm)!
"Google has enlisted NASA to help it prove quantum supremacy within months . Quantum supremacy is the idea that a sufficiently powerful quantum computer will be able to perform certain calculations that current supercomputers can't. Proving it could eventually lead to breaking currently unbreakable codes, enhancing AI, improving weather forecasts, and modeling complex molecular interactions. Google's quantum computing head, physicist John Martinis, believes that Google's new 72-qubit quantum chip Bristlecone will be capable of achieving quantum supremacy. Google is partnering with NASA to test this out, pitting Bristlecone against NASA's most powerful supercomputer Pleiades. Google and NASA signed a five year partnership in July that will give NASA access to Google's quantum computing resources over the next five years in exchange for helping test and improve Google's quantum computers, and running comparisons against traditional supercomputers."
"In Baltimore and Beyond, a Stolen N.S.A. Tool Wreaks Havoc . Baltimore has been struggling with a cyber attack that has crippled its systems and disrupted real estate sales, water bills, health alerts, and many other services within the city. The tool used to hack the city was developed by the National Security Agency, who lost control of the software when it was leaked in 2017. Since then, EternalBlue has caused massive damage around the world. The exploit, which targets Windows, was so successful that the NSA neglected to inform Microsoft of the vulnerability for more than five years until the exploit was released."
"Stripe CLI . Stripe CLI is a new tool that allows users to interact with Stripe right from the terminal in order to make it easier to build, test, and manage Stripe integration. The CLI allows developers to test webhooks, tail real-time API logs, and create or update API objects. It natively supports macOS, Windows, and Linux. A short video demo is available showing some of the features of Stripe CLI."
"chart.xkcd (GitHub Repo). chart.xkcd is a chart library that creates sketchy, cartoony, or hand-drawn styled charts, similar to the style in the xkcd webcomic series. All that is required to run it is to include the script in your page along with an svg node to render the chart."
"Google, Mozilla working on letting web apps edit files despite warning it could be 'abused in terrible ways' . When you want to edit something using an online tool today, you usually have to upload the file to the tool by selecting the file or dragging it into your browser window, then when you're finished you have to download the result to get the finished copy. Google and Mozilla want to create a standard that will allow you to select files directly from your browser, edit them, then save them without any of the uploading and downloading that happens now. This sounds really nifty, but could potentially be abused by nefarious sites. This ""Writable Files API"" is still in the early design stages at the W3C Web Incubator Community Group (WICG), which is chaired by representatives from Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox."
"TikTok partners with GIPHY on new video creation tool, ‘TikTok Library’ . TikTok Library is a new in-app creation tool that allows creators to access select content from GIPHY. TikTok plans to expand the Library with additional content sources over time. GIPHY, launched in 2019, allows content makers to share short-form videos anywhere across the web with a link. It is owned by Meta, but the UK's Competition and Markets Authority has blocked Meta from fully integrating the service. TikTok Library will roll out to select markets on Android first before rolling out to iOS and users worldwide."
"Reddit is selling NFTs, and somehow they're already worth thousands . Reddit is selling non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in the form of cartoon avatars modeled after the Reddit logo. Bidding on the three CryptoSnoos is already in the thousands of dollars. The NFTs were minted on June 17 and they will be listed for auction on the OpenSea platform until the end of the month. Reddit will be releasing more CryptoSnoos with differing levels of rarity in the future. Ownership of a CryptoSnoo does not grant commercial rights to the artwork. Reddit can terminate the Licensed Rights of the owner if the owner disparages or initiates legal action against Reddit."
"Stack Overflow acquired by Prosus for a reported $1.8 Billion . Stack Overflow is being acquired by Prosus for $1.8 billion. Prosus is an investment and holding company and the primary shareholder of Tencent. Stack Overflow will continue to operate independently with the same team, same plan, and same business practices. No major changes are expected."
"Google Chrome Hidden Features Every Developer Should Know . Chrome Dev Tools is one of the most used tools among web developers, but many developers are unaware of some of its best features. This article explores five features in Chrome Dev Tools: CSS Overview, CSP Violations, New Font Editor Tools, Dual Screen Mode, and Full Accessibility Tree View. It explains what each feature does and how to enable them."
"China Claims To Have A Real-Deal Laser Gun That Inflicts 'Instant Carbonisation' Of Human Skin . China's new ZKZM-500 laser assault rifle is able to burn through human skin and ignite flammable targets from a kilometer away. The US military has recently developed large laser-firing cannons designed for ships or trucks, but laser rifles are still out of reach. China says that the Chinese police will use the weapon in its anti-terrorism operations. The weapon weighs about three kilograms and is powerful enough to burn through a gas tank and ignite the fuel inside. It is entirely silent and the beam is invisible. At around $20,452 per rifle, the weapon is relatively inexpensive, considering that it will not need additional ammunition as it runs on batteries. The United Nations' Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons bans weapons specifically designed to cause permanent blindness, but there are no mechanisms for enforcement. A promotional document on a Chinese government website discusses the weapon's potential use against protestors."
"Substrate Developer Hub (Website). Substrate is a free modular blockchain framework. It features p2p networking, consensus algorithms, cryptographic libraries, a smart contract platform, and more. Documentation, tutorials, and links to community resources are available on the site."
"Tiny, Solid-State Lidar Raises Stakes in the Megapixel Race . A team of engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, have created a solid-state LIDAR with 16,384 pixels integrated onto a 110-square-millimeter silicon photonic chip. It can cover a field of view of around 70 degrees at a range of 10 meters with a resolution of 1.7 centimeters. The engineers have plans for improving the sensor's performance. The device can be mass-produced using standard semiconductor processes in commercial CMOS foundries. High-resolution LIDAR will allow for better self-navigating cars and drones, more accurate 3D map generation, mobile 3D sensing for augmented reality, and more."
"Pfizer is testing a pill that, if successful, could become first-ever home cure for COVID-19 . Pfizer has developed a pill designed to stop Covid-19. It is now starting human trials on the drug, which showed no significant risks or safety concerns during its animal studies. The human trials will be split into three phases and run for 145 days. Another 28 days will be added to the trial period for screening and dosing. The drug attacks the spine of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and stops it from replicating in the nose, throat, and lungs. It is classed as a protease inhibitor."
"SCAR (GitHub Repo). SCAR helps developers deploy websites on Amazon Web Services through a one-click process. Websites can be deployed with a custom domain, SSL, and a CDN. The only requirement to use SCAR is an AWS account."
Dragula (Website). Dragula provides free stock images through a desktop tool. Users can enter simple keywords and Dragula will find a random image related to the word. The image can then be drag and dropped in any app that supports the feature. Dragula can even generate links and markdown code to embed the image if required.
"New Algorithm Removes Underwater Distortions for Clear Colorful Pictures . Light behaves differently in water, which is why photos taken underwater usually come out in hues of green and blue. This effect has been an issue for scientists as it means they aren't able to take accurate pictures of sea life. A new algorithm has been developed that is able to allow pictures to be captured underwater as if they were taken on dry land. Once a distance map has been calculated, the Sea-thru system estimates all the necessary parameters for removing water distortion and restores colors. It is able to work on videos, not just images. Sea-thru only works on images taken under natural light. Future research will extend its abilities so it works with artificial light as that is how the majority of the ocean is explored."
"Ring’s latest security camera is a drone that flies around inside your house . Ring's new Always Home Cam is an autonomous drone that can fly around to view any room inside a home. It can automatically return to its dock to recharge when it is done flying. The Always Home Cam will be available next year for $249.99. During its setup, users build a map with paths for the device to follow. The camera only records when it is in flight, as the charging dock blocks its view. The drone makes an audible noise when flying so people will know when it is around. An official 30-second advertisement for the Always Home Cam is available in the article."
"Bose's $199 audio-based AR sunglasses are available for preorder . Bose's new ""Frames"", $199 AR sunglasses that use sound instead of sight to relay information, are available for pre-order and will ship in January 2019. The glasses integrate with Siri and Google Assistant to tell you what you're looking at, give you directions, or play music."
"Jellyfish Keep Attacking Nuclear Power Plants . The Torness nuclear power plant in Scotland has a continuing problem with jellyfish clogging up its intake pipes. Like many other seaside power plants, it uses seawater to prevent overheating. While there are measures in place to prevent aquatic life from entering the pipes, they are no match for the sheer number of jellyfish that appear during jellyfish blooms. A drone company will fly surveillance drones over the area as part of an early warning system to allow the plant to adjust its water-cooling systems to protect both electricity generation and the environment."
"What is Deno and will it Replace NodeJS? . Deno was created by Ryan Dahl, the creator of Node.js, as an answer to the things that he thought were wrong with Node.js. It has a brand new JavaScript runtime for the backend, is written in Rust, is based on the Tokio platform, and runs on Google's V8 engine. Deno uses command-line arguments to enable or disable access to different security features, bringing in security controls similar to industry standards. It has a more complete standard library compared to Node.js and integrated TypeScript. Deno handles dependencies by allowing importing of models from anywhere. It is still new in the industry so it will be a few years before it has a chance of replacing Node.js."
"Newly-developed lensless camera uses neural network and transformer to produce sharper images faster . Lensless cameras encode light and use algorithms to process blurry, out-of-focus images into something useful. A group of researchers at Tokyo Tech have created a new reconstruction technique that improves image quality with significantly faster processing. The technique uses a novel machine-learning algorithm based on a method called Vision Transformer. It can be used for real-time capture of high-quality images, something previously not possible with lensless cameras. Examples of images produced with the technique are available in the article."
"An Advertising Company Wants to Make Deepfake Clones of Your Face . Hour One is a startup that uses deepfakes to sell products and education services. The company is looking to add more faces to its collection and anyone can apply through their website. Hour One currently works with more than 40 clients in industries including e-commerce, entertainment, real estate, and digital health. It uses both AI-generated voices and voice actors for its videos, depending on the client's budget. The use of deepfake technology in this way raises ethical and security concerns."
"Noise-cancelling windows halve traffic sounds even when they're open . A team from the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore has created a device that can reduce the sound coming through an open window by up to 10 decibels. It uses 24 small loudspeakers and can be attached to the security grilles commonly used across South-East Asia. The device can reduce noise by 50% for frequencies between 300 and 1000 Hz. Frequencies lower than 300 Hz would require larger speakers, which might obstruct the view of the window. The device tested well in the lab, and the team plans to test a prototype soon in real-world experiments."
"When your next door neighbor is a glittering spaceport . Spaceport America is a $220 million facility based in the deserts of New Mexico. If everything goes to plan, it may launch its first spaceships in 2020. Spaceport America's primary tenant is Virgin Galactic. Virgin Galactic sells seats for its spaceplane at $250,000 a ticket, and around 600 people have paid a deposit so far. Passengers will spend a few days at the spaceport to train before their trip. A nearby town approved a tax in the last decade to help build the spaceport as it promises to bring an influx of business to the area. Virgin Galactic has taken longer to get into space than originally expected, with a fatal in-flight accident in 2014 causing more delays to the program. It has since flown its spaceplane to the edge of space and back twice."
"SpaceX reports milestone for Starlink satellite links — and sparks a debate . All but three of the 60 Starlink broadband satellites launched last month are in contact with SpaceX’s network of ground stations. The company is now ready to start the next round of testing, which includes streaming videos and playing online games via satellite. Most of the satellites have reached their intended 550-kilometer altitude, with the others soon to join them. Two satellites will be intentionally deorbited to simulate an end-of-life disposal scenario. As it is the first satellite system to operate in the Ku-band and communicate with US ground stations, SpaceX is able to be the first to select the frequencies used for this purpose. Other companies have launched Ku-band satellites. However, as their ground stations were not based in the US, they were not able to claim ‘first choice’ status with the FCC."
"Tesla reaches milestone of 100,000 Model 3 vehicles . Tesla is now consistently making 5,000 Model 3s per week, and just made its 100,000th unit. Tesla is expected to release the $35,000 base version of the Model 3 by the end of this year. This is expected to move Tesla from being a niche automaker into a mainstream one. Tesla is already producing electric vehicles faster than any legacy automaker."
"Awesome Design Tools (GitHub Repo). This GitHub repository contains a large list of design tools, all categorized and annotated with a quick, keyword-based description of what the tools do. It is designed to be easily searchable based on the task that the user wants to do. Users can contribute to the project by submitting a pull request or contacting the owner directly through Twitter."
Termwind (GitHub Repo). Termwind allows developers to build PHP command-line applications using the Tailwind CSS API. All classes use the same logic that is used in Tailwind CSS and all HTML elements have the capability to use the class attribute. A list of supported HTML elements and classes is available.
Apple officially starts letting your iPhone help find lost third-party products . Apple is opening up its Find My tracking network to third-party manufacturers. It is also offering a chipset specification for companies to integrate with its Ultra-Wideband systems. Users will be able to add selected items to be tracked by the Find My app starting today. Companies interested in adding this feature to their products can apply through the Made For iPhone program for authorized accessories.
"dos-like (GitHub Repo). dos-like is a library for writing games and programs that attempts to recreate the look, feel, and sound of old DOS programs on modern platforms like Windows, Mac, and Linux. It includes examples of classic DOS techniques and effects. Screenshots are available."
"Future autonomous Waymo EV will be custom built for ride-hailing with no steering wheel . Waymo is collaborating with Geely, a Chinese automotive company, to create an EV for its US ride-hailing service. The future EV will have no steering wheel. Its design will focus on riders, with features like plenty of head room, leg room, and reclining seats, screens and chargers, and an easy to configure and comfortable cabin. Regulatory changes will likely be required before Waymo will be allowed to release a car without steering wheels and pedals in the US. Renders of the car design are available in the article."
"Facebook's upcoming AR wrist controllers will hijack your nerves . Facebook Reality Labs (FRL) has unveiled a wrist-mounted controller that reads neural impulses as they travel down the arm, translating them into commands. The device doesn't require strong neural impulses and the mere intention of movement is enough for the wristband to pick up a signal. There are more neurons dedicated to controlling the wrist and hands than any other part of the body and it is a convenient place to put a device for all-day use. FRL's device can pick up millimeter-level movements in a single finger. Video demonstrations are available in the article."
"TCP/IP Fundamentals (Website). This course teaches you how to work with the UDP and TCP internet protocols in real-world scenarios. It teaches students to build small networking applications inside the browser using Rust. No previous knowledge of network programming is required, but students should have some experience with Rust syntax."
"Apple Adds Specified Trade-In Values for Select Android Smartphones . Apple has updated its trade-in website to allow customers to trade in specific Android smartphones for store credit towards a new iPhone. In 2013, Apple and Brightstar began a trade-in program by offering customers up to $175 in store credit towards a new iPhone 5S for trading in their old iPhone 4S. Apple had offered store credit for Android phones for a short period in 2015, but this program was discontinued in 2016. A list of eligible Android phones, along with their maximum trade-in prices, is available at the end of the article."
"1st person in US gets experimental coronavirus vaccine . An experimental COVID-19 vaccine has started human clinical trials in Seattle. Over the next six weeks, 45 participants will test the safety of the vaccine as well as its ability to induce an immune response. The new vaccine was fast-tracked into clinical trials without testing on animal models. Once the trial ends, it will still need to go through two more testing stages before it can be used by the public."
systemd playground (Website). This playground contains a basic systemd setup for developers to learn about systemd interactively in the browser. It hosts a stripped down version of systemd with everything that is not strictly necessary removed. A blog series with examples on how to use systemd is available.
Luxa CSS (GitHub Repo). Luxa CSS is a lightweight and minimalist CSS framework that can be easily implemented in any development context. It uses simple class names and a simple modifier system.
"Europe to mine moon for Oxygen and Water by 2025 . The European Space Agency has signed a one-year contract to study and prepare for a mission to go to the moon to mine regolith. Regolith is an ore that you can extract water and oxygen from, so mining it would be a key component of building a permanent moon colony."
"Huge 4-Day Work Week Experiment Begins in The UK: The Largest Ever Conducted . 70 companies and over 3,300 employees in the UK are part of a pilot program to trial four-day work arrangements for the next six months. The initiative will investigate how the four-day week impacts workers in terms of stress, burnout, job and life satisfaction, health, sleep, energy use, travel, and many other aspects of life. Pilot tests are also being conducted in Australia and New Zealand, and an upcoming trial is expected to start in the US and Canada in October. Other four-day week trials have shown massive increases in engagement and staff satisfaction without any drops in productivity."
"China's First-Ever 5G Remote Brain Surgery . In 2019, a doctor in China implanted a deep brain stimulation device into a patient's brain to help control Parkinson's symptoms through a 5G connection. The doctor was 3,000 kilometers away from the patient. Since then, similar surgeries have taken place throughout the country. 5G solves problems like video lag and remote control delay, ensuring a nearly real-time operation."
"Intelligent Machines Waymo's cars drive 10 million miles a day in a perilous virtual world . Waymo just announced that it hit 10 million miles in real world testing of its self-driving cars. However, the company also uses a simulator to drive 10 million test miles per day, for situations where it would be too dangerous to do real world testing (for example, in the simulator they can test their software in scenarios where pedestrians suddenly jump out at the car). To explore more corner cases, Waymo uses ""fuzzing"" a technique where they rerun scenarios but add random variations each time, to see if these variations cause things to break or cars to crash. The company also has 400 people in Phoenix, Arizona using completely driverless taxis for their daily drives."
"Dogs Obey Commands Given by Social Robots . Researchers at Yale University's Social Robotics Lab investigated whether dogs see robots more like humans or more like an object. In the study, the dogs were observed while taking instructions from robots with humanoid forms and from loudspeakers. It found that dogs seemed to respond to the robots, but further investigation was needed to find out what exactly the dogs were responding to. A one-minute video is available showing the conditions of the experiment."
"Tesla launches new virtual power plant that pays Powerwall owners to help end brownouts . Tesla and PG&E have launched a virtual power plant in California. A virtual power plant uses distributed energy storage systems to provide grid services. The new system will allow Tesla Powerwall owners to receive $2 per kWh when the grid needs emergency support. There are about 50,000 eligible Powerwalls, which adds up to 500 MWh of energy capacity. The move could turn Tesla into a major decentralized electric utility company."
"Muzli (Website). Muzli is a search engine that was created for design inspiration. Like any other search engine, users input keywords, but instead of text results, Muzli will return images and links to designs that match the keywords. Users can search for certain types of design categories, for example, apps, webpages, or UIs."
"ZenML (GitHub Repo). ZenML is a MLOps framework for using production-ready Machine Learning pipelines. It features guaranteed reproducibility of training experiments, guaranteed comparability between experiments, built-in and extensible abstractions for all MLOps needs, and more. ZenML is centered around extensible interfaces to accommodate complex pipeline scenarios in a simple way."
"Apple's first 5G iPhone will arrive in 2020 . Apple will put out its first 5G iPhone in 2020, using Intel's 8161 5G modem chip. Apple has previously been unhappy with heat dissipation from Intel chips, which can cause issues with battery life. The first 5G Android phones will debut next February, but there are currently only a limited amount of 5G cell towers available. If you do happen to be near one though, you will be able to get multiple-gigabits-per-second download speeds."
Giant Kite Will Pull a Ship Across the Ocean Next Month . Airseas' Seawing is a parafoil kite designed to attach to ships to reduce emissions on shipping trips by up to 20%. It can be mounted onto the deck of any ship type. Shipping accounts for more than 2% of global carbon emissions and between 10% to 15% of the world's sulfur oxide and nitrous oxide emissions. Cargo volumes will continue to rise as online shopping becomes more and more popular.
"Here’s everything Amazon just announced: A home robot named Astro, a fitness band and more . Amazon just announced a bunch of new gadgets ahead of the busy holiday shopping season. They include the Astro home robot, a smart thermostat, an Amazon Echo Show that can hang on the wall, a video calling device, a fitness tracker, and more. The announcements also included a new subscription service aimed at helping users care for elderly relatives and an invitation-only launch for the Ring security drone. Many more details are available in the article."
"Smart rich text editor with collaborative editing (Sponsor). Smart rich text editor with collaborative editing . CKEditor 5 is an ultra-modern JavaScript rich text editor with native support for Webpack, Angular, React, and Vue.js. Easily add a customized editor with collaborative editing to your application, with a slick user experience like Medium or Google Docs."
"Uptime Kuma (GitHub Repo). Uptime Kuma is a self-hosted monitoring tool that can monitor uptime for HTTP(s), TCP, and ping. It has a fancy UI and notifications. Screenshots are available."
"How Riot used tech from The Mandalorian to build Worlds’ astonishing mixed reality stage . As the pandemic goes on, events such as the annual League of Legends World Championship have to find creative ways to bring the show to the audience. This year, Worlds features a set made up of LED screens that displays visuals at 32K resolution at 60 frames per second. They can transform the stage into a fantasy world. There are several videos in the article that show off the technology and explain how everything was made."
"The Grand Unified Theory of Software Architecture . This article discusses how to cheaply maintain and scale software using three slides of code. The resulting code is more efficient, flexible, and cheaper to run."
"Elon Musk says Tesla's Full Self-Driving subscription arrives in early 2021 . Elon Musk announced on Twitter that Tesla's Full Self-Driving subscription is due to roll out early next year. Tesla had previously hoped to offer the subscription by the end of 2020. The subscription service might be the key to boosting adoption as the $10,000 upgrade option might be too expensive, especially for those not completely sold on the technology."
"Apple, Amazon, and Tesla supplier accused of using forced labor . Lens Technology, a long-time, major partner of Apple, has been accused of using forced labor in its factories. Apple conducted an independent assessment of its supply chain in 2019 to enforce its standards, but is unknown whether Lens was included in the investigation. The US government is attempting to pass a bill to stop goods made with forced labor from the Uyghur region from entering the US. While Apple has been publicly against forced labor, it has come under fire multiple times for its labor practices in China."
"Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin lands a Pentagon contract to design nuclear-powered spacecraft . Blue Origin has been awarded a $2.5 million contract by the Pentagon to design a nuclear-powered spacecraft. Lockheed Martin and General Atomics are also a part of the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program. The Pentagon wants to test nuclear thermal propulsion technology, which provides the power of chemical-based propulsion with the efficiency of electrical-based systems. It aims to have a nuclear-powered spacecraft in orbit in 2025."
"Google Pixel 4 Leaks Suggest Punch-Hole Selfie Camera and Total Lack of Physical Buttons . New details about Google’s new Pixel 4 have been leaked on Jon Prosser’s YouTube channel. Prosser has previously leaked accurate details on the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, as well as confirming the existence of the Pixel 3a before it was announced. The Pixel 4 will apparently use capacitive touch areas on the sides of the aluminum handset, suggesting that an extended version of Google's existing Active Edge technology will be used. It will also feature a punch-hole front camera, either an optical or ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor, and a new dual-lens camera setup."
"Data Science and Machine Learning Career (GitHub Repo). This repository contains information designed for prospective analytical employees to help them in their job searches. It lists job-search platforms, sites with employee reviews on companies, online courses, competitions, skills, podcasts, communities and more."
Apple made it harder to change Hulu subscriptions because of a tweet . Hulu was using its Apple subscription API to help users switch to its billing system until someone mentioned the feature in a tweet in 2018. Apple originally gave Hulu access to the API so it could support instant upgrades before Apple had its own upgrade and downgrade features for in-app purchases. Hulu no longer offers in-app purchases and any changes to a subscription requires direct contact with Hulu. Apple's developer guidelines expressly forbid developers from directing customers to purchasing mechanisms other than in-app purchases.
"Google Pixel 7 prototype shows up online with textured metal frame . An early prototype of the Pixel 7 recently showed up on eBay and was quickly taken down. The device featured a glossy glass back and a new metal camera bar. Google already revealed the design at its I/O event, but the leak confirms that the device will lose the matte black frame that the Pixel 6 had. It also confirms that the Pixel 7 will have 128GB of storage. The leaked pictures are available in the article."
"Kamikaze Bacteria: Dying Bacteria Self-Sacrifice to Save their Colony . Bacteria have several strategies for surviving antibiotics, including developing genetic resistance, hiding in protective biofilm, or delaying their own growth. Scientists at Princeton and California State University-Northridge have found a new tactic that involves bacteria self-sacrificing themselves to save others. The scientists found that some bacteria would absorb large amounts of antibiotics so that other bacteria can survive. Identifying this behavior has potentially paved the way for research into new ways to develop antibiotics that can specifically target cells that aren't already dying."
"New Patent For Apple Glass Can Detect Sound And Automatically Clean The Lens . Two new Apple Glass patents were recently revealed. One patent shows multiple microphones located at different positions on the Apple Glass that can capture and process sounds from different directions. The purpose of the design is not mentioned in the patent, but it could be used to pinpoint the locations of sounds. The other patent features an automatic cleaning function that removes dust and other particles from the lens and glasses frame through vibration."
"Get connected to jobs at fast growing startups (Sponsor). TLDR is partnering with Portal to help you on your next job search!Just upload your resume and get connected to companies like Stripe, Discord, Coinbase, and more. If a recruiter at one of those companies thinks you might be a good fit, they'll contact you directly and skip you straight to the interview round."
Apple has reportedly considered launching its own primary healthcare service . Apple has plans to launch a subscription-based healthcare service. The idea was first conceived in 2016 when Apple was considering how the data collected from the Apple Watch might be used to improve healthcare. Apple has tested the service with its employees at a health clinic near Apple Park. There was low enrollment and disputes over data integrity in the area of hypertension during the trial.
"LittleJS (GitHub Repo). LittleJS is a 2D JavaScript game engine with fast WebGL rendering. It has everything necessary to make high-quality games. LittleJS features positional audio effects, a particle effects system, a very small footprint with no dependencies, and much more. Several example starter projects are available."
"sshcode (GitHub Repo). sshcode is a command-line interface that installs a code-server over SSH. Extensions and settings are automatically uploaded, so remote servers can easily be used as VS code hosts. Chrome is recommended as sshcode is able to open the browser in app mode, meaning that there are no keybind conflicts or indication that a browser is being used."
"Moderna Is About to Begin Trials for HIV Vaccine Based on COVID-19 Research . Moderna will soon begin human trials for its mRNA-based HIV/AIDS vaccine. Most vaccines have proven ineffective against HIV as the disease attacks the immune system itself. mRNA vaccines create proteins that trigger an immune response in the body, allowing the body to possibly recognize new variants of a virus. The technology has been around for decades, but its use was limited until the Covid-19 pandemic. Moderna has been criticized for its lack of peer-reviewed research and other business practices."
"Ask HN: What technology is “cutting edge” in 2022? (Hacker News thread). This thread discusses cutting-edge technology in 2022. The top replies talk about dependent types for programming languages, spatial finance, retro game GAN upscaling, and zero-knowledge proofs."
"Researchers become their own lab rats with DIY coronavirus vaccine . The Rapid Deployment Vaccine Collaborative (Radvac) is a group of researchers in Boston who have mixed their own coronavirus vaccine and tested it on themselves. Members claim that the vaccine's simple formulation means that it is probably safe. They believe that as long as they do not promote the use of the vaccine and do not mass produce it, the FDA will not shut down the project. Moderna and Pfizer kicked off two massive clinical trials recently, recruiting 30,000 volunteers each to test the effectiveness and safety of their vaccines."
"Static Site Boilerplate (GitHub Repo). This is an easy boilerplate setup for static sites, it includes a local dev server with hot reloading, automatic bundling and minification of CSS and JS, deployment via FTP or Netlify, and more."
"pentest-tools (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of custom tools for pen-testing. There is a short description for each script. The tools included can extract endpoints from JavaScript files, extract links from any HTML file, grab subdomains of a given domain, perform SMTP user enumeration on a given list of IP addresses, and more."
"I Think I Know Why You Can't Hire Engineers Right Now (13 minute read). It has been harder to hire engineers in recent months, despite all the media about how hot the hiring market is. Attracting engineers to a position requires them to have cool stuff to work on, smart people to work with, and repeatability in the work environment. This article explores these factors and why they are important for engineers when thinking about their careers. It hypothesizes that many engineers would rather stay in their current positions as these factors would be at risk at a new company, and provides suggestions on how to handle these concerns."
"gosec (GitHub Repo). gosec inspects source code for security problems by scanning the Go AST. It can be configured to run only a subset of rules, to exclude certain file paths, and to produce reports in different formats. gosec can be integrated with GitHub code scanning."
"Reddit users are the least valuable of any social network . Reddit’s recent funding of $300 million puts the company at valuation of $3 billion. However, its 330 million monthly active users have an average revenue per user (ARPU) of around $0.30. This is significantly lower than other social networks. For example, Twitter’s ARPU sits around $9.48 and Facebook’s ARPU is around $7.37. Half of Reddit users are between 18 and 24, and Reddit plans to use its valuable demographic to appeal to advertisers."
"Extreme Silicon Valley: A 2:30 a.m. bus from Salida . Tech companies are operating shuttle buses that go all the way to the Central Valley as more and more tech employees move into the area. When tech companies first started offering shuttle buses for their employees more than a decade ago, these buses were focused in affluent neighborhoods. Now they reach much further into city outskirts. Housing prices have risen sharply where tech companies are based. Anti-development politics in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, and the East Bay make it hard to build new housing and improve public transit systems. Some large tech firms, such as Google and Facebook, have proposed building apartment blocks on their own campuses."
"Lightyear One debuts as the first long-range solar-powered electric car . The Lightyear One is a prototype vehicle designed to collect the power it requires from the sun. It boasts a range of 450 miles on a single charge, which is definitely a first for a car powered by solar power. Over 100 vehicles have already been sold, even though the car has yet to be released. Production will begin in 2021, and up to 500 reservations will be made available as long as customers prepay around $136,000 for their vehicle. The Lightyear One will be able to recharge through a wall socket."
"How a TikTok house destroyed itself (26 minute read). Agencies have set up houses around LA for those who want to be TikTok famous to move in and live together. The arrangement is similar to the world of content mansions and the old Hollywood studio system where artists sign on multi-year deals to work for companies. Stars can charge high prices for posts, making it a better alternative for some than entry-level or part-time jobs for people in the demographic. It is still a young industry, with many predatory agencies ready to make money off naive talent. Young teens who have just found fame may find it hard to identify legitimate agencies. Creator houses are an attempt to recreate reality TV for a chance at stardom. This article follows the experience of several teens who ended up in one of these TikTok creator houses."
"Tesla Model 3 zips through Boring Co. tunnel at 116 mph in latest video . A new video shared by a Tesla board member shows a Tesla Model 3 transporting two passengers between the corner of Prairie & 120th Street to the corner of Crenshaw & Rocket Rd in Hawthorne, CA. The car reached speeds of up to 116 mph and completed the trip in about one minute. At the moment, Autopilot is enabled up to 90 mph, but Tesla will soon be increasing it to 125 mph. The Boring Company built the one-mile tunnel at a cost of $10 million. Tunnels of the same type usually cost more than $500 million. Tesla has been approved to build two tunnels underneath the Las Vegas Convention Center, and a new tunnel connecting Washington DC and Baltimore is currently being considered."
"Google’s powerful AI spotlights a human cognitive glitch . Humans associate fluent expression with fluent thought, leading to a misunderstanding that AI models can think and feel just like humans do."
"I Spent Seven Weeks in a Wuhan ICU. Here’s What I Learned (10 minute read). Wu Feng spent nearly two months in Wuhan treating some of China’s most severe COVID-19 cases. The hospitals were a disaster zone, with makeshift areas created to support the huge influx of patients. Many frontline and critical care staff were becoming infected due to shortages in personal protective equipment. Staff from other specialties were called in to help. Wu Feng and his team were able to treat a total of 215 patients without having a single team member infected. Feng describes how doctors in China developed current treatments for COVID-19. Give feedback by replying here or messaging me on Twitter @tldrdan! If you don't want to receive future editions of TLDR, please click here."
"Tesla partners with Samsung on new 5nm chip for full self-driving, report says . A report from Korea says that Tesla is partnering with Samsung to develop a 5-nanometer chip for self-driving. Samsung is already producing Tesla's current self-driving chips in its Hardware 3.0 computers, but that chip is based on 14-nm technology. The new chips will begin mass production in late 2021, so they likely won't be inside Tesla production vehicles until 2022."
"How Elon Musk got everything he wanted out of Twitter . Elon Musk had already decided not to take a board seat at Twitter before he spent the weekend making a series of tweets questioning Twitter's business and future. If Musk had joined the board, he would have had a fiduciary responsibility to shareholders, which he has so far shown no interest in. Musk is already dealing with many legal issues. This article looks at Musk's recent purchase, why he may have decided not to become a Twitter board member, and what will likely happen next."
"Estonia to Empower AI-Based Judge in Small Claims Court . An AI-based judge will be used in Estonia to settle small claims cases. The AI will take case submissions from both parties in a trial and determine the outcome without an actual human judge making the decision. If the parties disagree with the decision made, then they can further appeal to a human judge and a full case. The government is planning up to 50 different applications for AI in the public sector by 2020."
"This video shows the most popular programming languages on Stack Overflow since September 2008 (1:27 Video). This video shows the percentage of Stack Overflow questions for each programming language for every month since September 2008. C# was the leading language until 2012, when Java, JavaScript, and PHP started becoming more popular. JavaScript dominated until 2018, after which Python overtook it. Python is currently the most popular language."
"1st 'Murder Hornet' Nest In U.S. Is Found In Washington State . Entomologists with the Washington State Department of Agriculture have located the first nest of Asian giant hornets in the US. Near the Canadian border, the nest was found by trapping and tagging live hornets, which led the entomologists back to the nest. The agency will destroy the nest, removing the tree it is on if necessary. Asian giant hornets prey on honeybees and other insects and a couple of hornets can destroy an entire honeybee hive in a few hours. In Japan, they kill up to 50 people a year."
"New In PostgreSQL 12: Generated Columns . PostgreSQL 12 has a new feature called generated columns. Generated columns are like a view, but for columns. They are designed to simplify application and server-side code by using pre-computed and cached data. A tutorial on how to make and use generated columns as well as examples of its use are available."
"Introducing WebContainers: Run Node.js natively in your browser . WebContainers can create full-stack Node.js environments that are immediately online and shareable in just one click. The environments load with VS Code, terminal, NPM, and more. WebContainers run entirely inside the browser and can be used to create on-demand Node.js servers that continue to work even when offline. GIF demos are available in the article."
"Leon (GitHub Repo). Leon is an open-source personal assistant that can be installed on a private server. Users can use the development kit to create their own custom modules, and the modules can be shared with other users. Leon uses AI concepts and can be run completely offline if required for privacy reasons."
"Android 13’s beta is no longer just for developers . The Android 13 beta is now available for anyone with a compatible Pixel device. It will feature a new photo picker for restricting app access to photos, new app icon theming options, a new notification permission, and support for Bluetooth Low Energy Audio. There are also some developer-focused changes. The full release of Android 13 is expected later in the year."
Keyframes (Website). Keyframes is a visual tool that can generate CSS. It has a visual timeline editor similar to video-editing software that can be used to create animations. Developers can create shadow effects and select colors using the Keyframes interface. The generated CSS code can be copied to the clipboard with a click.
"4000° PLASMA LIGHTSABER BUILD (RETRACTABLE BLADE!). This video follows the Hacksmith team as they build a real plasma protosaber. A real lightsaber would require a tiny portable nuclear reactor to power it, which just isn't possible at the moment. The backpack uses LPG fuel due to its energy density, outputting 50 times more energy per kilogram than a Li-po battery. It uses an array of laminar flow nozzles to create the highly concentrated gas required for a plasma beam. The resulting beam burns at around 4000 degrees Fahrenheit. Its color can change depending on what salts are burned with the gas. The follow-up video showing the team using the protosaber to cut stuff is now available."
"Wharton's top professor says America should shorten the work day by 2 hours . Adam Grant, a Wharton Business School professor, says that instead of the typical 9-to-5, our work days should end two hours earlier at 3pm. Grant says ""We can be as productive and creative in 6 focused hours as in 8 unfocused hours."" In an experiment done by a Swedish nursing home, switching to a 6 hour work day improved both productivity and worker health. Grant has previously voiced support for shortening work hours, tweeting ""Productivity is less about time management and more about attention management"" in response to a successful study about a four day work week."
"Apple exploring AirPods that take your temperature and monitor posture . Apple is exploring new health-focused features for its AirPods, including the ability for the AirPods to take a wearers' temperature, monitor their posture, and improve their hearing. The functions aren't expected to be released any time soon, and they may never be rolled out to consumers. Integrating health features into commercial products is difficult due to medical regulatory standards. Apple has been exploring the possibility of adding monitors for blood pressure, temperature, sleep quality, blood oxygen, and blood sugar into the Apple Watch. It has increasingly focused the marketing of its products on their health and fitness applications."
"Medical device creates temporary 'second skin' to treat wounds . Nanomedic Technologies, an Israeli startup, has created a portable device that can create a temporary and transparent skin layer that can be applied to patients without touching the wound. The device uses a patented electrospinning technology which creates nanofibers by applying a strong electric field to polymer solutions which then knit together in layers to form a nanofibrous mat that mimics skin. The polymer solution can be combined with antibacterial creams, antibiotics, collagen, silicon, hydrogel, or cannabinoids, depending on the patient’s needs. Treatment is fast, and patients can take showers after only 2 days without the need to redress the wound. The device is set to launch in the second half of 2019."
"Why is the Migration to Python 3 Taking So Long? . Python 2 is finally at end of life. Its drop-dead date for support is on January 1, 2020. Despite this, many companies are still heavily utilizing the language and have not migrated to Python 3. Python 3 was developed to remove a legacy problem in Python which rendered all strings as Unicode behind the scenes. It isn't backward compatible with Python 2. When it first came out, many people did not see the changes in Python 3 as a significant improvement. A lot of large organizations move very slowly. Migrating codebases takes a long time and a lot of effort. Instagram's move took 10 months, and Dropbox's migration is still ongoing after three years. Many companies that aren't focused on cutting-edge technology may find it even more difficult to migrate their code. Company security policies may also hinder the migration process."
"Amazon starting drone deliveries in California town later this year . Amazon's Prime Air drone delivery service will start later this year, pending FAA permission. Lockeford, California will be among the first locations in the US to access the service. The drones will be able to carry five pounds of payload at speeds of up to 50 miles an hour. They are able to detect static and moving objects and automatically change course to safely avoid them. Pictures of Amazon's drones are available in the article."
"Google and Dell team up to take on Microsoft with Chromebook Enterprise laptops . Google will be launching new Chromebook Enterprise devices with Dell in an effort to start challenging Windows in the enterprise computing market. Dell will be offering both a 14-inch clamshell and a 13-inch 2-in-1 option for its Chrome OS Latitude laptops, which have been modified to ensure that the devices are ready for IT needs. The laptops will have a range of Dell's cloud-based support services and will be able to integrate easily into existing Windows environments. Both devices will have LTE options and USB-C docking and will be able to be configured with up to Intel's 8th Gen Core i7 processors, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. Google's deal with Dell is not exclusive, and it will be making similar deals with other OEMs."
"Deep-Learning-in-Production (GitHub Repo). This repository contains notes and references about deploying deep learning-based models in production. Topics include converting PyTorch Models to C++, Mobile & Embedded Devices Development, GPU Management Libraries, and much more."
"Flowy (GitHub Repo). Flowy is a JavaScript library that can create WebApps with flowchart functionality. It supports responsive drag and drop, automatic snapping, block rearrangement, deleting blocks, and automatic block centering. A gif demo is available on the repository and a link to a working demo is provided."
"Tedium (Newsletter). This is a newsletter about the long tail of the internet. It's full of weird, quirky stuff you won't find anywhere else, like what happens when ""lost"" films and television shows become found once again, hardcore use cases for Google, etc. Curated by Ernie Smith, who some of you might remember from ShortFormBlog on Tumblr."
"Powerpaste packs clean hydrogen energy in a safe, convenient gray goop . Researchers have created a magnesium-based Powerpaste that stores hydrogen energy at 10 times the density of a lithium battery. The Powerpaste is completely stable at temperatures up to 250 degrees Celsius. It reacts with water to release hydrogen, which can then be used to create electrical power. Half of the hydrogen released comes from the water it reacts with. The paste makes using hydrogen power significantly more convenient."
"New Chinese virus 'will have infected hundreds' . A new respiratory illness has emerged from China. The coronavirus is estimated to have infected around 1,700 people, and two people have died so far. Airports around the world have started screening for passengers originating from Wuhan. While the outbreak is centered in Wuhan, there have been two cases reported in Thailand and one in Japan. 3,400 people a day travel internationally through Wuhan International Airport. Chinese authorities claim that the virus was spread through infected animals at a seafood and wildlife market in Wuhan and that there have been no cases of the virus spreading from one person to another. Understanding how the virus spreads is crucial to assessing its threat. It is unlikely that the virus is only spread through animal exposure. Analysis of the new virus shows that the coronavirus is more related to SARS than any other human coronavirus."
"Microsoft Just Became the First Big Company to Commit to Right to Repair . Microsoft has agreed to make it easier for customers to independently repair its devices. As You Sow, an investor advocacy nonprofit, filed a shareholder resolution with the SEC in June requesting that Microsoft examine the environmental and social benefits of making its devices more easily repairable. The shareholder resolution was withdrawn after Microsoft made a series of critical concessions and committed to examining its repairs situation. The FTC agreed to adopt the stance that people should be able to repair their own gadgets in July."
"Dflat (GitHub Repo). Dflat is a structured data persistence system for mobile. It returns immutable data objects that can be passed down to other systems, fetches data concurrently and synchronously on any thread, and more. Unlike alternatives like Core Data, Dflat is built entirely using Swift."
"Early stage startup hiring SF-based firmware engineer (Hiring). Impulse is hiring a firmware engineer in SF to help build a next-generation home energy system. Looking for someone interested in fighting climate change and decarbonizing the home. Started by ex-Waymo/Oculus engineers, raised a seed round from top investors. Please direct resumes and questions to [email protected]"
"Google to offer checking accounts in partnership with banks starting next year . Google is moving into banking and personal financial services and will start offering checking accounts to customers starting next year. Project Cache will involve partnerships with banks and credit unions, with the banks handling all financial and compliance activities related to the accounts. Google intends to offer product advantages, such as loyalty programs, on top of the basic financial services. It is unclear whether or not there will be service fees involved. Google currently offers Google Pay and Google Wallet for payments and transfers between users. Project Cache, along with its other payment systems, will allow Google to view the financial data of its users, which for many is a good picture of their overall day-to-day lives."
Solito (GitHub Repo). Solito is a library dedicated to unifying React Native with Next.js. It allows for sharing navigation code across platforms. Solito also contains a set of patterns and examples for building cross-platform apps with React Native and Next.js. Examples are available.
"Nike acquires NFT collectibles studio RTFKT . Nike has acquired NFT studio RTFKT for an undisclosed amount. RTFKT was valued at $33.3 million in May after a seed funding round. The company is behind CloneX, one of the most talked-about NFT project drops of the month. CloneX has seen nearly $65 million in transaction volume since its initial drop less than three weeks ago. RTFKT also collaborates with crypto creators to design physical items that utilize imagery from NFT projects."
"vue-next (GitHub Repo). Vue is a JavaScript framework for building UI on the web. Many of the architectural goals and new features for v3 have now been achieved, including a modular architecture, 'block tree' optimization, and source map support for the compiler, and fragments, portals, and speed improvements for the runtime. There are still some 2.x features still in the works, and the current implementation does not support IE11 yet."
"Hewlett Packard Enterprise is the latest tech company to leave Silicon Valley, and is moving to Houston . Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is moving its headquarters from San Jose, California, to Houston, Texas. The company has said no layoffs will occur with the move. It will keep the San Jose campus and consolidate some of its Bay Area sites there. HPE reported $7.21 billion in revenue for the fourth quarter. Many tech companies are questioning the high cost of living in Silicon Valley as employees shift to remote work. Hewlett Packard was one of Silicon Valley's original success stories."
"Mark Zuckerberg announces Facebook Shops, making it easier for businesses to list products for sale . Facebook Shops is a new feature that will make it easier for companies to list their products on Facebook and Instagram. The free service lets businesses set up product listings on their Facebook Page, Instagram profile, Stories, or in ads. Businesses will still have to direct customers to a website to complete any purchases. Facebook is currently testing a program called Checkout that will allow businesses to conduct transactions on the social network for a fee, but it is unknown when it will be available to the public. Facebook plans to integrate Shops features into WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram Direct, as well as allowing users to tag products during live streams."
"New 'Google Illustrations' tool lets you build a custom profile picture for Gmail . Google has released a new Google Illustrations tool that lets users build custom profile pictures. The tool contains hundreds of illustrations from various cultures, interests, and backgrounds. Users can adjust the illustrations' colors and focus and pick individual elements. The tool is now available for Gmail for Android and it will be rolled out on other apps and platforms late this year or in early 2022."
"New York Adopts Nation's First Pay Floor for Uber, Lyft, and Other Rideshare Drivers . New York City's Taxi and Limousine Commission has approved a $17.22 minimum wage for ride-share drivers. The New York Taxi Workers Alliance says the bill is ""the first real attempt anywhere to stop app driver pay cuts, which is an Uber and Lyft business practice at the heart of poverty wages."" Uber and Lyft warned that the bill will lead to higher fares, and disincentivize drivers from giving rides in and around Manhattan."
"Ask HN: Having trouble hiring despite good comp, wondering what to do about it? (Hacker News Thread). This Hacker News thread discusses how to attract applications from senior talent and what can be done to increase attractiveness to potential employees."
"Alibaba’s Singles’ Day sales top $38 billion . Alibaba reported $38.4 billion of sales during its Singles' Day event. Singles' Day is China's equivalent to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Alibaba invested in weeks of aggressive advertising and promotions prior to the event, with ads including celebrities such as Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian. Before the event, Alibaba had to tune its business so that it could handle the upcoming increase in sales. One of the improvements was in its logistics network. Alibaba recently announced an additional $3.3 billion investment into Cainiao, a logistics unit that Alibaba co-founded six years ago. It is currently facing competition from JD.com and Pinduoduo. Singles day is an event that falls on November 11 every year that is dedicated to people who are not in a relationship."
Vulcain (GitHub Repo). Vulcain is a new protocol that uses HTTP/2 Server Push to create client-driven REST APIs. An open-source gateway server that can transform any existing web API into a Vulcain-compatible API is provided.
"Meta’s social VR platform Horizon hits 300,000 users . Meta released an update on Horizon's user growth during its most recent earnings call. Since Horizon Worlds was rolled out to all Quest users in the US and Canada in early December, its user base has grown 10x to 300,000 people. The number includes Horizon Venues but not Horizon Workrooms users. Meta still has not disclosed its Quest headset sales numbers, but it is estimated to have sold over 10 million headsets. A mobile version of Horizon will be released later this year."
"Full Stack Ethereum Development – a Complete Guide (20 minute read). This article teaches how to build full-stack dApps with React, Ether.js, Solidity, and Hardhat. It discusses how to create, deploy, and test Ethereum smart contracts, how to switch between environments/networks, and how to connect to and interact with the contracts from a front end. The tutorial goes through building, deploying, and connecting to a couple of basic smart contracts."
"Expedia cuts 3,000 jobs, including 500 at new Seattle HQ . Expedia will fire about 12% of its workforce in an effort to streamline and focus its business. Executives sent a company-wide email saying that the company had been pursuing growth in an unhealthy and undisciplined way. Chairman Barry Diller said the company was aiming for $300 to $500 million in annual cost savings following the release of Expedia's fourth-quarter earnings report earlier this month. Expedia reported $12 billion in revenue in 2019. The company expects a $30 to $40 million in losses due to the coronavirus outbreak. Expedia has recently changed leadership after former CEO Mark Okerstrom and CFO Alan Pickerill abruptly resigned on December 4. Shortly after taking over as CEO, Diller said that Expedia was a 'bloated organization' and was too complex. He felt that employees lacked discipline and direction, and aims to bring focus back to the company."
"Spectre.Console (GitHub Repo). Spectre.Console is a .NET 5/.NET Standard 2.0 library for creating cross-platform console applications. It features support for formatting, styling, and up to 24-bit colors in the terminal. A screenshot of its features is available."
"The attention economy is dead . As people start using more engaging content such as Netflix, or play games such as Fortnite, the efficacy of advertisements through ‘attention seeking’ media is starting to decrease. Fortnite has grown significantly in the last few years, mainly by being effective at capturing users’ time and attention. By making Fortnite an environment where users can socialize, attend concerts, and have fun in an ever-changing environment, Epic Games has retained an active database which has become an attractive target to advertisers. Netflix has acknowledged Fortnite as a competitor, as users usually can’t pay attention to both mediums at the same time."
Editor.js (GitHub Repo). Editor.js is a Block Style editor. It uses plugins to enrich features and users can easily create their own plugins. There are many built-in keyboard shortcuts and custom shortcuts can be added. Examples of how to use Editor.js are available on the repository.
"Swiss e-voting trial offers $150,000 in bug bounties to hackers . The Swiss government has announced a month-long testing period for their e-voting system, in which they encourage white-hat hackers to discover and report vulnerabilities. The total prize pool for the Public Intrusion Test is $150,000, with bounties ranging in value according to the seriousness of the vulnerabilities discovered. Swiss law guarantees the ability to vote for every citizen, but overseas citizens have complained that postal methods are usually delayed, and have called for e-voting methods. Opposition to e-voting claimed that the method was not secure, so the test will reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the current system."
"Google Maps Live Traffic Showed the Russian Invasion of Ukraine . Google Maps Live Traffic showed a traffic jam in Belgorod, Russia, just before the invasion of Ukraine. Vladimir Putin had announced a special military operation in a region in Eastern Ukraine hours before, but the traffic data showed movement in a different region. The researchers that spotted the movement combined other optical and radar data to conclude that the invasion was about to happen. While the data could have come from Russian soldiers that left their phones on, it more likely came from civilians who were stuck due to Russian military movement."
HonKit (GitHub Repo). HonKit is a package for building books using GitHub/Git and Markdown. It is a fork of GitBook and works with almost all GitBook plugins without changes. The documentation also serves as a demo as it was built using HonKit.
"The military is funding a ""living pharmacy"" scientists can stick inside you . NTRAIN (Normalizing Timing of Rhythms Across Internal Networks of Circadian Clocks) is a device that is currently being developed by researchers from Northwestern University for controlling the body's circadian clock to eliminate jetlag, fatigue, and gastrointestinal issues. The project is being funded by DARPA for use in soldiers as fatigue and diarrhea are two major problems for military personnel. NTRAIN will allow the wearer to control the timing and doses to administer targeted and personalized peptide therapy by shining a light on it. It uses genetically engineered cells to produce peptides from the body's resources. Installing the device will involve an incision and an outpatient procedure."
"CleverCSV (GitHub Repo). CSV is a great format, but it has too many different variations with its formatting and it can get messy dealing with CSV files of different types all the time. CleverCSV is a Python package that can automatically detect the format of CSV files and load it without the need for inspection. It is 97 percent accurate for dialect detection. CleverCSV has been designed to be a drop-in replacement for the built-in CSV module with extra functionality."
"Learn Go with Tests (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a course to teach developers how to explore the Go language through writing tests, as well as get a grounding with TDD. The course teaches the fundamentals of the Go language and application building backed by tests."
"Strange Forest 'Superorganism' Is Keeping This Vampire Tree Alive . A leafless stump of a kauri tree continues to stay alive in a forest as its roots share resources with other trees in the forest. By grafting its roots on to its neighbor's roots, the tree stump is able to continue to receive nutrients even though it doesn't have any green tissue of its own. Scientists attached sensors to measure the movement of water and sap on the stump and its closest neighbors and found that the trees were drinking up water from the ground at different times, with the stumps taking up water at night and its leafy neighbors working during the day. The interconnectedness of the forest may mean that it should be viewed as a superorganism rather than a collection of individual organisms. While resources can be shared more effectively by combining roots, it may also mean that some diseases may spread faster through the network."
"Astronomers say they’ve detected the most massive merger of two black holes ever discovered . Astronomers may have detected signs of a massive merger between two black holes that occurred around 7 billion years ago. The two black holes combined into one single black hole roughly 142 times the mass of our Sun, destroying the equivalent of seven times the mass of our Sun and releasing it as energy. While scientists have observed smaller black holes and supermassive black holes, they have had trouble finding intermediate-mass black holes. However, scientists are expecting to see more mergers like this after the current upgrades to observation facilities are complete."
"Facebook is launching a dedicated gaming app to take on Twitch, YouTube . Facebook Gaming is launching on Android today. It is Facebook's attempt to take on the streaming community. The app will be available on iOS once it is approved on the App Store. Facebook has been investing in gaming for years, but despite its large user base, it still lags behind Twitch and YouTube when it comes to hours of gameplay watched. The app will allow users to become a streamer with only a few clicks."
"Mizu (GitHub Repo). Mizu is an API traffic viewer for Kubernetes that allows developers to view all API communications between microservices in real time. It features a simple and powerful CLI and support for HTTP/1.1, HTTP/2, AMQP, Apache Kafka, and Redis. Mizu works with Kubernetes APIs without installation or code instrumentation."
"InfluxDB as an IoT Edge Historian: A Crawl/Walk/Run Approach (Sponsor). Three approaches to collecting data from edge devices. Edge devices have different capabilities, so finding the right solution for your use case may require a bit of trial and error, but here is how to get started. Learn more."
"How to do High-Bar Code Review Without Being a Jerk . Code review is a thing between humans, and humans can be opinionated, emotional creatures, which sometimes makes code review a challenge. The goal of code review is to examine another person's code to make sure that their pull request is good enough to merge. It seems simple, but factors such as urgency, seniority, the other developer's reactions, and grudges from your relationship with the other developer can often distract from a purely logical code review. In order to conduct a good code review, set clear expectations, have a clear and standard organizational workflow, be concise in online communications and use in-person communications for more serious feedback, and have empathy for other developers when reviewing their code, as no professional would want to do bad work on purpose. Reviewing code is an important skill as it helps the team perform better, and doing it well means that you will be able to maintain positive work relationships."
"Internet Pi (GitHub Repo). Internet Pi is a Raspberry Pi configuration tool for internet connectivity. It features internet monitoring, Pi-hole, Shelly Plug monitoring, and Starlink monitoring."
"U.S. Births Fell To A 32-Year Low In 2018; CDC Says Birthrate Is In Record Slump . The US birth-rate fell by 2 percent in 2018 to 3,788,235 births, the lowest number of births in over 32 years. It has been the fourth consecutive year of birth declines. Research suggests that the current political climate and future outlook for the planet are significant factors that affect people’s decisions to have children. High childcare and insurance costs are also cited as reasons for the low birth-rate. Many people do not have a stable income or job security, and while the cost of living has risen, income levels have not. There has been an increase in the average age for women giving birth, as people are opting to have children later in life when they gain more stability."
"AugLy (GitHub Repo). AugLy is a library for augmenting data in model training and evaluating the robustness gaps of models. It was designed to include many specific data augmentations that users perform in real life. It also contains generic data augmentations. AugLy is useful for problems like copy detection, hate speech detection, or copyright infringement."
"Laid-off chefs are using Instagram for income during the pandemic . Some chefs who were laid off because of the pandemic have been able to start their own businesses by directly dealing with customers through Instagram. The accounts display the foods on offer and customers can call, text, or DM to place orders. Depending on the region, this practice might not be completely legal, but enforcement of the relevant laws can vary. Using the social media platform, chefs can connect directly with people who are interested in their style of food."
"What Silicon Valley ""Gets"" about Software Engineers that Traditional Companies Do Not (12 minute read). Silicon Valley companies consistently understand a few things that their traditional counterparts either fail to understand or implement into practice. These practices result in faster innovation, better professional growth, and better utilization. SV-like companies think of engineers as value generators and creative problem solvers, while traditional companies think of them as factory workers. Engineers at SV-like companies are given more autonomy, tools, and information, which allows them to add value when they see an opportunity."
"Amazon slaps U.S. sellers with 5% fuel and inflation surcharge . Amazon plans to add a fuel and inflation surcharge to the fees it collects from US third-party sellers who use its fulfillment services. The new fee will go into effect from April 28 and is subject to change. It will apply to all product types. The surcharge is 24 cents per unit, lower than UPS's surcharge of 42 cents."
"McDonald’s deploys 700 AI-powered menu boards . McDonald’s posted better-than-expected Q2 results in the US, partly due to sales of bacon and Donut Sticks. They also used competitions between employees and other promotions to increase efficiency within the company and attract more customers. Going forward, McDonald’s will be deploying AI-powered menu boards at 700 restaurants. The menu boards will use AI to suggest and upsell products based on trending items, the time of day, and the weather. These menus will eventually be added to apps and kiosks. There is pressure from customers and advocacy groups for McDonald’s to introduce a plant-based meat option, similar to Burger King’s new Impossible Whopper, which will be available country-wide by the end of 2019."
"Broot (Software Tool). Broot is a tool for navigating directories. It can provide overviews of large directories, locate and access folders, manipulate files, create shortcuts, view file sizes, and more. The current version of broot works on Linux, Mac, and Windows 10."
"Huawei CFO facing extradition to US granted bail (2 minutes). Huawei's CFO, who has been in Canadian custody for the past week facing extradition to the US, has been released on a $10 million bail. She is to remain under house arrest with an ankle tracker and 24/7 security in one of her Vancouver homes. She is accused of helping Huawei dodge US sanctions on Iran. When asked if he would intervene in the case, President Trump said ""If I think it's good for what will be certainly the largest trade deal ever made, which is a very important thing, what's good for national security, I would certainly intervene if I thought it was necessary."""
"Uber and Lyft are behind a sharp rise in US traffic deaths . According to a study from the University of Chicago and Rice University, Uber and Lyft have increased the number of traffic deaths by 2-3% since 2011, about 1,100 fatalities a year. This is because drivers spend 40-60% of their time driving aimlessly while searching for passengers. Traffic deaths hit a 60-year low in 2010, but the trend reversed as Uber and Lyft gained popularity (there is a bump whenever Uber and Lyft enter a new city). Researchers say it ""may be too soon to tell whether the effect we document is a short-term adjustment or a longer-term pattern."""
"Venice holds back the water for first time in 1,200 years . People who live in Venice experience regular flooding caused by high tides. The city recently installed flood barriers that would prevent this. These barriers were trialed in July, during good weather, but the trials didn't involve raising all 78 gates that have been installed around the city. During high tide, the gates rise to form a dam, stopping the sea from flooding the city. The frequency and severity of extreme high tides have been increasing in the city in recent years, with businesses struggling to recover after repeated flooding. The barriers went up against a 135-centimeter high tide on October 3, protecting the city against flooding. It was a historic day for the city as the barriers were declared a success."
"Apple Podcasts now supports web playback, episode pages, more . The web interface for Apple Podcasts has been completely overhauled with a cleaner design that supports web playback, individual episode details, and more. The old layout was limited, required users to use iTunes, and had no space to show any extra details regarding the podcasts. The new layout has bolded titles with full podcast descriptions and also individual episode pages with episode details. While Apple still encourages users to use iTunes, episodes will now play in the browser, just without playback controls. Apple Podcast now has a dedicated URL."
"Apple releasing iOS 12.1 tomorrow with Group FaceTime, new emoji, more . Apple is updating FaceTime with today's new iOS release, with features like group calling (whoever is talking will remain in focus while everyone else will be smaller in the background) for up to 32 users, stickers, Memoji and Animoji, and filters. iOS 12.1 will also include dual SIM card functionality so it will be really easy to toggle between two different phone numbers, real-time depth control (a blurring effect that gives the appearance of depth to photos), and new emojis including emojis for red heads and bald people!"
"20,000 Startup Ideas (GitHub Website). This site contains a general list of current economically important human activities that can be used as ideas for startups. There are just over 18,000 ideas on the list."
"Former Star Google and Uber Engineer Charged With Theft of Trade Secrets . Anthony Levandowski, one of the pioneers in self-driving car technology, has been charged with 33 counts of theft and attempted theft of trade secrets from Google. He has posted a $2 million bail and is currently required to wear an ankle monitor as he is deemed a flight risk. Disputes between companies and former employees are common in Silicon Valley, but criminal charges against a senior executive for theft is unusual. It is alleged that Levandowski downloaded more than 14,000 files containing critical information about Google's autonomous vehicle research in 2016, including schematics for proprietary circuit boards and designs for Lidar. Levandowski is due in court on September 4, and if he is convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for every count of theft, plus additional restitution. His lawyers maintain that he did not steal anything in over a decade of being an industry-leading innovator in the field of self-driving car and truck technology."
"TikTok is testing a ‘clear mode’ for a distraction-free scrolling experience . TikTok is testing a distraction-free scrolling experience on its app. The new clear mode is currently in limited testing. It removes on-screen clutter such as usernames, captions, audio information, and buttons. Screenshots of the feature are available in the article. It is unclear if TikTok plans to roll out the feature more widely."
"Facebook begins merging Instagram and Messenger chats in new update . Facebook has begun integrating Instagram and Messenger's chat systems. The Facebook Messenger logo replaces the Instagram logo in the new update. Instagram chats are more colorful. Users still can't message each other directly across platforms, but Facebook has been clear about its plans to unify the messaging platforms."
"Google Maps (App). Google Maps is releasing integrations with Spotify, Apple Music, and Google Play Music this week."
"Boston Dynamics robots take over the dance floor in latest video . Boston Dynamics has released a new video showing its entire lineup of robots doing a coordinated dance routine. The company was recently purchased by Hyundai from SoftBank for $1.1 billion. It has three robots: the humanoid Atlas, the dog-shaped Spot, and the box-juggling Handle. Atlas and Handle are still just research prototypes, but Spot can be purchased for $74,500. The three-minute video is available in the article."
"Apple is hosting augmented reality art walking tours in major cities . Apple is hosting a project called [AR]T Walk, which aims to make AR more consumer-friendly while also portraying Apple stores as civic centers where communities can come together. [AR]T Walk will take people on a walking tour through various city centers around the globe, making digital art come alive in physical spaces. People in Hong Kong, London, New York, Paris, San Francisco, and Tokyo during mid-August can sign up for the tours online. The tour will last a couple of hours and involve a 1.5-mile walk."
"React Flow (GitHub Repo). React Flow is a library for building node-based applications, from simple diagrams to complex interactive editors. It features seamless zooming and panning, different edge and node types, several event handlers, and more. React Flow is highly customizable. Examples are available."
"Facebook Bans White Nationalism and White Separatism . Facebook has banned White Nationalism and White Separatism from its platform, claiming that the terms were euphemisms for White Supremacy due to their closely intertwined histories. Users who post or search for content related to these topics will be directed to Life After Hate, an organization that helps people leave hate groups. Facebook will detect and remove offending material using the same technology it uses to filter ISIS content, which is mainly content matching with some machine learning."
"Ungrabbed (Web Tool). This is a cool site that periodically puts out a list of good domain names that aren't taken. For example today they put out a bunch of one word .ai domains, like kept.ai and fossil.ai that (as I'm writing this) are still available. Pretty cool site if you like to window shop domains."
"HUBFS (GitHub Repo). HUBFS is a file system for GitHub and Git. It represents git repositories and their contents as regular directories and editable files that can be accessed by any application. HUBFS works in Windows, macOS, and Linux."
"What’s Your Problem? A Podcast for Curious Engineers and Entrepreneurs (Sponsor). What’s Your Problem? is a podcast about smart people figuring out how to do things that no one knows how to do, from creating a drone delivery business to building a self-driving car. Listen to What’s Your Problem? wherever you get podcasts."
"cloudquery (GitHub Repo). cloudquery transforms cloud infrastructure into queryable SQL tables. It abstracts various scattered APIs and allows developers to define security, governance, costs, and compliance policies with SQL. cloudquery is easily extensible and it comes with built-in policy packs."
"Experimental Brain Implant Lets Man With Paralysis Turn His Thoughts Into Words . A paralyzed man can now generate words and sentences on a computer using only his thoughts thanks to an experimental implanted device. The device decodes signals that control the vocal tract and translates them into words. After months of adjustment, the man can reliably generate 50 different words at roughly 15 words per minute. While slow, the results show that the approach can work."
"These $50,000 tiny homes unfold out of shipping containers and can be combined into custom houses . Boxabl is a startup that builds tiny homes that unfold out of shipping containers. It is looking to mass-produce modules that can be stacked to create custom buildings. Earlier this year, it released a 375-square-foot prefab studio apartment for $50,000. Images showing how the houses are constructed, as well as pictures inside of a furnished demo home, are available in the article."
"Gallium: The liquid metal that could transform soft electronics . This article discusses the many potential uses for gallium in the field of soft electronics. Gallium is a liquid metal that can conduct heat and electricity. It has low toxicity and doesn't evaporate easily. The metal flows almost like water, but it forms a stiff outer oxide layer when exposed to air, allowing it to be formed into semi solid shapes. There are many potential uses for gallium in electronics, for example, it can be used to create self-healing, stretchable wires, or motion-sensing gloves for virtual reality."
"For The First Time, Physicists Have Recorded The Flowing Sound of a 'Perfect' Fluid . Physicists have recorded sound waves moving through a perfect fluid with the lowest possible viscosity. A link to the sound recording is available in the article. The research can help scientists understand the most extreme conditions in the Universe, for example, the interiors of ultradense neutron stars. The interiors of spinning neutron stars are thought to be perfect fluids, with many oscillation modes in which sound waves propagate through the star. This research can also help scientists better understand superconductivity, and it could lead to the development of materials where electrons can flow in a perfect way."
electron-extensions (GitHub Repo). electron-extensions allows users to use Chrome extensions APIs with Electron. All that is required to use the library is to insert a short snippet of code into the main process.
"Report: Amazon Warehouses Called Emergency Services For Mental Health Crises At Least 189 Times In Five Years . Working in an Amazon warehouse can be a stressful experience, as many employees are quick to attest to. Employees are rated on calculated metrics, and even managers are afraid to communicate with each other for fear of being called out for taking breaks. Whenever employees fail to reach their targets, or if they take too many breaks (even if these are due to injury or health requirements), they are given warnings. On the third breach, employees are suspended or terminated. Between 2013 and 2018, authorities responded to 189 calls to Amazon’s warehouses for suicide attempts and other mental-health episodes. Employees report that working in these environments is detrimental to both their physical and mental health."
Apple said to be testing coloured e-ink displays for a future foldable iPhone . Apple is trialing the use of E Ink electronic paper displays for applications on possible folding iOS devices. E Ink displays use electrophoretic ink technologies and are commonly used for signage and e-readers due to their slow refresh rate. They are up to 10 times more power-efficient than OLED and LCDs. The displays could be ideal for a screen that is constantly turning on and displaying notifications. Apple is rumored to be developing a foldable iPhone with an 8-inch QHD+ flexible OLED display.
"How to Review Code as a Junior Developer . Reviewing code as a junior developer can be daunting but it has several benefits. It can help you learn the code base and also learn who knows which sections of the code best in your team. Giving feedback to your teammates helps you open yourself up to receiving feedback and hearing their ideas. Reviewing code helps you take ownership of the team's codebase. Asking questions, calibrating feedback, and emulating others is the key to developing good code review skills."
Anker’s first 3D printer might be the one you’ve been waiting for . Anker has announced a 3D printer that can print five times faster than its competition. The AnkerMake M5 comes with a webcam that can monitor and record prints. It prints the same size parts as other similar 3D printers at a default 250mm per second. The 3D printer is currently on Kickstarter for an early bird price of $499. A link to the project's Kickstarter page is available in the article.
"Google launches a new medical app—outside the United States . Google is launching an app that will use image recognition algorithms to find possible skin conditions in uploaded photos. Machines have matched or outperformed expert doctors in spotting skin conditions in studies, but there are no AI analysis tools approved for use in the US. Google's new app hasn't been clinically validated yet. However, it has been approved as a Class I medical device in the EU and will be released in the region by the end of the year."
"A Tesla owner implanted the RFID chip from her Model 3’s keycard into her arm . Amie DD, a software engineer and self-described 'maker of things,' implanted the RFID tag from her Tesla Model 3 directly into her arm so that she could unlock and start her Model 3 without needing to remember her keys. The Model 3 can be unlocked with a smartphone, a car-shaped key fob, or a keycard. Amie removed the RFID tag from the keycard using acetone, encased it in a biopolymer, and went to a body-modification studio to have the chip implanted into her forearm. The implanted chip has a range of about an inch, and she hopes that the range will improve once the swelling in her arm goes down."
"Proof of concept verifies physics that could enable quantum batteries . A quantum effect called superabsorption allows a collection of molecules to absorb light more efficiently than if each molecule were acting individually. Researchers have used this phenomenon to create a proof-of-concept quantum battery. The larger the battery was, the faster it charged, demonstrating superabsorption at work. Quantum battery research could result in fast-charging electric vehicles or energy storage systems that can deal with bursts of energy."
"Gene engineers make super-size plants that are 40% larger . Genetic engineers have created tobacco plants that are 40% larger than normal by genetically modifying them to photosynthesize more efficiently. It's the first time scientists have been able to enlarge plants by this much. Tobacco was chosen because it grows quickly and is easy to genetically modify, but the technique will soon be applied to food crops like potatoes, soybeans, and cowpeas."
"Do Octopuses Have Dreams? They Might, and Undergo Frenzied Shifts in Color . Scientists from Brazil who study how octopuses sleep say that an octopus' changes in color, behavior, and movement during sleep serve as evidence of a sleep cycle. The findings suggest that octopuses shift between active and quiet sleep. It takes about six minutes for octopuses to enter the active sleep state, which lasts from a few seconds to a minute. While it is not possible to confirm whether octopuses dream, the active sleep stage is a state analogous to REM sleep in humans."
"Meta employees say goodbye to perks like on-site laundry . Meta is cutting the free laundry and dry-cleaning services at its offices. It will also begin serving dinner after the last shuttle departs campus, meaning that employees will have to choose between a free meal or a free ride home. Meta will be increasing annual employee wellness stipends from $700 to $3,000 per year to account for the changes."
"Spotify’s offering first-time premium users three months free until June 30th . New Spotify users will now get three free months of Spotify Premium if they sign up before June 30. Returning users who canceled their plans before April 14 will be able to sign up for $9.99 for three months. Spotify's most recent earnings report stated that its ad-supported revenues fell short of its forecast. April 14 was the date by which most people had canceled their premium subscriptions, presumably to recoup lost money because of the pandemic. One in six people who canceled in the US cited COVID-19 as a reason and a majority planned to renew their accounts once their economic situation improves."
"Algpt2 Part 2 (19 minute read). This article follows a software engineering student's attempt at training a more efficient version of the 124M parameter version of GPT-2. The resulting model didn't perform as well as GPT-2. There were some restrictions in the research. The article contains a detailed writeup of the experiment, with a focus on the lessons learned along the way."
"Acer’s new portable monitors can make 2D look like 3D . Acer's new SpatialLabs View and SpatialLabs View Pro monitors can convert 2D content into stereoscopic 3D. The 15.6-inch monitors use specialized optical lenses, two eye-tracking cameras, and AI to create the effect, which works with games, photos, and CAD designs. More than 50 games will be supported at launch and support for more games will be added every month. SpatialLabs View Pro will support all major 3D file formats and allow users to view images, models, and animations from 3D software in stereoscopic 3D. Many more details about the monitors are available in the article."
Microsoft wants to use Ethereum blockchain to fight piracy . Microsoft researchers recently released a paper on using a blockchain-based incentive system to fight piracy. The Argus system relies on the transparency aspect of blockchain technology to provide a trustless incentive mechanism while protecting data collected from piracy reporters. It enables backtracing of pirated content to the source. Tech companies have become increasingly concerned with digital piracy and some have turned to blockchain-based solutions.
"Amazon is reportedly working on a new payment system that would let you check out at Whole Foods by simply waving your hand over a sensor . Amazon is developing a new payment system for its Whole Foods stores that uses the size and shape of customers' hands to identify them and authorize payments. Credit card payment systems take around three to four seconds to process, but the new system processes payments in less than 300 milliseconds. Other tech companies also use biometric sensors to authorize payments, for example, Apple's iPhones and iPads use fingerprint and facial recognition technology. Although biometric systems may be more convenient and unique than passwords, they are much harder to change if the information is compromised."
"Apps Installed On Millions Of Android Phones Tracked User Behavior To Execute A Multimillion-Dollar Ad Fraud Scheme (15 minute read). A group has created a bunch of shell companies, bought up popular Android apps, then used their access to those apps to create bots that emulate real users in order to generate fake ad impressions. It's estimated that this scheme has defrauded advertisers of hundreds of millions of dollars. The scheme was uncovered when one of the apps, MegaCast, was found to be using a different app's ID to solicit advertisers (it was claiming to be a more popular app called EverythingMe, advertisers would bid to have their ad shown in EverythingMe, but instead their ad would be shown in Megacast). When journalists dug deeper into the issue, they discovered a network of over 60 apps. These apps were owned by different shell companies, but the companies were tied together because many of them listed the same addresses, phone numbers, support emails, and employees on LinkedIn. Google has pulled the apps from the Play Store."
"The sky is on fire in San Francisco, and we flew a drone through it . Wildfires have already burned a record 2.3 million acres across California this year. The strong winds that followed record-breaking heat over Labor Day weekend have caused the fire situation to get even worse. There is so much smoke over San Francisco that its sky has turned an eerie orange color. The Bay Area's National Weather Service has asked locals to help report on the weather as the event is beyond the scope of its models. Images taken by a drone above the city are available in the article."
"How big companies kill ideas — and how to fight back, with Tony Fadell (53 minute read). This article features an interview with Tony Fadell. Fadell was instrumental in the development of the iPod and iPhone at Apple. He co-founded Nest Labs, which was sold to Google for $3.2 billion in 2014. Fadell now runs an investment firm called Future Shape. In the interview, Fadell talks about decision making, the metaverse, the negatives of perk culture, how companies kill ideas, and more."
"France to build new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier . France is building a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to replace its Charles de Gaulle carrier by 2038. According to French President Emmanuel Macron, the decision is part of France's climate strategy, and a nuclear-powered warship would output lower emissions compared to one powered by diesel fuel. An aircraft carrier would also help France project its global influence, as only a few countries in the world maintain the huge, costly vessels. The new aircraft carrier will weigh around 70,000 tons and measure 300 meters long. It will be designed to accommodate next-generation warplanes and serve until 2080. The estimated cost of the warship will be 7 billion euros."
"Google announces Equiano, a privately funded subsea cable that connects Europe with Africa . Google announced that it will begin building its third fully privately funded subsea cable that will connect Europe with Africa. The cable will begin at Lisbon in Portugal and run down the west coast of Africa to connect to South Africa. Nine branching units will be built into the cable to connect the rest of Africa at a later date. The first stage of development should finish in 2021. Google and many other large tech companies, such as Facebook and Microsoft, have invested heavily in internet infrastructure projects in order to create more users and steadier connections to increase their bottom line."
ninja: a simple way to do builds . ninja is an extremely simple build system. This article describes how to use ninja to quickly convert SVGs into PDFs.
"Practical Cryptography for Developers (Open Source Book). This is a free introductory book on cryptography for developers, it explains a lot of fundamental concepts like hash functions, symmetric and asymmetric key ciphers, digital signatures, quantum-safe cryptography and more. All code examples are in Python and there are exercises at the end of each chapter. Really cool stuff, it's written by Svetlin Nakov."
"Despite CRISPR baby controversy, Harvard University will begin gene-editing sperm . After a Chinese scientist caused an uproar by using CRISPR to edit the genes of two twin girls' embryos last week, Harvard researcher Werner Neuhausser is now planning to use CRISPR to edit the genes of a sperm cell in order to try to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's later in life. However, in this case no embryos are involved, there will be no attempt to make a baby from these sperm cells, they just want to test if they can edit the DNA. Harvard Medical School dean George Daley delivered a speech last week saying that the technology for gene editing is rapidly getting better and safer, and it will be justified to explore use in children soon. He believes that the technology could and should be used to remove childhood cancer, cystic fibrosis, and Alzheimer's from tomorrow's kids."
"How to watch the debut of Tesla Model S Plaid, the ‘quickest production car ever made’ . Tesla revealed a new high-performance Plaid version of the Model S on Thursday on a livestream. The event and delivery of the Model S were delayed as the vehicle needed more tweaking. It is expected to begin shipping to customers in March. The new Plaid has an estimated range of 390 miles, a top speed of 200mph, and can reach 0-60mph in 1.99 seconds. It features a simple interior, a landscape touchscreen, a stalkless U-shaped butterfly steering wheel, and an added screen for rear-seat passengers. A recording of the livestream is available in the article."
"Waymo is now allowed to transport passengers in its self-driving vehicles on California roads . Alphabet's self-driving venture, Waymo, has officially been given permission to transport passengers in its robotaxis by the California Public Utilities Commission. The initial pilot program will allow Waymo employees to hail vehicles and bring guests on rides within a specific South Bay territory. Certain restrictions on the permit issued to Waymo include not allowing the company to charge for the rides and a requirement for a safety driver to be behind the wheel. The permit will allow Waymo to hire third-party safety drivers. Waymo has confirmed that all safety drivers will go through a proprietary driver training program."
"aleph.js (GitHub Repo). aleph.js is a full-stack framework in Deno. It is currently being rewritten, so many components are subject to change. Example apps written with aleph.js are available."
"China to Launch Space Mining Bot . Origin Space, a Chinese private space resources company, will launch a space mining robot in November. The small satellite will enter a 500-kilometer-altitude sun-synchronous orbit, where it will be testing technologies and not actually mining. Origin Space aims to verify and demonstrate functions such as orbital maneuvers, simulated small celestial body capture, and intelligent spacecraft identification and control. Asteroid mining could potentially be a trillion-dollar industry. In 2021, China will launch a satellite designed to observe and monitor Near Earth Asteroids, and Origin Space is planning to send NEO-2 to the Moon in late 2021 or early 2022."
"Trump gives ""blessing"" to U.S. TikTok partnership with Oracle and Walmart . President Donald Trump has endorsed a proposed deal for TikTok to partner with Oracle and Walmart to form a US company. The new company will likely be based in Texas and will be hiring at least 25,000 people. Part of the deal is that the company must make a $5 billion contribution to a fund dedicated to education for Americans. Oracle will be responsible for hosting TikTok's US data and securing its systems. Walmart will provide e-commerce, fulfillment, payments, and other services. WeChat is set to be blocked in the US on Sunday at 11.59 pm."
"htmlq (GitHub Repo). htmlq can extract content from HTML files using CSS selectors. It can be used to find all the links in a page, the text content of a post, pretty print HTML, and more. Examples are available."
"Toyota's New Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles Just Hit the Race Tracks . Toyota has fitted racing cars with hydrogen combustion engines to test the feasibility of the technology for use in commercial vehicles. The technology still suffers from limitations regarding range, and some big names in the automotive industry have criticized its use in cars. Japan's government has strongly backed the use of hydrogen. Toyota set a world record in June by driving a hydrogen-fueled vehicle 623 miles on one tank of hydrogen fuel."
"Apple pumps up its Amazon listings with iPhones, iPads and more . Apple has partnered with Amazon to sell its newest products, including the iPad Pro, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, Apple Watch 4, and Beats headphones. Currently most Apple products are only available on Amazon through third party sellers. These independent sellers will have their listings removed and will have to apply to Apple to be an Authorized Reseller. Only Authorized Resellers will be allowed to sell Apple products on Amazon. This deal is only for the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan and India markets."
"Fitbit's focusing on the health care market with its new premium fitness coaching feature . Fitbit announced a new premium service called Fitbit Care designed for health care customers or employers and health systems that use Fitbit to keep tabs on employees' health efforts and keep costs low. Users can download the Fitbit Plus app, which helps collect data from Fitbit and other medical devices. It also allows people to connect into support groups, and for users to connect with their doctors who can check their metrics through the app. Humana is the big launch partner for this project."
"Tiny water-based robot is powered by light and can walk, move cargo and even dance . Researchers at Northwestern University have created a new robot that looks and behaves like a tiny aquatic animal. It can perform a variety of functions, including moving objects, catalyzing chemical reactions, delivering therapeutics, and more. It is made from a material composed of 90% water, with a nickel skeleton that changes shape in response to light and magnetic fields. When light hits the robot, the material expels water, causing the robot's legs to stiffen. The robots are currently the size of a dime, but future versions will be small enough to operate on a microscopic level. The article contains two short GIFs showing the robots moving about."
"The Galaxy Fold goes on sale again in the US on September 27th . Samsung will be re-releasing its Galaxy Fold device in the US on September 27th. Both an AT&T version and a standard unlocked version will be available at select AT&T, Best Buy, and Samsung Experience stores. It should be available to order online. The Galaxy Fold has been redesigned to be more durable than the first version, but tests have shown that it is still easy to make permanent marks on the screen and get grit inside the hinge mechanism. Customers who buy a Galaxy Fold can opt for an in-person setup session with a Samsung expert. They will also have direct access to Fold-specific support via an app, online, or through phone support."
"Oculus founder's Ghost 4 military drones use AI for surveillance and attack . Palmer Luckey, the inventor of the Oculus Rift, has unveiled his latest technology, the Ghost 4 military drone. The two-meter aircraft can be carried in a backpack and has a 100-minute flight time. It can fly autonomously, with artificial intelligence algorithms on board that have been fine-tuned to identify and track people, missiles, and battlefield equipment. Ghost 4 drones can connect to other Ghost 4 drones to form a data-sharing swarm. While many in the tech industry are against using AI technology for military applications, Luckey says that if the US doesn't modernize its military, it will fall behind other countries that do."
More Cloud for Less Money (Sponsor). More Cloud for Less Money . Vultr offers Cloud Compute across more than 20 locations with pricing as low as $2.50 per month. Spin up your first instance today in 60 seconds or less with one of 12 pre-selected operating systems or bring your own ISO! Redeem $150 in free credit today.
"Facebook releases a report on the most-viewed content in News Feed . Facebook has released a report that shows what content was most widely viewed by Americans between April and June. It contains sections showing the top 20 domains, links, pages, and posts in terms of views. A companion guide that describes how the data was gathered and analyzed was also released. Facebook released the data in response to reports that posts from right-wing sources had the most interaction. The top posts only account for less than 0.1 percent of the content viewed by US users, and the data only accounts for public posts, not posts made in private groups. A link to the report is available in the article."
"Facebook execs tease VR prototype hardware with new photos . Mark Zuckerberg and Andrew Bosworth recently posted pictures of themselves wearing prototype headsets and linking the concepts to Facebook's work on the metaverse. Zuckerberg's headset looks similar to an Oculus headset. It features retina resolution, a pixel density so high that individual points can't be discerned at a normal operating distance. Bosworth's headset looks almost exactly like drawings and descriptions of Apple's rumored VR headset. There are few details about the tech inside the headsets. Links to the original posts are available in the article."
"Amazon is reportedly working on a smart fridge . Project Pulse is a smart fridge being developed at Amazon that will be able to track inventory and purchase habits, predict what customers need, and have those products delivered. Amazon has been working on the project for at least two years. It is unknown whether the company plans to release the product. Amazon is well-positioned to undercut its competitors on price, and it is another opportunity to integrate a new smart home device into its ecosystem."
"China experiencing a drone ‘revolution’ in agriculture . Drone use in agriculture is expanding in China faster than in other countries due to advances in autonomous navigation technology and the presence of competent operators. XAG, a Guangzhou-based company that works with small-scale farmers, boasts that it has 42,000 drones flying over 1.2 million flights every day. Drones are more efficient and cheaper than skilled manpower while also being environmentally friendly. They enable older farmers to continue to work."
"Reselling gig work is TikTok’s newest side hustle . Drop servicing is where someone resells specialized services, for example, video editing, writing, or custom art. It recently became popular on TikTok as a profitable business model with low effort required. Many drop service providers use platforms like Fiverr to find freelance workers as it is very competitive with price. This article gives an insider's look at what it is like to run a drop servicing business. While drop servicing is sold as a get-rich-quick life hack, being the middle manager isn't easy, and it can be frustrating for the freelancers involved."
"Google reportedly fires staffer in media leak crackdown . A Google employee has been reportedly fired after leaking information to the media. The employee had provided names and personal information of other employees to reporters. Two other employees involved with internal activism have been placed on leave. One of the employees had accessed information not related to their job, and the other had been tracking staff calendars. The documents that one of the employees tried to access were related to a Chrome browser extension that employees feared was being used to surveil them. Google has long held a culture where employees had broad access to work across the company, but recently, access to some projects has been cut off. Media leaks at Google have unveiled Google's work with the Pentagon and its plans for a censored Chinese search engine."
"A plant that ‘cannot die’ reveals its genetic secret . The Welwitschia is a two-leafed plant that grows in parts of the Namib Desert in southern Africa. It can live for thousands of years and it never stops growing. Some plants are estimated to be over 3,000 years old. A recent study that looked into the genetic makeup of the Welwitschia found the plant's entire genome doubled approximately 86 million years ago due to stressful conditions. This resulted in a lot of junk DNA, which was eventually silenced through a process called DNA methylation, making the Welwitschia's genome very efficient and low-cost. Many of its genes help it grow under extreme stress, and this could help humans create hardier, less thirsty crops."
Ultra-light liquid hydrogen tanks promise to make jet fuel obsolete . Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories (GTL) has developed ultra-lightweight cryogenic tanks that have a 75% mass reduction compared with other aerospace cryotanks. A 12 kg tank from GTL is able to hold over 150 kg of hydrogen. The weight reduction means that hydrogen-fueled aircraft may be able to fly at least four times as far as comparable aircraft running on jet fuel while completely eliminating carbon emissions. It could also mean increased cargo or passenger capacity.
"'Hologram' lecturers to teach students at Imperial College London . Imperial College in London will now be using hologram technology similar to that used to animate images of Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley and other celebrities in order to beam in speakers from around the world. The lecturers will have displays in front of them so they can point, speak, and interact with people. The hologram is generated by projecting light onto a glass screen and using a backdrop that gives the illusion of depth. It costs only in the low thousands of dollars per session, so it's affordable for universities to do regularly."
Gryphon (GitHub Repo). Gryphon is an open source platform for building and running algorithmic trading strategies in cryptocurrency markets. It is both a software library that can be integrated into other projects and an application suite for running trading strategies. Users can easily build custom strategies and trade automatically using Gryphon.
"Activists rally to save Internet Archive as lawsuit threatens site . The Internet Archive created the National Emergency Library in March as a response to the shutdown of public libraries due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It suspended book waitlists until the end of June, essentially allowing a single copy of a book to be downloaded an infinite number of times. This caused book publishers to file a lawsuit against the Internet Archive, accusing the service of violating the Copyright Act and facilitating digital piracy. The Internet Archive responded by closing the National Emergency Library early but the lawsuit might result in the shutdown of the service. Previous attempts at backing up the library have been unsuccessful, and now open-Internet activists are trying to figure out the best way to save the archive."
"Elon Musk’s Boring Company gets green light for Las Vegas tunnel system . The Boring Company has won approval from Las Vegas officials to build a network of vehicle tunnels underneath the city. The Vegas Loop will allow passengers to travel to and from several landmarks inside Tesla vehicles. As many as 57,000 passengers will be able to travel through the tunnels every hour. A smaller version of the system already operates underneath the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Boring Company will foot the bill for building the 29 miles of tunnels, but it has asked casinos and other businesses to pay for the 51 planned stations."
"A Giant Gator Invaded a Florida Golf Course During Hurricane Eta . A video of a massive alligator went viral on Twitter after it went for a walk on a golf course during hurricane Eta. The 12-second video is available in the article. While the exact size of the gator can't be determined from the videos, the largest gator on record in Florida is 14 feet, 3-1/2 inches long. It is unusual to see gators roaming during a storm as they tend to hunker down as storms move in. Golf courses are favorable habitats for gators as they provide ample amounts of water and there is prey such as birds and fish."
"U.S. Justice Department will not appeal AT&T, Time Warner merger after court loss . AT&T and Time Warner will no longer need to defend its merger against the US Justice Department after its victory in court on Tuesday. The court ruling denied the Justice Department’s claim that the merger would result in higher consumer prices. Previously, Trump had opposed the merger as it benefitted Time Warner’s CNN unit, which he claimed broadcasted ‘fake news’."
"Elon Musk is going to trial for calling a cave diver a pedophile on Twitter . Elon Musk will go to court on October 22 over a tweet he sent last year in which he accused Vernon Unsworth of being a pedophile. Unsworth was part of a rescue mission which helped save the lives of a soccer team who was stuck in a cave in Thailand last year. During the rescue, Musk and Unsworth got into a brief feud over Twitter. Unsworth criticized Musk’s plans for a kid-sized submarine and Musk responded by calling Unsworth a pedophile. While an insult would not qualify as defamation, Musk went on to suggest he had evidence for the claim. A copy of the court order is available to read."
"A list of new(ish). This page contains a list of newer command line tools. The list includes replacements for standard tools, new inventions, data processing tools, and grep tools. A link to modern-unix, another collection of modern alternatives to common UNIX commands, is available."
"Tesla shares fall after SEC asks judge to hold Elon Musk in contempt for violating deal . In October 2018, a court ruling declared that Elon Musk must have prior approval for any tweet prior to publication. On February 20, Musk tweeted that Tesla would make around 500,000 vehicles in 2019 but later clarified that he actually meant that the annual production rate could be 500,000 vehicles. The SEC has asked a judge to hold Musk in contempt of the October ruling, citing that he did not seek pre-approval for the tweet. This has resulted in a 5% fall in Tesla’s share value."
"Microsoft Build Accelerator (GitHub Repo). BuildXL is a build engine that runs over 30,000 builds per day internally at Microsoft. Thousands of developers use BuildXL on their desktops for fast builds with mega-sized codebases. BuildXL runs its builds over thousands of datacenter machines. There are no plans to integrate it into Visual Studio. The technology may be useful if developers run into issues with scaling development."
"ZombieLoad PoC (GitHub Repo). ZombieLoad is an attack that preys on a combination of four vulnerabilities that were discovered in Intel-based chips. It allows malicious users to read data used by processes or by a kernel, effectively allowing remote monitoring of a system. This repository contains the Proof of Concept code that demonstrates the attack is possible. There are instructions and troubleshooting information available for different systems."
"Uber and Lyft are suing New York City after it limited the length of time drivers can cruise without passengers . Studies have shown that Uber and Lyft have increased the amount of traffic in cities. Drivers spend about half their time without passengers. A law in New York, implemented by the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission, introduced a limit on how long ride-share drivers were allowed to stay on the road without passengers. Uber and Lyft have filed lawsuits against the city in order to fight the rule. They argue that the rule is arbitrary and that it hurts both drivers and passengers in less populated areas. Both companies have disconnected drivers in times of low demand to comply with the law."
"SpaceX signs its first deal for Starlink inflight Wi-Fi . SpaceX has signed a deal with air carrier JSX to offer Starlink onboard Wi-Fi to customers. Starlink currently has around 2,000 satellites in orbit providing internet access. The company has been working on ways to implement its services on commercial aircraft over the past year. JSX customers will be able to access the service for free when it launches later this year."
"‘It’s the right thing to do’: the 300,000 volunteer hackers coming together to fight Russia . Around 300,000 people have signed up to a Telegram group called the IT Army of Ukraine. The group is run by the Ukrainian government. People in the group have been disrupting Russian web services, targeting the websites of the Kremlin and the Duma as well as state-owned media services, several banks, and an energy company. Russia has attempted to mitigate the attacks by filtering access to certain websites, causing further disruption. This article tells the story of some of the group's participants. The original tweet from Ukraine's vice prime minister asking for help is embedded in the article."
"Building a WebAuthn Click Farm — Are CAPTCHAs Obsolete? . Cloudflare recently proposed a potential replacement for CAPTCHAs by using signatures from hardware security keys and WebAuthn. It is possible to automate the Attestation of Personhood challenge, but it comes at a significantly higher cost to attackers than CAPTCHAs and can be easily detected. This article is a guide on how to bypass the challenge and also how to detect these attacks on a server."
"Stripe launches App Marketplace, scripts and tools incorporating third-party SaaS apps that work alongside Stripe . Stripe has launched an App Marketplace that will provide access to third-party apps and scripts. The Marketplace is launching with 35 apps related to marketing, payments, and business development, with more to be added over time. Incorporating apps with Stripe will be free, but some apps are part of paid services. There is an app review process that requires apps to have real business functionality."
Next Gen CSS: @container . @container is a property within the CSS Working Group Containment Level 3 spec that allows developers to style elements based on the size of their parent container. It will be the biggest change in web styling since CSS3. Elements will be able to target their parents and apply their own styles accordingly. This article contains several examples of how to use the @container property.
"Meet Cosmo, a Bull Calf Designed to Produce 75% Male Offspring . Cosmo is a genome-edited bull calf produced by scientists at the University of California, Davis. It was created by inserting the gene responsible for initiating male development into a bovine embryo. Any embryo treated with this process will grow and look like a male, regardless of whether it inherited a Y chromosome. Cosmo's offspring that inherit the gene will also grow to be males. Male cattle are about 15 percent more efficient at converting feed into weight gain and tend to be heavier, making them more efficient for farming."
"How Malicious Tor Relays are Exploiting Users in 2020 (11 minute read). Tor exit relays are the only type of relay that gets to see the destination chosen by the Tor browser user. Whether the user decided to use http or https will determine whether a malicious exit relay can see and manipulate the transferred content or not. In May of 2020, 23.95% of Tor exit relays were controlled by malicious actors. There are no requirements for Tor relay operators so anyone can add malicious relays. Some effort has been made to remove these malicious relays but the attackers have been persistent. The attackers' primary goal was to steal bitcoin, mainly targeting bitcoin mixer services. There are indicators that the attackers still run over 10% of the Tor network exit capacity. This vulnerability has led to calls for the Tor Project authorities to act to prevent further harm."
"You Deserve Privacy Online. Here's How You Could Actually Get It . This op-ed by Tim Cook calls for US Congress to pass comprehensive federal privacy legislation. Companies should avoid collecting identifying information if possible, tell people what data is collected and why, and allow people to delete their personal data. This legislation should also target online data brokers, who buy your purchasing data from online retailers and sells it to other buyers, all without your knowledge. Cook wants the FTC to shine a light on this practice."
"Meta Begins Monetizing Its Metaverse . Meta has started monetizing Horizon Worlds, its open-world VR app. Users are now able to buy items in individual worlds. They won't be able to bring the purchased items into other worlds. Meta will take a 25% cut of items that are sold. Creators will receive a monthly performance bonus aimed at incentivizing engagement with VR. These early monetization efforts are still in testing and are subject to change."
"China’s noisy ‘dancing grannies’ silenced by device that disables speakers . In China, gangs of middle-aged and older women regularly go to local parks and sporting grounds to dance in unison to loud music. This tradition is frequently blamed for disturbing the peace in often high-density residential areas. Many citizens are too scared to confront the women. A remote stun gun-style device that can disable speakers from 50 meters away has gone viral online this week. The device has been reportedly used to disable the speakers used by the dancers, causing the music to stop without direct confrontation. A video of people dancing in a public square in China is available in the article."
"Encore (GitHub Repo). Encore is a Go backend framework for creating APIs and distributed systems. It reduces the boilerplate required to set up a production-ready backend application. Encore makes it easy to monitor, provision, and secure apps. It can automatically generate documentation from source code."
"Add scheduling functionality to your web app using the Bryntum JavaScript component suite (Sponsor). Add scheduling functionality to your web app using the Bryntum JavaScript component suite . The Bryntum component suite lets you easily integrate project planning and resource scheduling widgets into your app. Our Gantt chart, Calendar, Scheduler, Grid, and Kanban board, are all compatible with leading JS frameworks including React, Angular & Vue! Our widgets are trusted by thousands, including Netflix, Samsung, and Intel. Learn more."
"First at-home COVID-19 testing kit authorized by the FDA . The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized LabCorp's at-home COVID-19 test kit. LabCorp will give first access to health care workers and first responders. The swab sample can be completed at home, but the sample will have to be sent to a lab for testing. It costs $119 per test. At-home testing removes the need for a clinician and lessens the need for extra personal protective equipment. The US is currently testing around 147,000 samples each day, which is still far below the number that experts say is required to control the outbreak."
"Writing for Engineers (12 minute read). Writing is an important skill that is required for senior software engineers to advance their careers. This article contains tips on how to become a better and more productive writer. It covers the things to consider before writing, how to write well, and how to practice writing."
"Amazon opens its first Amazon Fresh physical grocery store in LA . Amazon has opened its first Amazon Fresh supermarket in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. The supermarket is a new grocery store experience designed from the ground up, targeting a different type of customer to Amazon's Whole Foods and Go stores. Amazon Fresh will stock a range of big brands along with Amazon's own-label lines. The stores will use Amazon's Dash Cart feature and Prime Members who shop at the store will receive free delivery. Employees at the store will have to follow Amazon's own set of health guidelines to control the spread of the novel coronavirus. A list of confirmed Amazon Fresh locations is available at the beginning of the article."
"Persisting as a solo founder . Being a solo founder can be difficult and it can take a while to find a rhythm that works without burning out. Patience and perseverance will help with dealing with challenges. Meditation can help with developing the ability to identify negative thought patterns and to deal with overwhelming situations. Breaking down tasks into chunks and attaching reasons for completing tasks can help in reducing procrastination. When working alone, keeping track of tasks and thoughts will help keep your project focused. Keeping in touch with friends and colleagues, and also allowing yourself to enjoy life and hobbies, will help keep you grounded."
"A US Navy ship used a new drone-defense system to take down an Iranian drone . A US Navy ship, the USS Boxer, used a new anti-drone system to take down an Iranian drone that came too close to it. The new system is called an MRZR LMADIS, a Light Marine Air Defense Integrated System, which is mounted on two Polaris MRZR vehicles. It consists of a command node and a sensor node, and the vehicles are outfitted with radar sensors, cameras, and radio-frequency detectors and jammers. The MRZR LMADIS uses the jammer to disrupt signals from the drone, a method which is more accurate and less expensive than using missiles. A US spy drone was recently shot down by the Iranian military. Other directed-energy weapons, aimed at combating drones, are currently in development."
"Tesla (TSLA). Tesla's stock price surged more than 5 percent yesterday, boosting its market cap to more than $100 billion, making it more valuable than Volkswagen. The electric automaker is now second only to Toyota. CEO Elon Musk doesn't accept a salary from Tesla. He receives a very generous and ambitious stock compensation plan instead. For every $50 billion rise in Tesla's market cap, Musk receives 1.69 million shares, which is currently worth around $1 billion. If Tesla reaches its goal of a $650 billion market cap, Musk's stake in the company would be worth $195 billion, making him the richest man in the world."
"2020 Machine Learning Roadmap (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a roadmap that connects the most important concepts in machine learning, how to learn them, and what tools to use to perform them. It covers the types of problems machine learning solves, the processes to solve these problems, the tools used to build the solution, and the mathematics behind machine learning. Extra resources are also provided. An interactive version and a feature-length film video walkthrough is available."
"SpaceX's Starlink Review - Four months in (13 minute read). SpaceX's Starlink internet service has been out for a few months. This article contains a review of the service in an area that is also served by cable internet. It discusses the terminal, the Starlink router, power consumption, performance, pricing, and all the problems experienced in the four months that the author has had the service. A 19-minute video version of the review is available."
"Facebook staff discussed selling API access to apps in 2012-2014 . Sealed court documents that Wall Street Journal reporters reviewed show that after a poor IPO in 2012, Facebook was brainstorming ways of increasing revenue and discussed yanking API access to all apps except those who wanted to pay $250k/year for user data. They also considered offering Tinder extended access to user ""friend"" data in exchange for Tinder's trademark on ""Moments"". It's not clear how high level these discussions were, but if they were between high level executives, it could potentially contradict statements made by Mark Zuckerberg before Congress that ""I can't be clearer on this topic: We don't sell data."""
"Messenger Rooms are Facebook’s answer to Zoom and Houseparty for the pandemic . Facebook has announced Messenger Rooms, a tool for starting virtual hangouts with up to 50 people. WhatsApp video call capabilities have doubled from four people to eight. New video call features have been added to Facebook Dating, and new live-streaming features have been added to both Facebook and Instagram. Rooms will come later to Instagram Direct, WhatsApp, and Portal. Guests can join rooms regardless of whether they have a Facebook account. Rooms are not end-to-end encrypted, unlike WhatsApp video calls. Moderators will be able to kick people out of Rooms at any time."
"How Walmart and Alphabet jumped ahead of Amazon in drone delivery (14 minute read). Amazon's delivery drones are still in the testing phase. Walmart started its drone delivery service by partnering with DroneUp, a drone startup. Alphabet's Wing recently completed its 200,000th delivery. Amazon's delay in launching its drone delivery service may be due to safety regulations. Anytime there are significant changes to the drones, the certification process resets. The FAA has been trying to place drones and drone operators into existing categories so drone companies have to navigate around rules designed for aircraft."
"Psychedelic Mushrooms Can Regrow Brain Tissue Lost in Depression . Psilocybin, a drug that is found naturally in some mushrooms, has shown signs of increasing durable connections between neurons in mouse brains. In a study on the effects of the drug in mice, scientists tracked the growth of dendritic spines in living mice and found that the compound increased the density of dendritic spines, enhancing the pathway for information transmission between brain cells. The study suggests that psilocybin may be able to reverse the damage caused by depression and chronic stress."
Rocket Redis (GitHub Repo). Rocket Redis is a Redis GUI. It is currently under development. A screenshot of the GUI is available in the repository.
"Google launches its third major operating system, Fuchsia . Fuchsia is Google's latest operating system for the Google Home Hub. The OS is only available for the first-generation Home Hub devices. Fuchsia was launched quietly. It wasn't even mentioned at Google's I/O conference last week. Fuchsia is a built-from-scratch operating system that uses a microkernel that was developed in-house. Its primary app-development language is Flutter. The new system isn't expected to change the UI or functionality of the Home Hub. Google may expand Fuchsia to smartphones and laptops by 2023."
"First Private Passenger on Lunar BFR Mission (Live Stream). SpaceX has signed the world's first private passenger to fly around the Moon. The identity of the passenger and announcement about the flight will be live streamed on Youtube (link to the live stream above) at 9pm EST, 15 hours after you receive this email."
"A career ending mistake . Engineering management is primarily about leading, supervising, hiring, and developing the skills of other technical people. Good managers are rare. This article gives some advice on how to be a good manager. It also discusses the decision to get into management itself. The default career destination of being a manager may not be what everyone wants. It is better to make plans for what you really want to do."
"Inside the ambitious push to protect a third of the world’s ocean . Enric Sala was a professor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography until he decided to try to protect the life in the few remaining patches of the ocean where it was still undamaged by overfishing, pollution, and climate change. These areas still look like the ocean as it was 500 years ago. Sala and the National Geographic Society launched the Pristine Seas project in 2008. Pristine Seas has since helped create 22 marine reserves and now it aims to see a third of the world's oceans conserved to sustain biodiversity, replenish food stocks, and store carbon. The article discusses the project, with plenty of pictures from the different marine reserves the project has helped create."
"Google details AI that classifies chest X-rays with human-level accuracy . Using machine learning to analyze chest X-rays is difficult because the clinical labels required to train these algorithms are obtained through rule-based natural language processing or human annotation, both of which introduce inconsistencies and errors. Researchers at Google have devised AI models to spot collapsed lungs, nodules and masses, fractures, and airspace opacities. The models were able to diagnose patients at a 'radiologist-level' of performance. Google has previously created AI models for detecting lung cancers and eye diseases. The researchers hope that this study will lay the groundwork for more advanced detection systems."
"Netflix Releases Free VR Game, Eden Unearthed, On App Lab For Oculus Quest . Netflix has released a VR game on App Lab for Oculus Quest for free. Eden Unearthed is a game that lets players control a futuristic motorbike and explore a world set in the far future. There is very little information available about the game outside its App Lab listing. A trailer for the game is linked in the article."
Facebook Dating launch blocked in Europe after it fails to show privacy workings . Facebook will not be launching its dating service in Europe as planned as it failed to demonstrate it had performed a legally required assessment of privacy risk and give the Irish Data Protection Commission enough advanced warning. The delay may mean that Facebook will have to make some changes to how the dating product functions in Europe if regulators are not satisfied with its compliance with EU laws. Facebook first notified the DPC about the rollout of the dating feature in the EU on February 3. It has been testing and slowly rolling out the service to different countries since mid-2019.
saltpack (GitHub Repo). saltpack is a modern crypto messaging format that is designed to be simple and easy to use. It was designed to address many of the shortcomings of current messaging formats. The ASCII output looks similar to PGP with some small differences. saltpack can output binary if required.
"Scientists discover complex bacteria bigger than a fruit fly . A bacterium that can grow up to 0.78 inches long has been discovered by scientists. The string-shaped organism is single-celled and can be categorized somewhere between a prokaryote and a eukaryote. It carries its genetic material inside a membranous pouch, making it different from most other bacteria. Genetic analysis revealed that the bacteria likely belongs to the genus Thiomargarita. A picture of a specimen taken with a scanning electron microscope is available in the article."
"The last Blockbuster has been turned into an Airbnb . The world's last Blockbuster can be booked on Airbnb for $4 a night. Bookings will be available from the 17th of August for either September 18, 19, or 20. The store will be transformed into a living room including a TV and pull-out couch. Guests will have access to the store's movie collection. Due to Covid-19 regulations, overnight guests must come from the same household. A link to the Airbnb listing is provided at the end of the article."
"We Hacked Apple for 3 Months: Here’s What We Found (1 hour read). During a period of three months, a team of five hackers worked together to find vulnerabilities in Apple's infrastructure, applications, and other parts of its business through Apple's bug bounty program. The team found a total of 55 vulnerabilities, most of which were typically remediated within a couple of business days. Their efforts resulted in 32 payments totaling $288,500, but as Apple seems to do payments in batches, the team will likely be paid more in the coming months. This article follows the process the hackers used to discover the vulnerabilities and exploit them."
"SpaceX capsule swarmed by boaters after successful splashdown . SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule was surrounded by dozens of private boats after it splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, creating chaos for recovery crews trying to get to the spacecraft. Crew Dragon recently completed a two-month mission to the International Space Station. It is unknown why private boats were in the area at the time. The situation was potentially dangerous due to the possibility of toxic propellant fumes from the spacecraft thrusters and the boats possibly getting in the way of an emergency recovery operation. A 14-second video showing the splashdown is available in the article."
"Microsoft invests $1 billion in OpenAI to pursue holy grail of artificial intelligence . Microsoft is investing $1 billion in OpenAI and will provide cloud computing services to the artificial intelligence research lab in order to develop new technologies. Originally, OpenAI started as a nonprofit research lab focused on developing AI in a safe and democratic fashion, but earlier this year OpenAI announced that it needed more money to continue work. A new for-profit firm to seek outside investment was created, with clear rules to restrict the amount of potential return that investors could expect. OpenAI is dedicated to creating artificial general intelligence and has so far created many impressive projects, but none that come close to actual AGI."
"Minecraft API (Beta). Minecraft is a really popular computer game where players build stuff with blocks (sort of like the digital version of Legos). The Minecraft Scripting API is now in public beta, it allows you to write scripts in JavaScript to listen and respond to in game events and modify parts of the game. I feel like Minecraft is the perfect game to allow user scripts on, I bet people are going to build crazy stuff with this."
"Apple still working on multi-device charger, a future where all devices ‘can charge each other’ . Apple is working on a multi-device charger for its products as well as short and long-distance wireless charging. The company envisions a future where all of its major devices will be able to charge each other, for example, an Apple Watch could be used to charge a pair of AirPods. Apple has been rumored to be working on these technologies for years. It attempted and failed to launch a multi-device charger a few years ago."
"The Rise of Smart Camera Networks, and Why We Should Ban Them (12 minute read). Private businesses and homes are starting to link their cameras to police networks, increasing the overall public surveillance network and moving us closer to a future where our every move is filmed and interpreted using video analytics. Smart camera networks are an alarming development that threatens civil rights and liberties around the world. In the past, surveillance technology produced low-quality images and required a lot of hours and physical work to search through to find information. With advances in technology, image quality has improved, and image recognition and video analysis capabilities allow us to search through and extract more data from video faster than ever before. Advances in machine learning mean that we are moving towards the possibility of predictive policing, where data can be used to predict crimes so that police can intervene before it happens."
"The World's Second Largest Wikipedia Is Written Almost Entirely by One Bot . Wikipedia's English edition recently surpassed six million articles. The Cebuano edition is the second-largest edition of Wikipedia, with over 5.37 million articles. There are only approximately 16.5 million speakers of the language in the Philippines. The Cebuano edition was mostly written by a bot called Lsjbot. All but five of the edition's top 35 editors are bots, with no humans in the top 10. An analysis revealed that a majority of the articles written by the bot were well constructed. The automatic creation of articles is controversial as the software is not perfect and will generate mistakes. There is now a range of content creation bots, and some can work to augment writing, rather than just generate text."
"Uber Copter to Offer Flights From Lower Manhattan to J.F.K. . Uber will begin their new ride-hailing service for helicopters, Uber Copter, on July 9 in New York City. Users will be able to book a helicopter ride in the Uber app that will take passengers between Lower Manhattan and the Kennedy International Airport. The service will only be available for Platinum and Diamond users. A car service is included that will transport the customers to and from the helicopter tarmac. The 8 minute flight will cost around $200 to $225 per person, depending on demand. Luggage may be an issue, as the helicopters will not have space or the weight capacity to carry large bags. Other companies also offer private helicopter services. Some citizens in New York City are protesting against the use of helicopters in city areas due to the noise they make and the fumes they generate."
"Make data driven apps blisteringly fast everywhere with PolyScale (Sponsor). Make data driven apps blisteringly fast everywhere with PolyScale . Want fast data-driven apps globally without the fuss? Try PolyScale. No code, no infrastructure, no complexity. PolyScale is a global, AI-driven database ‘edge cache as a service’ with one aim, to make scaling cloud native data simple."
"Microsoft purchases Bethesda Softworks in industry-changing acquisition . Microsoft has announced that it is buying the corporate parents of Bethesda Softworks, ZeniMax Media. The acquisition cost Microsoft $7.5 billion. Elder Scrolls Online will continue to be supported exactly as it was. Bethesda is currently working on two of the PS5's biggest console exclusives for next year. All of Bethesda's gaming lineup will be a part of the Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft has purchased a string of game studios in recent years, including Double Fine, Undead Labs, Playground Games, Ninja Theory, Compulsion Games, and Obsidian Entertainment."
"In a world-first, Chinese scientists clone pigs by only using AI . Researchers from China have developed a fully automated method to create pig clones. Creating clones using human labor often results in damaged cells. Robotic pig cloning has a much higher success rate. The technology could help significantly increase China's pig population and help the country become self-sufficient in pork production."
"pgsync (GitHub Repo). pgsync is a command-line tool for syncing Postgres data between databases. It is 4x faster than traditional tools on a 4-core machine, has built-in methods to prevent data from leaving the server, and can sync partial tables, groups of tables, and related records."
"Github Stale Bots: A False Economy . A stale bot is a type of bot that locks stale issues on GitHub. It may seem useful, but it causes problems when issues are closed too early. Teams can end up missing issues, and if an issue is locked, then users just end up creating duplicate issues. The best repos allow users to contribute to older issues, as this creates a better user experience, and it prevents issues from being needlessly duplicated."
"Israel unveils breakthrough laser to intercept missiles, aerial threats . Israel's Defense Ministry has created a laser that can intercept rockets and antitank guided missiles. It is based on a precision laser beam that can be focused on long-range targets and overcome atmospheric disturbances such as clouds and dust storms. Several high-energy electric laser beams are connected into one strong beam using an advanced algorithm. High-energy lasers are able to be used continually at a low cost. The weapon can be used as long as there is electricity. Israel's Defense Ministry has launched three programs that will use the laser system on the ground, on a maneuverable platform-mounted system, and in the air. There will be several trials of the weapon throughout the year, and if it is effective, it will be deployed to the Gaza border area."
"The First Human Images by the World's First Total-body Scanner Are Here . Researchers at UC Davis have created a medical imaging scanner called EXPLORER, which captures 3D pictures/videos of the entire human body. It's 40 times faster than a PET scan and uses 40 times less radiation. You can rotate them around and see all of the organs inside. There's a 10-second video inside that shows a sample scan, it's actually pretty incredible."
"Exploiting custom protocol handlers for cross-browser tracking in Tor, Safari, Chrome, and Firefox . This article describes a vulnerability that allows for third-party tracking across different desktop browsers on the same device. The vulnerability affects Tor users. It allows for targeted advertisement and user profiling without consent. The exploit has been possible for more than five years. Until it is fixed, the only way to have private browsing sessions not associated with your primary device is to use another device altogether."
"JuiceFS (GitHub Repo). JuiceFS is a POSIX file system built on top of Redis and object storage. It serves as a stateless middleware that enables many applications to share data easily. JuiceFS is fully POSIX-compatible and cloud-native. It features outstanding performance, file sharing, global file locks, and data compression."
"Scientists Created an Artificial Early Embryo From Human Skin Cells . Scientists from two independent teams were able to coax ordinary skin cells into becoming living clusters that resembled fertilized human eggs. The clusters did not develop further as they were only able to reach the blastocyst stage. These were the most complete replicas of early human embryos to date. The reverse-engineered cells were astonishingly similar to their natural counterparts. They still differ from natural embryos in several ways, so the scientists don't expect them to be able to grow into complete embryos."
"PostHog - open source product analytics you can self-host (Sponsor). PostHog - open source product analytics you can self-host . With PostHog's open source analytics platform, customer data never has to leave your infrastructure.Featuring product analytics, session recording, feature flags, heatmaps, experimentation and more - all available for free.The best part is everything is seamlessly integrated, so you can spend less time configuring different tools and more time getting valuable insight into user behavior. Get started."
"MIT unveils new 'blackest black' material and makes a diamond disappear . MIT has developed a new carbon nanotube material that captures 99.96 percent of incoming light, making it the blackest material on record. An artist at MIT coated a $2 million natural yellow diamond in the material and it will be on exhibit at the New York Stock Exchange until November 25. Super-dark carbon nanotube materials have applications for optical equipment and aerospace technologies. The new material will be available to artists for non-commercial pursuits. The previous blackest material, Vantablack, can only be used by British sculptor Anish Kapoor, who has exclusive rights to it. There will be no catchy name for the new material."
"How a Berkshire Hathaway company is quietly disrupting the construction industry . The MiTek Modular Initiative is a joint venture between MiTek, a construction software and building services company, and Danny Forster & Architecture, a firm that designs modular buildings. The initiative's goal is to develop a new approach to factory-based modular construction. It has an undisclosed amount of backing from Berkshire Hathaway. Volumetric modular building is a form of prefabrication that uses factories to build boxes that can be combined into rooms and stacked into buildings. Modular construction companies usually fail due to a lack of funding. Photos of the Initiative's modular buildings are available in the article."
"The Great Decentralization? Geographic shifts and where tech talent is moving next . Over the past two years, workers have shifted from living in traditional technology capitals like San Francisco, Seattle, or New York to other regions in the US, such as Miami. This article analyzes geographic shifts based on Stack Overflow traffic throughout the pandemic to see which regions people are moving to and which are losing their prominence. The tech industry is seeing a gradual evening out in geographic diversity. It is too soon to see if the trend is permanent."
"Creative Japanese office installs awesome full-size vending machine made out of cardboard . Hacomo, a cardboard craft kit manufacturing company based in Japan, has created a vending machine completely made out of cardboard. The full-size machine can be stocked with dozens of kinds of drinks. Inside the machine is a network of heavy-duty rubber bands and intricate interlocking tabs. It uses no electricity so it can't keep the drinks chilled or heated. The machine will still function when no coins are inserted so it relies on an honor system. Video of the vending machine, along with clips showing Hacomo's other products, are available in the article."
"go-stash (GitHub Repo). go-stash is a server-side data processing pipeline that takes data from Kafka, processes it, then sends it to ElasticSearch. It is fast and easy to deploy as it is only one executable file."
"Seagate just unveiled the first-ever PCIe NVMe hard disk drive . Seagate has unveiled the first-ever PCIe NVMe hard disk drive. The HDD is based on a proprietary controller that works with all major protocols without requiring a bridge. Bringing the NVMe protocol to HDDs will lower the total cost of ownership, improve performance, save energy, and reduce the complexity of datacenter configurations. The first samples of the new drives will be available to a small selection of customers next year. They won't be available to the general public until 2024 at the earliest."
"Coinbase Cloud (Website). Coinbase Cloud is a full suite of blockchain development services. It offers APIs and blockchain infrastructure to help developers create crypto apps or businesses. Coinbase Cloud can interact with the Coinbase exchange, help businesses accept crypto payments, run nodes, standardize integrations between blockchains, and more."
"LEX is taking buildings public – and that’s good news for your investment portfolio. (Sponsor). LEX is taking buildings public – and that’s good news for your investment portfolio. . LEX is taking buildings public – and that’s good news for your investment portfolio. Now you can build a real estate portfolio that opens up direct and tax-advantaged ownership in an asset class that’s been hard to access. Customize your portfolio by picking the buildings you want, buying equity shares, and watching as the distributions roll in. No accreditation, no lockups, no holds. Freely trade in and out of your positions like your other stocks. Access to commercial real estate is finally here. Learn more."
"Twitter turns the tables on Musk, will “enforce” merger . Twitter's board intends to enforce Elon Musk's merger agreement. Musk had agreed to a transaction at $54.20 per share, but put the deal on hold pending proof that less than 5% of users on the platform are bots or spam accounts. He claims that his offer was based on Twitter's SEC filings being accurate. Musk has a contractual obligation to buy Twitter at the agreed price."
"Exponent - Ace your next technical interview and save 10% (Sponsor). Try our interview prep courses, classes, and mock interviews. Trusted by 100,000+ engineers."
"MiDispositivoMIDI V3 (GitHub Repo). MiDispositivoMIDI is an open source MIDI controller based on Arduino, created by BanaNut Electronics. As it works with the well-known MIDI protocol, it can be plugged into any digital audio workstation and work without additional software. The code is fully customizable, and users can build the device from scratch using the schematics and code that is available on the repository. Fully built devices are also available for purchase. The device has a modular design, so users can expand the number of buttons on the device by attaching additional units without much modification to the code."
"Plants Appear to Be Breaking Biochemistry Rules by Making 'Secret Decisions' . Scientists from Australia have discovered that plants can control how much carbon from photosynthesis they keep to build biomass by using metabolic channels. They can choose to burn pyruvate and release carbon or use it to build phospholipids, plant oils, amino acids, or other biomass building blocks. Plants can track the source of the pyruvate and choose to either release it or hold onto it for other purposes. The ability to make decisions breaks the normal rules of biochemistry."
WeWork CEO Adam Neumann to step down and retain chairman role . WeWork CEO Adam Neumann has announced that he will step down after issues with governance and valuation prevented the company from going public. Neumann will remain a non-executive chairman and the CEO role will be split between Sebastian Gunningham and Artie Minson. WeWork still plans to go public this year. Neumann will no longer have majority voting control. SoftBank chairman Masayoshi Son led the charge to remove Neumann due to long term disagreements. WeWork executives have been considering cost reduction measures which may include laying off a third of WeWork's employees as well as closing ancillary businesses.
"Facebook unveils free-to-play cloud gaming service . Facebook Gaming has been launched in beta for a limited group of people. The service will launch with five games, including Gameloft’s Asphalt 9: Legends. Out of Facebook's 2.7 billion monthly active users, more than 700 million users play games, with around 350 million playing Facebook's Instant Games. Facebook Gaming claims that it isn't aiming to compete with other services, but that it only wants to connect developers to consumers in an efficient way without having to leave Facebook. The platform is currently unavailable on iOS."
"Uber Lays Off 400 as Profitability Doubts Linger After IPO . Uber has laid off a third of its marketing team in a cost-cutting effort. After its initial public offering in May, investors questioned whether the unprofitable company could make money. In the past few months, Uber has lost many key executives and employees. Uber posted its slowest growth in years and a loss of more than $1 billion during its first quarter. Wall Street analysts project more losses when Uber reports its second-quarter earnings. An email sent to Uber's marketing staff said that the 400 layoffs were due to the team being bloated and that decision-making was unclear."
Kickstarter CEO: Let's try a 4-day work week . Kickstarter plans to experiment with a four-day workweek to offer workers more flexibility and time. CEO Aziz Hasan was motivated to try out the arrangement due to the effects of the pandemic on the workplace. He noticed that other companies were also experimenting with alternative work arrangements. Kickstarter's newly formed union is supportive of the idea.
"age (GitHub Repo). age is an encryption tool and Go library with small explicit keys, no config options, and UNIX-style composability. An alternative Rust implementation is available. age can encrypt files to multiple recipients using keys or passphrases. It can also encrypt/decrypt using SSH keys."
"Dense Discovery (Newsletter). Dense Discovery is a weekly newsletter with app/tool recommendations, interesting opinion articles, design inspiration and more. It's sort of like a more high-brow version of TLDR."
"You can now buy NFTs on eBay, and ‘blockchain-driven collectibles’ are coming soon . eBay is allowing NFTs in certain categories to be sold on its platform. NFTs are unique digital items whose ownership is tracked on a blockchain. eBay will allow trusted sellers to list trading cards, music, entertainment, and art. It will expand to more categories after it has gathered feedback about the current offering of NFTs. eBay is open to accepting cryptocurrencies in the future, but it currently only accepts standard payments."
"Neuroscientists Have Followed a Thought as It Moves Through The Human Brain . Scientists at the University of California used a technique called electrocorticography (ECoG) to track the movement of thought through the human brain. ECoG requires hundreds of tiny electrodes to be placed against the cortex. The technique is used to monitor patients undergoing surgery for epilepsy. In the study, 16 epilepsy patients performed several tasks while having their neural activity monitored and tracked. The results clearly emphasized the role of the prefrontal cortex in directing activity."
Tinder is releasing a new ‘Plus One’ feature to help users find a wedding date . Tinder is rolling out a new Plus One option for users to signal that they are looking for a date to a wedding or are willing to be one. Plus One will be accessible within the app's Explore section. Tinder is partnering with WeddingWire to give the first 100 eligible Tinder users to join Plus One $460 to help cover the costs associated with attending weddings. The company has been rolling out new features and safety tools in recent months to give users more options to find and interact with dates.
"Solid (An Open Source Decentralized Internet). Solid is a new decentralized internet designed by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who is credited with inventing the original internet. As far as I can tell (I am very dumb, so please take a look for yourself if you're interested), the goal here is to create a new set of internet protocols that allows users to remain in control of their own data. For example, if you had a note taking app today that needed to sync data across multiple devices, a service like Google Docs or Evernote or whatever would run a central server in the cloud, and all of your devices would request data from and send data to the central cloud server when you wanted to take notes. In this new internet, you would run your own Solid POD (basically just a server I think?) and Solid would define a set of protocols for you to grant read/write access to your Solid POD to all of these third party applications. Thus, if you wanted to write a Google Docs/Evernote for this new internet, you would essentially only write front end code that interacted with each individual's Solid POD as a backend (instead of having your backend servers) through the Solid POD APIs. Solid PODs can also be used for authentication, and you can have multiple PODs to prevent data loss."
"New Bluetooth hack can unlock your Tesla—and all kinds of other devices . A new Bluetooth hack that exploits weaknesses in the Bluetooth Low Energy standard can be used to unlock doors, open and operate vehicles, and gain unauthorized access to a host of security-sensitive devices. The relay attack requires two attackers, one close to the target device and one close to the authenticating device. The attackers relay information between the targets to authenticate credentials. The exploit targets the very lowest level of the Bluetooth stack and it is unlikely to be fixed. More details about the exploit, including information on possible countermeasures, are available in the article."
"Lab-grown wood could let us grow furniture in a lab instead of in a forest . MIT researchers are developing a technique to grow wood inside a lab, similar to how some meats are now cultivated. They have successfully grown wood-like plant tissue from cells extracted from leaves, without soil or sunlight. Lab-grown wood would be grown in whatever shape is required, making the growing process more efficient and less wasteful. It would also potentially let land currently used for logging to be instead be preserved as forest. The work is still in its very early stages."
"Scientists Captured a Planet's Birth and It Is Terrifying and Beautiful . AB Aurigae is a star located around 520 light-years from Earth. It is encircled by a thick disk of gas and dust, creating perfect conditions for birthing new planets. Scientists have observed spiral structures within the disk, hinting at the presence of developing planets. Using a specialized instrument designed to look for exoplanets, scientists were able to capture images of the environment surrounding a planet-in-progress. A one-minute video and some images of the formation are available in the article."
"Apple rejects Facebook’s Gaming platform from the iOS App Store . Facebook Gaming has been rejected again from the iOS App Store. App Store rules do not allow third-party apps to distribute games as a separate platform. Facebook Gaming is a gaming platform, offering its own games inside the app, with a dedicated social network and the ability to live stream gameplay. Apple has been accused of anti-competitive behavior due to the App Store's restrictive business model. Other apps have been banned for offering external subscription services, bypassing Apple's 30% fee."
"New Samsung Galaxy Sport renders give us a big hint at a 20 February unveiling . A new render of Samsung’s new Galaxy Sport Smartwatch (which may also be named the Galaxy Watch Active) has been leaked. The renders show the watch in 3 new colors - black, teal blue, and pink gold. The watch faces all display the same date, February 20, which is the date of Samsung’s Unpacked event. It is likely that the new smartwatch will be officially announced at the event."
"Previously unknown bacteria discovered on the space station could help grow plants . The International Space Station has become the host for unique bacteria over the last 20 years. Four strains of bacteria have been found on the space station. The bacteria are from a family that are helpful to plants, promoting their growth and fighting pathogens that affect them. Three of the strains are new. They aren't harmful to astronauts, and they could potentially help the growth of plants in space."
"Google turns AlphaFold loose on the entire human genome . Google's DeepMind is releasing structural predictions for the genomes of 20 major research organisms. The database will include roughly 350,000 protein structures. AlphaFold is an AI-based system trained on the structures of existing proteins that had been determined through laboratory experiments. It can predict how a protein folds in three-dimensional space. Scientists can use the three-dimensional structure of proteins to design chemicals that can interact with them and treat diseases such as cancer and HIV. All of the data will soon be available for free on a website hosted by the European Bioinformatics Institute."
"Impossible Foods to launch meatless pork in U.S., Hong Kong, and Singapore . Impossible Foods' plant-based pork product will be available in the US, Hong Kong, and Singapore in the coming months. It is the company's third commercial launch. The pork alternative is made primarily from soy and provides the same amount of protein as real pork but with no cholesterol, one-third less saturated fat, and far fewer calories. 54 percent of Hong Kong consumers preferred the meatless pork product in a recent blind taste test."
"Arbitrary image stylization using TensorFlow.js (Open Source). Okay, this is an incredibly cool open source tool that lets you select or upload a picture, then turn it into a certain style of image in the click of a button using deep learning (for example you can turn a picture of yourself into an oil painting). The full TensorFlow code is included in the linked Github Repo."
"Roli says it’s not done trying to re-invent the keyboard, announces Seaboard Rise 2 . Music hardware startup Roli has announced the Seaboard Rise 2, a compact squishy keyboard with subtle ridges running down the center of each key. The frets allow players to feel keys rather than having to rely on their vision to hit the right notes. Seaboard's keyboards feature a smooth continuous playing surface that allows musicians to blend and bend notes like they would on a guitar, but some players have found it hard to play the instrument without looking at the keys. Roli is developing educational products to raise a generation of new musicians without ties to traditional training methods. A video that shows the Seaboard Rise 2 in action is available in the article."
"Rapper Akon kicks off construction for world's first ""crypto city"" . Musician and entrepreneur Akon has received official approval to build a city in Senegal. Akon City will be the world’s first crypto city. The city will have its own digital currency, Akoin. Akon is of Senegalese descent and has been planning the city for at least 18 months. He was gifted 2,000 acres of land by the President of Senegal. Akon City will be built with sustainability and the environment in mind. Akoin is expected to launch in July, but the city won't be completed for a while. Akon believes that cryptocurrency can enable Africans to become less dependent on their governments."
"Facebook launches VR remote work app, calling it a step to the 'metaverse' . Facebook recently launched a new virtual reality remote work app where users can hold meetings as avatar versions of themselves. Workrooms is an early step by Facebook towards building the metaverse that Mark Zuckerberg has been talking about in recent weeks. Other tech CEOs have also talked recently about how their companies could shape the aspects of the metaverse. Facebook has invested heavily in virtual and augmented reality hardware to be less reliant on other hardware makers. The company recently halted sales of its Oculus Quest 2 headsets and recalled the foam face-liners due to reports of skin irritation. The recall affected about 4 million units, providing an estimate of Quest 2 headset sales."
"How romance scams are thriving on dating apps during quarantine . The pandemic is making it more normal for people to start and develop relationships online without ever meeting in person. For many people, online romance is now the only option. Stories that would have sounded strange before the pandemic, such as a person being stranded overseas and needing emergency funds, now sound more plausible. This has resulted in people falling prey to scams."
"Bud (GitHub Repo). Bud is a full-stack Go framework for web development. It reduces the cost of building, launching, and maintaining rich web applications by providing a well-tested set of building blocks that every serious website needs. It is the Ruby on Rails for the Go ecosystem. A video on how to build a Hacker News clone with Bud in 15 minutes is available."
"The First High-Yield, Sub-Penny Plastic Processor . A transatlantic team of researchers has created a simple and fully functional plastic processor that can be manufactured at sub-penny prices. A high percentage of the time, the flexible 4-bit and 8-bit processors continue to work even when bent. The needs of flexible applications tend to be computationally simple. The study shows that flexible electronics may finally be ready for the mainstream."
"Google’s biggest announcements at I/O 2022 . Google's two-hour-long I/O keynote on Wednesday was packed with announcements on AI, Android, and Pixel hardware. The Pixel 6A will feature the Pixel 6's Tensor ship and design, but it will have a 12-megapixel camera. Google revealed the Pixel Watch, which will run an updated version of Wear OS 3 and feature Fitbit integration. It will be released later this year. The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro were teased at the event, with renders of the devices showing a slightly different camera cutout and back panel. Many more details about the announcements made at the keynote are available in the article."
"The Mini-LED Is the Future of Big Displays . Mini-LED lights deliver a serious boost to contrast and dark-scene performance. While OLED displays are the benchmark against which other displays are judged by, they are expensive and have issues with brightness and image retention. Mini-LED screens are thicker, but this will likely not hold the technology back. OLED is still great for small devices, but Mini-LED will likely dominate larger, brighter displays in the future."
"“It’s a bloodbath”: U.S. companies are pillaging Latin America’s tech talent . The demand for tech talent is making it difficult for Latin American tech companies to find developers. Many developers are being hired by US companies for much more than local companies can afford. Workers are more interested in working for large US companies than local startups, despite the boom in the Latin American startup ecosystem last year. Local startups have to hire non-English speakers or find other incentives, such as stock options, to attract employees. Some have even started hiring from other countries."
"JAX (Github Repo). This is a Google open source project that combines Autograd and Tensorflow XLA to create a library that can automatically differentiate Python and NumPy functions and allows for JIT compilation of NumPy programs to run on GPUs and TPUs. If you're interested in high performance machine learning, this looks like it could be the future."
"Tesla suffers complete network outage, internal systems and connectivity features down . Tesla suffered a complete network outage earlier. Its internal systems were down and customer connectivity features were not accessible. Staff were not able to process deliveries and orders during the outage. Starting from 11:00 AM EDT, customers could not connect to their cars using the mobile app. The Tesla webpage was returning an error beyond the main page. Tesla's energy products were also affected. The outage appeared to be global. Owners could still access and use their cars despite the connectivity issues. This isn't the first system-wide outage at Tesla, but occurrences are rare."
"The New York Times is acquiring the podcast studio that created Serial and S-Town . The New York Times has acquired Serial Productions, the audio production company behind popular podcast series Serial. Serial Productions was formed in 2017 after the success of the podcast, which has since produced two follow-up seasons and a spinoff. The first joint show from the newly combined teams, Nice White Parents, will start July 30. Podcasts are becoming more popular and the industry is experiencing some consolidation as a result, with large companies buying up big names for exclusive shows."
"How Flat Earthers Nearly Derailed a Space Photo Book . A photographer, Benedict Redgrove, started a passion project to photograph space artifacts for a self-published book and exhibit, even getting NASA's permission and help after nearly five years. Redgrove required additional funding for the project, so he placed a series of ads on Facebook and Instagram in order to promote his Kickstarter campaign. Soon after the ads were accepted, they were flagged and removed by an algorithm. Despite attempting to filter out conspiracy theorists, lunar landing deniers, and flat earthers, the ad received many comments and reactions from these groups, causing the algorithm to flag his advertisements as misleading and resulting in high negative feedback. Facebook has acknowledged that the ads had been officially approved, but declined to comment on what had gone wrong."
"nb (GitHub Repo). nb is a command-line note-taking, bookmarking, archiving, and knowledge-base application. It features plain-text data storage, encryption, filtering and search, git-backed versioning and syncing, and more. Examples and guides are available in the repository."
"Digital Stick Serves Up the Real Taste of Virtual Food . Scientists have created a device called the Norimaki Synthesizer that is capable of recreating taste sensations when in contact with a human tongue. It uses electrolytes inserted into five gels, each controlling the intensity levels of five basic flavors. The sensation of taste is created when microscopic particles are activated via an electric charge in a process called electrophoresis. The synthesizer can recreate the taste of all flavors without the need for the actual food."
"Male Birth Control Pill Passes Human Safety Tests . A male birth control pill delivers a hormone which decreases sperm production while preserving libido by combining the actions of androgen and progesterone. In a study that tested 40 healthy men, who received either a placebo or various doses of 11-beta-MNTDC, it was found that the average circulating testosterone level dropped down to androgen deficiency levels without affecting libido in most patients. Research has found that 55% of males are open to trying this type of male contraceptive as long as the effects are reversible. While this study had promising results, a longer study will be required to test the effectiveness of the hormone as a contraceptive."
"Chinese scientists are creating CRISPR babies . Chinese researchers recruited couples earlier this year for a gene-editing experiment. They used CRISPR to remove a gene called CCR5 in order to make children resistant to HIV, smallpox, and cholera. The embryos were edited with CRISPR in a lab before being transferred into the women's uteruses. Now, one couple in the trial has reportedly given birth to twin girls. If the reports are true, they would be the world's first gene edited babies. Some people have raised ethical concerns about genetically altering embryos, while others are concerned about unforeseen side effects and mutations. Currently, using a genetically engineered embryo to establish a pregnancy would be illegal in the United States and most of Europe."
"India has found its Vikram lander after it crashed into the moon’s surface . The Indian Space Research Organization launched Chandrayaan-2 on July 22. It reached the moon's orbit on August 20. Two weeks later, a lander was deployed. Communication with the lander was lost moments before it was expected to touch down on the moon's surface. The lander was aiming to land at a location 375 miles from the moon's south pole. It is thought that there are large ice deposits on the moon's south pole. The ISRO will continue to analyze the data to ascertain the lander's fate while the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter carries out an array of studies from 62 miles above the lunar surface."
"Amazon ordered 1,000 self-driving truck systems from new startup . Amazon has placed an order for 1,000 autonomous driving systems from Plus, a startup founded in 2016. Plus is set to go public soon with a valuation of $3.3 billion. Amazon has the right to purchase up to 20 percent of Plus as part of the deal. Plus only manufactures self-driving systems, so Amazon will still have to develop its own trucks. Using autonomous vehicles to replace human drivers is expected for Amazon as the company has been replacing human labor with automation in various forms for years."
Anonymous social apps shift their attention to Instagram in the wake of Snapchat’s ban . Anonymous social apps have moved to Instagram after Snapchat banned them due to being sued multiple times.
"Down on the Farm That Harvests Metal From Plants . There are about 700 known plants in the world that thrive in metal-rich soils that other plants can’t grow in. The plants collect metals with roots that act practically like magnets, hoarding the metals to 'ridiculous' levels. These plants could be used as a partial substitute for traditional mining and smelting. Phytomining won't be able to fully replace traditional mining, but it can be used to make toxic soils productive and as a way to clean up former mines and waste while collecting revenue."
"In a first, chimpanzees seen smashing and eating tortoises . Chimpanzees have been observed smashing tortoises against trees to break through their shells for a meal. It is the first time that any chimpanzee has been documented eating any kind of reptile. Percussive acts have been seen in chimpanzees previously, such as when they eat walnuts. Studying chimps is difficult due to the habitat that they live in as well as the fact that it takes over five years for a population to become habituated to human presence. Researchers are constantly making new discoveries, as each individual group of chimpanzees has their own unique behaviors and culture."
"Doing Stupid Stuff with GitHub Actions . GitHub actions is a CI/CD platform that can be used to automate things such as building, testing, and deploying code. It can be triggered by any GitHub event. There is a marketplace for developers to publish their actions, which is linked in the article. This article contains five actions that show how easy GitHub Actions is to work with."
"China Just Switched on Its 'Artificial Sun' Nuclear Fusion Reactor . China recently powered up its HL-2M Tokamak nuclear fusion reactor for the first time in its Sichuan province. The reactor uses a powerful magnetic field to fuse hot plasma, reaching temperatures of over 150 million degrees Celsius. It has often been referred to as an 'artificial Sun' due to the enormous heat and power it produces. Fusion power emits no greenhouse gasses and is safer than fission power. However, it is extremely difficult and prohibitively expensive."
"These Search and Rescue Robots Could Save Your Life . New search and rescue robots will eliminate several on-the-job risks for first responders. These robots will aid humans while reducing risks, protecting first responders from unnecessary harm and allowing more lives to be saved. Drones are being used by firefighters to provide invaluable information such as the smoke direction and layout of fires. A firefighting robot called Colossus features a powerful water cannon and can carry up to 1,200 pounds. It helped put out the Notre Dame Cathedral fire earlier this year. Snake and spider-like robots are being developed for search-and-rescue missions which require searching through rubble and other difficult terrains. These technologies are being hindered by a lack of funding and public support."
Hubble Finds First Evidence of Water Vapor on Jupiter’s Largest Moon . Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have discovered evidence of water vapor in the atmosphere of Jupiter's moon Ganymede. Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system and it holds more water than all of the Earth's oceans combined. It is covered in an icy crust and there may be a liquid ocean 100 miles beneath its surface. Some areas of the moon may get warm enough for the surface ice to release water molecules. The ESA plans to launch a mission to study Jupiter and its moons in 2022.
"DoorDash will let you order at-home COVID-19 testing kits delivered to your door . DoorDash has partnered with Vault Health and EverlyWell to distribute at-home Covid-19 test kits across the US. Customers will be able to order test kits directly from the DoorDash app or Vault Health's website in eligible markets. The kits contain polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, considered to be the most accurate in the market. Results are returned to customers within 24 to 48 hours. A list of eligible markets is available in the article."
A company just took a major step closer to animal-free eggs . EVERY EggWhite is the world's first animal-free egg white. It features the taste and culinary utility of egg whites without involving any chickens in its production. The proteins in the egg whites are produced using engineered yeast. The egg whites are suitable for vegans but not those who are allergic to eggs due to the presence of nature-equivalent egg proteins. EVERY is collaborating with San Francisco-based bakery Chantal Guillon to produce French macarons using the product.
"A Dark Consensus About Screens and Kids Begins to Emerge in Silicon Valley . Tim Cook won't let his nephew join social networks. Bill Gates banned cellphones for his kids until they were teenagers, and Melinda wished they had waited even longer. Steve Jobs wouldn't let his young children near iPads. Former editor of Wired, now CEO of a robotics company Chris Anderson says ""On the scale between candy and crack cocaine, it’s closer to crack cocaine...This is going straight to the pleasure centers of the developing brain. This is beyond our capacity as regular parents to understand."" The sentiment is pervasive enough that one Google engineer that lets his 3-year-old play with an iPad says that he feels there's a ""stigma"" against it. In one interesting case, an executive only lets his daughter watch Italian language videos in order to help her learn the language. In any case, it seems like there is a reckoning in Silicon Valley as executives and engineers caution their kids against using the addictive and manipulative products that they have created."
"What Makes a Great Developer Experience? . This article contains a collection of opinions on what makes a great developer experience. It covers frameworks and libraries, documentation, and APIs. Links to more articles related to developer experience are available."
"Tesla gets the go-ahead to build cars in China . Tesla is building a $2 billion factory in Shanghai which will manufacture at least 1,000 Model 3s each week. The factory could be up and running within weeks. Tesla will now be able to avoid the high import tariffs that are imposed on cars made in the US in the world's biggest car market. The Gigafactory 3 will be the first fully-foreign owned car plant in China. Shanghai authorities have offered help to speed up construction of the plant. China has excluded Tesla vehicles from its 10% tax on cars. The plant may be a sign that China is looking to open up its car market."
How fast are Linux pipes anyway? (23 minute read). This article explores how Unix pipes are implemented by Linux. It begins by using a program with a throughput of around 3.5GiB/s and optimizes it until its performance is improved twentyfold. A basic knowledge of C is required. A GitHub repository that contains the code for the article is linked.
"Gift Card Gang Extracts Cash From 100k Inboxes Daily . A cybercrime group has been observed compromising up to 100,000 email inboxes per day to siphon gift card and customer loyalty program data to be resold online. The group is exploiting the lack of security in the IMAP protocol to check credentials and search for data. It is well known that email isn't very secure. The group will help victims earn loyalty points in order to cash out larger rewards. Most of the attacks could be prevented using multi-factor authentication. A file containing the top inbox search terms used by the group is available in the article."
"Google AR app lets you place prehistoric creatures, Apollo 11 in your room . Google has partnered with museums and institutes around the world to add new virtual exhibits to its Art & Culture app for Android and iOS. The app allows users to place augmented reality assets in real space viewed through a mobile device. These assets include the Apollo 11 capsule, a prehistoric crustacean called a Cambropachycope, and much more. Both Google and Apple have invested heavily in AR for mobile devices. Google's plans for its AR development are unclear, but it is widely known that Apple has been developing some form of AR glasses."
"Nightmare Google Photos bug sent private videos to the wrong people . Between November 21 and November 25, 2019, a bug in Google Takeout resulted in users getting other users' videos when downloading archives of their Google data. Google has sent emails to affected Takeout users alerting them of the issue. The emails were only sent to Google Takeout users who attempted to archive their data, and the unrelated users whose videos were sent to others have yet to receive notifications. Google says that the issue has now been resolved and only affected less than 0.01% of users who were using the Takeouts service."
"Meet dark_nexus, quite possibly the most potent IoT botnet ever . dark_nexus is a new IoT botnet that has a list of advanced features and capabilities that puts most IoT botnets and malware to shame. The botnet regularly receives feature version updates. It has infected at least 1,362 devices, including video recorders, thermal cameras, and routers. dark_nexus can run on at least 12 different types of CPUs. The main purpose of dark_nexus is to perform Distributed Denial-Of-Service attacks."
"Resilience engineering notes (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a list of people who have contributed significantly to the field of resilience engineering. People from related fields such as cognitive systems engineering and naturalistic decision-making have also been included. Each listing contains a summary of the person’s work, a list of their publications, and links to information about the concepts they introduced into the field. The readings in this repository are ones that the author has read or is planning to read so it may not be comprehensive."
"As Costs Skyrocket, More U.S. Cities Stop Recycling . The cost of recycling programs has started to rise and this has caused many cities to either start dumping recyclables into landfills or cancel programs entirely. Rising costs are due to China no longer accepting imported recyclable material after officials determined that too much trash was mixed in. Thailand and India also import recyclable material but have imposed new restrictions on what is acceptable. As there are fewer buyers, the companies are now charging more to dispose of existing material. Burning recyclable material for energy is becoming increasingly common as costs rise. As it becomes clear that recycling may be economically impractical, the focus now turns to restricting plastic use to decrease pollution."
"I left a FAANG pre-FI for a more fulfilling job and took more than a 50% pay cut. It was not everything I expected it to be . wholeWheatButterfly had a comfortable job in a FAANG company but felt unfulfilled with the work, so they decided to leave for something more meaningful. Their Financial Independence-based mindset strongly influenced their decision-making during this process. After leaving the FAANG job for a role at a not-for-profit research center at a significant pay cut, they found that the work wasn't as fulfilling as they thought it would be. At the end of the day, a fulfilling job was still a job."
"Elon Musk Unveils Loop, The Boring Company's First Rideable Prototype . Elon Musk unveiled the Boring Company's first tunnel last night in Los Angeles. It's 1.14-miles long and took 18 months and $10 million to build. It's 20 to 40 feet underground, and doesn't come with fully autonomous cars yet like Musk had promised. Elon said ""We kind of ran out of time...That's why it's just a little rough around the edges."" He says that they have abandoned the original idea to have a sort of autonomous platform on skates, and are now working on guide wheels that attach to the front tires of cars that come into the tunnel. Musk says that his first ride in the tunnel was bumpy but ""epic."""
"Arm’s New Flexible Plastic Chip Could Enable an ‘Internet of Everything’ . PlasticARM is a proof-of-concept plastic microprocessor created by Arm that is low-cost and flexible. It can manage speeds of 29 kilohertz while using 20 milliwatts of power. The chip doesn't have a reprogrammable memory, but researchers expect that to change in future versions. While the chips aren't very powerful, they are significantly cheaper, making them an attractive choice for disposable items."
"Snap buys brain-computer interface startup for future AR glasses . Snap has acquired NextMind, a neurotech startup that created a headband that lets wearers control computer input with their thoughts. It plans to incorporate the technology into future versions of its Spectacles AR glasses. NextMind will discontinue its $400 headband developer kit. A video explaining NextMind's approach to developing a brain-computer interface is available in the article."
"Watch YouTube videos at the exact same time as your friends with free Airtime app . Airtime is an app that allows people to video chat with friends while watching movies, shows, and YouTube videos on the same screen. Anyone in the chat will be able to pause the video for discussion at any time. The app is able to share videos from many sources, including from YouTube, SoundCloud, and directly from devices."
"50% of meetings are a waste of time. Change it with Slido (Sponsor). 50% of meetings are a waste of time. Change it with Slido . Tired of unproductive meetings that leave everyone zoned out or multitasking? Win back their attention with meaningful interaction. Slido polling and Q&A will help you engage your team in seconds, directly in your slide deck or video tool. Try it for free now."
3d-photo-inpainting (GitHub Repo). 3d-photo-inpainting is a method for converting single RGB-D input images into 3D photos. The resulting 3D images can be rendered with motion parallax using standard graphics engines. Installation instructions and example images are available.
"A to Z Resources for Students (Github Repo). This is an insanely comprehensive set of resources for college students (and a lot of stuff for non-students as well), including resources to learn about any major coding language, hackathons, student discounts, internship portals, conferences for students, and more stuff like that. Definitely worth checking out, especially if you're still in school."
"This Nanomaterial Can Stay Dry Even When Submerged in Water . Researchers from the University of Central Florida have engineered a nanomaterial that repels water and can stay dry when submerged underwater. The design was inspired by the structure of a lotus leaf. A drop of gel created from the nanomaterial can make any surface develop a super water-repellent state without interfering with the surface material. The nanomaterial remains dry even when submerged under two feet of water for several hours. It can be used to capture and store gases underwater, enabling potentially countless applications for the novel material."
"Volvo to test full-size driverless bus in Singapore . Singapore is ranked No. 2 globally in openness and preparedness for autonomic vehicles and will begin testing on a full-sized autonomous electric bus later this year. The bus, developed by Volvo, will start testing within the next few weeks or months and will be initially used on a university campus. It is hoped that further testing can be done on public roads after regulatory approvals in the next few years. The city-state aims to deploy autonomous buses in three different districts by 2022."
Elon Musk’s brain chip firm Neuralink lines up clinical trials in humans . Neuralink is preparing to launch clinical trials in humans. It is now building a team of people to run the trials while waiting for approval by the Food and Drug Administration. The technology has already been successfully tested in the brains of macaque monkeys and pigs. Elon Musk has expressed cautious optimism about the implant's potential to allow tetraplegic people to walk. The first human patients will be people with severe spinal cord injuries. A video of a monkey playing Pong using a Neuralink chip as a controller is available in the article.
"Apple releases Chrome extension for iCloud passwords . Apple has released iCloud Passwords, an official iCloud Keychain Chrome extension for Windows and Mac. Users will now be able to sync passwords across Windows and Mac with ease. Passwords created in Chrome for Windows will sync back to iCloud. iCloud Passwords is available now in the Chrome Web Store."
"FDA approves remdesivir to treat COVID-19 . The FDA has approved remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19 in hospitalized patients. It is the first approved COVID-19 treatment in the US. Gilead will sell the drug under the brand name Veklury. It was authorized for emergency use by the FDA in May. Remdesivir works by preventing viruses from making copies of themselves. It was developed to treat Ebola but the research showed that it was effective against SARS and MERS, which is why it was a candidate for treating SARS-CoV-2. Clinical trials show that it may help some patients recover more quickly from COVID-19, but it doesn't totally prevent death from the disease."
"Backup Driver Of Autonomous Uber SUV Charged With Negligent Homicide In Arizona . In 2018, Elaine Herzberg was killed by a Volvo SUV outfitted with an Uber self-driving system. The driver behind the wheel, Rafaela Vasquez, has been charged with negligent homicide. Vasquez pleaded not guilty to the charge and has been released with an ankle monitor. Her trial is set for February 21. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board found that the likely cause of the crash was inattention from Vasquez, with dashcam footage showing Vasquez spending nearly a third of the trip looking towards her phone. While Uber was not criminally liable in Herzberg's death, the company failed to implement countermeasures to control operator disengagement, and the SUV's sensor systems failed to correctly categorize Herzberg or predict her path."
craft.js (GitHub Repo). Craft.js is a React framework for building drag and drop page editors. It allows you to create custom page editors without having to modify the library itself in order to change the user interface and behavior. Examples of page editors built with Craft.js are linked in the repository.
"Can lab-grown brains become conscious? (13 minute read). Brain organoids, miniature human brains grown from human stem cells, have become common in labs that study the properties of the brain. An experiment in 2019 reported coordinated waves of activity in some brain organoids that resembled the kind of brain activity seen in premature babies. It is unknown whether this is an indication that the brain organoids were conscious. Researchers are calling for a set of guidelines to guide the humane use of brain organoids and other experiments that could achieve consciousness. To develop these guidelines, scientists need to first define what consciousness is."
"Uber Eats users in Ontario can now buy cannabis through the app . UberEats users in Ontario can now order cannabis from Tokyo Smoke, pickup-only. Users will need to confirm their age before they can make a purchase and ID will be required at the store. Uber has not confirmed whether it will offer cannabis purchases in other areas or if it will eventually offer delivery. The move targets the underground cannabis market, which accounts for 40 percent of all non-medical cannabis sales in Canada."
"Novel techniques in never-before-seen Linux backdoor make it ultra stealthy . Researchers have discovered a new Linux backdoor called Symbiote that uses novel evasion techniques to conceal its presence. It is able to scrub any sign of infection from the file system, system processes, and network traffic. Symbiote was first discovered in November targeting financial institutions in Brazil. It provides the threat actor with remote access capability and other abilities. It is unlikely that the malware is widely active, but researchers can't be sure. More details about how Symbiote conceals its tracks are available in the article."
"Teardown of “Dishy McFlatface,” the SpaceX Starlink user terminal . This article contains a teardown of Dishy McFlatface, SpaceX's Starlink user terminal. It features a complete gallery of each stage of the teardown, with closeups of individual components and a short explanation of the process. A full 55-minute video is available."
"SQLFlow (GitHub Repo). SQLFlow connects SQL and Tensorflow together so that SQL can be used for machine learning. SQL is a popular data storage solution, so implementing machine learning capabilities to work with it allows more engineers to have access to AI technology. Users are encouraged to provide feedback to contribute to the project."
"Square’s in-house bank kicks off operations . Square Financial Services has started operations. The bank's main purpose is to offer business loan and deposit products. Square received conditional approval to operate the bank late last year. The bank is not expected to have a material impact on the company's balance sheet, net revenue, gross profit, or adjusted earnings. It will operate under an asset-light business model by selling loans to third-party investors."
"T-Mobile Confirms It Was Hacked . T-Mobile has confirmed that hackers gained access to its systems. A post was made recently on an underground forum offering to sell private data from T-Mobile customers, including Social Security Numbers, phone numbers, addresses, driver license information, and more. The seller claims that 100 million people had their data compromised in the breach. They are offering data on 30 million people for 6 bitcoin. The entry point used to gain access to the data has been closed. T-Mobile is coordinating with law enforcement to investigate the issue."
"rga (GitHub Repo). rga is a tool that allows for regex searching across a multitude of file types. It wraps ripgrep and enables search in pdf, docx, sqlite, jpg, movie subtitles, and more. Different adapters are available to extend the functionality of rga, for example, it can search extra metadata/chapters and subtitles from movies using the ffmpeg adapter."
"A Hacker Got All My Texts for $16 (12 minute read). Sakari is a service that helps businesses manage and send SMS messages. It can control the rerouting of text messages through a series of agreements with other companies that have access to the centralized database the industry uses for text message routing. Hackers were able to exploit Sakari's services to reroute text messages from any number without the owner of the number noticing. A letter of authority is required for rerouting a number, but this is easily forged. This attack could result in the loss of any service that uses two-factor authentication. Sakari implemented a verification check and audited all existing text-enabled numbers after the issue was brought to their attention."
WhatsApp Launches Instant Cryptocurrency Payments in the US . WhatsApp has launched a cryptocurrency payment feature with Novi integration for a limited number of users in the US. Novi is a digital wallet owned by Meta. The feature allows users to send and receive money using the Paxos Dollar stablecoin in a similar way to sending regular attachments in a conversation. Funds can be withdrawn to a bank account in their equivalent value in US dollars. There will be no fees for withdrawing funds or keeping an account. The integration will not affect the end-to-end encryption of personal messages.
"parca (GitHub Repo). parca provides continuous profiling of CPU and memory usage over time, down to the line number. It can automatically discover targets from Kubernetes or systemd with very low overhead. parca uses open standards and features optimized storage and querying. It can help organizations save money, improve performance, and understand incidents."
"Physicists Find New State of Matter in a One-Dimensional Quantum Gas – “Beyond My Wildest Conception” . Physicists have produced an ultra-stable one-dimensional quantum gas that can move to higher and higher energy states without collapsing. As the gas gained energy, the researchers observed the development of scar states. Scar states are rare trajectories of particles that could offer a protected refuge for information encoded in a quantum system. The research is truly experimental and the researchers can't strongly predict what new knowledge will come from the discovery."
"Lofi: a tiny Spotify player (GitHub Repo). Lofi is an app that creates a ‘mini-mode’ for the Spotify Desktop app. It displays album art and also has control features, such as play, pause, skip, and rewind. Lofi does not replace the Spotify Desktop app but instead works alongside it."
Novel AI System Can Predict Seizures with 99.6% Accuracy Up to an Hour Before They Occur . An artificial intelligence system has been able to detect epileptic seizures in patients with 99.6 percent accuracy up to an hour before they occur. The system combines EEG technology and predictive modeling. It needs to be trained on each individual patient. Researchers are now working on customized hardware in order to make the technology more practical and comfortable for patients.
WTF Python (GitHub Repo). This repository contains Python code snippets that have surprising behaviors. It aims to explain what is happening under the hood for some of the lesser-known features of Python. A Google Colab interactive version is available where you can run the code examples in-browser.
Apple will reportedly release films in theaters weeks before they come to Apple TV Plus . Apple may be rolling out some of its biggest original films in theaters before they become available on Apple TV Plus. The films will be distributed via boutique distributors and will be available on Apple TV Plus just a few weeks after the theater release. Apple's films are all possible Oscar contenders this year. Netflix has never given a movie a 12-week theater release and has never had a movie play in a major national theater chain. Apple's strategy of releasing movies in theaters first may help it attract talent.
"Microsoft is now submerging servers into liquid baths . Microsoft is submerging its servers in liquid to improve their performance and energy efficiency. The technique uses a specially designed non-conductive fluorocarbon-based fluid which creates a closed-loop cooling system that requires no energy. Most data centers are currently air-cooled, which uses a lot of water. The technique should improve server reliability as the fluid displaces oxygen and humidity, both of which create corrosion."
"Nickel (GitHub Repo). Nickel is a language for generating static configuration files to be fed into another system. It can be used to generate complex configurations for apps, machines, whole infrastructures, or build systems."
"Researchers Linked Dead Locust's Ear to Robot and It Works . Researchers from Israel connected a dead locust's ear to a robot, replacing the robot's electronic microphone with the ear. The robot was then programmed to respond to the signals it received from the ear. Using biological systems requires less energy than electronic systems. The blend of biology and technology could dramatically alter both technological and biological industries. It might be possible to use other animals' sensory organs for various applications, such as bomb or disease detection."
"Wuhan’s 11 Million People Face Quarantine as Virus Fears Spread . Wuhan, China's seventh-largest city, with approximately 11 million people, will be under a partial quarantine starting on Thursday. All transport from the city has been canceled due to the coronavirus that originated from the city. 17 people have been killed by the virus so far, which was first reported on December 31. The World Health Organization is convening on an emergency meeting regarding the coronavirus. Cases of coronaviruses infecting humans are more common in China due to close contact with domestic animals and the consumption of wild animals. The SARS epidemic in 2003 killed over 800 people. Information being released by the Chinese government regarding the virus is questionable. Mass migrations due to the Lunar New Year is a major concern as it is a perfect recipe for a worldwide epidemic."
"Apple mixed reality headset to have two 8K displays, cost $3000 . Apple is reportedly planning to release a VR device that features two ultra-high-resolution 8K displays for $3,000. It will be equipped with more than a dozen cameras for tracking hand movements and showing video of the real world to users. The displays will have eye-tracking technology so that it can detect where users are looking and decrease resolution in other areas of the display."
"The Composable Architecture (GitHub Repo). The Composable Architecture is a library of core tools that can be used to build applications in a consistent and understandable way. It can be used in SwiftUI, UIKit, and more, on any Apple platform. The repository contains many examples of how to solve common and complex problems."
"Developer Burnout: Why It Happens and What We Can Do About It (11 minute read). This article discusses burnout and ways to deal with it as a developer and as a manager looking after a team. Burnout can cause people to experience feelings of exhaustion, increased mental distance, demotivation, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy. Being able to identify and name the factors that lead to burnout can help people find solutions to manage stress and avoid burnout. The article covers the definition of burnout, the internal and external factors that cause it, the different stages of burnout, how to measure burnout, and much more."
"Moon (GitHub Repo). Moon is a JavaScript library for creating functional user interfaces. It features a small file size, blazing-fast view rendering, a purely functional driver-based design, and an intuitive and consistent API."
"Lemonadejs (GitHub Repo). Lemonadejs is a super lightweight vanilla javascript micro-library that helps with the integration between JavaScript and HTML. It supports two-way binding and integrates natively with Jsuites to make it easy to create interfaces. Lemonadejs can be run in-browser without dependencies, servers, or transpiling. Examples are available."
"Amazon Scout (Web Tool). Amazon has launched an AI powered visual shopping tool. It allows users to like or dislike items, and then as you like items you will be shown other visually similar items. It's like Pinterest on steroids for shopping. A spokesperson says that Scout is meant to solve two problems: ""I don't know what I want, but I'll know it when I see it"" and ""I know what I want, but I don't know what it's called."" You can check out the tool for yourself by clicking the link above."
"Push it jumps to No. 1 on App Store promising a way to send push notifications to friends . Push it is an app that lets users send push notifications to their friends. It is the latest creation from Sendit, an app popular with Snapchat users who use it to play games and have conversations with their Snapchat friends. Push it allows users to send push notifications to subscribers on the app. Followers are able to respond to start private conversations. The app is now the top app in many countries, even though the service is not yet live in all markets."
"Musk shakes up SpaceX in race to make satellite launch window . Elon Musk fired ""at least seven"" senior managers at SpaceX because he was unhappy with the pace of development on Starlink, SpaceX's project to deliver internet via low orbit satellites. Elon Musk says ""It would be like rebuilding the Internet in space. The goal would be to have a majority of long-distance Internet traffic go over this network."" The program is struggling to hire and retain staff, and Musk is frustrated with the long development schedules. An anonymous source said ""Rajeev wanted three more iterations of test satellites. Elon thinks we can do the job with cheaper and simpler satellites, sooner."" The goal is to initially launch satellites in mid-2019 and have internet service available by 2020. The company is counting on revenue from this service to build rockets to go to Mars. One SpaceX employee says ""There had to be a much bigger idea for generating cash to basically realize the Mars plans. What better idea than to put Comcast out of business?"""
"Telegram Pushes Ahead With Plans for ‘Gram’ Cryptocurrency . Telegram will start sending out its Gram currency to investors within two months. The 200 to 300 million global users of Telegram's messaging app will soon have access to a Gram digital wallet. Regulators are concerned that cryptocurrencies could be useful for unlawful activities and have started to shut down smaller cryptocurrency projects, citing them for violations of securities law. Telegram has developed its Cryptocurrency mostly in secret. The company has always operated with a degree of disregard for the opinions of government authorities. Its messaging app is designed to make it easy to encrypt messages between phones, making it unpopular among governments. Once Gram is released, it will be a decentralized currency, meaning that it will be controlled by a network of peers and not any one central authority. There will be no currency backing Gram, and like Bitcoin, its value will be determined by the market."
"Wildtype is opening up a pre-order list for select chefs as it focuses on lab-grown, sushi-grade salmon . Wildtype is a startup that makes lab-grown salmon. The company is still at least five years from commercial production but it is already looking to partner with select chefs around the country. Wildtype has produced lab-grown meat similar to the meat that would be ordered at a sushi restaurant. The startup developed its own technology for developing scaffolding for the cells to grow on that would replicate the taste and texture of wild-caught salmon. Images of Wildtype's lab-grown salmon are available in the article."
"Tesla is buying computer vision start-up DeepScale in a quest to create truly driverless cars . Tesla is acquiring DeepScale, a computer vision start-up that could help Tesla deliver cars with advanced driver-assistance systems. DeepScale's systems use low-wattage processors to power very accurate computer vision. Its autopilot is good enough to be used in robotaxis. Forrest Iandola, DeepScale's CEO, has recently joined Tesla as a senior machine learning scientist. The acquisition of DeepScale could help fill the talent gap in Tesla's Autopilot division as 11 engineers have recently left the team."
Dizzle - CSS Selector Library . Dizzle is a simple and fast CSS selector engine that turns CSS selectors into functions that test if elements match them. It features full implementation of CSS 3 and CSS 4 selectors and partial implementation of jQuery extensions.
"Facebook alters video to make people invisible to facial recognition . Facebook AI Research has created a machine learning system to de-identify people in videos. Previous work by other startups has made de-identification for still images possible. Facebook's technology works by mapping a slightly distorted version of a person's face on the video. It was able to thwart state-of-the-art facial recognition systems during initial tests. The technology works on live video. Facial recognition can lead to a loss of privacy, so de-identification technology needs to be developed. Facebook's approach to de-identification pairs an adversarial autoencoder with a classifier network. It uses an encoder-decoder architecture to generate both a mask and an image. There are no plans to apply the technology to any of Facebook's apps at this time. Facebook is currently battling a $35 billion facial recognition lawsuit after making facial recognition a default on its platform earlier this year."
"The flying car is here – and it could change the world . There are many different types of flying cars already out there in the world. These vehicles have the potential to transform how we commute, work, and live. This article describes several flying car projects. The projects differ significantly in how they apply the flying car concept. There will be many legal problems to solve before the industry can take off, and manufacturers will need to demonstrate that their form of transportation is safe. There have already been incidents of these vehicles breaking flight guidelines and potentially causing accidents."
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"8chan goes dark after hardware provider discontinues service . Voxility has banned 8chan and its new host, Epik, as the company felt that the content on the website was 'intolerable'. Cloudflare had recently decided to cut off services to 8chan after recent mass shootings had been linked to the website. Epik had been renting web space from Voxility, and have been in trouble with Voxility before due to content. Epik states that it aims to be a neutral service provider that won't terminate accounts based on arbitrary reasoning or political pressure. The 'chan' websites are moderated and comply with relevant laws. However, Cloudflare claims that while 8chan was legal, the environment it created reveled in violating the spirit of the law."
Best-practice-for-network-segmentation (GitHub Repo). This repository contains best practices for segmentation of the corporate network of any company. It discusses four levels of network segmentation and outlines the advantages and disadvantages of each implementation. Detailed diagrams are provided in each section.
"Remove This! ✂️ AI-Based Video Completion is Amazing! (6 minute video). For over 10 years, people have been able to remove objects from pictures using machine learning algorithms. While removing and changing still objects in pictures is now possible, achieving the same results in video has been a difficult task. A team of scientists has recently presented a new technique for removing moving objects from videos. The flow-based video completion algorithm can completely remove moving objects from videos, with significantly better results than any previous attempts. Many examples of the algorithm at work are shown throughout the video."
"Uber’s plan to launch an air taxi service in 2023 just got a boost from a secretive startup . Joby Aviation has joined forces with Uber to launch a flying taxi service by 2023. Joby has been working on electric aviation for over a decade. It was relatively obscure until it raised $100 million from investors last year. The startup has developed an air taxi prototype and has been conducting test flights at its private airfield in Northern California. Joby's operations are kept secret, and there are no recent images of its prototype aircraft. The aircraft is able to fly at twice the speed of a helicopter while generating significantly less noise. Joby will be responsible for supplying and operating electric air taxis and Uber will provide air traffic control help, landing pad construction, ground transportation, and its ride-share network."
"How AI will eat UI . While we are all aware that computers will one day take over many jobs, some of us still like to believe that our jobs are somehow immune. Different types of AI exist, some which are designed for specific purposes, and some which are able to learn generalized skills through repetitive training of tasks. Fields such as design require humans to be creative and socially intelligent, understanding users' psychology in order to produce usable products. Tracking users' reactions through clicks and likes is difficult. AR wearables will be able to gather more accurate data about users, including information about heart rate, respiration, pupil size, and eye movement. The extra data will help AI become more effective, helping it adapt to us and our needs."
"Using TensorFlow.js to Train a “Rock-Paper-Scissors” Model . It is possible to create a machine-learning algorithm to detect whether a hand is making the symbol for rock, paper, or scissors within 10 minutes in a browser. This tutorial uses a website that implements TensorFlow.js so that all the processing happens within the browser. Picture data from a pre-made dataset is used to train the model, and then the model is tested using a webcam. The full source code for the website is available."
YouTube Automatically Deletes Some Terms Critical of Chinese Regime . YouTube will automatically delete comments that contain specific Chinese phrases commonly used to criticize the Chinese Communist Party. The comments are deleted within seconds of being posted. A link to a video showing the comment deletion is available. Examples of banned phrases are also available in the article.
State Lawmaker Explains Wyoming’s Newly Passed DAO LLC Law . Wyoming will recognize Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) as limited liability corporations (LLCs) effective July 1. DAOs are online collectives of investors that rely on Ethereum's smart-contract technology to make shared decisions. LLCs are entities that combine the characteristics of a corporation with those of a partnership or sole proprietorship. The law makes the process of a DAO becoming an LLC easier and cheaper. It protects DAOs from being sued as general partnerships and makes the rights of DAOs enforceable in court.
"Deep Frozen Arctic Microbes Are Waking Up . As the global climate continues to warm and permafrost thaws, ancient frozen microbes will start to emerge from the ice. Some of these microbes are known to scientists, but others will have unpredictable behavior. These ancient microbes co-evolved with now-extinct ecosystems and could interact with our modern environment in entirely novel ways. There are already suspected examples of this happening, with a mysterious disease appearing twice in Alaska in the last five years. These microbes can be carried large distances by rivers as the ice melts. Due to these reasons, there should be stricter guidelines for future Arctic research and travel."
"Scientists Have Finally Mapped the Whole Human Genome . A team of scientists have created a gapless human genome sequence, making the complete human genome accessible for the first time. 8% of the information in the sequence is new and could provide insights into our evolutionary journey and other information. The Human Genome Project presented a nearly complete version of the genome in 2003, but the project was limited by the technology available at the time. It took many advances in genetic sequencing to make it possible for scientists to complete the project."
"The Fastest GIF Does Not Exist . To make the fastest possible GIFs, set the frame delay to 20ms instead of 10ms. Browsers do not support 0 delay with GIFs, and anything with a delay and less than 20ms is pushed to 100ms. 20ms is the sweet spot where the framerate ends up being the fastest. Examples are available in the article."
"The story of how Google could have killed Facebook with the flick of a switch . In 2013, Facebook depended on an application called Power Editor for 25% of its revenue. Power Editor was responsible for everything that could be done on ads on the platform. It was huge, complex, user-unfriendly, and it depended on WebSQL, which was a deprecated technology. WebSQL had already been removed by all other browsers but Chrome, and Google was well within its rights to do the same. It took over 3 years to rewrite the 150k lines of code in Power Editor while in production and also improving the app."
"Eavesdropping on the Brain with 10,000 Electrodes (11 minute read). Neuropixels is a device that can record activity from firing neurons inside the brain. The device has the potential to deliver faster insights into a wide range of behaviors and enable better treatments for brain disorders. This article discusses the development of the device. Developing Neuropixels was challenging as engineers needed to place electrodes directly in contact with neurons anywhere in the brain, which is a soft and easily damaged organ."
"The Pile (Website). The Pile is an 825 GiB language modeling data set consisting of 22 smaller combined datasets. Diversity in data sources improves general cross-domain knowledge and downstream generalization capability, especially for large models. Models trained on Pile have shown moderate improvements in traditional language modeling benchmarks."
"China's state-run press agency has created an 'AI anchor' to read the news . China's state-run press agency Xinhua has created an AI news anchor by using footage of human news anchors, then using machine learning techniques to animate parts of the mouth and face along with speech synthesis to make the host say whatever they want. Now, these ""anchors"" can ""work 24 hours a day on its official website and various social media platforms, reducing news production costs and improving efficiency."""
"UPS delivers prescription medications to US homes by drone for the first time . UPS Flight Forward has completed the first prescription medication drone delivery in the US. The company flew the medication from a pharmacy to a home in North Carolina before making a second delivery to a nearby retirement village. UPS partnered with CVS Pharmacy and Matternet for the deliveries. The Matternet M2 drone flew autonomously, but it was monitored by a remote operator. Other companies have completed drone deliveries before, but UPS Flight Forward's service is the first to include prescription medicine. Drone delivery progress has been slow mainly due to regulations that prevent companies from flying drones without FAA authorization."
"Las Vegas approves a $48.6 million contract with Elon Musk’s Boring Company . A vote held by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority resulted in the approval of a $48.6 million contract with Elon Musk’s Boring Company. The Boring Company will construct two tunnels for vehicles, three stations, and a pedestrian tunnel. It is expected that the project will be completed before the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2021. So far, The Boring Company has only finished one tunnel in Hawthorne, California. It’s unclear what kind of vehicles will be used in the Las Vegas tunnel, but the city is considering various models of electric vehicles, including Teslas."
"PHP Weekly (Newsletter). PHP Weekly is a once-a-week look at articles, news, and blog posts about the PHP ecosystem. If you're a Wordpress/PHP dev you might want to check it out!"
"OpenCTI (GitHub Repo). OpenCTI is an open-source tool that allows organizations to manage their cyber threat intelligence and observables. Users can view technical and non-technical information linked to primary sources, and easily link different pieces of information together with additional details and custom datasets. It can be integrated with other tools such as MISP, TheHive, MITRE ATT&CK, and more."
"The Big Hack: How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate U.S. Companies (15 minute read). Okay this story is crazy. In 2015, when Amazon was considering acquiring a company called Elemental which (among other things) sold these servers that were optimized for video compression. While doing their due diligence, they were inspecting a few sample servers when they discovered a tiny microchip the size of a grain of rice that wasn't supposed to be there. Amazon reports the discovery to US authorities, who launched a secret investigation. Turns out there is this company called Supermicro, a huge motherboard manufacturer, who is part of the supply chain for tons of companies including Amazon and Apple. Nearly all Supermicro motherboards are assembled by contractors in China, some of whom were bribed and/or coerced by Chinese spies (specifically a hardware hacker division of the People's Liberation Army) to plant tiny microchips inside the motherboards (some chips were smaller than a penciltip, they fit between layers of fiberglass). Overall it is believed that 30 US companies were compromised. Bloomberg reports in this article that Amazon (AWS) and Apple were both compromised, but both companies have denied the report very vehemently. The bigger takeaway here is that the US supply chain is hopelessly tied to China, and any step of this supply chain could be potentially compromised by foreign intelligence."
"Steam’s new indie festival lets you try 40 upcoming games for free . The Games Developer Conference will be canceled this year, so Steam has launched a spring edition of its Steam Game Festival starting today to spotlight small creators. The festival now features 40 indie games that can be previewed with free-to-play demos via Steam. It will run from March 18 to March 23."
"Design Gems (Website). This site has a collection of over 170 free tools and resources for designers. Categories include Accessibility, Front-End, Illustrations, Typography, and more. Each resource has a short description."
"LiveKit (GitHub Repo). LiveKit provides scalable, multi-user conferencing over WebRTC. There are client SDKs for JavaScript, iOS, and Android. LiveKit has advanced features such as speaker detection, simulcasting, selective subscription, and moderation APIs. A live demo is available."
"Snap Plans Hardware Push With AR Spectacles, Drone . Snap's next-gen Spectacles will be able to layer Snapchat lenses onto the surrounding environment without using a smartphone's camera. The glasses are geared towards developers and creators, who Snap hopes will create new lens-style experiences for them. Snap will announce the AR Spectacles in May at its developer conference. The company has also revived its plans to build a selfie drone, investing $20 million into Zero Zero Robotics."
"Microsoft Teams now uses AI to improve echo, interruptions, and acoustics . Microsoft is using machine learning to improve Teams audio. Machine learning models are being used to reduce echo and improve call quality. The elimination of echo allows multiple people to speak at the same time. All processing is done locally on client devices. A video demonstrating the new improved call quality feature is available in the article."
"Zero Server (GitHub Repo). Zero Server allows users to build web applications in Node.js, React, HTML, MDX, and other static files, without having to worry about package management or routing. Users can put all their files into one folder and Zero Server will automatically compile, bundle, and serve the application. Zero Server is designed to work with multiple languages and Python support is planned for future releases."
"Branson's Virgin Galactic successfully reaches space . Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo passenger rocket reached a height of 82.7 km on its test launch Thursday. It was carrying two pilots and a fake passenger mannequin, as well as four research experiments for NASA. They plan on charging $250,000 for a 90 minute flight for tourists starting in March of 2019. Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin Galactic, says ""Today we have shown Virgin Galactic can open space to the world."""
"My experience getting a tech job with no degree or relevant work experience . This article details the experience of how a college dropout was able to land a tech job without a degree or relevant work experience. Being able to learn by yourself is a large part of the job, so early experiences with learning how to use computers were valuable. Many things can be learned online for free, but having a set curriculum, mentors, and groups to work with is very motivating and beneficial. Bootcamps can provide networks that lead to employment."
"Apple reportedly developing an Apple TV with a built-in camera and speaker . Apple is developing a new TV accessory that combines the Apple TV with a HomePod speaker and camera for video calls. The accessory will offer access to games and video streaming services with voice assistant controls. Its speakers will likely be an upgrade over those found in most TV sets. The device's camera will let it make video calls, similar to a Facebook Portal TV. Apple is also working on a smart display that will combine the features of an iPad and HomePod."
"Uber Wants to Sell You Train Tickets. And Be Your Bus Service, Too . Uber aims to be the one-stop-shop for car, bike, scooter, bus, and train trips. It has been teaming up with cities and transit agencies in the US, Canada, Britain, and Australia to provide tickets for public transport for people with disabilities, occasionally becoming a substitute for a town's public transportation system with its other services. Some cities are uneasy about Uber's goals as they have already lost many passengers to ride-hailing services, and Uber has been criticized for not sharing rider data that could help agencies plan new transit routes. Ride-hailing services could also increase traffic congestion. Competitor Lyft has also started moving into public transit, with 50 transit partnerships in the US."
"Verily’s coronavirus screening pilot website is already at capacity . Google's sister company Verily's website is unable to schedule more appointments less than 24 hours after launch. Appointment availability is limited as it is a small pilot test for California's Bay Area. All applications will receive a call-back confirmation to schedule an appointment. Google will launch its own website later today, but it will not include screening questions or the ability to find a drive-thru testing facility. The website will be mostly informational, directing people to trustworthy sources."
"FBI hires 140 robots to retrieve sensitive information . The FBI has collected billions of pages of files over its existence. When designing a new facility to house about 2 billion pages in 360,000 bins, the FBI decided that manually retrieving data from the records was almost impossible due to the size of the collection. After exploring various solutions, the FBI chose to employ 140 robots to automatically file and retrieve records. The robots will streamline the data retrieval process and also optimize storage space by eliminating aisles for human access. Their software only tracks record and bin numbers, which means that they won’t have direct access to the records themselves."
Bootstrap or TailwindCSS: How to decide a framework for your next project? . Bootstrap and TailwindCSS are both popular CSS frameworks. They make it easy for developers to develop compatible and responsive websites. Bootstrap's core features include its pre-built components and Utility Classes. TailwindCSS doesn't have pre-built components and only focuses on Utility Classes. It has become popular with developers as it can produce awesome things without requiring any CSS. This article provides an overview of the two frameworks and a small guide on choosing frameworks.
"FCC approves SpaceX’s plans to fly internet-beaming satellites in a lower orbit . SpaceX has gained approval from the FCC to fly their Starlink satellites at a lower altitude of 550 kilometers. By operating at this orbit, Starlink will have a much shorter signal latency and will also require 16 fewer satellites. There have been objections to the approval by other companies such as OneWeb, who are developing their own satellite internet network, and Kepler Communications. They claim that Starlink will use similar signals to their satellites and will cause interference, and that there would be a higher chance of satellites colliding at that orbit. The FCC ruled that interference would not be an issue, and SpaceX claims that their satellites have thrusters and will be able to navigate out of the way of other objects. SpaceX aims to launch a total of 12,000 satellites, with at least 6,000 in the next six years."
"Amazon launches a cloud-based robotics testing platform . Amazon launched AWS Robomaker at its AWS Re:Invent conference on Monday. Robomaker is a cloud-based platform to speed up consumer robotics development, using the popular open source Robot Operating System project. The official announcement says ""AWS RoboMaker automatically provisions the underlying infrastructure and it downloads, compiles, and configures the operating system, development software, and ROS. AWS RoboMaker's robotics simulation makes it easy to set up large-scale and parallel simulations with pre-built worlds, such as indoor rooms, retail stores, and racing tracks, so developers can test their applications on-demand and run multiple simulations in parallel."""
"WarGames for real: How one 1983 exercise nearly triggered WWIII (23 minute read). 32 years ago, the world was the closest it had ever been to nuclear armageddon. The KGB had constructed software to forecast if the US and its allies were planning a nuclear strike. A war game staged by the US over two weeks in November 1983 triggered the forecast. The procedures and tactics used in the war games were things that the Soviets had never seen, and to the Soviet leadership, it looked like a cover for a genuine surprise attack planned by the US. With many other factors in consideration, the Soviets had good reason to think that the US believed it would win a nuclear war. As the US military increasingly turns to machine learning, the lesson of what can happen when an algorithm gets it wrong should not be forgotten."
"Apple will produce 1 million face shields per week for medical workers . There is a shortage of personal protective equipment for doctors, such as face shields and masks. Apple is designing and producing face shields for medical workers and is aiming to produce one million face shields per week. The first shipment was sent to Kaiser hospital facilities last week. Apple's face shields can be packed 100 to a box and can be assembled in two minutes. Apple has also donated 20 million N95 masks to organizations in need."
"SpaceX rolls out first new Starship prototype in nine months . SpaceX has rolled out a new Starship prototype for the first time in more than nine months. The last Starship prototype, Starship S20, was rolled out in August 2021 more as a photo-op than a technical achievement. Starship S24 and Super Heavy B7 feature extensive design changes and an upgraded version of the Raptor engine. Booster 7 has already completed several cryogenic proof tests and is currently being outfitted with 33 new Raptor engines. Ship 24 still needs to pass basic tests before SpaceX will install new Raptor engines to prepare it for more tests. Pictures of the new Starship are available in the article."
"pytailwindcss (GitHub Repo). pytailwindcss is a standalone Tailwind CSS CLI interface that is ideal for Tailwind projects that don't need Node.js or npm. It contains the full power of Tailwind CLI in a self-contained executable without Node.js. While users can still customize Tailwind CSS and use all official Tailwind CSS plug-ins, they will not be able to install plugins or additional dependencies for their setups without Node.js."
lo (GitHub Repo). lo is a Lodash-style Go library based on Go 1.18+ Generics. Lodash is a JavaScript utility library for common programming tasks that uses the functional programming paradigm to help programmers write more concise and maintainable code. Benchmark results are available.
"Space Cloud (GitHub Repo). Space Cloud replaces tradition backend servers and simplifies app development. It is essentially a web server that integrates with new or existing databases to provide instant real-time APIs over REST, web sockets, gRPC, and more. Space Cloud provides many functionalities, security, and flexibility to work with the tech stack of your choice without having to write a single line of backend code."
"Drunk Shrub (Drink). A good friend of mine recently started an ecommerce business called Drunk Shrub, it sells shrub, a tangy syrup that you can mix with alcoholic beverages or carbonated water to make soda. If you're an adventurous foodie and live in the United States, you might want to check this out. I highly recommend the raspberry mint jalapeno!"
How to Watch the World's First All-Civilian Spaceflight Aboard a SpaceX Ship . Inspiration4 is set to launch on September 15. The all-civilian space mission will take a three-day trip through orbit onboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon Resilience. It will be the first time in history that a crew of solely private citizens has embarked on such a journey. SpaceX and Netflix will livestream the launch from their YouTube channels. The mission will be rescheduled for September 16 if there is bad weather or other factors stopping the launch.
Yao (GitHub Repo). Yao is a low code engine for creating web services and dashboards. It features a built-in data management system that is designed for making various management and enterprise systems. Two demo management systems created with Yao are available.
"Bitcoin's biggest upgrade in four years just happened – here's what changes . Bitcoin's Taproot update has gone live with near-universal support. The update will bring greater transaction privacy through Schorr signatures, which will make simple transactions indistinguishable from multi-signature transactions. Taproot allows for cheaper and smaller smart contracts and the update presents a lot of potential for developers. While the Bitcoin community had agreed on the changes back in June, the update was delayed due to testing to reduce the likelihood of something going wrong."
"Ffsend (GitHub Repo). Ffsend is a command-line tool that sends files via Firefox Send. It is currently still in an alpha development stage, however, it is fully featured and can upload/download, archive/extract, inspect, and stream password protected files up to 2GB over an encrypted connection. Future releases will allow users to add their Firefox account information in order to upload files that can have higher download counts and longer expiry times. Ffsend works on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS, and can be built from source for other architectures if required."
"Product Hunt Has Released YourStack, A Social Network Where People Talk About Products . YourStack is a new social network that is focused on products that friends and public figures recommend. The site aims to become a Yelp for products. It is owned by AngelList, who also owns Product Hunt. Several high-profile tech executives have already joined the site in order to provide content as it launches. Review fraud will be one of the major issues that YourStack will face. The site shares spam and abuse detect systems and moderation practices with Product Hunt, and users will need a Twitter account to post, which should cut down on fake accounts."
"SVG Spinners (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of SVG spinner animations. Each entry in the list has a link to the .svg file, a preview of the spinner, and its size in bytes."
"Security Newsletter (Newsletter). Security is one of those subjects that I never really get around to really understanding (your email is safe with me I swear!), but I generally find it pretty interesting to read about casually. Security Newsletter is an expertly curated weekly collection of links from Dieter Van der Stock, a devops/security engineer at Articulate."
"World-first ""impossible"" rotating detonation engine fires up . A team in Florida working with the US Air Force has built an experimental model of a rotating detonation rocket engine. It uses spinning explosions inside a ring channel to create a super-efficient thrust. Most engines use combustion, which is a relatively slow and controlled process compared to detonation. Detonation releases significantly more energy than combustion with significantly less fuel, but detonation engines have proven to be incredibly difficult to build and sustain. A 20-second slow-motion video of the rocket firing is available."
"Facebook says the FTC privacy inquiry could cost as much as $5 billion . Facebook’s first quarter 2019 earnings report revealed that the company paid a $3 billion dollar fine to the Federal Trade Commission. Investigations into Facebook’s role in breaching privacy agreements is still ongoing, and the company estimated the final fine will be up to $5 billion dollars. The FTC plans to issue a record-breaking fine to Facebook, far exceeding the $22.5 million fine it imposed on Google in 2012. Facebook stocks rose by more than 3% after the earnings report was released."
"Airbus reveals hydrogen ‘plane pods’ concept . Airbus is developing a hydrogen-fueled airliner to potentially unlock the prospect of zero-emission air travel by 2035. It has revealed three concept aircraft: a propeller-driven regional aircraft, a short-to-medium-haul airliner, and a radical ‘blended-wing’ aircraft. The company will continue to create concepts, choosing one of the concepts to focus on by 2025. One of the concepts uses a pod configuration, with pods that contain everything needed to lift the aircraft. The pods are designed so that they can be assembled, installed, removed, and disassembled quickly to provide an elegant solution to refueling issues."
"Amazon launches Counterfeit Crimes Unit to fight knockoffs on its store . Amazon has launched a new Counterfeit Crimes Unit in an effort to fight counterfeit products on its website. The team consists of former federal prosecutors, experienced investigators, and data analysts. Counterfeit products are a big issue for Amazon, with Nike recently deciding to stop selling through the platform, citing unlicensed and imposter sellers as a contributing factor. The new unit will make it easier for Amazon to file civil lawsuits, aid brands in their investigations, and work with law enforcement. Amazon spent over $500 million in 2019 to fight fraud, abuse, and counterfeit products. It reported blocking 2.5 million suspected bad actor accounts and shutting down 6 billion suspected bad listings in 2019."
Strange new form of ice discovered in high pressure experiments . Ice comes in at least 20 different forms. Scientists at the University of Nevada Las Vegas have discovered a new type of ice that may be found in the Earth's mantle or on distant watery planets. It was discovered as the team was developing a new technique to measure the properties of water under high pressure. Ice VIIt is made up of symmetrical tetragonal crystals. It is formed at around 5.1 GigaPascals of pressure.
"Microsoft is shutting down Mixer and partnering with Facebook Gaming . Microsoft will be closing its Mixer service on July 22, with plans to move existing partners over to Facebook Gaming. Mixer has struggled to compete with Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook Gaming. The transition to Facebook Gaming will happen over the coming weeks. Existing Mixer Partners will be granted partner status with Facebook Gaming and streamers who were using the Mixer monetization program will be granted eligibility for Facebook's Level Up program. Viewers with outstanding Ember balances or subscriptions will receive Xbox gift card credit. Microsoft will be working closely with Facebook to bring its xCloud game streaming service to Facebook Gaming."
"23 Alternative Career Paths that Software Developers Can Grow Into (28 minute read). Being a software engineer doesn't just mean a lifetime of working in software development. Many other jobs require software development skills, for example, technical writing, developer marketing, and project management. This article has a list of 23 alternative career paths for software developers with each section describing the role and how to start getting into the field."
"MoviePass is officially coming back . MoviePass co-founder Stacy Spikes has announced that the service will return this summer. The company recently held a launch event in NYC. MoviePass 2.0 will be powered by web3 technology. The new model will run on tradable credits that roll over month to month. Subscribers will be able to use their credits to bring a friend. Aspects of PreShow, a technology by a company owned by Spikes that trades ad views for in-game currency, will be incorporated into the new MoviePass."
"Netflix Hangouts (Website). Netflix Hangouts is a Chrome browser plugin that makes Netflix look like a conference call, so you can Netflix at work with peace of mind."
"Harvard shrank its insect-inspired microrobot to the size of a penny . Harvard has created a Harvard Ambulatory Microrobot the size of a penny that can run at speeds of 13.9 body lengths per second. HAMR-JR was built as a test to see whether the origami-style manufacturing process used to make it could produce robots of all different scales. The design of HAMR-JR is exactly the same as the one used in its predecessor, HAMR, but scaled down. Photos and videos of the robots are available in the article."
"Portrait by AI program sells for $432,000 . A portrait called Portrait of Edmond Belamy painted by an AI created by Paris-based art collective Obvious has been sold for $432,000. It's the first AI generated picture sold by a major auction house, it was sold by Christie's in New York, who had estimated that it would sell for just $7,000-$10,000."
"Milkdown (GitHub Repo). Milkdown is a markdown editor. It is themeable and hackable and it supports math equations, tables, collaboration, emojis, and more. A live demo is available."
The French army is testing Boston Dynamics’ robot dog Spot in combat scenarios . Images of Boston Dynamics' Spot robot alongside French soldiers during military exercises were shared on Twitter recently by France's foremost military school. The robots were being tested by students of the school to assess the usefulness of the robots in future battlefields. Boston Dynamics forbids the use of its Spot robot for harm or intimidation. Images of Spot participating in the military exercises are available in the article.
"China has successfully landed on Mars . China's Tianwen-1 probe has landed on Mars. Its Zhurong rover will exit the lander within the next three days and start exploring the red planet. The rover has a mass of about 240 kg, comparable to NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers. This is the first time China has sent a spacecraft to Mars. Tianwen-1 arrived into Mars orbit on February 10 and spent three months collecting images of its landing site, the large Utopia Planitia impact basin."
"The world’s biggest airplane has taken its first flight . Stratolaunch, the world’s biggest airplane, is wider than a football field with its 385 foot wingspan. Its first test flight was on April 13, where it flew at 189 miles per hour at 15,000 feet. Created from two used Boeing jetliners, Stratolaunch aims to be able to fly at two or three times higher than commercial jets to act as a launching pad for satellites to be sent into space."
"wp-sqlite (GitHub Repo). wp-sqlite is a WordPress implementation with an SQLite database. SQLite is self-contained, serverless, zero-configuration, and transactional. It allows a single database connection to access multiple database files simultaneously. WordPress is much faster and more secure with an SQLite implementation."
"Google's Plan To Take On Alexa: New Features, New Devices, and a Trojan Horse . At CES, Google has announced a lot of new features for Assistant, including auto-translation which lets you talk to someone who speaks a different language with the smart speaker acting as a translator automatically. It will also be putting Google Assistant onto millions of iPhones by adding Assistant to Google Maps, allowing users to ""share your ETA with friends and family, reply to text messages, play music and podcasts, and get information hands free."" Most importantly, Google launched Google Assistant Connect, a platform that will let third party developers build their own applications on top of Google Assistant to compete with Alexa's third party integrations."
"Tweet complaining about DMCA takedown abuse gets hit with DMCA takedown . A tweet promoting a TorrentFreak article regarding leaked episodes from unreleased shows was hit with a DMCA takedown, a move which the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) complained about. The EFF tweet complaining about the takedown was also served with a DMCA takedown request. In the original article, TorrentFreak used screenshots from the leaked shows to prove that they were screener copies of the shows. The EFF claimed that this was fair use and not copyright infringement, as TorrentFreak was only reporting on the infringement. Twitter receives around 10,000 DMCA requests per month, and this is an example of how the takedown system can be abused."
"Chinese vlogger who used filter to look younger caught in live-stream glitch . A technical glitch has revealed that a popular Chinese vlogger is actually a middle-aged woman, rather than the young glamorous girl that she portrayed. This has sparked discussions about standards of beauty across the country's social media platforms. With more than 100,000 followers, the vlogger solicited gifts from her fans, with some fans giving her more than US $14,533. After the revelation, many fans stopped following her and withdrew their transactions. The use of face filters during live-streaming is common in China. Live-streamers in China are discouraged from broadcasting publicly and are extremely restricted in what they can say."
"Scientists have found a way to decode brain signals into speech . Scientists in California have successfully decoded brain signals into decipherable speech. Brain activity was recorded from patients who were undergoing brain surgery as they spoke from a list of phrases. The recorded activity was then analyzed by a computer model. In a testing phase, humans were able to understand 50-70% of the synthesized words. This method analyzes the brain signals that control the movement of vocal muscles rather than the thoughts of the subjects. External methods of recording brain activity are unable to reproduce the same results as the signals become mixed and difficult to read."
"Elon Musk says SpaceX will attempt to recover Super Heavy rocket by catching it with launch tower . SpaceX will attempt to catch a heavy booster using the launch tower arm used to stabilize it during its pre-takeoff preparations. One of SpaceX's goals with the Super Heavy rocket is to remove its landing legs. By using the launch tower arm, SpaceX can eliminate the landing legs from the Super Heavy design altogether, saving both cost and weight. The Super Heavy booster would also be able to launch again almost immediately."
"How NASA's Mars Helicopter Will Reach the Red Planet's Surface . The Mars Helicopter Delivery System was created to help NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter safely navigate the final five inches from the Perseverance rover to the surface of Mars. Ingenuity weighs about four pounds and is packed with technology that makes stowing and deploying it a challenge, especially since powered controlled flight on Mars has never been attempted. Mission engineers decided to store the helicopter in Perseverance's belly. Two months after Perseverance lands, the rover will drop the Mars Helicopter Delivery System onto a suitable location, and six days later, the deployment process will begin. Once a good drop is confirmed, the helicopter will begin recharging its batteries with its solar panel, and then the flight test program will begin. If the technology is successful, the helicopters might be used in future missions to act as scouts, carry payloads, or investigate the environment."
"Square is going to make a hardware wallet for bitcoin . Square is making a hardware wallet for bitcoin. CEO Jack Dorsey had told Twitter in June that the company was considering making one. Dorsey is very supportive of bitcoin, so it is not surprising that Square is working towards making bitcoin custody more mainstream. Square customers can already buy and sell bitcoin from Square's Cash App."
"Spotify now allows advertisers to specifically target podcast listeners . Advertisers can now target Spotify users based on the podcasts that they listen to. This feature will be rolling out to 10 markets today, including the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Australia. Ads will be played between songs, as usual, and ads within podcasts will not be affected. Targeting users based on podcast preference rather than music taste may be more beneficial for advertisers as podcast preferences reveal more information about the user."
"2022 Customer Data Platforms Market Guide (Sponsor). A customer data platform (CDP) is an essential piece of marketing technology to put customer data to work. As a TLDR subscriber, you're invited to get free access to the ""2022 Customer Data Platforms Market Guide” which provides all the information you need when choosing a CDP.Downoad it here."
Kickstarter loses nearly 40 percent of its workforce after layoffs and buyouts . Kickstarter has laid off 25 employees and had a further 30 employees voluntarily resign. The platform has seen a 35 percent drop in new projects and it doesn't look like business will be picking up. Kickstarter had warned employees of potential layoffs last month. It is one of the few tech companies that has unionized. The union was involved in negotiating severance packages for employees.
"Tinder will give you a verified blue check mark if you pass its catfishing test . Tinder will be launching new safety features that include a photo verification system, a service that gives daters an easy way to call emergency services, and a feature that flags potentially offensive messages. Tinder is considering implementing an 'undo' feature that will allow users to unsend messages. Users who pass the photo verification process will receive a blue checkmark on their profiles, giving their potential matches peace of mind that they won't be catfished. The photos are manually verified by humans, but this process will be automated in the future."
"Barcelona's car-free smart city experiment . Superblocks is an initiative by Barcelona to lower noise and pollution within its city by creating areas where all but essential vehicles are banned. There are currently six superblocks so far, each made up of nine existing blocks joined together. Parking for residents is underground. Some residents are opposed to the plan as it may lower trade in the area or because they want their cars parked outside of their homes. Other cities such as Seattle are considering introducing something similar. Barcelona has ruled citizen data as a public and individual asset and should be used solely in the public interest, meaning that it should be used to improve the quality of life in cities, rather than being used to create digital exclusion."
"Spotify CEO to invest over $1 billion of his own wealth for 'moonshot' bets in Europe . Spotify CEO Daniel Ek will commit 1 billion euros of his own resources to invest in European start-ups. His focus will be on scientific innovation in health, education, machine learning, and biotechnology. Ek states that one of his motivations is his frustration with European tech companies being bought up by US rivals and having European talent leave for the US as a result. Europe is often seen as lagging behind in technology compared to the US and China. Many European tech companies are choosing the US market for their IPOs."
"Why Salesforce is sending its employees to the forest . Salesforce is sending its employees to the Trailblazer Ranch, a forested location in the Santa Cruz mountains. An employee survey found that the change most wished for in the company was more connection with colleagues. The company has onboarded tens of thousands of employees since the beginning of the pandemic who have never met their manager or teams in person. The ranch will have several activities and group experiences for the employees. Salesforce is planning to make the ranch a permanent location."
"Supercooled water in “snowball chamber” might be able to find dark matter . Using a technique inspired by YouTube videos and the movie Frozen, physicist Matthew Szydagis built a detector that might be able to find dark matter. The detector uses supercooled water to detect the presence of particles like neutrons. If these particles interact with the water, the water will instantly turn into snow. Dark matter particles are theorized to be made up of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), which should have similar properties to neutrons. The detector will be able to tell the difference between neutrons and WIMPs. Neutrons will scatter around the water chamber and cause multiple seed points for the phase change, whereas WIMPs are so rare they will only interact with the detector once."
"Coinbase Multi-Factor Authentication Hack Affects at Least 6,000 Customers . Between March and May this year, hackers used a flaw in Coinbase's account recovery process to bypass SMS multi-factor authentication and transfer funds out of at least 6,000 customers' accounts. The attackers likely stole login information through a phishing scheme as there is no evidence that the information was obtained from Coinbase. Coinbase will be compensating customers for the stolen funds. Customers are advised to switch to more secure versions of multi-factor authentication."
"Ask HN: I think I’ve burnt out. What should I do? (Hacker News Thread). After going through a series of serious life events it can be hard to continue on with work, and you might start thinking about making changes. During this period, it is important to remember that work provides an important level of structure in your life. It provides routine and social contact, and without it, it is easy to slide into bad habits, especially when going through rough periods in life. Finding good medical help is important in recovering from tough life events. Many suggest that if the stress is too much, moving to a less stressful job might be the best choice. However, unless it is financially feasible and it really is the best option, the least advised choice is to become unemployed, unless there is a plan around it. One of the best ways to get through tough periods is to keep yourself busy, so if it is possible, taking time off from work to travel is a good option."
"So, you want to be a darknet drug lord... . This article is about how to be a darknet drug lord. It covers topics such as international law, what technologies to learn, and operational security. A common mistake is to only rely on Tor for security. A list of resources is available."
"Report: M1X MacBook Pros to hit shelves in ‘the next several weeks’ . The long-awaited 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros powered by the M1X processor are expected to be released in the next several weeks. Apple will likely hold a virtual event sometime in October to announce the new MacBook Pros. The new laptops will feature high-end M1 chips, MagSafe magnetic charging, miniLED screens, an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and no Touch Bar. They will have a new flat-edged design similar to in the latest iMac, iPad Pro, and iPhone 12 designs. New AirPods, iPad minis, and entry-level iPads are also expected to be announced this fall."
"The Internet’s biggest players are all affected by critical Log4Shell 0-day . Log4Shell is a newly discovered zero-day vulnerability that affects many of the biggest names on the internet. It was discovered running on Minecraft servers and clients. The vulnerability allows attackers to input data into username fields to create external network connections, making the server vulnerable to remote code execution attacks. Cloudflare and Minecraft have already taken steps to mitigate the vulnerability."
"YouTube’s TikTok competitor Shorts will soon let users sample audio from any YouTube video . YouTube Shorts will soon let users sample sounds from any content uploaded to YouTube. The feature is now available in new markets as part of the launch of Shorts in the UK, Canada, and several Latin American countries. It will roll out to other markets in the coming weeks. Some creators have complained about the new feature, saying that it makes it easier for people to use their content without permission. Creators can opt out of the feature, but they have to choose the option for each video individually."
"Scaling to 100k Users . As startups grow, they will inevitably have to deal with issues of scale. This can be a good problem, but there is scarce information on how to scale web apps as the number of users grows to hundreds of thousands. Developments usually come from dealing with massive issues or identifying bottlenecks. As a web app grows, it will have different needs. Infrastructure is built and changed incrementally. Larger web apps will start needing services like load balancers and CDNs. As businesses continue to grow, developers will always need to continue to work to solve problems of scale."
"Luminate aims to make hair loss from chemotherapy a thing of the past . Luminate Medical has created a medical wearable that prevents hair loss resulting from chemotherapy. The device is a sort of mechanized compression garment for the head. It restricts blood flow to the skin of the scalp during chemo sessions, allowing the drugs to flow where they are needed while saving the hair follicles from damage. Animal tests have resulted in hair retention of around 80 percent with no adverse side effects. It will still take some time for full human trials to be set up, but initial tests show that it works exactly as expected on people as well. Luminate plans to sell its treatment for $1,500."
"Scientists: Octopuses Love to Fling Objects at Each Other . Octopuses will deliberately throw things at other octopuses, a behavior that hints at advanced social dynamics among the creatures. New footage showing a female octopus throwing silt at a male 10 times in a row after he attempted to mate with her led scientists to conclude that the behavior was intentional. Octopuses have been observed punching fish out of spite, so this is not the first time octopuses have been found to be moody."
"Spotify Introduces New Podcast API . Spotify has released a new podcast API for developers. It will allow developers to explore all of the public data on Spotify, for example, show and episode titles, description, and art. Developers will be able to search through Spotify's catalog of over 700,000 podcasts. The API will allow apps to perform actions on behalf of users."
"Zuckerberg Plans to Integrate WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger . Facebook will be combining the infrastructure for WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. They will still be available as different apps, but their backends will be unified, with end to end encryption. This new infrastructure will support 2.6 billion users. Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center calls this change ""a terrible outcome for internet users."" Facebook wants to have this done by the end of the year or early 2020."
"Hire vetted remote developers in US time zones (Sponsor). Hire vetted remote developers in US time zones . Revelo is a platform for sourcing, hiring, and managing FAANG-caliber developers in Latin America. GitHub, Carta, and Intuit use Revelo’s talent to scale their engineering teams. Hire an engineer today with a 100% risk-free 14-day trial."
"Mirage JS (GitHub Repo). Mirage JS is an API mocking library to develop, test, and prototype JavaScript apps without requiring any backend services. Developers can have a complete local offline dev environment up and running in seconds. Mirage JS can help developers create complete prototypes without needing to invest in any server-side infrastructure."
"Introducing Android Q Beta (10 minute read). The Beta 1 of Android Q has been released, bringing additional privacy and security features for users, enhancements for foldables, new APIs for connectivity, new media codecs and camera capabilities, Neural Network API extensions, Vulkan 1.1 support, faster app startup, and more. An SDK has been released for developers to test their apps on the new OS so developers can start to take advantage of the new features and APIs. Pixel 1, 2, and 3 owners can download and install the beta immediately after enrolling into the beta program, and developers with other Android devices can use the new Android Emulator to test their apps."
"Cost Cutting Algorithms Are Making Your Job Search a Living Hell . In the past few years, job seekers have noticed that companies are responding to their applications with automated responses that direct them to online tests. Many of these tests contain questions that the applicant has already answered, and they are sent so quickly to the applicant that no human could've possibly assessed the applicant prior. This experience can be demeaning, and the automation of the process of hiring is just beginning. Some companies are now using automated recorded phone interviews or video interviews where an AI is assessing the applicant based on vocal and facial cues. The career-training industry now teaches applicants strategies and techniques for beating bots. Job applicants consider these systems tedious, but companies claim that it saves them valuable time. There have been cases of biases from some of these bots, mainly caused by the data that the bots were trained on."
"Bevy (GitHub Repo). Bevy is a data-driven game engine built in Rust. It features a custom Entity Component System, a 2D renderer, a 3D renderer, render graphs, cross-platform support, hot reloading, and more. Bevy is still in the very early stages of development."
OpenAI’s latest AI builds a Diamond Axe in Minecraft – why it matters . OpenAI used a mix of video training and reinforcement learning to create an AI that can make a diamond pickaxe in Minecraft. Creating a diamond pickaxe in Minecraft is a complex task that requires many steps. The team used a method called Video PreTraining (VPT) that involved training the AI using massive amounts of raw gameplay video and human-processed video. VPT can be used for almost any software where there is enough video material.
"Scientists Say New Treatment Lets Alopecia Patients Regrow Hair . A common arthritis medication appears to help alopecia patients regrow their hair. Data from medical trials clearly show how effective the treatment is. There is no current FDA-approved treatment for alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that causes rapid loss of hair. The treatment could become available soon."
"Watch Boeing launch a critical Starliner test flight to the ISS . Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is making another attempt to reach the International Space Station. The test flight will determine whether the spacecraft is ready for manned missions. Starliner launched on top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral. If the mission is successful, Starliner will reach the ISS with over 800 pounds of cargo within 24 hours. A video of the launch is available in the article."
"NASA will attempt to knock an asteroid out of orbit for the first time in 2022 . NASA is attempting to knock a small asteroid off course in October 2022, in order to test whether we will be able to protect Earth from a future asteroid impact if we need to. The asteroid, Didymoon, is about 150 meters wide. NASA will launch a 500kg spacecraft at the asteroid and attempt to hit it to alter its course."
"The robot kitchen that will make you dinner – and wash up too . For £248,000, you can buy a robotic kitchen that can cook restaurant-quality meals and then clean up after itself. The Moley Kitchen robot is currently targeted at enthusiasts, professionals, and early adopters, and the makers anticipate that the pricing will be reduced significantly over time. So far, they have received 1,205 qualified sales inquiries. The robot was developed with the help of Tim Anderson, the winner of the 2011 series of BBC MasterChef. Anderson's actions were captured and translated into digital movements. There will be 30 dishes at launch, with new recipes added every month."
"Ultra slow-mo camera can record light bouncing off mirrors . The MegaX camera is a single-photon avalanche diode-based image sensor that was used to film light bouncing between mirrors. It can film at 24,000 frames per second. As light isn't usually visible while in flight, the researchers had to focus on the photons from a laser pulse as they scattered off particles in the air. Machine learning algorithms were used to plot the 3D light path. The technique could be used in high-energy physics for fast image detection or in virtual and augmented reality for accurately recreating environments. A one-minute video that includes the clip of light bouncing between mirrors is available in the article."
"Scientists Have Created a Vaccine for Cat Allergies, but You Can't Have It Yet . Scientists have created a vaccine for cat allergies that trains the immune systems of cats, instead of desensitizing the immune system of people allergic to cats. Hypocat trains the cat's immune system to attack a protein called Fel d 1 by attaching a modified virus to the protein. Fel d 1 is the allergen that over 90 percent of people with cat allergies respond to. Cats who were administered with the vaccine showed a sustained response to the allergen, neutralizing Fel d 1 and causing less allergic reactions in humans. The vaccine appears to have no serious long-term side effects. While it doesn't completely eliminate the protein, the results are promising, and the vaccine is planned to be accessible by 2022."
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"US teenager wins $3m as Fortnite world champion . Kyle Giersdorf has won $3 million becoming the world champion of the computer game Fortnite. Other competitors also walked away with a share of the record-breaking $30 million prize pool. However, the record for the largest prize pool will soon be broken by The International, an event taking place in August. The e-sports industry is estimated to be a billion-dollar industry in 2019. More than 30 nations took part in the Fortnite finals, with a majority of the players coming from the US. 200 million players are registered to play with Fortnite, a game which has been criticized by the Duke of Sussex for being 'created to addict.'"
"Brain implants, AI, and a speech synthesizer have turned brain activity into robot words . A team of scientists has used neural networks to synthesize speech from brain activity. Patients who had special implants to monitor epilepsy listened to words as artificial neural networks monitored their brain activity. The network was able to synthesize understandable words from just the brain activity 75% of the time. This research may soon allow paralyzed people to communicate."
MVP.css (GitHub Site). MVP.css is a minimalist stylesheet for HTML elements. It styles root HTML elements so that developers don't need to learn any CSS frameworks or use any naming conventions. MVP.css is designed to look good on all browsers and devices.
"Chinese scientists turn sand into soil (1 minute video). Chinese scientists have invented a paste made of plant cellulose that helps sand retain water, nutrients, and air, transforming sand into soil that can grow crops. The paste is non-toxic, environmentally friendly, cheap, and suitable for mass production. A section of the Ulan Buh Desert in Inner Mongolia has been turned into arable land using this method, allowing farmers to grow crops in the desert."
"Apple search engine efforts ‘stepping up’ as Google deal under threat . Apple has been working on its Applebot crawler since before 2015, and with Google under investigation for antitrust practices, it may have to put it to use. Google currently pays Apple an estimated $8-12 billion a year to be the default search engine on iOS. Antitrust regulators claim that the deal is anti-competitive, so Apple may be forced to choose a different default search engine. Applebot's crawl rate has increased substantially in recent months, but Apple could just be trying to improve Siri. Apple's strong stance on privacy may prevent it from entering into the search engine business."
"Apple reportedly planning global rollout for its streaming TV service next year . Apple is launching a Netflix-like streaming TV service in the first half of next year in over 100 countries. The service will be free for iOS device owners. Apple is spending $1 billion on content in 2018 alone for the service, and has hired big names like Oprah, the Sesame Street creators, M. Night Shyamalan, Jennifer Aniston, and Reese Witherspoon."
"UltraRAM Breakthrough Brings New Memory and Storage Tech to Silicon . UltraRAM is a memory technology that combines the non-volatility of a data storage memory with the speed, energy efficiency, and endurance of working memory. It can be used as both RAM and storage on devices. Scientists from Lancaster University in the UK have made a breakthrough in the mass production of the technology. The technology could help push forward the popular trend towards in-memory processing."
Google is bringing Android games to Windows in 2022 . A Google Play Games app by Google will be available for Windows in 2022. It will allow users to play Android games on Windows devices. Users will be able to resume games on their Windows devices after playing them on an Android device. Google developed the app on its own and will distribute the app itself.
"Facebook refuses to pay revenue to Australian media . The Australian government is attempting to draft legislation to force Facebook and Google to share advertising revenue they earn from news featured on their services. Leading news publishers have demanded that 10% of the revenue that these platforms make each year from news content should be given to local news organizations. Facebook has rejected calls to share its advertising revenue with the media. News sites represent a very small fraction of the content in an average user's news feed, so the impact of removing news sites from Facebook would be minimal. Google has rejected the demands, saying that it made barely $10 million a year from news-linked advertising."
"Journalist’s phone hacked by new ‘invisible’ technique (12 minute read). A tool used by parties associated with the Moroccan government was able to hack a journalist's phone by intercepting the journalist's cellular signal and returning malicious code, without the journalist ever noticing that anything had happened despite being trained in encryption and cybersecurity. The hack only required him to visit any website. Using the hack, the attackers could access all the data on the phone, listen to calls and monitor video conferences, and even turn on the camera and microphone to monitor the journalist at any moment. Network injection attacks leave virtually no trace, making it impossible to determine what weakness was exploited to gain access to the phone. It is likely that the Moroccan government was directly behind the attack."
"Genetic testing firm 23andMe is going public via a SPAC backed by Richard Branson . 23andMe will go public via a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) backed by Richard Branson. The deal values 23andMe at $3.5 billion. It is expected to close in the second quarter, after which the company will begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange. SPACs have grown in popularity over the last year as they are seen as a less-risky option compared to traditional IPOs and they give newer companies access to larger amounts of capital. The funds from the sale will let 23andMe expand into developing therapeutics."
"Aspect Ratio is Great . This article discusses how to use the aspect-ratio property in CSS. Prior to the aspect-ratio property being added to CSS a year ago, developers had to write some pretty ugly CSS to get elements to conform to an aspect ratio. The aspect-ratio property makes it simple and it doesn't require learning a lot of other CSS to use."
"IBM's debating robot argues it out with human for first time . Project Debater is an AI that IBM spent six years developing that is able to draw from a bank of several hundred million articles to construct arguments. It also uses speech recognition to analyze its opponent's arguments. In its first public debate, it scored 1-1 against a human opponent. While it performed well, it had some un-human slip-ups, including sentences that didn't follow naturally from the previous statement and phrases that it included from the source text that were annotations."
"Falso (GitHub Repo). Falso is a package that can produce fake data in the browser and NodeJS. It features more than 140 functions and it is tree shakeable and fully typed, so unused modules do not become part of the bundle. A live demo is available."
"Amazon allegedly used sellers' data to make competing products . Amazon employees have allegedly used propriety seller data to help design and price in-house products, despite Amazon policies forbidding the practice. This includes executives, who used workarounds to get by Amazon's data protection policies. Amazon had testified to Congress in July that it doesn't use seller data to gain an unfair advantage. This revelation may lead to serious legal repercussions for Amazon even if the company's leaders didn't authorize the practice."
"In a Huge Milestone, Engineers Build a Working Computer Chip Out of Carbon Nanotubes . Silicon chips are beginning to reach their limits in terms of size and density. Evidence has shown that carbon nanotubes are a faster and more energy-efficient material for processors. Scientists have recently made a working computer chip out of carbon nanotubes. The 16-bit processor was functional enough to run a basic program. Creating carbon nanotube-based processors is a challenge as sometimes defects will cause the processors to lose their semiconductor properties. The new process of creating the processors allows for more room for error during manufacturing. While there is still a long way to go before carbon nanotube-based processors will be practical, the breakthrough is still a major step in development."
First Total Artificial Heart Successfully Transplanted In the US . A 39-year-old man who recently experienced sudden heart failure received a total artificial heart (TAH) from the surgeons at the Duke University Hospital. The TAH was developed by French company CARMAT. It mimics the human heart and gives the recipient more independence after surgery. The patient will have to carry an almost nine-pound bag containing a controller and two battery packs that work for four hours before requiring charging. The TAH is approved for use in Europe and has received primary approvals from the FDA for use in the US.
"The European Space Agency is building its own reusable rocket . The European Space Agency has announced plans to build its own reusable rocket engine. Last year, the French space agency CNES unveiled the Prometheus engine design. The ESA has now fully funded the project and aims to reduce the cost to produce the engine to a tenth of the cost compared to current options. Manufacturing has already been completed for several parts for the rocket and testing of some of the hardware components will soon begin in Germany. The ESA aims to complete the first combustion chamber model this month and assemble a full demonstration version of the engine for testing by 2021."
"The U.S. Army is Creating Robots With Synthetically Grown Muscle . The US Army has been researching a technological approach that uses robotics and biohybrid muscle elements. Biohybrid robotics incorporates living organisms into mechanical systems, delivering a new level of agility and flexibility. The research could show the biohybrid engineering community how to grow strong muscular tissue. Muscle tissue is excellent at generating a specific amount of mechanical power at a given moment. By using biological components, the US Army hopes to develop robots capable of going anywhere soldiers can and more."
"Scale your engineering team and grow as a leader (Sponsor). The Unicorn CTO is a private membership for CTOs and engineering leaders that includes workshops, peer mentoring, online courses and events. Apply now using the code TLDR to get a one-month free trial!"
"Architecture Playbook (Website). Creating good IT architectures can be complex and time-consuming, but you don't have to start from scratch. This interactive playbook teaches existing architectures and introduces the tools needed to develop these systems. It focuses on providing usable content and tools for creating quality architecture."
"TikTok is opening up its algorithm and challenging competitors to do the same . TikTok has announced that it will open up access to its algorithms and allow experts to observe its moderation policies in real-time. It is challenging its rivals to do the same, saying that all companies should disclose their algorithms, moderation policies, and data flows to regulators. Facebook, Google, Apple, and Amazon are currently under scrutiny by Congress for antitrust behavior. The US Government has threatened to ban TikTok due to its data practices and the company has also been accused of censoring content to please the Chinese government."
Samsung beats TSMC to production of 3nm chips . Samsung has started producing 3nm chips. Its new process is 45% more power-efficient than its previous 5nm process and it produces chips with 23% higher performance and a 16% smaller surface area. TSMC's 3nm process isn't expected to go into mass production until the second half of 2022. Samsung's chips will be manufactured in South Korea for now. Its Texas plant is not scheduled to start manufacturing until 2024.
Docker-OSX (GitHub Repo). Docker-OSX automates the installation of OSX-KVM inside a docker container. It is possible to customize the size and version of the VM using build arguments.
"Elon Musk’s Starlink was Ukraine’s most downloaded app last Sunday . Starlink's mobile app was the most downloaded application from the Apple App Store in Ukraine on Sunday. The app has tripled its global downloads over the past two weeks. It has seen 98,000 installs in Ukraine on both the Apple App Store and Google Play. Starlink has become valuable in Ukraine as the number of internet outages grows due to the Russian invasion. SpaceX has released updates to its terminals that allow them to maintain signal when moving and receive power through a vehicle's car cigarette lighter."
"Scientists just turned plastic bottles into . . . vanilla flavoring? . Researchers from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland have found a way to turn polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic into vanillin, the main flavor component of vanilla beans. Synthetic vanillin is used in many products, with the global market valued at $510 million in 2018. The process involves degrading PET plastic into its components and then using a microbial fermentation process to convert one of the components into vanillin. Further research will test if the vanillin is pure enough to be consumed and figure out how to make the process more efficient and scalable."
5 CSS pseudo-elements you never knew existed . A CSS pseudo-element is a keyword added to a selector that lets you style a specific part of a selected element. This post discusses five pseudo-elements in order to help developers avoid writing unnecessary JavaScript for something that could easily be achieved with CSS. Codepen examples are provided.
"Juul Illegally Marketed E-Cigarettes, F.D.A. Says . The Food and Drug Administration is targeting Juul Labs for illegally marketing its vaping products as a less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes. The health effects of e-cigarettes are not yet established but the high levels of nicotine in Juul's products may affect brain development and serve as a gateway to smoking in teens. There has been a rise in the use of vaping products by teenagers. However, Juul claims that it does not directly target teenagers with its marketing. Its 'Make the Switch' campaign has been criticized for representing vaping as a smoking cessation option. Juul denies these claims, saying that the ads only served to switch people over from cigarettes to vaping products without making any claims about cessation. Lawmakers have yet to decide how to regulate e-cigarettes, but the deadlines for vaping companies to submit research concerning their products is drawing near."
"Twitter test lets you 'unmention' yourself in tweets . Twitter is rolling out a feature that lets users remove themselves from conversations. The 'Unmention' feature is currently only available for some users through Twitter's web interface. Twitter has other features to keep mentions civil, such as its anti-harassment Safety Mode that automatically blocks mean-spirited users. The new Unmention feature will allow users to have more direct control over unwanted mentions."
"The human skin replacement that got experts buzzing . Elastagen is an Australian company that has perfected a technique for producing elastin, a protein that can stretch to eight times its length. Elastin occurs anywhere in the body that requires stretching and recoil and accounts for the elastic properties of many of the body's tissues. Elastagen produces tropoelastin, a precursor of elastin, by putting the genetic instructions for human tropoelastin into a bacterium. The resulting protein can be developed into topical gels, surgical glue, and could also potentially be used for other applications in stem cell and regenerative medicine research."
"Apple Watch Series 6 and watchOS 7 to include ‘Infograph Pro’ with tachymeter, Schooltime and kids mode, sleep tracking, more . The Apple Watch will gain new features with the upcoming Apple Watch Series 6 and watchOS 7. Users will be able to start sharing their watch faces and create personalized digital watch faces using images from the Photos app. A tachymeter will be built into the watch, allowing it to measure speed of movement. The new watch will also gain the ability to detect blood oxygen saturation, as well as sleep tracking. Parental controls will allow what apps and communications can be used."
"Huawei enters China's electric car race in competition with Tesla . Huawei recently released details on a vehicle with specs it claims beats Tesla's Model Y. The Aito M5 will use both electricity and fuel. It will run Huawei's HarmonyOS operating system. Deliveries will begin after the Lunar New Year, with prices starting at around $39,063. A picture of the vehicle is available in the article."
"Guide: What is SOC 2 and Why Do Startups Need It? (Sponsor). Guide: What is SOC 2 and Why Do Startups Need It? . To land enterprise deals, your business needs SOC 2. But getting SOC 2 compliant is complex, time-consuming, and expensive. Uncomplicate SOC 2 with our guide for growth-minded founders. Turn compliance from a pain point into a competitive advantage.Download Now"
"Don't try this at home: CSS _as_ the backend - introducing Cascading Server Sheets! . CSS was never designed to be a server-side language, but that doesn't mean that it can't be used as one. This article walks through how to use CSS as a server-side language to declare routing, do math, and even templating. While the tool will never be used in production, it is an interesting experiment in repurposing a tool for something it wasn't supposed to do."
"The Modern JavaScript Tutorial (Website). This site contains a JavaScript course that covers the basics through to advanced topics. The main course covers JavaScript as a programming language and working with a browser. There are additional articles that cover extra topics such as network requests, animation, web components, regular expressions, and more."
"Clean-Energy, No-Cost Skylight Makes Seawater Drinkable . The Solar Desalination Skylight stores the sun's energy during the day to light homes at night. It also distills seawater into drinking water, allowing the owners of the skylight to use a tap at the base to pour water. The leftover brine from the process is used to generate an electrical charge to power a diffused light. The design is cheap and solves two key issues faced by the inhabitants of shantytowns. It is one of six finalists of the Lexus Design Award 2021."
"Apple Watch model for extreme sports reportedly in development . This year's Apple Watch, likely called the Apple Watch Series 7, will have a faster processor, an updated screen, and ultra-wideband functionality. It likely won't have blood glucose monitoring. Apple is working on an extreme sports model of the Apple Watch which will be launched in 2022. The watchOS 8 beta has a new Portrait watch face, enhanced messaging, AssistiveTouch for single-arm and hand gestures, a locator app for AirTags, and more. A stable version will be released later this year."
"Chromebooks outsold Macs worldwide in 2020, cutting into Windows market share . Chromebooks outsold Macs in 2020. Windows still retained the majority market share. The growth means that app and game developers can no longer ignore Chrome OS, and businesses should start setting aside resources to ensure that the Chrome OS experience is comparable to Windows and macOS. Chrome OS's success was largely limited to US schools before the pandemic, but it looks like demand has expanded beyond that market."
"GoDaddy wins our 2020 award for most evil company email . GoDaddy recently sent its employees a fake email informing them they had received a $650 holiday bonus. The email was a phishing test and employees who clicked on the link were required to take a training course on social engineering. Phishing tests are normal, but they don't usually involve promising employees fake money."
Facebook's ready to talk about how its AR glasses will work with neural wristbands . Facebook's first pair of smart glasses are being released this year. The next generation of smart glasses will work alongside a soft wristband that measures hand and finger gestures and provides haptic feedback. It will use neural input tech to convert electrical impulses into inputs. A short video demonstrating how the setup would work is available in the article.
"Huawei’s Mate X foldable phone is a thinner 5G rival to the Galaxy Fold . Less than a week after Samsung announced its Galaxy Fold foldable phone, Huawei has announced the Mate X, a foldable phone that is thinner, with a bigger screen, that folds flatter. The Mate X has an 8-inch display that folds around on the outside of the device, giving the phone a dual screen functionality which means that users can take selfies with the rear camera or share what is being shown on the primary display. At 11mm thick when folded (which it can do flat with no gap), the device comes with 5G and a 4500mAh battery. Videos and GIFs are available that showcase the device."
First Molecular Electronics Chip Developed – Realizes 50-Year-Old Goal . The first molecular electronics chip has been developed by Roswell Biotechnologies and a team of scientists. The chip uses single molecules as universal sensor elements to create a programmable biosensor with real-time single-molecule sensitivity and unlimited scalability in sensor pixel density. It will allow scientists to observe molecular communications and see how single molecules interact with each other. The chip will be able to help advance fields based on observing molecular interactions.
"A Photo Is Crashing Many Android Phones, This Could Be Why . Some Android users are reporting that an image appears to be crashing their devices when set as a wallpaper. The issue appears to impact a large number of devices running the latest Android 10 version. Devices running the early Android 11 developer preview do not appear to be affected. There appears to be no clear pattern on which devices are impacted by the wallpaper and which are not. Users who are affected by the issue will have to factory reset their phones to fix it. The issue may be related to a bug in the Android system related to color formatting."
"What I learned from looking at 200 machine learning tools (13 minute read). This article looks at the history and landscape of the field of machine learning. It discusses the problems facing the field, such as data quality, the size of ML algorithms, and many others. There are now many tools and startups that provide machine learning services. While machine learning has been a hot field in the past few years, the demand for ML researchers has lessened. Engineering for ML tools will become more in demand as companies start bringing their ML into production."
"Lockheed Martin partners with satellite start-up Omnispace to build a space-based 5G network . Lockheed Martin and Omnispace are partnering up to develop 5G capabilities from space. A global 5G network would enable users to seamlessly transition between satellite and terrestrial networks. Lockheed Martin has expertise in a variety of markets, with many customers from the Department of Defense. The project will be developing direct-to-device technology, so users will be able to connect to the network with any standard 5G device."
"Writing a Blockchain in Node.js (13 minute read). Blockchain has become a popular topic due to Bitcoin. A Blockchain is where blocks, or pieces of information, are stored on a public database, the chain. In a Blockchain, every piece of data must contain data presenting the previous block. This means that data is more difficult to change and can be verified easily. Random values are inserted into the data in order to make the Blockchain more secure, as it makes it more difficult for computers to recalculate the entire chain. Mining creates new blocks of data. A Blockchain can be written in Node.js."
"NASA Confirms Thousands of Massive, Ancient Volcanic Eruptions on Mars . NASA scientists have confirmed that a region of northern Mars called Arabia Terra experienced thousands of super-eruptions over a 500-million-year period about 4 billion years ago. Each eruption would have had a significant climate impact on the planet. While Mars has many types of volcanoes, the area has only one type of volcano. The discovery may lead to more knowledge about the geological processes that help shape planets and moons."
Kobra (Website). Kobra is a visual programming language for machine learning. It allows data scientists and engineers to build things quickly without having to write code or deal with programming concepts. Kobra can help people learn about machine learning without needing to learn how to code first. The beta is now available to try online.
"Defining the web3 stack (10 minute read). This article discusses the building blocks of the web3 technology stack. Web3 is the stack of protocols that enable fully decentralized applications. Unlike web2, the stack for web3 is not so straightforward as the paradigm is completely different and web3 tools, technologies, and ecosystems are less mature."
"9 Popular GitHub Repos For Every Web Developer . This article contains a list of nine GitHub repositories that have at least 30,000 stars. Each item on the list comes with links and a short description of what is on the repository. Items include books, style guides, component libraries, checklists, and more."
"Silk Road bitcoins worth $1bn change hands after seven years . Almost 70,000 bitcoins, worth around a billion dollars, were moved for the first time in seven years late on Tuesday night for less than a $12 fee. The funds can be traced back to the Silk Road marketplace using blockchain analysis. The marketplace was shut down in 2013 and the funds had lain dormant since. Its founder is serving a double life sentence plus forty years without the possibility of parole. It is unclear who moved the money, but it is unlikely the transaction was conducted from prison."
"Unlike sex, VR is crazy better when you do it underwater . Virtual Reality may be best experienced underwater. An underwater VR experience at the Sundance Film Festival this week called Spaced Out takes its inspiration from the moon. It uses audio from the Apollo 11 mission combined with a collage of images of various moon motifs from pop culture to create a dream-like experience. The mammalian diving response is triggered when people are submerged in cool or cold water. This response causes lower heart-rate and the blood vessels in the extremities to constrict. It also appears to be able to reliably stop VR users from getting nauseous. Being underwater also helps block out distracting sounds, creating a very immersive experience."
"6 things I wish I knew about state management when I started writing React apps . Many sites have complex front ends that 'know' a lot of things and can make these things interact with each other in non-trivial ways. This is all achieved through state management, which is the core problem when developing a UI. Developers need to figure out how to store global states that can be accessed anywhere in order to build a non-trivial React application. Prop drilling becomes impractical as an app gets bigger, so it is better to just focus on state management. An application may have several different types of state, and the needs of each state should be considered individually. There are multiple state management libraries available, so it's worth the time to learn what each library offers."
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to Online Anonymity (Website). The Hitchhiker's Guide to Online Anonymity is an introduction to various online tracking techniques, online ID verification techniques, and creating and maintaining anonymous online identities. It is not sponsored or endorsed by any commercial or government entity. Links to online and PDF versions of the guide are available."
"MIT Engineers Devise the Best Way to Deflect an Incoming Planet-Killer Asteroid . An asteroid known as the 99942 Apophis will be streaking past Earth at 30 kilometers per second in April 2029. There is a possibility that the Earth's gravity will tug on the asteroid's trajectory such that when it flies past again in 2036, it could make a devastating impact on Earth. MIT researchers have devised a framework for deciding which course of action to take to deflect an incoming asteroid. It takes into account the asteroid's mass, momentum, its proximity to a gravitational keyhole, and the amount of warning time that scientists have of an impending collision. It might be better to prevent asteroids from entering gravitational keyholes rather than waiting for a last-minute deflection. The team has developed a simulation tool to estimate the success of deflection missions."
"The Navy Plans to Put HELIOS Laser Weapon on Destroyer by 2021 . The High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) system is a 60-kilowatt laser system that is able to burn boats, shoot down drones, and damage electro-optical sensors. A $150 million contract had been awarded to Lockheed Martin to build two systems for the US Navy, one which will be sent to a testing faculty and another that will be mounted on an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer. The weapon will theoretically be able to fire unlimited shots using a ship's onboard electrical generation system. A two minute video shows HELIOS in action."
"Tesla CEO Elon Musk is reportedly under SEC investigation over Dogecoin tweets . Elon Musk is reportedly under SEC scrutiny again over alleged cryptocurrency manipulation. In 2018, the SEC filed a lawsuit against Musk over a tweet, which resulted in Musk stepping down as Chairman of the board for Tesla. Tesla and Musk also each had to pay $20 million in fines. Musk has been talking a lot about cryptocurrency lately, and his tweets have been very influential over the value of some coins, particularly Dogecoin."
"Walmart will soon use hundreds of A.I. robot janitors to scrub the floors of US stores . Walmart will be deploying 360 floor-scrubbing robots made by a company called Brain Corp. by the end of January 2019. Their BrainOS operating system uses computer vision to allow the robots to navigate complex environments, and Walmart employees will be able to map out cleaning routes and then send off the robots with the press of a button."
"Walmart drone delivery service will bring your orders by air . Walmart has partnered with DroneUp to deliver items via drone to customers within a 1.15-mile radius from a base in Farmington, Arkansas. Customers will be able to use the service seven days a week from 8 am to 8 pm. Flight engineers will control the drones to ensure orders arrive safely. The service will be expanded to more areas in the coming months."
"How Lyft discovered OpenStreetMap is the Freshest Map for Rideshare . Lyft recently conducted a study to test OpenStreetMap's map quality. OSM is used by millions of people around the world for many purposes. It was created by, and is maintained by, a community of contributors. After three months of study, Lyft found that OSM had a very high-quality road network in the cities tested and that the community was able to maintain the map at a reliably fresh standard. Lyft's survey design is potentially valuable for any study of map quality relative to ground-truth."
"The easiest way to start meditating is now in... Snapchat? . Snap Minis are small apps that are designed to be used through Snapchat's chat function. Headspace Minis went live on Monday, allowing users to use Snapchat for guided meditations. The app allows users to join meditation sessions together. Users will see their friend's Bitmojis on their screen when doing group meditation sessions. The app can also be used alone. A 49-second presentation from Snapchat and some screenshots from the Headspace Minis app is available in the article."
"Apple adds two brand new Siri voices and will no longer default to a female or male voice in iOS . Siri will no longer default to a female voice in English. Users can choose from two new voices in the latest beta version of iOS. The new voices offer more diversity in speech sound and patterns. They use source talent recordings that are run through Apple's Neural text-to-speech engine, making them sound natural and smooth. Siri supports 21 languages in 36 countries, and users can select a personal preference of voice in 16 languages."
"Meet Doggo: Stanford’s cute open-source four-legged robot . Doggo is a four-legged robot that costs less than $3,000 to build and is completely open source. It was designed to be accessible so that labs around the world could build it and use it for their own experiments. Doggo performs better than many more expensive models available on the market while being less expensive. Legged robots are becoming more and more useful in the real world, and increasing accessibility to the technology will allow labs and universities to develop more applications for the technology."
"SpaceX gets $300 million from Defense Department . The Department of Defense has announced a series of contracts totaling $738 million, including a $297 million contract for SpaceX. While the specifics of the 3 missions in the contract are classified, it is likely they will involve sending satellites into orbit for information purposes. The first mission is expected to be completed in February 2021, while the rest are scheduled to be completed in December 2021."
"Hello, .dev! . Google has announced the availability of the new .dev top-level domain, aimed at developers. Developers are encouraged to use the domain to build communities and showcase their latest projects. The domain will secure websites with HTTPS by default, aiming to contribute to an HTTPS-everywhere future. From now through to 28/2, .dev domains will be available to register through Google as part of their Early Access Program. After 28/2, the .dev domain will be available through other registrars."
"Beast (GitHub Repo). Beast is a build system designed for the purpose of power, speed, and productivity."
heroku-pinger (GitHub Repo). Heroku goes to sleep after an hour of inactivity. Restarting the app can take up to 10 seconds. Heroku-pinger pings your desired Heroku app every 30 minutes to keep it alive. There is a setting to allow heroku-pinger to pause for a period of time as Heroku caps free dyno usage so that a dyno can't be awake 24/7.
CSS Spider (Website). CSS Spider is a Chrome plugin that allows developers to view and edit CSS by hovering over elements. Code can be copied and exported to codepen with a click. There is a 35-second video showing how to use the plugin on the site.
"Nothing reveals Phone 1 design a month early . Nothing, a consumer tech startup, has unveiled the rear design of its Phone 1 smartphone. The official announcement for the phone is due at Nothing's next event on July 12. Phone 1 will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, wireless charging, and a modified version of Android called Nothing OS. A photo of the rear design of the Nothing Phone 1 is available in the article."
"Physicists Have Observed Light Flowing Like a River, And It's Beautiful . The way a river flows, where the path splits up and breaks into smaller channels like the branches of a tree, is called branching flow. It has been observed in water, the flow of electrons, and sound waves. Scientists recently observed branching flow in visible light by shining a laser through soap bubbles. The technique could open up new areas of research in optofluidics and general relativity. Images and video of the effect are available in the article."
"Server-Sent Events: the alternative to WebSockets you should be using (16 minute read). Server Sent Events (SSE) are a simpler and often more superior alternative to WebSockets for developing real-time web applications. WebSockets enable the creation of two-way low-latency communication channels between the browser and a server, but they don't work on top of HTTP, which means they do not support many HTTP features. SSEs let the server send low-latency push events to the client at any time. They are only one way, from the server to the client, but they work on top of HTTP. This article discusses the two protocols and compares the technologies through the coding implementation of a simple service."
"Google’s constant product shutdowns are damaging its brand (20 minute read). In 2019 alone, Google has shut down or partially shut down 11 services. Removing all these services may be damaging Google's reputation. More importantly, these actions may damage trust from people who use Google's services. Many people and companies depend on Google's platforms, and their business decisions can have severely disruptive effects. However, these product shutdowns are unlikely to stop, as Google enjoys developing new products and testing them in the market."
"Researchers create neurons that can be integrated into human brain tissue . Scientists have successfully generated human neurons from skin cells using cellular reprogramming technology. Using a combination of cutting-edge technologies, the researchers demonstrated that grafted cells were able to receive inputs and establish synaptic contacts with the already established neuronal network in a slice of brain cortex. As the cells used for treatment are harvested from the patient, there is no risk of graft rejection and also no ethical concerns regarding the source of the cells."
"Nintendo’s ‘Animal Crossing’ becomes new Hong Kong protest ground . Animal Crossing has become a place for many to gather during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Hong Kong protestors have started to use it to congregate without flouting social distancing rules. Players in the game can customize environments, appearance, and clothing, and pro-democracy content for the game has gone viral on social media. Nintendo has gained 27% in share price thanks to the game, which has sold more than 2.6 million copies since release."
"DoorDash tests 15-minute grocery deliveries in New York City . DoorDash is piloting an ultra-fast grocery delivery service in New York City. The service will aim to deliver items to customers in less than 15 minutes. It will launch at a new DashMart outlet in Chelsea, which will be open between 7 AM and 2 AM. A team of full-time employees will handle the deliveries. DoorDash will be competing against a few other companies that offer similar services."
"Apple Fitness+ tidbits . Apple's Fitness+ is now available. Users will be able to share workouts with other Apple devices, but the ability to take screenshots has been blocked in the app. An Apple Watch is required to activate Fitness+, but after activation, the app can be used without the watch. While there is no leaderboard for Fitness+, there is a Burn Bar that shows users' efforts compared to others during their workouts. The data for the Burn Bar is collected anonymously from users who opt-in for the feature. A 17-minute video walkthrough of Fitness+ is available in the article."
"Disney+ streaming service will be available starting Nov. 12 . Disney has revealed some of the originals it plans to create for its upcoming Disney+ streaming service, which will be available starting November 12. For 7 bucks a month, subscribers will be able to watch exclusive original content, including Marvel and Star Wars series, Pixar shorts, movies, documentaries, and more. Other content owned by Disney will be available as well, including all the episodes of The Simpsons. Disney will continue to release movies in theatres ahead of their appearance on the streaming service. However, some movies, such as Frozen II, will be exclusively released on Disney+."
Coding for SSDs – Part 6: A Summary – What every programmer should know about solid-state drives . This article is part of a six-part series on coding for SSDs. The series covers in detail the architecture of SSDs and how they work. This part summarizes the whole series. It covers the basics of SSDs and all of the recommended access patterns on how reads and writes should be implemented to get the best performance out of solid-state drives.
"Aggressive testing, contact tracing, cooked meals: How the Indian state of Kerala flattened its coronavirus curve . In the Indian state of Kerala, more than 30,000 health workers are part of the Communist state government’s robust response to the coronavirus epidemic. The effort involves aggressive testing, intense contact tracing, long quarantines, building shelters for migrant workers, and distributing cooked meals to those in need. Kerala’s efforts appear to be working and could prove instructive for the Indians government, who has largely shut down the country to stop the spread of the coronavirus. India continues to see an uptrend in cases."
"Twitch source code and creator payouts reportedly part of massive leak . An anonymous poster released a 125GB torrent on 4chan containing the entirety of Twitch's platform and client source code commit history, details regarding creator payouts, an unreleased Steam competitor from Amazon Game Studios, and other code and software related to the platform. User password and address information was not included in the leak. The leak was labeled as 'part one', indicating that there is more to come. Twitch has confirmed that it suffered a data breach."
"swift-log (GitHub Repo). swift-log is an API package that aims to establish a common logging system for server-side or cross-platform Swift applications. It implements a simplistic and non-configurable logging backend that writes all log messages to stdout. swift-log is designed to be adopted by anybody so that all libraries can log to a shared destination, as not all logging packages support the specific style and requirements needed for every project. Developers are encouraged to configure additional logging backend implementations that log in their preferred style for real-world applications."
"Laws of UX (Website). Laws of UX is a collection of 20 maxims and principles for designers to think about when building user interfaces. Each section contains an overview, key takeaways, a poster, a history of the concept, and further reading. The posters on the site are designed to be printable."
"Moloch (GitHub Repo). Moloch is a large scale, open source, indexed packet capture and search system. It is built to be deployed across many systems and can handle tens of gigabits/sec of traffic. Moloch provides a simple web interface with multiple views of the data that it captures."
Air Force lab demonstrates key element for beaming solar power from space . The Air Force and Northrop Grumman have announced that they are one step closer to collecting solar power in space and beaming it to Earth using radio frequency (RF). Their technology involves a 'sandwich tile' that converts solar energy to RF. The power can then be beamed to a receiving station on the ground and collected using a rectifying antenna that will convert it into usable power. A test of the technology is predicted to launch in 2025.
RefineDB (GitHub Repo). RefineDB is a strongly-typed document database that runs on any transactional key-value store. It currently supports FoundationDB for distributed deployment and SQLite for single-machine deployment. A Web Playground demo is available.
"SpaceX Starlink public beta begins . SpaceX has started to send email invitations to Starlink's public beta. The service will cost users $99 per month plus a one-time fee of $499 for the user terminal, mounting tripod, and router. The ""Better Than Nothing"" beta will feature speeds of between 50Mbps to 150Mbps and latency from 20ms to 40ms. SpaceX expects that the service will improve dramatically as more satellites are launched. There are no data caps. A mobile app is available to help users set up and manage their service."
"elastdocker (GitHub Repo). Elastdocker is an elastic stack on docker, with pre-configured security, tools, self-monitoring, and Prometheus Metrics Exporters. It is configured as a Production Single Node Cluster, has in-built security functions, has tools for configuration and metrics, and more. It requires Docker 17.05 or higher and Docker-Compose 3 or higher."
"Qubits Can Be as Safe as Bits, Researchers Show . Storing information in qubits is difficult as quantum computers are subject to all sorts of atomic-scale errors. A new preprint posted by researchers from Moscow State University details a theoretical method to protect quantum information from errors just as well as classical information is protected. Quantum computers still have a long way to go before they will become truly useful, but the new method will maintain performance even as the number of qubits scales up. This article discusses the history of the research leading to the development of the new method."
Apple reportedly acquires VR startup ‘Spaces’ . Spaces is a startup with a team that specializes in virtual reality technologies. It was created in 2016 by DreamWorks Animation veterans. Spaces discontinued all of its services last week after Apple acquired it for an unknown sum. Apple is rumored to be working on AR and VR headsets for 2021 and 2022. Its investment into ARKit and features like the LiDAR scanner in the new iPad Pro further support these rumors.
"Pyramid lenses catch light from any angle to boost solar cell efficiency . Engineers from Stanford have developed a pyramid-shaped lens that can focus sunlight from any angle onto a solar cell. The Axially Graded Index Lenses (AGILE) can capture more than 90% of the light that hits its surface, focusing it to be three times brighter. Each layer of the lens bends light to a different degree, allowing light to enter from any angle while still remaining focused. The technology could allow solar energy to be used in more places. Pictures of AGILE prototypes are available in the article."
"Tesla Says Deliveries in Quarter Set a Record . Tesla announced that it had delivered 95,200 vehicles in the last quarter, making it the best quarter on record for the company. The Model 3 was released in Europe and China halfway through the first quarter, resulting in 77,550 Model 3 deliveries worldwide. A total of 87,048 vehicles were produced in the second quarter. The company is set to increase production and deliveries in the third quarter. Tesla’s sales target for the year is 400,000 vehicles, but it has been cutting prices to reach sales targets, which could result in losses for the company. The federal tax credit available to Tesla customers fell by half at the start of the financial year, which effectively raised the price of the vehicles."
"Upptime (GitHub Repo). Upptime is an uptime monitor and status page powered by GitHub Actions, Issues, and Pages. It checks your website every 5 minutes to make sure it's up and creates incident reports if an endpoint is down. Screenshots are available."
"Chemists develop a strategy for highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells . Perovskites are the leading contender to replace silicon in solar panels, but perovskite materials have chemically reactive components that result in shorter operational lifetimes. A team of scientists has created a new type of perovskite solar cell with a record-high efficiency of 25%. The material is able to run under continuous illumination for more than 1,500 hours while still maintaining more than 98% of its initial efficiency. This development means that perovskite solar cells could soon be ready for commercialization."
"TikTok Picks Streaming Service Audius to Power New ‘Sounds’ Library . Audius is a music streaming platform based on the Ethereum and Solana blockchains. It was founded in 2018 and is now the largest decentralized consumer blockchain application, with over 100,000 musicians on the platform. Audius has partnered with TikTok to help streamline TikTok's current music upload and selection process. By making it easy to share tracks on TikTok, Audius is giving artists a chance to increase their exposure. 75 percent of TikTok users in the US have discovered new artists via TikTok videos."
"France targets Google, Amazon and Facebook with 3% digital tax . A new tax, introduced into the French government on Wednesday, will raise an estimated 500 million euros per year. The 3% tax will apply to around 30 major companies, mainly from the US. Large tech giants such as Google, Amazon, and Facebook benefit from lower tax rates in European countries. Companies that generate over 750 million euros worldwide and 25 million euros within France will be eligible for the tax."
"TikTok will start to share ad revenue with creators . TikTok Pulse is a new program that will give creators a share of revenue. TikTok hasn't said how many creators it will accept into the program, but creators will need at least 100,000 followers to be eligible. The program will launch in the US in June. TikTok's Creator Fund pays users based on the popularity of their videos, but creators say the payouts from the program can be small and inconsistent."
"Watch Rocket Lab try to capture a booster in mid-air with a helicopter . Rocket Lab successfully attempted a mid-air capture of its Electron rocket's first stage yesterday. The first stage was recovered by a Sikorsky S-92 helicopter, often used for military or presidential purposes. It caught the rocket mid-air by hooking onto the booster's parachute as it descended back to Earth. A webcast of the launch and recovery is available in the article."
"Delta Lake (GitHub Repo). Delta Lake is an open-source storage layer that brings ACID transactions to Apache Spark and big data workloads. In addition to ACID transactions, it features scalable metadata handling, data versioning, an open format, unified batch and streaming source and sink, schema enforcement and evolution, and it is 100% compatible with the Apache Spark API. Planned features include an audit history and full DML support."
"Hoping to Spur ‘Learning Engineering,’ Carnegie Mellon Will Open-Source Its Digital-Learning Software . In an unusual move, Carnegie Mellon University will give away many of the digital-learning software tools it has developed over the years under an open-source license. The aim is to promote learning engineering, which is the practice of applying findings from learning science to college classrooms. Carnegie Mellon has a long history of commercializing their learning tools but this practice has caused software to become less effective. It is hoped that by releasing the software as open-source, more people would contribute to the projects and share feedback, perhaps starting a scientific revolution in education."
"Plants have been grown in lunar soil for the 1st time ever . Scientists have grown plants in lunar soil using samples collected during the Apollo missions to the moon. The scientists grew thale cress, a small flowering plant that is attractive to researchers as it is well studied and its genetic code has been mapped. Almost all of the plants planted in the lunar soil sprouted. However, the plants showed signs of struggle and stress. Growing plants in the lunar soil could alter the moon's soil and make resources from the soil available in useful forms."
"Coinbase extends hiring freeze, rescinds some accepted offers . Coinbase has announced a hiring freeze and will revoke accepted offers from some candidates who haven't started their roles yet. The crypto exchange began slowing its hiring two weeks ago. It will still hire for roles necessary for security and compliance. Those with rescinded offers will be eligible for severance pay. The hiring freeze will persist as long as the macroeconomic downturn continues."
"Great Protocol Politics (15 minute read). The 21st century will see technology change the nature of companies and states, with the rise of decentralized protocols allowing for the safeguarding of property and execution of contracts beyond the boundaries of traditional nation-states. This article discusses 20 ways in which humanity is transitioning from an age of geopolitics to one of techno-politics. It covers the impact of global internet access, cryptocurrencies, the remote economy, encryption, and other technologies that will change how the world works."
"End of Year Pay Report 2021 . This report from Levels.fyi examines the data they collected in 2021 to find the top paying companies and locations. The top paying company for entry-level engineers was Two Sigma. The San Francisco Bay Area had the highest median pay in the US. Zurich, Switzerland, had the highest median pay internationally."
FDA suspends Gates-backed at-home COVID-19 testing program . The Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network is an at-home coronavirus testing project backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Its operations were suspended by the FDA as it didn't have the required authorizations. SCAN had submitted its request for emergency use authorization on March 23. A separate authorization is required before SCAN is allowed to return results for self-collected tests.
"Spotify is testing a less restrictive ad-supported tier costing $0.99 a month . Spotify Plus is a new subscription tier that still has ads, but lets users pick specific songs to listen to and skip as many songs as they want. It costs a tenth of Spotify Premium at $0.99 per month. Spotify is still testing the new tier and there is no guarantee that it will launch in its current form. The company has a history of testing new features years before they launch. Some features that have been tested in the past, such as stories for select playlists or visual quote cards for podcasts, have disappeared from the app."
"Ground-Penetrating Radar Reveals Entire Ancient Roman City . Archaeologists were able to preliminarily map the entire underground city of Falerii Novi, an ancient Roman city, using ground-penetrating radar. The 28 billion data points collected in the project to generate the full map are still being processed. Researchers were able to document the locations of buildings, monuments, passageways, and even water pipes without having to dig. Falerii Novi is well documented in historical accounts. It has an unorthodox layout compared to other ancient Roman cities. Images of the city are available in the article."
"Here's the Pentagon's Terrifying Plan for Cyborg Supersoldiers . A report from the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center detailed what the field of cybernetics might look like in 2050. The report aimed to determine the potential of machines that are physically integrated within the human body to augment and enhance the performance of humans. Poor public perception may be a barrier to the mass adoption of cybernetics. The four probable areas of enhancement are super vision, augmented hearing, enhanced muscle, and two-way data transfer between the brain and a brain interface device. Legal and ethical frameworks may need to be altered to account for cybernetics. The full impact of cybernetic technology is still being determined, and it is likely that most moral, ethical, and legal considerations will be made after the technology becomes common."
Spotify will stream a virtual concert series that begins on May 27th . Spotify will stream five pre recorded live streams weekly starting from May 27. Tickets will be $15 and the performances will last between 40 to 75 minutes. A subscription is not required to purchase a ticket. Spotify will make it easy for users to find upcoming performances and track the artists they follow. It is unknown whether there will be actual live performances on the platform in the future. The schedule for the upcoming performances is available in the article.
"JP Morgan is rolling out the first US bank-backed cryptocurrency to transform payments business . The first cryptocurrency created by a US bank is JP Morgan’s JPM Coin. The bank has created the cryptocurrency in order to create instant wire transactions, instant securities transactions, and to replace actual dollars held in subsidiaries across the world. Using blockchain technology will allow the bank to quickly transfer value anywhere in the world in a secure manner. A JPM Coin will be worth exactly a dollar, and initially will only be available for use by its larger clients."
"Facebook Working on Smart Watch to Compete With Apple Watch . Facebook is working on a smart watch that will work without a tethered smartphone. Wearers will be able to use it to send messages with Facebook services over a cellular connection. It will have health features like options to track workouts and the ability to connect to services provided by companies like Peloton. Facebook aims to launch the smart watch next year, with a second-generation planned for as soon as 2023."
"In a world-first, scientists create eco-friendly cement from algae . A new carbon-neutral method of producing cement can drastically reduce the environmental pollution caused by construction activities."
"TikTok will let creators add mini apps to videos . Jumps is a new feature for TikTok that lets users embed mini-apps into their videos. Creators can use Jumps to add content to their videos that can be opened in other apps. Jumps has been in testing for several months. TikTok has been working with companies like Whisk, Wikipedia, and Tablelog during the beta period to develop Jumps. App developers will soon have access to create their own Jumps."
"Artificial intelligence-created medicine to be used on humans for first time . British start-up Exscientia and Japanese pharmaceutical firm Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma have developed a drug module using artificial intelligence. The drug will be the first drug developed by artificial intelligence that will be used in human trials. It is a treatment for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Drug development usually takes five years to get to trial, but the AI drug only took 12 months. The molecule was created using algorithms that sorted through potential compounds and checked them against a database of parameters. AI has the potential to enhance and accelerate drug discovery, and the researchers hope that this algorithm will discover other potential drugs for the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular disease before the end of the year."
"GitHub Copilot and open source laundering . While the code for machine learning models is publicly available, the datasets and computing power required to create working models are still kept locked away by almost all participants in the space."
A Radical New Motorcycle Design Hit the Tracks for the First Time . White Motorcycle Concepts has designed a motorcycle with a drastically reduced drag coefficient and an all-electric powertrain. The bike has a big hole in the center to allow air to pass through. The company aims to break the 250 mph world record next summer at the Salar de Uyuni salt flat in Bolivia. A video showing a lower-powered prototype completing a test is available in the article.
"Salty nanoparticles slip into cancer cells to wreak destruction . A lot of cancer research is focused on causing the death of cancer cells while leaving the healthy cells intact. New nanoparticles have been developed that work like Trojan horses, sneaking ions into cancer cells and causing them to die. The nanoparticles also show potential as a vaccine to guard against recurrence. Cancer cells are vulnerable to sodium ions, but their cell membranes are able to ensure that excess sodium ions are kept outside of the cell. The nanoparticles are able to disguise sodium ions so that they can pass the cell membranes undetected. Once inside the cells, the sodium and chloride ions cause the cell membrane to rupture, inducing cell death and triggering an immune response in the body to fight off other pathogens. The nanoparticles turn into salt once they degrade. In a mice study, the nanoparticles were able to suppress tumor growth by 66 percent compared to a control group, without any side effects to major organs."
"Moderna’s HIV Vaccine Has Officially Begun Human Trials . The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and Moderna have announced that human trials for an experimental HIV vaccine have officially begun. The first shots were administered on Thursday. While modern medicines have proved effective at slowing the spread of HIV and reducing its mortality, it is still a threat to global health. The HIV vaccine builds on the mRNA vaccine technology developed by Moderna for the Covid-19 vaccine. The human trials are expected to conclude in 2023."
"‘Biological age’ startups: why do people want to know how close they are to death? . Biotechs are now offering test kits that claim to be able to measure the biological age of the user. Biological age aims to quantify the aging of the body's functions and predict mortality. It is a better predictor of morbidity risk than chronological age. None of the test kits available have been approved by the FDA and there are no treatments for improving biological age. For now, the tests should be treated as entertainment rather than an accurate diagnosis method."
"Ethermint (GitHub Repo). Ethermint is a Proof-of-Stake blockchain that is fully compatible and interoperable with Ethereum. It features Web3 and EVM compatibility, high throughput via Tendermint Core, horizontal scalability through IBC, and fast transaction finality. Ethermint is under very active development and should not be run in production."
"Not Depressing News (Web Tool). I like to think of TLDR as relatively undepressing news, so I think you guys might also like this newly launched site which is a feed of interesting positive news stories (currently the top story is ""Syrian refugee opens restaurant in Tennessee, wins title of 'Nicest Place in America'"")."
"Hubble (GitHub Repo). Hubble is a fully distributed networking and security observability platform for cloud-native workloads. It can map service dependencies and communications and monitor networks, applications, and security. Hubble was created to make the best use of Linux's new eBPF abilities. It is still in beta."
"DevOps-Guide (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a guide to learning DevOps. It has a table of links to descriptions, concepts, notes, and tutorials for topics such as Docker, Kubernetes, Prometheus, Git, Ansible, Linux, and more. There is also a visual development guide for learning the foundation and workflow for DevOps."
"Custom 3D-printed heart valves fit perfectly . Over the next few decades, the demand for heart surgery to repair damage to the valves is set to rise due to an aging population, lack of physical exercise, and poor diet. 3D-printed heart valves are able to be tailored more precisely to a patient compared to current heart valve implants. Using computer tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, researchers can create a digital model and computer simulation to calculate the forces acting on an implant. Unlike traditional transplant methods, using the printed valves will not require a life-long regimen of immunosuppressants or anticoagulants. The method is also cheaper, faster, and the implants last at least as long as the current transplant methods. It will be at least 10 years before the new artificial heart valves will be able to be used in treatments as they have to first go through exhaustive clinical trials."
"Viral App FaceApp Now Owns Access To More Than 150 Million People's Faces And Names . FaceApp has been downloaded by more than 100 million people on Google Play and it is the top-ranked app in the iOS App Store in 121 countries. The app has gone viral by giving people the power to change their facial expressions, looks, and age. According to the terms and conditions of the app, once a user submits their face to be altered, Wireless Labs has the right to do whatever they want with the image. The images could be used in advertising, but more likely, they will be used to train machine learning algorithms. Once data is uploaded to the cloud, you lose control of your content, which is why Apple is working on on-device AI. Users should be mindful of their privacy and security, especially for apps like FaceApp, as it requires users to grant it almost full access to their personal devices."
"Google’s lung cancer detection AI outperforms 6 human radiologists . An AI system was able to predict lung cancer in patients five percent more accurately on average than a group of six human experts and was 11 percent more likely to reduce false positives. The model will be available through the Google Cloud Healthcare API as Google continues to test and improve it. More than 42,000 chest CT screening images from 15,000 patients were used to train the AI system. Lung cancer is one of the most common causes of death, killing roughly as many people each year as breast cancer. Google has also applied AI to other medical research, including an AI that can recommend treatment for 50 eye diseases with a 94 percent accuracy."
"Best Practices for Writing a Dockerfile . Docker has revolutionized the way we use Containers by allowing anyone to use Containers without dealing with any of the advanced topics related to it. This article discusses best practices for developing better Containers. It covers identifying cacheable units, reducing image size, image maintainability, and reproducibility."
"Oxford Researchers Say Their COVID-19 Vaccine Could Be Available in September . Scientists at Oxford University have a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate that could be ready for the public in the fall. ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 is a vaccine that uses a non-replicating adenovirus to deliver therapeutic DNA sequences. Another similar vaccine, ChAdOx1 MERS, recently completed trials and results showed that it was safe and appeared to be effective at preventing the transmission of MERS. Pre-clinical studies of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 in rhesus macaque monkeys suggest that the vaccine works. However, a majority of vaccines that show promise in animal trials do not pass human testing."
"Cardboard SDK (GitHub Repo). Cardboard SDK provides everything required to create VR experiences for Google Cardboard. It supports VR features such as motion tracking, stereoscopic rendering, and user interaction via the viewer button."
"Windows 10 will soon ship with a full, open source, GPLed Linux kernel . A new version of the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) will run a full Linux kernel in a lightweight virtual machine. It will be a trimmed down version that relies on the host Windows for hardware support, and it will be able to run many components much faster than the current version of WSL. The Linux kernel will be released under a GPL license, so all code will be open source. A preview of WSL 2 will be available in June."
"Walmart to launch a $98/year Amazon Prime competitor for grocery delivery and other perks . Walmart is launching a new membership service for $98 a year. Walmart+ offers same-day delivery of groceries and general merchandise, along with other perks such as fuel discounts. Amazon Prime is currently $119 a year and has 150 million Prime members worldwide. It offers 2-day shipping, grocery delivery, access to Prime Video content, and more. Walmart reported a 37% increase in overall annual revenue in 2019, with online sales spiking 74% in the fiscal first quarter this year."
"Mark Zuckerberg Just Showed How Meta's Next Mixed Reality VR Headset Will Work . The next Meta VR headset is a mixed reality-focused device that uses advanced cameras to pass color video through and blend VR into the feed. Currently called Project Cambria, the device is set to be released sometime this year. The headset will be marketed for professional, work, and fitness purposes. Meta is enabling the development of mixed reality apps through its Presence Platform. The Presence Platform will allow apps to be cross-developed for the Quest 2 and Project Cambria."
"Instagram will share revenue with creators for the first time through ads in IGTV . Instagram will begin sharing revenue with creators through ads in IGTV and badges that viewers can purchase on Instagram Live. The program will begin next week for around 200 approved English-speaking creator partners. Users will see the ads when they click to watch IGTV videos. Instagram is still tweaking the feature. To begin with, all IGTV videos will be reviewed by a human operator before they are accepted for monetization. Instagram Live badges will cost between $0.99 and $4.99. They will give users extra visibility and creators will be able to see which users have purchased badges. Instagram will be expanding Live Shopping and access to Brand Collabs Manager in the coming months."
"The Stable Marriage Problem and Modern Dating (12 minute read). Online dating has risen significantly in popularity in the last couple of decades and has resulted in a ton of data regarding dating patterns in the modern age. An analysis of online dating patterns using the Stable Marriage Problem resulted in some insights about why dating can be difficult and why certain tropes exist. Being the initiator tends to result in more success. Women tend to have higher standards for men than men have for women, which may influence how people perceive others' relationships. The analysis showed that as a community grows, it becomes exponentially harder to match with people."
"Ford's designers are learning to create 3D cars in virtual reality . Gravity Sketch is a program that allows people to ‘paint’ in 3D in Virtual Reality. Ford has recently started to explore the technology and they have a customized version designed to aid their engineers. A typical rendering of a concept car may take months, but with Gravity Sketch, an engineer at Ford was able to render a new concept in 40 hours. There is a video in the article showing the design process using Ford’s Gravity Sketch."
Blue Origin to begin space tourism ticket sales Wednesday . Blue Origin will soon open up ticket sales for suborbital sightseeing trips on its New Shepard spacecraft. It is aiming to launch its first flight on July 20. One of the tickets on the first flight will be sold through an online auction. The New Shepard rocket is designed to fly six passengers into suborbital space. Ticket prices are still a closely guarded secret.
"Scientists Rewind The Clock of Human Skin Cells to Make Them Act 30 Years Younger . Scientists from the Babraham Institute in the UK have reset human skin cells to a more youthful state in terms of certain molecular measurements. Previous research found that it was possible to turn normal cells into stem cells, but these cells would lose their specific identity. The new technique stops before the stem cell state is reached, allowing the cell to retain its original identity and function. The mechanism behind the technique is not fully understood. The technique still needs to be tested on other types of cells in the body and assessed for safety before it can be used in clinical trials."
"A group of big banks plans to launch its own digital currency within a year . UBS and 13 other large financial firms around the world have joined together to create their own blockchain-based digital currency. They have partnered with a blockchain startup called Clearmatics, who will create the utility coin. Very few details have been revealed about the token, and it is unclear what the banks mean by the coin being ‘blockchain-based’, as a network controlled by and open only to banks is not really a blockchain, according to purists. The Financial Times describes the collaboration as more of a market infrastructure project."
"Mark Zuckerberg's vision for 2030 . In 2030, Mark Zuckerberg hopes that his daughter will be in high school and that we will have the technology to feel truly present with other people, no matter where they are. While Facebook was able to give many people a voice, it hasn't yet brought about a generational change in addressing important issues. Hopefully, things will start to become different this coming decade. Social media is likely to change significantly in the next few years, and Zuckerberg thinks that this will mean that many smaller communities will start to appear. Facebook has already opened up many opportunities for businesses, and the number of opportunities will only continue to grow. Augmented reality is improving and will likely become the next computing platform. All these technological changes mean that new laws will be made to govern them."
"Google brings its Duplex AI restaurant booking assistant to 43 states . Google’s Duplex AI wowed the audience at least year’s I/O and is set to be launched in 43 states this week. The Duplex AI will allow Pixel 3 owners to make bookings at restaurants that accept reservations but don’t have an online booking system using Google Assistant. Duplex AI will roll out on Android and iOS in the next few weeks as Google continues to develop the program through user feedback. A video is available demonstrating the Duplex AI being used, showing the experience for both the user and the restaurant."
"Read Elon Musk’s memo to employees explaining that Tesla will not close all its stores as it previously said . When Elon Musk announced the release of the $35,000 Model 3, he also announced the closing down of Tesla’s retail stores. In an email on March 10, this decision was reversed. The email said that the 10% of stores that have already closed down were due to be shut down anyway and that only another 20% of stores were under review. As a result of the new decision, the prices of most vehicles will rise 3% after March 18, but the base Model 3 will remain at the $35,000 price mark. Sales will continue to be online only, which means that Tesla sales staff will guide customers on how to order their cars online if they wish to purchase in a store."
"GitHub Free (Announcement). GitHub is giving everybody free private repositories with up to three collaborators per repo. Pretty awesome, the announcement post is pretty short because a blog leaked the information a day early, this was actually meant to be announced tomorrow."
"Synthetic Celebrity: Cloning A Billion Digital Selves For Fun And Profit . Reface is a platform for making deepfake videos using celebrity likenesses. It has grown to three million active users from 10,000 in just six weeks. The company has been working on technology that enables near-infinite content personalization using anyone's face and body. Reface focuses on the fun aspect of creating deepfakes, with intentionally lower quality videos and techniques embedded in the videos to help identify them as deepfakes in case anyone tries to pass off one of its videos as real. The company aims to eventually allow people to license their likenesses for brands."
"Bacteria live despite burial in seafloor mud for 100 million years . Researchers from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology dug up some 100 million-year-old mud from the seafloor, and after adding some food to it, they discovered ancient bacteria still living in the mud. The sample was taken from deep sediments in the middle of the South Pacific where extremely little organic matter is available for life to grow on. The mud still contained oxygen, nitrates, and phosphates due to the lack of food. Researchers believe that the bacterial communities had slowed their metabolism and have been present in the mud for over 100 million years."
"Spotify Design (Website). This is a new site launched by Spotify's design team that has a bunch of articles going into depth about how they approach certain areas of design. If you're a fan of Spotify's UX, definitely check this out."
"Rivers could generate thousands of nuclear power plants worth of energy, thanks to a new ‘blue’ membrane . Scientists have created a new membrane that, if scalable, could eventually generate an estimated 2.6 terawatts every year. The membrane is able to use the mixing of salt and freshwater to generate energy. When saltwater mixes with fresh water, the movement of ions generates electricity. The first attempts at creating the membrane in 2013 failed as the scientists could not create the required materials, even though their experiments showed that the theory was correct. A new technique has now allowed for the creation of the material. The scientists are continuing to develop the technology as they believe that the new membrane is not yet at its maximum potential."
"Slack partners with Amazon to take on Microsoft Teams . Slack and Amazon have entered into a multi-year agreement that will mean that all Amazon employees will start using Slack. Slack will migrate its voice and video calling features over to Amazon Chime and will commit to using Amazon's cloud services for its storage, compute, database, security, analytics, machine learning, and future collaboration features. It is unlikely Slack will move to other cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud in the foreseeable future. Integration with Amazon Chime will vastly improve Slack's voice and video conferencing features."
"Japan Aims To Automate All Convenience Stores By 2025 With A New RFID Technology . A new type of RFID tag is able to be microwaved for up to 5 minutes. This technology may help Japan develop convenience stores that are completely automated. As Japan’s population declines, a labor shortage is expected. Convenience stores may not be able to maintain the required two or three employees at all hours of the day that they currently need. A microwaveable RFID tag is important as it allows items to be scanned at a distance and also prevents accidents, as current tags may spark when microwaved."
"Was Elon’s Tesla Twitter meltdown illegal? An investigation . Elon Musk has tweeted a series of tweets, saying that he would sell almost all of his physical possessions and that Tesla's share price was too high, among other things. Tesla's share price dropped in response. Tweeting about Tesla's share price could potentially be securities fraud. For the tweet to be securities fraud, the SEC or plaintiff would have to prove that Musk profited from the drop in stock price. Due to previous rulings by the SEC, Musk must have a company lawyer pre-approve tweets about Tesla's financial health, sales, or delivery numbers, and Musk did not receive approval for this tweet. Government agencies have not taken any action yet."
"How we built a $1m ARR SaaS startup (16 minute read). Canny is a SaaS startup that launched in 2017, taking just under 3.5 years to get to $1 million annual recurring revenue (ARR). It was bootstrapped, taking no money from investors, and all of its growth came from inbound channels. The team employed 7 people when it hit $1 million ARR, with members distributed all over the world. This article follows the startup's development. It divides the journey into stages by ARR, and details what the startup did for each stage and the lessons learned."
"Everything you need to know about Facebook's data breach affecting 50M users . Data from 50 million Facebook users was breached over the weekend, with attackers gaining access to personal info like ""name, gender, and hometown"" that was linked to a user's profile page. No credit card information or private messages were compromised. The vulnerability was introduced on the site in July 2017, but Facebook didn't know about it until September 16th of this year, and the bug was not fixed until September 27th. The identity of the attackers is still unknown, and it is not clear whether or not any Instagram data was compromised."
"Custom-Made Bones Are Being 3D Printed in a Lab Then Implanted in People . Particle3D is a company that is pioneering a novel method for 3D printing lightweight, customized bone implants that fuse with the skeleton before slowly disappearing. While surgeons have been using tricalcium phosphate (TCP) in reconstructive surgery for decades, they have to manually sculpt shapes from solid blocks, which limits the potential positive effects of TCP. 3D printing TCP allows for more porous implants, which allows the structures to function as scaffolds for blood vessels and natural bone to grow. The implants degrade over time and are replaced by natural bone. It is possible to store medicine inside the porous material. Trials on pigs and mice have shown that new bone marrow and blood vessels can develop in the implants within eight weeks."
"Samsung says its foldable phone is also a tablet that fits in your pocket . Samsung's mobile chief DJ Koh says that Samsung is working on a foldable phone (i.e. a tablet that can be folded into and used as a phone). He also hinted that the phone could be unveiled at Samsung's developer conference on November 7th. Lenovo, Xiaomi, and Huawei are all rumored to be working on foldable phones as well."
"Ford self-driving cars to launch in Austin in 2021 . Ford will add Austin to the list of cities where it plans to launch its commercial transportation service using automated vehicles in 2021. The service will also be available in Miami and Washington. Ford is working with Argo AI to create its self-driving system, which is now being tested in Ford's Fusion Hybrid sedans. The commercial transportation service will use purpose-built hybrid vehicles that can be equipped to carry either people or goods. Development teams will be manually driving the Fusion test vehicles in Austin in order to map the city streets and assess driver and pedestrian behaviors before the launch."
"How Circle could create a U.S.-backed digital currency . Circle has announced its intention to become a fully regulated bank. Its aim is to become a narrow bank that places all deposits on reserve at the central bank. If this were achieved, USDC would become a cryptocurrency fully backed by the Federal Reserve. Circle would profit off the interest that the Fed pays on bank reserves. Previous attempts by other companies to do narrow banking in the US have failed as the Fed doesn't like the idea. Circle has yet to initiate the process of applying to be a bank."
"Openpilot, its model and driving in GTA . Openpilot is an open-source self-driving car software developed by common.ai. It supports 40 of the most popular cars in the world. It is possible to control a car in GTA V using openpilot. A video of the virtual self-driving car in motion, as well as a description of how to create the set-up, is available in the article."
"zenv (GitHub Repo). zenv is an enhanced env command for setting environment variables using various methods. It can load environment variables through static values, reading file contents, or by command-line argument. zenv can securely save, generate, and get secret values with Keychain and replace command-line arguments with loaded environment variables."
elfshaker (GitHub Repo). elfshaker is a version control system fine-tuned for binaries. It stores snapshots of directories into highly-compressed pack files and provides fast on-demand access to the stored files. elfshaker is good for storing lots of similar files and can achieve a compression ratio of close to 0.01%.
"Google's leaked Project Wolverine could give you superpowers . Project Wolverine is a device from Alphabet's X division that lets the user isolate audio to focus on a specific source. It has been in development since before 2018. The technology has gone through several form factors, with some versions covering the entire side of the ear. Project Wolverine may still fail, but it's operational enough to demo to some decision-makers."
"Designing Engineering Organizations . The most effective teams are stable, multi-disciplinary, and aligned to product delivery. Therefore, you want to try to build an organization to match what you want to ship. There may be good reasons to go against this guiding principle, but the tradeoff will always be delivery speed. This article discusses the different paradigms that teams might operate in and talks about the pros and cons of each approach."
"Avoiding The Ouch: Scientists Are Working On Ways To Swap The Needle For A Pill . A new pill has been developed that could replace the need for external injections. The pill was developed to replace the need to inject insulin externally by deploying a spring-loaded needle directly into the stomach lining. The design of the pill was modeled after the Leopard tortoise, which is able to roll back onto its feet if it is stuck upside down - this is important as the pill needs to align directly to the stomach lining rather than shooting off in random directions. Trials have already been successfully conducted in pigs, and human testing may begin in a few years."
"The White House is reportedly drafting an order to stop social media ‘bias’ . An executive order to ban 'anti-conservative bias', along with other topics, on social media is being drafted by the Trump administration. Many social media platforms have banned or limited conservative accounts, but it is unknown whether conservative accounts are being suspended disproportionately. A bill introduced by Senator Josh Hawley proposes stripping companies of key legal protections unless the Federal Trade Commission declares them politically neutral. Trump has proposed that social media companies develop tools to detect mass shooters before they strike, but predictive AI has high error rates and may catch many accounts purely by accident."
"Awesome Falsehood (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of resources on Falsehoods in development. Falsehood articles try to approach an unfamiliar domain by dispelling myths, pointing out common pitfalls, and showing inconsistencies and subtleties. Subjects covered include Arts, Education, Multimedia, Phone numbers, Software Engineering, Society, and more."
"No Free Lunch, but almost: what DoorDash actually pays, after expense — #PayUp . DoorDash has experienced rapid growth, serving all 50 states with an estimated 35 percent market share. The company is reportedly preparing for an IPO and has been valued at $12.6 billion. DoorDash was criticized last year for its controversial pay model, which included tips into delivery drivers' minimum payouts. It changed the pay model in September, and now workers are paid a minimum of $2 per delivery job and tips are paid on top of the calculated pay. How DoorDash calculates how much it pays workers per order is still unknown. It still presents the value of each listed job as a combined amount, obfuscating the amount that customers are actually tipping. DoorDash claims that workers earn an average of $18.54 per active hour on their platform, but do not specify how much of this amount is through tips. An independent analysis found that DoorDash workers may be working for as low as $1.45 per hour, with some jobs actually costing workers money after accounting for basic expenses."
"Shanghai video overwhelms Chinese censor, gets 400m views . A video of audio snippets from Shanghai recorded over the course of the lockdown posted on April 22 gained over 400 million views over the next day. While the content of the video comes across as fairly balanced, it triggered China's public opinion control system, which eventually resulted in it being completely blocked. Accounts forwarding the video were restricted following the incident. A subtitled copy of the video is available in the article."
"A New 0.4-MM-Thick 'Paper Battery' Can Power a Small Fan for 45 Minutes . Scientists from Singapore have developed paper-thin biodegradable zinc batteries. The batteries are made up of electrodes screen-printed onto both sides of a sheet of hydrogel-reinforced cellulose paper, coated with a layer of gold foil. They are flexible and about 0.4mm thick. When buried in soil, the batteries will break down completely within a month. The batteries could potentially be used to power wearables, foldable smartphones, and biomedical sensors. A video demonstrating the various properties of the batteries is available in the article."
"RequestBin (Website). RequestBin allows developers to inspect requests using a generated URL. The website allows you to see what your client is sending in order to inspect and debug webhook requests. It is able to parse any data, including JSON, XML, query-string, and form data, and the HTTP and HTTPS endpoints don't expire."
"Researchers propose AI system that reverse-engineers black box apps . Researchers at DeepMind and the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security have proposed an AI system capable of reverse-engineering the black-box functions of programs written in Karel. Karel was chosen as it uses structures that make reverse-engineering applications more difficult. Given access only to the inputs and outputs of an application, the system was able to eventually create a functionally equivalent copy of the original program with a 78% success rate."
"Amazon Prime Video comes to Oculus VR headsets . Amazon has released a Prime Video VR app that will allow Oculus Quest, Go, Rift, and Gear VR owners to stream shows in virtual space. The app supports voice searching, and Amazon will have 10 360-degree videos available to view in its library. Users will be able to view videos from their personal library without a Prime subscription, as long as it isn't VR-specific content."
"Dogs have been our best friends for at least 23,000 years . A recent study suggests that people domesticated dogs sometime before 23,000 years ago in Siberia. Scientists can tell how long ago two animals last shared a common ancestor by comparing genome sequences. Dogs and human groups tended to split or merge in roughly the same time and places, creating a genetic map of the two species. The evidence strongly suggests that the first people to enter the Americas brought dogs with them."
"Freelancing in Finland (GitHub Repo). In Finland, most information provided by authorities regarding freelancing is for the general population, and specific information for developers is sparse. This guide is a summary of relevant information for people who wish to work as freelance software developers in Finland. It includes information for foreigners who want to start a new company, links to freelancer employment organizations, information on how to apply for startup grants, and other handy tips that will make becoming a freelancer an easier process."
"Apple Pay is coming to Target, Taco Bell, Speedway and two other US chains . Apple Pay is coming to Target, Taco Bell, Jack in the Box, Speedway, and HyVee. Now they are in 74 of the top 100 merchants in the US and 65% of all retail locations. Apple Pay is now rolling out overseas, launching in Germany last December."
"Walt Disney announces reorganization to focus on streaming . Disney is reorganizing all of its media and entertainment businesses to focus on productions that will debut on its streaming and broadcast services. Its media businesses, ads and distribution, and Disney+ will now all operate under the same business unit. The company's shares moved up 6% in after-hours trading after the announcement. Specific details about the restructuring are in the article. The restructure is effective immediately."
"Disney Imagineering’s Project Kiwi is free walking robot that will make you believe in Groot (1 minute video). Project Kiwi is a small-scale, free-roaming robotic actor developed by Disney's Imagineers. It is a fully mobile, bipedal robot with accurately rendered textures to look like Groot. The robot has expressive eyes and realistic movements. It is still a work in progress and probably won't be seen in public for a while. The goal of the project is to build a character that can walk on its own and interact with park guests."
"Smile! The Secretive Business of Facial-Recognition Software in Retail Stores . The ACLU polled the 20 biggest brick and mortar retailers in the US last year and only one said they did not routinely photograph customers. Walmart admitted to testing facial recognition cameras in 2015. Companies are secretive about using facial recognition technology, but a retail consultant says that he's already seeing companies beginning to merge their security and marketing teams, as marketing teams begin using security cam data in conjunction with facial recognition software to essentially create a ""physical cookie"" to track users as they shop in stores."
"Software Architecture is Overrated, Clear and Simple Design is Underrated (10 minute read). When the Uber app's payment system was rewritten, it had to replace two existing payment systems and be deployed and used by millions of people every day without any business impact. The software was designed without using any of the standard software architecture planning tools. There were no software architects or references to common architecture problems used. The team followed a simple approach to the design by defining the problem, brainstorming and whiteboarding solutions, writing simple documentation and diagrams, discussing tradeoffs and alternatives, and then getting feedback within the team and organization. As an engineer, it is better to solve solutions and learn through them rather than picking a particular architecture pattern hoping it will solve the problem. The goal should be to make everything as simple as possible."
"Build in Web3 and Write Secure Smart Contracts — join the Macro Web3 Engineering Fellowship! (Sponsor). The Macro Web3 engineering fellowship is designed for senior engineers to go deep on Solidity and smart contract engineering. Fellows build projects from scratch with a focus on security and quality. Graduated fellows have gone on to start companies, raise venture capital, or join top projects in web3 like Uniswap, Frax, Synthetix, Livepeer, and many more.Apply today and secure your spot!"
Google Maps (Web App). Google Maps now lets you walk around in the International Space Station! Click on the sides of your screen to turn and the bottom of your screen to walk forward.
"The Meltdown of IRON . The IRON stablecoin was partially collateralized with USDC, with the rest coming from TITAN, a volatile asset. If the price of IRON fell below $1, arbitrage traders could buy it and then redeem it with the IRON treasury for $0.75 USDC and $0.25 worth of TITAN. This caused traders to dump IRON and collect risk-free profit, which then devalued TITAN to nothing. The smart contract that holds the USDC to be redeemed requires the price of TITAN to be above zero for it to be unlocked, so now all the coins are stuck. This could have been easily prevented with a code audit."
Supercomputer shows 'Chameleon Theory' could change how we think about gravity . Scientists at Durham University have demonstrated that there may be another valid explanation for gravity that would still be compatible with the way our universe works. Albert Einstein’s theory of General Relativity is the foundation of modern cosmology and plays a major role in our everyday life. The Chameleon Theory is an alternative to General Relativity which says that gravity changes according to the environment. Simulations run by the team at Durham demonstrate that the same galaxies would form in the universe regardless of which theoretical model was used. These simulations will be further tested by observations using the Square Kilometer Array telescope that will begin operating in 2020.
"Parliament seizes cache of Facebook internal papers . Six4Three is a software company currently in a lawsuit with Facebook. They got some internal Facebook documents regarding the Cambridge Analytica scandal in the suit's discovery process, including confidential emails between Zuckerberg and senior executives. After Mark Zuckerberg repeatedly refused to testify before UK Parliament, Parliament used its legal powers to detain the CEO of Six4Three, who was in London for a business trip, sending a sergeant at arms to his hotel to force him to give up the documents. Parliament member Damian Collins who is leading the inquiry into fake news says ""We are in uncharted territory. This is an unprecedented move but it's an unprecedented situation. We've failed to get answers from Facebook and we believe the documents contain information of very high public interest."" Richard Allan, Facebook's VP of policy will testify before Parliament in a special session that Zuckerberg declined to attend."
"The Little Book of Python Anti-Patterns (Website). This site is a small book of Python anti-patterns and worst practices. Its goal is to show you bad code so you can become a better programmer. Each anti-pattern has a small description, examples, and possible solutions. Most books will only focus on best practices and examples of good code, but there is a lot to learn that can be learned from bad code as well."
"Get ready to see Spotify’s looping videos on Instagram . Spotify has recently confirmed that they are working on a new Stories feature, as well as a way for Spotify Canvas users to share their video art directly to Instagram. Canvas launched in beta last fall, resulting in mixed reviews from users. The new feature will allow Canvas users to share videos to Instagram by tapping on a Share icon. Users will see posts that look like regular Spotify shares but with the Canvas video looping as the backdrop. Canvas on Instagram views aren't counted in Canvas metrics unless users click through to Spotify. Spotify claims that adding Canvas videos increased track shares by up to 200 percent. Canvas is currently only on iOS but will be released on Android soon."
"Eternal Change for No Energy: A Time Crystal Finally Made Real (12 minute read). A time crystal is a phase of matter where an object cycles between states without consuming energy, similar to a perpetual motion machine. Researchers have been trying to create one ever since they were first described in 2015. A group of physicists from various universities, in collaboration with researchers at Google, have used Google's quantum computer to demonstrate a genuine time crystal. Quantum computers can simulate particles of any imaginable quantum system, so they are particularly suited for this task."
"Android 13 leaks: More Material You options, opt-in to app notifications . Android 13's first developer previews won't be out until at least March, but several sources have already begun leaking its new features. The update will expand on Android 12's dynamic theming system and change how apps will ask for permissions. It will also add a user account switcher on the lock screen, a QR code scanner, and per-app language settings. Google has stripped down developer previews in the past, so the first Android 13 development preview may not have all the final features. More details on the new features, including screenshots, are available in the article."
"Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service has been approved in the UK, and people are already receiving their beta kits . Starlink has been approved by UK regulators and can now provide internet to people across the UK. Customers have already started to receive their kits. Starlink kits cost £439 upfront plus £84 for a monthly subscription. Users participating in the beta test should expect speeds of 50 to 150 Mbps."
"TikTok Kitchens will bring viral culinary creations to fans . TikTok Kitchens is a new campaign by TikTok and Virtual Dining Concepts (VDC) that will bring TikTok foods to fans in the US. There will be 300 locations at launch, with plans to expand to around 1,000 locations by the end of 2022. TikTok Kitchens will run like a ghost kitchen service, using existing kitchens and employees but also providing training, food packaging, and TikTok-sourced recipes. The menu will rotate quarterly and will initially feature the viral baked feta pasta. Creators will receive credit for their dishes."
"The Pizza Chain That Became an AI Front-Runner . Domino's adoption of AI has been quite remarkable, considering that it is in the category of companies least likely to adopt AI. It has implemented the technology without replacing old processes entirely. Customers can now make orders through automated chatbots. The pizza is cooked through a human-AI collaboration, where the AI can ensure the quality of the food. Some stores now offer automated delivery, where an AI-driven vehicle delivers food to a customer, who can retrieve the food from the vehicle using a PIN code. Domino's approach to implementing AI in its business can be a helpful guide to other businesses wanting to do the same."
"Climate change is killing coffee farms, so Atomo is brewing it without beans . Coffee's two main species, arabica and robusta, are highly vulnerable to climate change. Rising temperatures, fungi, pests, and diseases are already affecting coffee production in many areas of the world, with some growers abandoning their farms in 2019. Global demand for coffee is still growing, leading to deforestation and the destruction of wildlife habitats. A startup called Atomo has recreated coffee without using coffee beans. It recreates compounds found in coffee that give it flavor through natural brewing processes that use other materials such as watermelon seeds, stems, and husks. The resulting mixture smells and tastes exactly like coffee."
"Wikipedia blames malicious DDOS attack after site goes down across Europe, Middle East . Wikipedia was taken offline across Europe and parts of the Middle East by a Distributed Denial of Service attack at around 7 pm BST on September 7. An official statement by Wikipedia condemned the takedown attack as these kinds of attacks threaten people's rights to freely access and share information. The website sometimes attracts 'bad faith' actors as it is one of the most popular sites in the world."
"Clubhouse App Offers Chinese Rare Glimpse of Censor-Free Debate . Clubhouse has gained many Chinese users recently, with thousands joining in on discussions usually censored by the Chinese government. Chinese-speaking communities from around the world discussed China-Taiwan relations and shared knowledge about the Uighur situation in Xinjiang. Clubhouse is only accessible by invite on iPhones with non-Chinese Apple accounts. Further access to the public could see the app banned. Those who are using the app could be taking on a degree of personal risk."
How to test a city-wide wireless network from inside a chest drawer . Thingsquare is a company that builds large Internet of Things solutions. These networks can cover department stores and even entire cities. The company uses sub-GHz radio frequencies with IPv6 mesh networking to create its network. This article discusses how Thingsquare tests its large-scale mesh networks by creating small-scale setups with MAC-level packet filtering and some software.
"Elon Musk says the Boring Company's first tunnel under LA will open December 10th . Elon Musk says that the tunnel his Boring Company has been digging under Los Angeles is almost done and will be open to the public on December 10th. The tunnel is two miles long, and will transport passengers and vehicles on autonomously driven electric platforms called skates at speeds up to 155 mph (250 km/h). This tunnel is just a proof of concept, the company is already digging tunnels between downtown Chicago and Chicago's O'Hare airport and between Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium and East Hollywood."
"React Native Newsletter (Newsletter). React Native Newsletter offers a curated list of blog posts, libraries, and important updates about the React Native ecosystem. It's curated by Infinite Red, these guys really know their stuff, I've used some of their open source projects in the past and it's always been top notch. Definitely worth checking out if you're interested in React Native."
"Scientists Have Identified the First ‘True’ Millipede . While the name millipede means 'thousand foot', no millipede has ever actually been seen with 1,000 legs, until now. A new species has been discovered with 1,306 legs. The previous record for the most legs on a millipede was 750. The new millipede was found over 196-feet below ground in Western Australia. It has no eyes, and its 95-millimeter long body is made up of 335 segments. A picture of the millipede is available in the article."
"These tree-planting drones are firing seed missiles to restore the world’s forests . A start-up that builds tree-planting drones is working with an organization in Myanmar to plant trees in an area that is roughly 350,000 hectares. The drones fire biodegradable pods filled with germinated seeds and nutrients into the ground after assessing an area for suitability. While the drones are efficient, they still require human control. Locals are being trained to pilot the drones, as well as other technical skills, and the community is learning different types of farming and agriculture. Researchers have recently estimated that there is room to plant another 1.2 trillion trees in the world, enough to process more carbon each year than humans emit."
"Seoul to become the first city to enter the Metaverse. What will it look like? . Metaverse Seoul will be a virtual communication ecosystem for Seoul that will include economic, cultural, tourism, educational, and civic services. People will be able to attend events, meet city officials, visit tourist attractions, and more inside Metaverse Seoul. It will be implemented in three stages from next year. Seoul has invested KRW 3.9 billion into the project."
"Google trained a trillion-parameter AI language model . Generally speaking, the more parameters a machine learning model has, the better it is at its task. OpenAI's GPT-3, which can make primitive analogies, generate recipes, and even complete basic code, has 175 billion parameters. Google researchers have trained a language model containing 1.6 trillion parameters. It performs four times faster compared to the previously largest Google-developed language model. The Switch Transformer technique was used to train the model as large-scale training is extremely computationally intensive."
"River of Love | A.I. Written Song (4 minute video). This country song was written by GPT-3. The AI was only fed the title of the song, River of Love. The song was performed by singer Anna Vaus."
"OMG, SVG Favicons FTW! . SVGs have cool benefits like crisp image quality with a single file, support for emojis, inline icons, and dark mode detection. This article discusses how to add SVG favicons to a project. Code and examples are provided."
Apple announces a way to buy stuff by tapping iPhones together . Apple is releasing a new Tap to Pay feature for the iPhone that allows people to receive payments. The feature turns iPhones into point-of-sale terminals without any extra hardware. It uses the iPhone's NFC ship to accept Apple Pay and most contactless credit cards. The feature will be accessed through third-party apps. Stripe and Shopify will be among the first to integrate the feature later this year.
"Android 10 launches today, and Pixel phones get the day one update . Android 10 will start rolling out to devices starting with the Pixel phones, including the Pixel 1. The update will include fully gestural navigation, full support for a dark mode, changes to how users can interact with notifications, a faster share sheet, an API for floating apps, 230 new emoji, various under-the-hood changes, and much more. There are better security and privacy options, giving users more control over app permissions and storage. The security changes include a new method for storage encryption that will work on cheaper devices, and because of this, encryption will now be mandatory on all devices. A gallery of screenshots is available that shows some of the new features."
"Scientists discover bizarre hell planet where it rains rocks and oceans are made of lava . K2-141b is a planet hundreds of light-years away that has oceans made of molten lava, winds that reach supersonic speeds, and rain that is made of rocks. It is one of the most extreme exoplanets ever discovered. The planet orbits so closely to its host star that much of it is made of flowing lava oceans. Only one side of the planet faces the sun as it is gravitationally locked in place. K2-141b appears to have a surface, ocean, and atmosphere all made of rock. The surface of the sunny side of the planet reaches over 5,400 degrees Fahrenheit, vaporizing the rock to create a thin, inhospitable atmosphere. The surface of the dark side of the planet is perpetually dark and reaches temperatures of minus 328 degrees Fahrenheit."
"Google Play Pass bundles 350 Android games and apps for $4.99 per month . Google Play Pass will launch at $4.99 and give customers access to over 350 games and apps served ad-free and without any in-app purchases. There will be a 10 day free trial, and the first year will be priced at $1.99 a month. Apple launched its Apple Arcade last week at $4.99, but it is different from Play Pass as it doesn't include apps and Apple is directly funding development for games on its service. Play Pass subscriptions can be shared with up to five family members. Developers will be paid depending on user engagement with the apps. While the program is currently invite-only, developers can apply to show interest in participating in the program via a web form."
"Zin Boats reinvents the electric speedboat in a bid to become the Tesla of the sea (10 minute read). Seattle Startup Zin Boats creates electric boats that can go a hundred miles or more and recharge using an ordinary wall plug. The boats require virtually no maintenance and can reach speeds of over 30 knots, with tests going up to 55 knots. Zin's boats were designed around the battery from scratch using high-performance fluid dynamics software and scale models to work out the shape of the hull. The 20-foot boats weigh around 1,750 pounds and are almost completely made out of carbon fiber. They cost around $250,000, with a more practical open-bow tender model currently being designed that will cost around $175,000. Images of the boats are available in the article."
"Google Contractors Officially Vote to Unionize . Google contract workers employed by HCL America voted to unionize with the United Steel Workers, organizing under the name Pittsburg Association of Tech Professionals. HCL has been active in discouraging contractors from unionizing. Google has stated that it will continue to partner with HCL. Many HCL employees are concerned that they are paid less than Google staffers and receive fewer benefits, with almost no job security, despite completing similar work. Contracted workers are usually unable to discuss their work or pay. There have been more instances of tech workers supporting unionization within the last year."
Introducing Triton: Open-Source GPU Programming for Neural Networks (10 minute read). Triton is a Python-like programming language that allows researchers with no CUDA experience to write highly efficient GPU code. It makes it possible to reach peak hardware performance with relatively little effort. This article introduces Triton and explains how it works with code examples.
"Gorilla Youngsters Seen Dismantling Poachers' Traps—A First . Bush-meat hunters have been setting up rope-and-branch snares in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, where endangered mountain gorillas live. Last week, an infant was caught in one of the traps and died due to snare-related wounds. Trackers from the Karisoke center comb through the forest for snares in order to dismantle them to protect the gorillas. During an expedition this week, trackers attempted to dismantle a snare near a known gorilla tribe but the gorillas warned the trackers to stay away from the trap. The gorillas then dismantled the trap and another one near it, which the trackers had missed. While gorillas have demonstrated intelligence and the ability to learn, it is against the ethos of aid groups to teach the gorillas skills as it would mean interfering with the populations and affecting their natural behavior."
"Physicists just made a breakthrough: quantum states that last over 5 seconds . A team of researchers from the US Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago managed to maintain a quantum state for more than five seconds, a new record. They used a method called 'single shot readout', which uses precise laser pulses to add single electrons to qubits to extend their quantum states for longer. The system they developed is theoretically able to perform over 100 million quantum operations in the five seconds. Five seconds is long enough for light to travel around the world almost 40 times, so the advance brings the possibility of a distributed quantum internet closer to reality."
"Move over, SolarWinds: 30,000 orgs’ email hacked via Microsoft Exchange Server flaws . 30,000 US governmental and commercial organizations' emails were hacked due to four exploits found in Microsoft's Exchange Server software. The exploits have been patched, but the cleanup process will be a massive effort. A Chinese hacking group has been blamed for the attack. The attack has been ongoing since January 6th. Microsoft released its patch on March 2nd. Exchange servers that haven't installed the patch are likely compromised. The attacks are not connected to the SolarWinds attacks."
"Chemists create and capture einsteinium, the elusive 99th element . Einsteinium is one of the most elusive and heaviest elements on the periodic table. It was discovered in the fall-out of the first hydrogen bomb test in 1952. The element doesn't occur naturally and can only be produced in microscopic quantities. It is highly radioactive and it rapidly decays, making it hard to study. Researchers from the University of California recently created a 233-nanogram sample of Einsteinium and carried out the first experiments on the element since the 1970s. The main finding of the study was the measurement of the element's bond length. The research could make it easier to create Einsteinium in the future."
Pfizer trials new pill that could stop early-stage Covid in its tracks . Pfizer has started stage one clinical trials on an oral pill designed to be an early intervention for Covid-19. The pill has demonstrated potent in-vitro antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. It can be used with other antivirals to create a treatment that complements vaccination. The pill is a protease inhibitor. It binds to a viral enzyme to prevent the virus from replicating in the cell. More information about the clinical trials will be shared on April 6.
"Waymo’s robotaxi pilot surpassed 6,200 riders in its first month in California . Waymo's self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivans completed 4,678 passenger trips in July, transporting 6,299 passengers in total in its robotaxi pilot program in California. The vehicles were only allowed to transport Waymo or Alphabet employees and their guests within a restricted area for free, so it is difficult to determine the actual demand for a self-driving passenger service from the results of the trial. In order to participate in autonomous vehicle testing trials, companies must have testing permits with the DMV and CPUC. The data collected from these trials will help regulators determine the value and challenges of commercial autonomous vehicle services."
"Perseverance Rover Captures Awesome Video of Helicopter Flying on Mars . NASA has released footage of Ingenuity in flight. Two videos were taken during the rotorcraft's 13th flight. Ingenuity flew nearly 700 feet horizontally at an altitude of 26 feet during the 16-second flight. It was recorded on Perseverance's two-camera Mastcam-Z from a distance of about 1,000 feet away. The videos are available in the article."
"Google-Free Android Smartphones Are Now Available in the US . The /e/ Foundation is now offering Google-free Android handsets in the US. The Foundation has been offering refurbished smartphones without Google software in Europe since 2019. It is starting in the US with the Samsung Galaxy S9 for $380 and the Galaxy S9+ for $430. The phones are carrier unlocked and will be backed with a one-year warranty. They will run a version of Android called /e/ OS, which has removed most of the code that sends data to remote servers without user consent."
"React Native Skia (GitHub Repo). React Native Skia brings the Skia Graphics Library to React Native. Skia is a graphics engine for many popular products, including Chrome OS and Android. React Native Skia features a declarative API available as a React Native Renderer and an imperative API backed by JSI that can be used to provide custom features."
"AI guides single-camera drone through hallways it’s never seen before . A team of scientists at the University of California have combined data from simulations and the real world to create a deep reinforcement learning model that enabled a drone to navigate through hallways it had never seen before. Scientists have previously used deep reinforcement learning models for land-based robots to learn hiking trails and to recover from unexpected falls, but not with drones that can fly. There is a GIF that shows the drone in action along with its camera output."
"Self-Driving Microscopes to Navigate the Nanoscale . The cutting edge of microscopy is as much art as it is science, with human operators having to make educated guesses about what features they are hoping to analyze. There is still no way to predict functionality from structure. Deep learning could help the field immensely. The technology could help scientists easily identify structures and automate processes, leading to the possibility of developing manufacturing capabilities. Autonomous microscopy will enable more opportunities for scientific discovery, but it will likely be a difficult process."
"Spotify is publicly testing its own version of Stories . Spotify is publicly testing its own version of Stories. Stories on Spotify was first discovered back in August 2019. It appears that Spotify is a/b testing the feature, so not all users will have access. A 13-second video is available showing the new Stories interface."
"Sweden starts testing world's first central bank digital currency . Sweden's Riksbank has begun testing the e-krona, a digital currency that will be used for payments, deposits, and withdrawals from a digital wallet. The current test project aims to show how an e-krona could be used by the general public. The central banks of Britain, the euro zone, Japan, Sweden, and Switzerland have joined forces to assess the case for issuing central bank digital currencies. CBDCs are traditional money issued and governed by a country's central bank but in digital form. Cryptocurrencies are produced by solving complex math and are governed by online communities rather than a centralized body. Digital payments have become prevalent, and central banks around the world have been forced to consider issuing their own electronic currencies. Sweden is the least cash-dependent country in the world, with only 1% of the Swedish GDP existing in banknotes in 2018. The pilot will run until February 2021 and will use blockchain technology."
"Analysis of compensation, level, and experience details of 19k tech workers (10 minute read). Data from levels.fyi was analyzed to find out how long it takes on average to become a senior or principal engineer, how much money do tech workers make, whether women get paid less than men in tech, and whether the tech industry favors the young or not. The data for the analysis came from 18.8k tech workers. On average, it takes about 18 years to become a distinguished engineer, and about four years to become a senior software engineer. There are fewer women as the level of career progression increases. Many women leave tech before they are promoted, at more than double the rate of men. The median yearly compensation for tech workers is $195,000 while the mean is $225,000, with very little difference between men and women. Stock grants are a common way to increase total compensation. Tech companies tend to favor younger employees, with older engineers' salaries having no correlation with their years of experience."
"SandDance (GitHub Repo). SandDance is a data-visualization tool that uses easy-to-understand views so researchers can easily interpret data. It consists of several JavaScript components and can be used in Power BI, Azure Data Studio, VSCode extension, Observable, and in custom JavaScript apps."
"Ask HN: How to Teach Coding? (HackerNews Thread). A user has the opportunity to mentor a trainee for three years in coding. They ask for tips on what the best way to teach coding is. The replies are full of tips on how to teach coding and personal anecdotes about people’s experience in learning code. A common piece of advice in the thread is to guide the trainee but not to give them answers to questions. Problems should be presented and ideas on how to solve the problem should be suggested, but it is the experience of solving the problem that is most beneficial to student coders."
"The scientist making Florida strawberries bigger, sweeter and sometimes grape-flavored . FL 16.78-109 is a type of strawberry that is white with red seeds that has appeared recently on random store shelves. It has a sweet flavor, sometimes tasting similar to grapes. The berries are a result of cross-breeding with a type of berry from Japan. It has taken years of work and hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop. Today’s berries are significantly sweeter and larger than what they used to be due to scientific farming. While there are many different types of strawberries, most supermarkets lump them into the same label. New types are being continually developed to improve taste, health, and appearance. Most farmers use cross-breeding techniques, rather than direct genetic modification. This means that the process is usually significantly slower. Only one in about 30,000 seedlings will become a new variety of strawberry."
"Facebook is reportedly teaming up with Ray-Ban on its smart AR glasses . Facebook has been working on its own augmented reality glasses that are designed to replace a phone. Users will be able to answer calls on it and there will be a small display, similar to Google Glass. A camera embedded in the glasses will allow users to live stream videos. Facebook has partnered with Luxottica to bring the glasses to market, possibly between 2023 and 2025. Ray-Ban, a brand owned by Luxottica, will be directly involved in the partnership but will be developing a completely different set of smart glasses."
"Cruisin’ Elon: Tesla boss Musk takes Cybertruck for a spin . Being the boss of a company has its perks, and it is no surprise that Elon Musk gets to be one of the first to take the Cybertruck out for a spin. Musk was seen cruising about Hawthorne, California in a Cybertruck recently. An Instagram user posted a video of an encounter, which Musk then retweeted. The video is a little blurry, but it shows what appears to be Musk driving a Cybertruck. One of the people in the video says 'Jay Leno and Elon'. It is linked in the article. The car taking the video barely comes up to the bottom of the Cybertruck's window. Everyone else will have to wait until at least the end of 2021 to have the driving experience Musk is having today."
"3 Reasons AMC Is Beating MoviePass at Its Own Game . Following the popularity of MoviePass, which peaked at 3.2 million subscribers earlier this summer, AMC rolled out its own subscription service, a $19.95 pass to watch up to 3 movies per week called AMC Stubs A-List. AMC's offering has grown to 260,000 members in just a matter of weeks, and it has become a better deal on a per movie basis than MoviePass, as MoviePass has begun limiting its users to 3 movies per month. The problem with MoviePass is that it doesn't control the cost of its inputs, while AMC does, making the latter's offering much more sustainable."
"China is Building a Floating Spaceport for Rocket Launches . Launch facilities based at sea are expected to be a lot more common in the near future. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation is developing a mobile launch facility off the coast of Haiyang city in the eastern province of Shandong, China. It will be used for launching light vehicles as well as for building and maintaining rockets, satellites, and other space machinery. The Eastern Aerospace Port will be China's fifth launch facility. Sea platforms help mitigate the risk to populated areas, as launches often result in spent stages falling back to Earth, requiring extensive safety and cleanup operations. The facility is part of China's evolving space plans that include the launch of the Chinese Large Modular Space Station from 2021 to 2023, as well as various lunar exploration programs."
"Thought-detection: AI has infiltrated our last bastion of privacy . Researchers from London have developed a deep neural network that can determine a person's emotional state by analyzing wireless signals. The technique involves sending radio signals towards targets and measuring them when they bounce back. These waves reveal information about an individual's heart and breathing rates, and then an algorithm is used to determine one of four basic emotion types. The technology can be applied to existing systems, such as Wi-Fi routers. It can be used to determine emotional changes in a crowd."
"Elon Musk won’t join Twitter board, can thus exceed 14.9% ownership cap . Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has announced that Elon Musk won't be joining Twitter's board of directors. If Musk had joined the board, he would have been barred from owning more than 14.9% of the company during his time on the board and for 90 days after. There is a high likelihood that Musk will take a more hostile stance toward Twitter and increase his active stake in the company. Musk recently tweeted a series of criticisms, suggestions, and jokes about the social media platform. He has since deleted most of the tweets except for one that asks whether Twitter is dying."
"Researchers are creepily close to predicting when you’re going to die . A team of researchers in the Netherlands has discovered 14 metabolic substances in the blood that predicted whether people were likely to die within the next five to 10 years. Over a period of nearly 17 years, the scientists measured 226 different substances in the blood of 44,168 people aged 18 to 109, of which 5,512 died during the study. After the study, the scientists used the 14 markers to predict the deaths of a group of 7,603 Finnish people who were surveyed in 1997. The measurements were 83 percent accurate at predicting death within five to 10 years. Accuracy dropped for people aged 60 and over. The biomarkers may be helpful for guiding patient care and to help prognosis. All the data in the study came from people of European descent, so it may not be applicable to other groups."
"Apple blocks Google from running its internal iOS apps . Apple has blocked Google’s internal iOS apps as a result of a breach of Apple’s developer enterprise program terms. Google had been using enterprise certificates to distribute its apps to consumers, despite only being authorized for internal use. Apple is working closely with Google to restore their services. Facebook had the same issue yesterday but has already had their access restored."
"How Scientists Managed to Film the Ocean's Largest and Shyest Deep-Sea Squids . Deep-sea squids have very large eyes that make it easy for them to spot and run away from anyone trying to film them in action. A group of scientists combined low-light cameras, red illuminators, and bioluminescence-mimicking lures to attract squid and film them. The resulting squid hunting ship was called the Medusa and it managed to record deep-sea squids in their natural environment. A link to some of the footage captured by the team is available in the article."
"How Lord of the Rings changed big screen battles forever (12 minute read). Massive is a software that creates computer-generated armies using artificial intelligence to simulate realistic battles at tremendous scales. It was designed specifically for Lord of the Rings and has since been used for many other productions, including Game of Thrones and Marvel's Avengers: Endgame. This article tells the story of how Massive was developed and used in several productions. The software has evolved and gotten better over the years, but the core elements have stayed the same, showing how far ahead of its time the software was when it was made 20 years ago."
"A Complete Guide to Custom Properties (19 minute read). Custom properties are used as variables in CSS. They can make code easier to maintain, and using them can unlock interesting possibilities. This is a complete guide to using Custom Properties. It contains plenty of examples and additional resources."
"We toured Intel’s advanced chip making site in Oregon. Here’s how it works (10 minute read). Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines are the future of the semiconductor industry. These tools are exclusively manufactured in the Netherlands by ASML and cost $180 million each. The machines are roughly 12 feet tall and weigh about 180 metric tons. This article provides a look into one of Intel's facilities, the development of EUV technology, and how the technology changes chip manufacturing."
"How Boston Dynamics Taught Its Robots to Dance (12 minute read). Last week, Boston Dynamics released a video of its robots dancing. The company worked with dancers and a choreographer to create the dance, using simulations to iterate through movement concepts and adjusting the human dance moves so that they could be performed by the robot. Eventually, the team had a toolchain to quickly create new dance moves. The exercise helped engineers push the limits of their creations, as well as learn more about the robustness of their hardware. While the development of the dance moves took months, the actual sequence in the video was filmed over two days."
"Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ beta has an ‘assertive’ driving mode that ‘may perform rolling stops’ . Tesla's Full Self-Driving beta has three driving profiles that vary in terms of aggressiveness. The Assertive option has a smaller follow distance, performs more frequent speed lane changes, will not exit passing lanes, and may perform rolling stops. The Chill mode has a larger follow distance and perform fewer lane changes, and the Average option has a medium follow distance and may perform rolling stops. It is unknown if the Assertive option changes how safe the vehicles are. A video showing the three modes in operation is available in the article."
many_requests (GitHub Repo). many_requests is an interface for executing many HTTP requests asynchronously. It automatically handles errors and executes retries. many_requests also provides helper functions for executing embarrassingly parallel async coroutines.
"9 highlights from Snapchat CEO's 6,000-word leaked memo on survival . Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel sent out a 6000 word memo to Snapchat employees detailing how they would turn the company around as Snapchat's stock hit an all-time low of $8 per share. He says that the redesign from earlier this year was a mistake, that the company needs to focus on being a chat app instead of a newsfeed app, and that Snapchat should beat Facebook by being about your best friends instead of your broader social graph. He also believes that the company needs to focus on users in older demographics and in developing markets. He gives the company, which lost $353 million last quarter, a goal to be profitable by the end of 2019."
"Inverse Scaling Prize (GitHub Repo). Win up to $100,000 for finding an important task where larger language models do worse."
"San Francisco bans cashless stores . San Francisco has become the third city or state to ban cashless stores, citing that cashless stores unfairly discriminate against economically disadvantaged people. The ban exempts pop-up stores, rideshare companies, online stores, and food trucks, as they may not have the capabilities to accept cash as payment. While the city acknowledges the future will probably be cashless, many citizens are not yet ready for the transition. Many citizens still do not have bank accounts, let alone the cards that will allow them to live in a cashless society."
"TikTok guidelines said not to promote posts by ‘ugly’ and poor users . TikTok guidelines for moderators state that posts by people who are ugly or who appear to be poor should be prevented from being promoted to its 'For You' section. Previous excerpts of TikTok's guidelines have been leaked in the past, including a section about preventing posts from LGBTQ users and users with disabilities from appearing in 'For You'. TikTok claims that the goal of these rules was to prevent bullying. Notes accompanying these rules say that the banned traits were less likely to draw in new users. TikTok has been under growing scrutiny for its moderation and data collection services. It is owned by a Chinese company and it has censored anti-CCP content on its platform in the past."
"The FBI’s email system was hacked to send out fake cybersecurity warnings . A hacker has managed to send emails to over 100,000 addresses using the FBI's email servers. The emails claimed that the recipients were the victims of a sophisticated chain attack orchestrated by Vinny Troia, a prominent cybersecurity researcher. Troia has identified a potential suspect, an individual who has allegedly tried damaging Troia's reputation in similar ways in the past. The accused hacker said that they could have caused much more damage, and has told media outlets about how he gained access."
"Instagram will test a feature that allows users to shadow ban their bullies . A new anti-bullying measure by Instagram uses artificial intelligence to flag comments. Account owners can also now shadowban users who post on their comments, which means that only the commenter and account owner will be able to see the messages. Once the AI detects that a user is posting a comment that may be deemed offensive or bullying, the user is prompted with a message to confirm whether they really want to post the comment. In tests, this system was shown to lower the number of offensive comments posted. Instagram has been implementing much needed anti-bullying measures for a while now. However, studies have shown that many teens create new accounts entirely for bullying which makes it more difficult to stop."
"SpaceX on track to launch first NASA astronauts in May, president says . The President of SpaceX, Gwynne Shotwell, has announced that the company is working with NASA to launch its first human spaceflight in May. SpaceX aims to be the first US company to fly NASA astronauts in nearly a decade. The mission will be called Demo-2, and it will carry two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station for at least a few days. SpaceX still needs to go through a certification process, and NASA has yet to finalize plans on how long the mission will go for. It has also signed two contracts to launch privately-paying tourists to space and the ISS. Crew Dragon capsules will be reusable, just like SpaceX's rocket boosters."
"Elon Musk wanted The Onion; he got Thud (12 minute read). In 2017, Elon Musk recruited two of The Onion’s leaders and created a startup called Thud. It was a dream deal for the pair, who were told to create a satire media network that was not required to make any money, as long as Musk continued to back the project. Thud created many projects and grew to 13 people over a year. Eventually, Musk backed out of the project, leaving the team with about six months of funding, which the team had to use to figure out how to generate revenue. Thud launched and failed without ever releasing its biggest projects, as launching an independent media company in 2019 is a difficult venture."
"Coronavirus outbreak: doctors use robot to treat first known US patient . The coronavirus that originated from China has reached the US. It has killed 17 people in China so far. A man in his 30s who had recently been in central China was diagnosed in Seattle and admitted into the special pathogens unit in a hospital in Everett, Washington. The patient is in a satisfactory condition, but doctors did not say when he would be released from the hospital. A robot was used to treat the patient in order to reduce the risk of the virus spreading. More than 540 people have been hospitalized with the virus in Wuhan. Most of those who have died of the virus were 60 or older, and all have been in China. The CDC has said that the risk of the virus to the American public is low."
Laravel Pint (GitHub Repo). Laravel Pint is a zero-dependency PHP code style fixer for minimalists.
"How Chess.com built a streaming empire (10 minute read). Chess.com dominates the world of online chess, with over 57 million registered users around the world. The site's popularity is partly due to its number of users, its ability to detect cheaters and bots, and its chess engine, which can emulate different styles of play. Streaming has brought incredible growth to the site over the last year. Chess.com's partnership with Twitch has resulted in the birth of new streaming sensations. 18.3 million hours of chess were watched by Twitch users in January 2021."
Watch as Royal Marines Test Out a Flying Jet Suit . The Royal Marines are testing a jet suit for use as a way to fly and land on ships quickly and with precision. Gravity Industries developed the suit to provide rapid access and exit to and from target areas while retaining the ability to handle a weapon. An earlier version of the suit featured a helmet-controlled shoulder-mounted pellet rifle. A 3-minute video showing the jet suits in action is available in the article.
"How GPT3 Works - Visualizations and Animations . GPT-3 was estimated to cost 355 GPU years and around $4.6m to train. 300 billion tokens of text were used to train the model. It generates one token at a time. The model has 175 billion parameters which it uses to calculate which token to generate at each run. It converts each word into a list of numbers representing the word, computes a prediction, and then converts the resulting vector into a word. Animations that explain the structure of GPT-3 and deep learning models are available in the article."
"The UI Animation Newsletter (Newsletter). This is a newsletter that's all about UI animation and motion effects. There are lots of tutorials for cool animation effects as well as design inspiration. Curated by Val Head, a design advocate at Adobe and author of Designing Interface Animation."
"Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2021 (1 hour read). Stack Overflow conducts an annual survey to help improve its community and platform. This year, the survey revealed a significant evolution in how developers self-educate, with online resources like videos and blogs more popular than books and schools combined for those under 18. More than half of respondents had been coding for less than a decade, with 35 percent having less than five years in the trade. This page contains the full results of the survey, which covered topics like the most popular technologies, the top paying technologies, employment and salary information, and much more."
"NASA's InSight lander captures first 'sounds' of wind on Mars . NASA's InSight lander has captured the first ever audio recording from the surface of another planet. The recording in the video in the article is actually pitched up 6 octaves, the frequency of the unaltered recording is roughly 50 hertz, which is on the very low end of the human hearing range. The pitched up version basically sounds like wind on Earth, nothing too exciting. The recorded winds were blowing at 10 to 15 miles per hour."
"Find and fix things across all of your code faster with Sourcegraph (Sponsor). Find and fix things across all of your code faster with Sourcegraph . See how the most productive dev teams use Sourcegraph to build software you rely on. From remediating vulnerabilities, fixing incidents faster, accelerating developer productivity, streamlining code reuse, and more, our customers use Sourcegraph every day to solve big code problems."
"Amsterdam tests out electric autonomous boats on its canals . The Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions and MIT are collaborating on a project to develop new ways of navigating waterways autonomously. Using autonomous systems would make highly complex port operations safer and more efficient. The Roboats project has developed a 4-meter long electric boat that is steered by a remote computer. The boat is modular, so it can be easily adapted for different purposes. It will still be two to four years before self-steering technology will be ready."
"Demo Store with Commerce.js and Next.js (GitHub Repo). This repository contains an eCommerce demo store built using the Commerce.js v2 SDK and Next.js. A link to a live demo is available. The store can be deployed to Netlify in one click. It features carts, a checkout, customer accounts, payment gateways, and more."
SpaceX's Starlink sees the in-flight internet market as ripe for an overhaul . SpaceX is testing aviation-specific Starlink terminals and is in the process of getting the terminals approved with a variety of aircraft. It will make the terminals smaller and lighter to provide high-speed internet globally without disruption. Current satellite broadband providers for inflight Wi-Fi use satellites in distant orbits with slow speeds. Starlink's vice-president envisions a future where every passenger can stream on planes just like at home.
"Enrich Time Series Data with Data from PostgreSQL (Sponsor). In this tutorial, you will learn how to use the Flux query language to enrich time series data stored in InfluxDB time series database by combining it with metadata stored in a relational database. Learn more."
"Elon Musk makes deal with SEC not to discuss Tesla's finances without a lawyer's approval . Elon Musk has reached an agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over his use of Twitter. The agreement, which outlines what kind of information requires formal legal review prior to being published, still requires approval by a judge. It includes topics regarding the company’s decisions, financial position, and other topics that may affect shareholders. Tesla shares rose after the news. The full proposed agreement between the SEC and Musk is available to read at the end of the article."
"For the first time, scientists find X-rays coming from Uranus . Scientists discovered X-rays emitting from Uranus after analyzing two visuals of the planet taken by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory in 2002 and 2017. Most of the X-rays come from the sun, but there are hints of at least one other source present. Figuring out the source could reveal insights into how other objects in space emit X-rays, including black holes and neutron stars. Uranus is particularly interesting to scientists because of its side rotation and magnetic field."
"Tracer (Newsletter). Tracer is a fortnightly newsletter that provides its community with a curated collection of important stories, studies, and developments on the current state of fakes generated by artificial intelligence. As deep learning technologies develop, the ability to create fake media is becoming more widespread. The technology has been abused to create weaponized misinformation and poses a serious risk as a cybersecurity threat."
"Elon Musk’s SpaceX is literally launching a Dogecoin-funded satellite to the Moon . SpaceX is now accepting Dogecoin. It plans to launch a satellite named DOGE-1 to the moon in the first quarter of 2022. The satellite is being sent by Geometric Energy Corporation, who will pay for it using Dogecoin. Dogecoin will be used for all lunar business between the two companies. The price of Dogecoin crashed over the weekend after Elon Musk appeared on Saturday Night Live and joked about the cryptocurrency being a hustle. A clip of the SNL segment is available in the article."
"A Long-Lost Legendary Roman Fruit Tree Has Been Grown From 2,000-Year-Old Seeds . An ancient species has been brought back to life from 2,000-year-old seeds found in ancient ruins and caves. The Judean date palm has been lost for centuries, and the feat confirms the long-term viability of the seed kernels. By studying the saplings, scientists were able to determine that the palm was cross-cultivated with a blend of eastern and western date palm varieties. The findings helped shed some light on ancient cultivation practices. They show that humans in ancient civilizations deliberately introduced desirable traits into cultivated species. The scientists are trying to determine how the date seeds retained their viability for so long, as this could have important implications for agriculture."
"China reportedly found massive amounts of uranium at a depth of 10,000 feet . Nuclear authorities in China have discovered rich uranium deposits at depths of almost 10,000 feet. The discovery could increase the country's total reserves of uranium 10-fold to more than two million tonnes. Uranium was thought to concentrate mainly in shallow, geophysically stable areas, but recent finds by China have been more than 4,920 feet below the surface in regions that have experienced large tectonic movements. A new method for detecting uranium developed by China could help other countries find hidden uranium deposits."
"Writing sustainable Python scripts . Python is a great language for writing standalone scripts that can accomplish many tasks in just a dozen to a few hundred lines of code. While it is easy to write useful code, it can also be easy to forget to make the code readable for yourself and future developers. It is helpful to encode documentation, add command-line arguments, enable logging, and include tests in the code so that it is fully annotated and easily understood."
"US government reportedly in talks with tech companies on how to use location data in COVID-19 fight . The US government is in talks with tech companies to discuss how the data from smartphones can be used to combat the ongoing coronavirus epidemic. Location data can be used to help track the general spread of the infection. Data would be anonymized before being sent to any organization. One of the measures suggested by experts is to use location data to track contact with other people for someone who has a confirmed case of the virus. Naturally, many people are wary of a widespread effort to collect personal data, especially in a time of extreme duress."
"Apple Publicly Trolls Google Over Controversial Smart City Surveillance Plans . There has been some controversy over the recent plans announced by Sidewalk Labs to build a Smart City on Toronto's eastern waterfront. The $900 million development promises quality of living, support for low-cost housing, and urban regeneration. However, cameras and IoT sensors will capture data from residents, which will then be used to fuel urban planning activities and decisions. Google assures that the data will be governed by an independent trust and will not be sold without consent. Apple has erected a billboard where the development is planned that reads, ‘We’re in the business of staying out of yours. Privacy. That’s iPhone,’ as a commentary on the need for privacy."
"Elizabeth Holmes verdict: Former Theranos CEO is found guilty on 4 counts . Elizabeth Holmes, the former chief executive of biotech startup Theranos, was found guilty on four of 11 charges of defrauding the company's investors and not guilty on four counts of committing fraud against patients. Holmes faces up to 20 years in prison. Her trial took nearly four months and involved testimonies from over 30 witnesses. Three charges are still yet to be resolved as the jury couldn't reach a decision."
"Meta reportedly canceled a 300-person VR / AR operating system project . Meta was reportedly working on a custom operating system to power virtual and augmented reality headsets but suspended development in November. XROS development began in 2017, with more than 300 people working on the project. Canceling the OS will mean that Meta will have to continue to rely on Google's Android OS. XR development stopped after the project's team lead left to work on a similar AR OS project at Google. Meta is reportedly still interested in building its own OS."
"Google just released 1,000 new images of the most gorgeous landscapes in Google Earth View . Google has updated its Google Earth View collection with 1,000 new images of some of Earth's most stunning landscapes as seen from space. The collection now boasts over 2,500 landscapes from across the globe with images optimized for 4K screens. Google Earth View images can be used as wallpapers and screensavers for a range of devices. A link to Google Earth View is available in the article."
"Netflix launches $4 mobile-only monthly plan in Malaysia . Netflix will launch its mobile-only monthly plan in Malaysia for $4 a month. The plan will limit access to Netflix on just one mobile device at 480p. Users will not be able to cast Netflix to other devices. More than 88 percent of people in Malaysia own a smartphone and 78 percent stream and download media content. Other aggressively priced services in Malaysia include iFlix, Dimsum, playTV, and Astro Go. Netflix will produce original content for Malaysian customers. It has raised its prices to $13 per month for its most popular plan in the US. Netflix has missed its subscriber forecast for the second quarter in a row."
"First Artificial Kidney That Would Free People From Dialysis and Transplants Runs on Blood Pressure . KidneyX, a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the American Society of Nephrology, has awarded The Kidney Project a $650,000 prize for its demonstration of a functional prototype of an implantable artificial kidney. The smartphone-sized device combines a hemofilter, which removes waste products and toxins from blood, and a bioreactor, which replicates other kidney functions. It is powered by blood pressure. The device could provide patients with kidney failure complete mobility and better physiological outcomes compared with dialysis."
"Russia plans to temporarily disconnect the entire country from the internet . Russia plans to temporarily disconnect the entire country from the internet in an exercise designed to test the country’s internet infrastructure in case of a cyber-war. The test is expected to happen before April 1. An unexpected disruption to the internet could cost the country billions, even if the disruption is only brief. Russia plans to route all of its internet traffic within the country by 2020, and the testing is part of a plan to create a web filtering system similar to the one in China."
"Design: #noFramework (25 minute read). This article discusses the idea of not using frameworks in development. Frameworks can be good for specific cases, but they force developers into a rigid style of work that takes a lot of investment to learn. The article introduces alternatives to frameworks such as using standard APIs, libraries, templates, and other components."
"Apple CEO Tim Cook says digital privacy 'has become a crisis' . The state of online privacy has become a crisis, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook. Unlike companies like Google or Facebook, Apple does not focus on advertising and customer data. While other companies may sell or use customer data as a product, Apple focuses on keeping data safe and private. The issue of people’s increasing use of Apple’s devices was addressed, as Apple had removed apps that allowed people to remotely manage screen time on other devices. Apple stated that these apps were removed as they used Mobile Device Management technology designed to handle sensitive data for businesses."
"TikTok passes YouTube in the US for average watch time . TikTok has overtaken YouTube in average watch time per user in the US and UK. YouTube is still the bigger site in terms of users and total video watched, but the average TikTok user watches more video than the average YouTube viewer. The data from the report only comes from Android devices, but there is no reason that iOS users would be different. TikTok was the most downloaded app last year. YouTube has been trying to fight off TikTok with YouTube Shorts, a TikTok clone."
"Amazon is using algorithms with little human intervention to fire Flex workers . Amazon Flex hirings and firings are all handled by software, with minimal intervention by humans. Many workers are reporting that they are being fired for reasons outside of their control. The reasons that Amazon gives for the firings often don't match the true reason for the termination. Executives at Amazon are apparently aware of the faults in the system but they are unconcerned as long as there are sufficient numbers of replacements for those who are mistakenly terminated. The Flex app was downloaded 200,000 times in May."
"BioNTech, Pfizer to Start Testing Universal Vaccine for Coronaviruses . BioNTech and Pfizer are starting human trials of next-generation shots that protect against a wide variety of coronaviruses. The new treatments include T-cell-enhancing shots and pan-coronavirus shots to provide durable variant protection. BioNTech is independently working on precision antibiotics to kill antibiotic-resistant superbugs. It has not announced when human trials will begin."
Xbox Cloud Gaming now supports Steam Deck through Microsoft Edge . Microsoft has released a beta version of Microsoft Edge for the Steam Deck that includes support for the Steam Deck's controls. Steam Deck owners can now play Xbox Cloud Gaming games through the device. There are several Xbox Games Studios titles that can run natively on the Steam Deck. The Steam Deck can now run Windows. A link to Microsoft's instructions on how to use Xbox Cloud Gaming on the Steam Deck is available.
"Textures.js (Website). Textures.js is a JavaScript library for creating SVG patterns. Designers can combine colors and textures, create custom patterns, as well as change the size of the patterns used. Examples are available on the website."
"The UN just unveiled a design for a new floating city that can withstand Category 5 hurricanes . The UN has unveiled a design for a floating city that can withstand natural disasters. It consists of connected hexagonal platforms, each housing 300 residents, that connect into bigger villages with around 10,000 residents, an ideal number for each village to achieve full autonomy. There will be no cars, and rubbish will be collected through pneumatic tubes and sent directly to a sorting facility to be repurposed. Food will be obtained through ocean farming and the goal is for the cities to be completely self-sufficient. While the cities will be floating, they will still be moored to the ocean floor. The designers recognize that most people will continue to live on land, but the concept of living on the ocean will still appeal to many."
"Japan developing wooden satellites to cut space junk . Sumitomo Forestry and Kyoto University are working together to develop wooden satellites. Space junk is becoming an increasing problem. 60% of the nearly 6,000 satellites currently circling Earth are defunct. Nearly a thousand satellites will be launched every year this decade. Sumitomo Group was founded more than 400 years ago and it is currently developing wooden materials that are highly resistant to temperature changes and sunlight. Wooden satellites would burn up in the atmosphere without releasing harmful substances or raining debris to the ground. Current satellites burn and create tiny alumina particles that float in the upper atmosphere for many years, which will eventually affect the environment of the Earth."
"FDA official: Booster announcements coming Wednesday . US regulators will rule on Wednesday on authorizing booster doses of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. Some announcements later today may include the allowing of the mixing and matching of Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 booster doses. Several million Americans have already received a third dose to boost Pfizer's vaccine. The booster recommendations won’t become official until after the CDC’s director affirms who should get them and when."
"Yuval Noah Harari: the world after coronavirus (10 minute read). Humanity is now facing perhaps the biggest crisis of our generation, and the decisions that people and governments make in the next few weeks will probably shape the world for years to come. Unlike 50 years ago, governments couldn't track entire populations. It is now possible to do so, and COVID-19 might push this technology forward so that it becomes standard governmental procedure. Governments can theoretically track citizens' temperature and blood pressure through their smartphones and use the data to create containment strategies. This could be extremely useful during the coronavirus outbreak, but governments will probably hold onto these powers afterwards. While the technology could be helpful, other less-intrusive strategies such as increasing hand-washing would be more effective. A global policy on epidemics to get countries to cooperate on an agreed plan would be the most effective measure to prevent another outbreak like this from occurring."
"Japanese hotel chain sorry that hackers may have watched guests through bedside robots . A hotel chain in Japan uses robots that perform tasks that human employees usually do, for example, check-in guests, showing guests their rooms, and assist with other requirements. The hotels use facial recognition to unlock doors. A few months ago, a security researcher discovered a vulnerability on the robots that allowed easy access to stream video and audio from the robots. The researcher notified the hotel group about the vulnerability but received no reply, so he made the hack public. After the hack was revealed, the hotel group apologized for the vulnerability and patched the software."
"An ex-Verizon employee explains why it's not worth helping customers . Verizon employees are required to upsell products, but one of the strategies to do this is by not offering lower-priced options. Higher-priced packages can contain inferior products, such as third-party technical support lines. During the pandemic, Verizon took away upgrades as a way for employees to earn commissions, requiring them to sell new lines, accessories, tablets, and insurance instead. The company also adjusted commissions based on the results of customer surveys. This resulted in employees refusing to serve customers if there was a chance of a negative survey result."
How much does it cost to build an app? (Web App). This is a simple step by step calculator that lets you pick a series of features and then it tells you how much it would cost to hire a freelancer/contractor/agency to build the app. Pretty nifty for non-technical people looking to launch their own app.
"AI-driven search engine You.com takes on Google with $20M . You.com is an open-source search engine that has just announced its public beta launch. The site uses natural language processing, a form of AI, to understand search queries, rank results, and semantically parse queries into different languages. It will attempt to serve the most useful content on the front page. The platform doesn't sell personal information nor does it track its users. You.com is currently ad-free, but it has committed to never offering targeted privacy-invading ads."
"European Union Wants All Smartphones To Have A Standard Charging Port . The European Union is again pushing for the development of a common charging port for all smartphones available on the market. A large amount of electronic waste is generated from smartphones requiring different charging ports, and the change to a standardized port would make users' lives easier. The Radio Equipment Directive demanded the change in 2014, but the initiative was turned down. Apple has stated that changing to a common charger for all smartphones would be bad for the environment and freeze innovation. Around a billion Apple devices are using the lightning port, and the introduction of a common charger will result in an immediate increase in electronic waste, defeating the motive behind the directive. Apple may adopt a Type-C USB port in the next iPhone since it has already been introduced in the iPad and MacBook."
Rivian opens its first three 'Adventure Network' fast charging sites . Rivian's network of Level 3 fast DC chargers will be accessible to nearly every other EV on the road.
"YouTubers Will Enter Politics, And The Ones Who Do Are Probably Going To Win (10 minute read). Kim Kataguiri is a Brazilian 22 year old who has just been elected to Brazilian Congress, he's part of a movement called Movimento Brasil Livre (MBL) that's sort of like the Brazilian Breitbart/Tea Party (right wing news/political party). MBL's Youtube channel has grown from 0 to 1 million subscribers this year, 40% of their revenue comes from Youtube ads, and they plan to have all of the group's members have their own Youtube channels. The group's other growth strategy is through WhatsApp memes (nearly all Brazilian internet users use WhatsApp). They study the ways Breitbart and the Tea Party have gained popularity in the United States and try to apply those lessons to Brazil. One MBL candidate who was just elected as a state representative rose to fame after he released a video of himself getting beaten up so badly by left wing protesters that he passed out on Youtube. He ended up getting 500,000 votes, in a state election where candidates usually get around 20,000. Right now MBL's main audience is between the ages of 13-24, and many of them still cannot vote. Until that voting bloc comes of age, MBL's plan is to be part of the Democrats, Brazil's right-wing party dedicated to economic liberalism and Christian democracy."
"Lidar reveals hundreds of long-lost Maya and Olmec ceremonial centers . A recent airborne lidar survey revealed 478 Maya and Olmec ceremonial sites hidden beneath vegetation or too large to recognize from the ground in southern Mexico. Lidar surveys have revealed tens of thousands of irrigation channels, causeways, and fortresses across Maya territory over the last several years. The technology is transforming archaeology. The new findings reveal more about the ancient civilizations, showing that they were more extensive and densely populated than previously realized."
Watch the Awe-Inspiring Video of Southern Lights From the ISS . French astronaut Thomas Pesquet recently released a time-lapse video of the Southern Lights captured during a routine mission aboard the ISS. The Southern Lights are less popular compared to their northern counterpart as Antarctica is largely uninhabited and limited in spotting sites. They are caused by the same phenomenon. Pesquet has been lucky in spotting auroras on his current stint on the ISS. The article contains the video and pictures of auroras from space captured by Pesquet.
"SpaceX flies its Starship rocket to 40,000 feet, just misses the landing in explosive finale . SpaceX's Starship prototype SN8 achieved a major milestone by flying to a height of around 40,000 feet. After reaching its peak, the Starship oriented into a horizontal position to glide back to Earth. Its engines re-ignited as the rocket approached the ground, reorienting itself to a vertical orientation for the descent. The landing was a little rough, resulting in an explosion that engulfed the rocket. Despite this, the test was deemed successful, as the test flight resulted in a ton of valuable data for SpaceX. SpaceX already has two more prototypes ready to go for follow-up tests."
"Porter (GitHub Repo). Porter is a Kubernetes-powered PaaS that runs on any cloud provider. It features one-click provisioning of a Kubernetes cluster for AWS, GCP, and Digital Ocean, a Heroku-like GUI, simple deployment of any Docker image, a marketplace for one-click add-ons, and more."
"Facebook will start putting ads in Oculus Quest apps . Facebook will start testing ads inside its Oculus Quest virtual reality system in the coming weeks. It will expand the system based on user feedback. The Oculus mobile app started displaying ads last month, but this is the first time ads will appear inside the VR platform. Facebook is not changing how it collects or analyzes user data. Some sensitive data, like images from the headset camera and information from Oculus Move fitness tracking, will remain only on users' devices. Facebook has no plans to use movement data or recordings from its voice assistant for ads."
"There’s no place like the perfectly sized home for the mighty mantis shrimp . Scientists have determined that mantis shrimp will fight longer and harder for burrows of ideal size by pitching them against each other in a competition over preferred burrows. There were two stages of the experiment, one where the shrimp could freely choose unoccupied burrows of varying sizes, and another stage where the shrimp were randomly matched against each other to fight over a preferred burrow. The researchers found that the mantis shrimp would fight longer and harder and be more likely to win when the volume of the contested burrow closely matched with the shrimp's body length. This showed that the animals would exert maximum effort for something that is 'just right', demonstrating the mantis shrimp's ability to assess the value of contested resources."
"JupyterLite (GitHub Repo). JupyterLite is a JupyterLab distribution that runs entirely in the browser. It features a Python kernel backed by Pyodide, basic session and kernel management, code consoles, and more. It can be easily deployed without a dedicated application server. JupyterLite is still in active development."
"Google Is Said to Be Shopping for More Real Estate in New York . Google is close to finalizing a deal to buy or lease a 1.3 million square foot office building in the West Village. The space is large enough to allow Google to hire an additional 8,500 workers. Google is also planning to expand its Chelsea market property by adding 300,000 square feet, which will allow for another 3,500 workers. It looks like Amazon won't be the only tech giant looking to expand in New York City."
"Facebook's smart glasses could give you hearing superpowers . Facebook Reality Labs has developed technology that allows headsets to enhance targeted sounds while dimming loud background noises. At the moment, the technology exists as an in-ear monitor that pairs with an eye-movement tracking device. The eye-movement tracking device identifies what the user is looking at and amplifies the volume for whatever the person is focusing on. This could be combined with other technologies Facebook has developed to create virtual maps of both physical objects and sounds surrounding the user. The technology can be used to immerse people in virtual environments, creating sounds that feel like they are produced in real space."
"After ‘Stealing’ $16M, This Teen Hacker Seems Intent on Testing ‘Code Is Law’ in the Courts (12 minute read). $16 million in cryptocurrency was taken through an exploit of a decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol last week by a teenaged graduate student. The teen has refused to return the funds, claiming that he simply executed a fully legal arbitrage trade. If the case goes before a judge, it could be a test of 'code is law', a common mindset where anything permissible by code in a DeFi system is ethically permissible. This article discusses the case in detail, looking into both sides of the 'code is law' argument and the probable legal outcomes."
"Artificial tree promises to suck up as much air pollution as a small forest . A Mexican startup called Biomitech has developed an artificial tree that it claims is capable of processing the same amount of air pollution as 368 living trees. Unlike trees, Biourban doesn't require many years to grow. The 14-foot metal tree uses microalgae that pulls carbon dioxide and other contaminants from the air, releasing pure oxygen as a byproduct. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 7 million people die from exposure to air pollution each year. Each artificial tree costs around $50,000 to construct, which might prevent the technology from spreading to areas where it is needed most. Another project from a German firm, Green City Solutions, uses vertically installed squares of moss cultures to achieve similar results."
"CNN Explainer (GitHub Repo). CNN Explainer is an interactive visualization system design to help non-experts learn about Convolutional Neural Networks. CNNs are a type of artificial intelligence that excel at image classification. A live demo is available, containing the interactive system along with an explanation of CNNs and links to further learning resources."
"SpaceX to build floating spaceports for rockets bound for the Moon and Mars, and for hypersonic Earth travel . SpaceX is planning to develop and build floating spaceports to provide launch sites for its Super Heavy-class launch vehicles. The larger rockets will be used to move large payload rockets to the Moon and Mars and also for point-to-point travel on Earth. SpaceX's Super Heavy rocket booster combined with its Starship spacecraft could potentially reduce the trip time for long-haul flights to only a couple of hours. In a 2017 presentation, SpaceX claimed that it could reach any city on Earth from any other city in less than an hour. The company has recently posted a job opening for Offshore Operations engineers in order to develop the project further."
Some Assembly Required (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a short but approachable introduction to assembly.
UI Movement (Newsletter). UI Movement is a great newsletter for design inspiration with 5 nifty animations delivered to your inbox every Friday!
Google’s new Chrome extension lets you link directly to specific text on a page . Link To Text Fragment is a new Chrome Extension that can generate URLs to specific text on a webpage. Users simply need to highlight and right click text and the 'Copy Link to Selected Text' option will be available. A new feature in Chromium called Text Fragments allows extra linking information in a URL after a #. The extension simplifies the creation process as some URLs can become long and difficult to manually create. Text Fragments are not yet supported in all browsers.
"Mars plays shepherd to our moon's long-lost twin, scientists find . A team of scientists have found an asteroid trailing behind Mars with a composition very similar to the moon's. It could be part of the debris resulting from the impacts that formed the moon and other rocky planets in our solar system. Trojans are a class of asteroids that follow planets. It is easier to spot Mars Trojans than Earth Trojans as Earth Trojans are angled towards the sun, making them hard to see. There are several theories about the origin of the asteroid. The research from the Mars Trojan will help scientists identify Trojans associated with our own planet."
"Tesla promises ‘one million robo-taxis’ in 2020 . Tesla held an event with shareholders to discuss their autonomous driving technology two days before their first-quarter earnings disclosure. A new neural network chip which Tesla built from the ground up specifically for self-driving cars was announced. Elon Musk confirmed that all Tesla vehicles already have the necessary technology for self-driving and that all is needed is a software fix. Musk stated that using LiDAR technology for autonomous driving was ‘a fool’s errand’ as it was expensive and unnecessary. Tesla aims to have completely self-driving vehicles by the end of this year, and robo-taxis on the road in 2020. In another two years, Tesla hopes to manufacture cars that won’t have a steering wheel or pedals at all."
"RxDB (GitHub Repo). RxDB, or Reactive Database, is a NoSQL-database for JavaScript Applications. It features multi-platform support, reactive data-handling, data encryption, import/export of the database-state, full TypeScript support, and more. It is useful for UI-based apps that always display the realtime state to the user."
"Tensorflow Course (Github Repo). This is a repo of simple tutorials with ready-to-use code examples for learning Tensorflow. It has everything from basic arithmetic operations all the way to neural networks, so if you're looking to play around with Tensorflow, this is a great place to start!"
"Sheety (Web Tool). Sheety allows you to quickly and easily convert any Google Sheets spreadsheet into an API in 3 easy steps. This tool allows developers to prototype quickly and easily, without having to worry about building a back-end system. While the creator states that it is a personal project that shouldn’t be used for anything critical, it is a great tool for quickly developing and testing ideas before progressing into further development."
"Impossible Foods launches chicken substitute in U.S. restaurants, announces grocery release . Impossible Foods has launched its meatless chicken nuggets in restaurants. Impossible Chicken Nuggets will be available in supermarkets by the end of the month. The nuggets use soy as their main protein source. Impossible estimates that the nuggets use 48 percent less land, 43 percent less water, and generate a third less greenhouse gas emissions than real chicken nuggets during production. The nuggets contain 40 percent less saturated fat and 25 percent less sodium than chicken nuggets."
"China's 'artificial sun' operates at temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius . China has created an ""artificial sun"", a nuclear fusion reaction that reaches 100 million degrees Celsius. The reaction is completely under control and can be turned off at any time. The project is the result of a collaboration between 35 countries including China, Russia, and the US. The scientists working on the project will continue to work on maintaining a stable fusion reaction for a longer period of time and at an even higher temperature."
Trident (GitHub Repo). Trident is a multiple-pipe system that provides a way to pipe the output of one command to many targets. The targets can be other commands or files. Commands can be filtered through regular expressions.
"OpenAI unveils model that can summarize books of any length . OpenAI has developed an AI model that can summarize books of arbitrary length. It works by summarizing small sections of each book and then repeating the process to create higher-level summaries. The model was trained with a combination of reinforcement learning and recursive task decomposition. While the model successfully generated summaries containing much of the important information in each book, some statements were inaccurate due to a lack of context, and the summaries often read more like a list of events rather than a coherent summary. OpenAI has not released the source code or training dataset for the model."
"Face to Emoji (Twitter Video). This seven second video demonstrates a facial recognition app that converts facial expressions into emojis. In the video, a man is seen making several facial expressions with the corresponding emoji displayed below. A link to the web app is available."
React-insta-stories (GitHub Repo). React-insta-stories allows web developers to implement instagram-like photo stories on their website. The component will allow users to scroll through the story by tapping on the left/right sides of the image or pause the story by tapping and holding on the image. There is an example of the code in action in the link.
"Inside “Project Tinman”: Peloton’s plan to conceal rust in its exercise bikes . Staff at Peloton warehouses noticed that rust was building up on some exercise machines in September last year. The rust did not affect the product's integrity, so the company attempted to conceal the corrosion and sent the machines to customers. The issue affected at least 6,000 bikes. Rust is not covered under Peloton's warranty, so customers were denied replacements when they complained. Peloton has since stated that they will replace rusted machines."
"The Arctic Circle Hit 101°F Saturday, Its Hottest Temperature Ever . Last weekend, the small Russian town of Verkhoyansk, located in the Arctic Circle, recorded a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Once verified by experts, it will be the hottest temperature ever recorded in the Arctic Circle. The average high temperature in January in the town is -44 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures in the area have risen significantly above average in the last few months. Earth's poles warm faster than the rest of the planet due to atmospheric processes. High latitude countries will experience significantly more warming than low latitude countries. This dramatic warming of the Arctic up to triple-digit temperatures wasn't expected to happen until 2100."
Dolt (GitHub Repo). Dolt is a SQL database that can be managed just like a git repository. All git commands work exactly the same for Dolt. Users can connect to Dolt like any other MySQL database and use SQL commands to run queries or update the data.
"Elon Musk releases ‘Don’t Doubt Ur Vibe’ song on SoundCloud, Spotify . Elon Musk has released his latest single 'Don't Doubt Ur Vibe' on SoundCloud and Spotify under the label Emo G Records. This is Musk's followup to his first single 'RIP Harambe'. The lyrics and vocals were written and performed by Musk. A link to the four-minute track is available."
Amazon's latest AR shopping tool fills your space with virtual furniture . Room Decorator is Amazon's new AR shopping tool. It allows users to see furniture and other home decor before they buy it. Users will be able to save layouts to their Amazon accounts. The feature will be rolled out through the Amazon shopping app for iOS and desktop browsers for all US shoppers in the next few weeks.
Discord’s new Premium Memberships let creators monetize servers . Discord is testing a new Premium Memberships feature that allows creators to monetize their servers. The feature is currently only available for around 10 creators. Creators will be able to use the feature to offer more content or access to community members. Discord communities will be able to create tiered perks and lock channels or servers to paying subscribers. Discord will give 90 percent of subscription revenue to creators.
"UIBOT(Website). UIBOT replaces the process of designing UIs with a bot. The project is a concept at the moment, and will only generate a UI for a specific, predetermined interface. UIBOT was designed to investigate the advantages and limitations of using automation to design UIs. Users only need to click a button to generate a random design."
"YouTube reportedly working on TikTok competitor called Shorts . TikTok has changed the video entertainment scene and now YouTube is looking to compete directly with it by launching its own version called 'Shorts'. Users will be able to upload brief videos into a feed inside the Shorts app and take advantage of the licensed music that YouTube Music has in its catalog. It is clear from TikTok's growth why YouTube now wants a piece of the action. YouTube has previously taken features from other social media platforms and integrated it into its own, for example, Instagram Stories. Facebook is currently testing its own version of TikTok in Brazil."
"Ultra-thin sail could speed journey to other star systems . A light sail made from a one carbon-atom-thick sheet of graphene has passed initial viability tests and could be used to power spacecraft. Light sails could potentially enable us to reach other star systems and they require no fuel, making spaceships equipped with them much lighter and easier to launch. The graphene light sail was tested by dropping it off a tower and shooting it with a laser. Graphene is relatively simple to make and it is possible to make kilometer-wide sails."
Pyston v2: 20% faster Python . Pyston is a faster and highly compatible implementation of the Python programming language. It is one of the most compatible alternative Python implementations available today. Pyston 2 is 20% faster than stock Python 3.8. Benchmarking results are available.
"Apple Plans Sleep Tracking Feature for Future Watch . The main reason that sleep tracking hasn’t been implemented into the Apple Watch is due to its battery life. Currently, the smartwatch is able to last about a day and requires charging overnight. Sleep tracking implementation is planned for the next Apple Watch which may either have increased battery life, a low power mode when inactive, or the ability to quickly recharge in the morning. Currently, Apple sells a sleep tracking device called Beddit, but it needs to implement sleep tracking into the Apple Watch in order to gain more market share over other devices such as the Fitbit."
CSS Tips . CSS is a language used for describing the presentation of a document. It is one of the main technologies of the web. This website contains many CSS tips and tricks that aren't seen in most tutorials. Each tip comes with an interactive example.
"Mark Zuckerberg took on China in a speech defending free expression . Mark Zuckerberg has laid out Facebook's approach to moderation in terms of an ongoing commitment to free expression, drawing a sharp contrast with Chinese companies that might not share those values. In his speech, Zuckerberg emphasized that Facebook’s commitment to free expression was coming under threat from China. If China continues to set the rules, the US' discourse could be defined by a completely different set of values. Concerns over Chinese censorship have been a hot topic due to the ongoing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. A number of US companies have deferred to Chinese authority. Chinese platforms now form six of the top 10 platforms of all major internet platforms. Rules on platforms such as Tik Tok ban criticism of the Chinese government and censor events such as the May 1998 riots of Indonesia, the Cambodian genocide, and the Tiananmen Square incidents. Tik Tok has stated that they do not remove videos based on the presence of Hong Kong protest content. Zuckerberg poses the question of whether we will continue fighting to give more people a voice to be heard, or whether we are going to pull back from free expression."
"Scientists Have Grown Acid-Producing Advanced Mini-Stomachs In the Lab . Scientists from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center have created mini-stomachs from human pluripotent stem cells that can contract and produce acid. The scientists turned stem cells into three primary germ layers and used them to generate stomach tissue with abilities close to regular stomachs. The mini-stomachs were transplanted into mice, where they grew a thousand times larger than they usually would in a cell culture and also developed features that had been lacking. The team aims to be able to transplant organoid tissues into human patients by the end of the decade."
"Pig to human heart transplants 'possible within three years' . On the 40th anniversary of the first successful heart transplant, the surgeon who pioneered heart transplantation in the UK announced that his protege will try to replace a human kidney with a pig's this year. If the operation is successful, the techniques used should be applicable to heart transplants as well. In May, a genetic therapy for treating heart attacks showed promise in pigs, regenerating areas that had been damaged. Millions of people in the UK live with high blood pressure, with an estimated 900,000 people living with heart disease. The pigs who received the genetic treatment showed almost complete recovery of cardiac function after a month. However, many of the pigs died in the experiments as the genes in the treatment expressed in an uncontrolled way."
"How to reverse-engineer a rainforest (20 minute read). In 2019, record-breaking fires hit Australia, the US, Indonesia, Russia, Lebanon, and the Amazon. Brazil has continued to encourage deforestation in its rainforests, increasing it throughout 2020. The fires were the result of heavy deforestation unbalancing the ecosystem. Scientists have used technology to analyze how forests grow in order to recreate optimal situations for regrowing the forests. A network of seeds, fungi, and fertilizers are already hard at work creating the next generation of trees."
"Lambda School’s Misleading Promises . Lambda School is an online educational institution that promises an education in return for the student signing an Income Sharing Agreement. These ISAs mean that Lambda gets a percentage of the student's tech job income after graduation. Lambda has raised $48 million in venture funding in three years and has been valued at $150 million. An investigation into internal company documents revealed that Lambda was selling unprepared students an incomplete education by using misleading marketing and even fraud. Lambda had claimed that it didn't get paid until students were employed, but it was revealed that the company was selling its ISAs to get paid immediately and offload the debt. The quality of education that students received was poor, and the teachers were underpaid and rushed."
"PostgreSQL 11 (Open Source). Postgres is the gift that keeps on giving. This major version release includes better partitioning, transactions in stored procedures, better query parallelism, JIT compilation for expressions, and more."
"Instagram is testing a new video editing tool called Reels that copies TikTok’s best features . Instagram has launched a new video editing tool called Reels that copies some of TikTok's best-known features. It is currently being tested in Brazil and it is unknown whether it will be launched in other countries. With Reel, users can record 15-second videos and then adjust their speed, set them to music, or use audio from other videos. These videos can be shared onto users' stories, via DMs, or posted into a new 'Top reels' section of the Instagram Explore tab. Facebook has previously tried to copy TikTok's success but found it difficult to build a user base from scratch. TikTok has seen huge growth but it is currently facing trouble from regulators, including a US national security review."
"3D printing company Desktop Metal will now use wood to print . Forust is a new tool from Desktop Metal that uses wood to 3D print objects. The technology uses cellulose and lignin, which are both byproducts of the paper and wood industries. Desktop Metal’s list of products include architectural accents, home products, and furniture pieces. The company recently acquired new technology from Figur Machine Tools for $3.5 million. Desktop Metal announced plans to go public in 2020."
"Tech workers face a 'burnout crisis' unless employers act now . A study of IT professionals in 33 countries has found that two out of five workers are at high risk of burnout. Almost half of workers facing high levels of burnout are considering quitting their company in the next six months. The burnout is being caused by longer hours, more demanding workloads, and conflicts in work-life balance. Burnout can result in less productivity, high staff turnover, and damage to the company's reputation. It can also make organizations more vulnerable to cyberattacks."
"Facebook bans Alex Jones and Laura Loomer for violating its policies against dangerous individuals . Facebook removed a slew of accounts, citing its policies against dangerous individuals and organizations. Individuals or organizations who are considered to promote or engage in violence or hate, regardless of ideology, are targeted by Facebook and assessed through an extensive evaluation process. Facebook has come under more pressure to address hate speech on their platform due to the increased usage of social media to promote violence. The removed accounts were known for posting anti-religious or racist content."
"BleedingTooth: Linux Bluetooth Zero-Click Remote Code Execution (27 minute read). This blog post describes the process of discovering high severity vulnerabilities in the Linux Bluetooth stack and then chaining them into a remote code execution exploit targeting Ubuntu systems. The exploit allows unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges on vulnerable devices within short distances. As a result of this discovery, the Bluetooth High Speed feature is now disabled by default."
"The world's first underwater roundabout is opening in the Faroe Islands . The first underwater roundabout will soon open below the Atlantic Ocean, linking up two of the Faroe Islands. It lies at the end of an 11km-long tunnel which cuts the travel time between the two islands down from more than an hour to just 16 minutes. With its jellyfish-shaped design, the roundabout is set to be a tourist attraction in its own right. Construction of the tunnel started in 2016 and it will open on December 19. Cars will be charged a toll for each one-way journey, or commuters can pay for a yearly subscription."
"NASA wants to buy Moon rocks from private companies . NASA is looking to buy moon rocks from companies and will pay between $15,000 to $25,000 for verified samples. The deadline for the bounty is 2024, as NASA hopes it will be sending people back to the Moon by then. While $25,000 is a low amount compared to how much it costs to obtain the material, the idea behind the offer is to make the first steps towards creating a marketplace for materials excavated off-world. Russia and China have been critical of the idea of using space resources. NASA's Artemis program aims to send humans to the surface of the Moon in a sustainable way by creating a long-term presence. It will involve making use of the resources already on the Moon. The project involves hiring private companies to develop the technologies required."
"Reddit experiments with livesteaming . Over the weekend, Reddit users started speculating what the cryptic messages on a new subreddit, /r/pan, could mean. It has now been revealed that /r/pan is a subreddit where users can post live stream videos. The Public Access Network subreddit is a weeklong experiment to test out Reddit's live-streaming features. There are strict rules for the subreddit. It is limited to 100 concurrent streams of 30 minutes each, and the content is monitored so that NSFW, dangerous or illegal activity, and 'quarantine eligible' content will be shut down. The streams are rear-facing camera by default to discourage selfie streams. Users will be able to upvote or downvote streams just like normal threads on Reddit."
Scientists create an optical illusion that feels like an expanding black hole . A psychologist from Japan has created an optical illusion that makes the viewer feel as if a black hole is getting bigger. The image looks like a black hole surrounded by tiny black dots. The illusion affects the dilation of pupils in human eyes. It works even when the size or color scheme is changed. Test subjects' pupils underwent contraction when they were shown white-colored holes instead of black. Optical illusions are essential applications for studying how the brain functions and responds to different stimuli. The optical illusion is available in the article.
"Amazon is looking into tech that can identify you using the veins in your hand . Amazon has filed a patent for a technology that scans the wrinkles and blood vessels in your hand so they can be used as identification at Amazon Go stores. People will only need to hover their hands over an infrared light scanner in order for their details to be captured. The technology can be used as identification to enter secure areas, or as a way to link an identity to an associated account. Internal hand scanning is supposed to be more reliable than using a credit card. If this technology is deployed, Amazon will be able to capture even more data. The use of this technology raises questions about the safety of using biodata as it cannot be changed."
"Drunk Post: Things I've learned as a Sr Engineer . In this thread, an engineer with 10 years of experience gets drunk and posts a ton of advice. The main post contains general advice for being an engineer, and then the original poster follows up in a comment with more specific insights on programming languages, co-workers, working from home, technology, data engineering, and life in general."
"Netflix launches Rs 199 ($2.8). Netflix has launched a low-priced mobile tier at Rs199 ($2.80) in India to compete with other aggressively priced competitors in the country. The service will be restricted to one mobile device per customer viewing at 480p. Netflix had added far fewer subscribers than projected this year. Mobile devices are increasingly driving media consumption in India. People tend to stream content on their mobiles in India more than in any other nation. Netflix faces a lot of competition in India, with more than three dozen local and international players in the country."
"UPS partners with Wingcopter to develop new multipurpose drone delivery fleet . UPS has partnered with German startup Wingcopter to develop a new type of delivery drone. Wingcopter will be working closely with UPS’s Flight Forward delivery drone unit. The startup has successfully demonstrated its electric vertical takeoff and landing drones in several projects already. Its drones have a low-noise forward flight mode that makes it better suited to use in populated areas. The collaboration with UPS will help Wingcopter's eVTOLs get certified for commercial delivery in the US, as well as pave the way for the development of additional types of aircraft for a variety of needs."
"Tired of Stack Overflow (10 minute read). Stack Overflow was created to help developers easily search for answers. It has an upvote/downvote system put in place to let users decide what questions are appropriate for the platform. Some questions, even if well-written, on-topic, and helpful for other developers, are being downvoted for unknown reasons by other users, sometimes resulting in a lot of negative feedback. Many people downvote already downvoted questions just because these questions had negative feedback and they felt like they had to contribute. This can discourage users from contributing, especially if they are new. If the negative culture continues, it may be that the site will eventually just become new users who don't have experience asking questions and older users complaining about the lack of quality on the site."
"Ask HN: How to find a job in 2021 if I dislike remote? (Hacker News Thread). Not everyone enjoys working from home, but finding an office-based job can be difficult now, especially since a company offering office jobs can be seen as a red flag. This thread discusses alternatives, such as co-working spaces, the general job market for office-based jobs, and how the next few years will pan out for remote work."
"Amazon shows off new all-electric Prime Air drone that will start delivering packages ‘within months’ . Amazon revealed its latest delivery drone design at the re:MARS conference. The drone is about the size of a go-cart, can fly up to 15 miles, and deliver packages up to 5 pounds. Amazon has yet to announce when the first deliveries made by these drones will be, but the company has acknowledged that they are in talks with regulators to gain approval for countrywide consumer delivery. The drone is able to take off and land vertically, like a helicopter, and can switch to an airplane mode once it’s in the air. Amazon Prime customers are now able to receive free one-day shipping on over 10 million products. A one minute video is available that shows the new drone in flight."
"Google Play Pass spotted in testing, provides ‘access to hundreds of premium apps’ . Google first announced its Play Pass subscription last June and it is now in an active testing stage. The Play Pass will give subscribers access to hundreds of premium apps for a monthly fee. Subscribers will be able to use apps on the Play Store free of ads and in-app purchases. Games are included in the Play Pass. Some details about the Play Pass are still guarded, but the current price is $4.99 a month, with a 10 day free trial period."
"Researchers Demonstrate Chip-to-Chip Quantum Teleportation . Researchers at the University of Bristol have successfully demonstrated quantum teleportation between two silicon chips. Quantum teleportation uses entanglement to transfer the state of one quantum particle from one place to another. It is a fundamental building-block of optical quantum computing. The researchers were able to demonstrate a high-quality entanglement link across two chips in a lab, where photons on both chips shared a single quantum state. Later experiments used four chips. Results from the experiments showed extremely high-fidelity quantum teleportation of 91 percent. The team was also able to demonstrate entanglement swapping and four-photon GHZ states."
"Gmail Creator and YC Partner Paul Buchheit on Joining Google, How to Become a Great Engineer and Happiness . So this is a Q&A with the guy who created Gmail. He left Intel because one day he thought ""Man I am so tired. I need to go home and take a nap,"" but then he got home and realized ""I'm not tired anymore"". Working Intel was draining. He joined Google early. Larry Page got tired of different groups setting their own priorities, so he organized engineers onto specific projects. Paul was told ""we want you to build an email something."" So he built Gmail. He hates the big company vibe. An engineer at his Microsoft internship told him ""Make sure they don't stick you off in a corner working on something unimportant."" This is great advice. He ended up leaving Google because he went on paternity leave, he came back to realize he was getting the same draining Intel feeling, but this time at Google. He believes that the key to being a good engineer is ""Doing it. Showing up seems to be the secret to getting good at most things."" He doesn't recommend that all good engineers quit working at big tech companies to work at startups. ""If getting paid less and working more is unappealing to you, then I would recommend staying where you are!"" When interviewing at a company, make sure to choose one where interviewers ask smart questions. If they ask dumb trivia like ""name the seven layers of the OSI stack"", run the other way. People aren't happy because we've created a world where it's hard for people to be happy, and it's easy to sell people solutions for unhappiness."
"A wide range of routers are under attack by new, unusually sophisticated malware . A hacking group has spent almost two years infecting a wide range of routers with malware that takes full control of connected devices."
"Gooey (GitHub Repo). Gooey converts console applications into GUI applications, allowing developers to build programs without having to worry about how users will see and interact with them. It is attached to code via a simple decorator. Examples are available in the repository."
"Why did the former CEO of Nissan just get smuggled out of Japan? . Carlos Ghosn, the executive that used to run the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, was arrested by Japanese police in November 2018 on charges of financial misconduct. He claimed that he was set up by rivals at Nissan, and was released on bail. The Japanese criminal justice system has a near-perfect conviction rate, and on December 29, Ghosn left Japan for Lebanon. Ghosn released a statement on New Year's Eve denouncing the Japanese justice system. Japanese authorities have yet to determine how Ghosn escaped the country. Lebanese authorities say he entered Lebanon legally. Turkish authorities have arrested four pilots, two ground handlers, and the operations manager of a cargo company for their involvement in the escape. Interpol has issued a 'red notice' for Ghosn."
"'Magic mushrooms' grow in man's blood after injection with shroom tea . A man spent 22 days in the hospital, with eight days in intensive care, after he injected a concoction brewed from magic mushrooms into his veins. He received treatment for multisystem organ failure and was released with a long-term regimen of antibiotic and antifungal drugs. It is unknown whether the man experienced the psychoactive effects associated with ingesting the fungus orally. He had injected the mushrooms with the hope to relieve symptoms of bipolar disorder and opioid dependence. His blood had tested positive for a fungal infection from the mushrooms, meaning it was growing in his blood. Research has suggested that magic mushrooms may be a promising treatment for several conditions, but only if taken safely."
"Facebook’s new Stories feature for event sharing actually sounds useful . Facebook is releasing a way to share Events using Stories. The feature is rolling out on both iOS and Android in the US, Brazil, and Mexico. This version of Stories is specifically designed to provide details of Events with tappable stickers for event details and ways for friends to toggle themselves as ""interested"" or ""going"" directly in the story."
"Apple introduces ‘Sign in with Apple’ to help protect your privacy . Apple’s new ‘Sign in with Apple’ function will potentially replace the need for users to sign up to apps with their private information by allowing them to use their Apple IDs. Users will be able to generate random ‘relay’ email addresses for signing up with apps, which means that their personal information is never revealed to the app, and users can easily opt out of communications with the app by deleting the temporary email address. All apps which require sign-on will be required to implement this new feature, which will begin beta testing later this year."
"readme.so (Website). readme.so is a tool for making readmes for projects. Users can choose from a list of sections to add to the readme, edit the contents of each section, drag and drop to rearrange sections, and download their readme files."
Apple CEO Tim Cook in Leaked Memo: 'We Are Doing Everything in Our Power' to Identify Leakers . A recently leaked memo from Apple CEO Tim Cook warned employees about leaking company information. It states that the company is doing everything in its power to identify the leakers and that people who leak confidential information don't belong in the company. Apple has served various leakers with stern warnings from lawyers in recent months. A copy of the leaked memo is available in the article.
"This freaky sci-fi speaker beams sound directly into your brainhole . Noveto's SoundBeamer 1.0 is a speaker that beams ultrasonic sound waves directly to a person's ear as they move around, allowing them to privately listen to audio without the need for headphones. It features a 3D sensing module that detects ears and then targets them with sound waves, creating pockets of sound around the user's head. The SoundBeamer 1.0 can work in spatial 3D mode, immersing the user into a world of three-dimensional sound without blocking any outside sounds. Noveto will be launching the device this Friday."
"The Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS). Regular Expressions (regex) are a tool for manipulating strings. Regex can sometimes take an extremely long time to match or fail on some strings. This can be exploited by malicious actors in a regex denial of service attack (ReDoS). ReDoS attacks can be prevented by sanitizing the input, choosing a fast regex matching algorithm, or setting a resource usage limit or timeout."
"Google Pixel 6 leak teases Magic Eraser feature, plus five years of Android security updates . Leaks from a marketing website seem to confirm that the Pixel 6 will have a new Magic Eraser feature and get five years of Android security updates. Magic Eraser can remove unwanted objects in photos with just a few taps. Google will officially introduce the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro at its annual autumn hardware event on October 19. Links to archived versions of the pages containing the leaked info are available in the article."
"Ask HN: Do you have to use linked-in to get hired? (Hacker News Thread). More and more job applications are now requiring a LinkedIn account. This thread discusses people's experiences with LinkedIn and how it affects their chances at employment. Most replies do not credit LinkedIn for getting them hired, and many comment about how spammy the site is. Several replies note that Meta approaches potential hires through LinkedIn."
"Boeing's Solar Autonomous Aircraft Can Fly Forever and It's Due in 2019 . Boeing has created an aircraft called Odysseus, it's built with a combination of advanced solar cells and lightweight materials that allow it to fly indefinitely powered only by the sun. It operates above the weather, and gives off zero emissions. Its first flight is scheduled for Spring of 2019. There are pictures inside it looks futuristic (not really in a cool way), but still pretty interesting."
"Scientists Used CRISPR to Engineer a New ‘Superbug’ That’s Invincible to All Viruses . All of life is made from a combination of 64 DNA codons which are translated into 20 amino acids by tRNA. Viruses use the same code to use a host cell's machinery to build the proteins it needs to reproduce. A team of scientists used CRISPR to replace redundant codons in the E. Coli bacterial genome with their synonyms. They also replaced the cells' natural tRNA with synthetic versions to read the new codons. As a result, viruses were unable to use the cells' machinery to reproduce, making the cells resistant to being hijacked by almost any viral invader. The results of the study have countless implications for the biotechnology and medicine industries."
"Frenetic improves the efficiency of your Power Electronics team by 60% (Sponsor). Frenetic improves the efficiency of your Power Electronics team by 60% . Is “hiring freeze” going to delay your projects? Frenetic automates the design and manufacturing of your Power Electronics, through a fully digital, AI powered, end-to-end platform. Check out how we make the difference."
"Promising malaria vaccine to be tested in first large field trial . A malaria vaccine that has so far provided almost 100% protection against malaria will be tested on humans in an area where malaria occurs. Bioko, an island off the coast of Equatorial Guinea, has a population of 280,000 people and 2,100 will participate in the trials beginning in 2020. The vaccine is made from whole parasites as opposed to the genetically engineered parasite proteins that other vaccines are made with, which may explain its strong immune response. As the immune systems of people who have previously had malaria are generally weaker, it is expected that the vaccine will be less effective in the trial, but researchers are optimistic about the results."
"Rite Aid deployed facial recognition systems in hundreds of U.S. stores (18 minute read). Rite Aid Corp quietly added facial recognition systems to 200 of its stores in the US over the last eight years. In some cities, the technology was deployed in largely lower-income, non-white neighborhoods. The technology used was from a company with links to China and its government. Rite Aid claims that it has stopped using the software and that all its cameras have been turned off due to industry efforts to scale back facial recognition technology. It said that it deployed the cameras based on stores' theft histories, local and national crime data, and site infrastructure. The program resulted in less violence and organized crime in the company's stores."
"Stage.js (GitHub Repo). Stage.js is a lightweight, fast, and open-source 2D HTML5 JavaScript library for cross-platform game development. It provides a DOM-like tree data model and internally manages rendering cycles and drawing of applications. Stage.js processes and distributes mouse and touch events to targeted tree nodes. Detailed documentation is available."
"Google’s next big project could give Duolingo a run for its money . Google Tivoli is a new Google service that teaches users how to speak a foreign language. It will teach foreign languages online through Search. There is little information about how the app will work, but it might be similar to Bolo and Read Along, two other language learning apps from Google. Google Tivoli is supposed to launch later this year, but as with all rumors and leaks, official plans may change."
"Here’s How to Protect Data Privacy and Enable Analytics (Sponsor). Here’s How to Protect Data Privacy and Enable Analytics . Sensitive data often finds its way into data analytics pipelines where it’s rarely needed, but adds enormous security and compliance risk. However, blindly purging such data from analytics pipelines can break key use cases.Learn how a data privacy vault and tokenization can help you preserve privacy while enabling analytics. Download this white paper to learn more."
"TikTok plans big push into gaming, conducting tests in Vietnam . TikTok is testing games on its video-sharing app in Vietnam. It plans to roll out gaming more widely in Southeast Asia as early as the third quarter. The company plans to draw primarily on ByteDance's suite of games. TikTok will require a license to feature games on its platform in Vietnam, but the company expects the process to go smoothly. Users on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, have been able to play games on the platform since 2019 and a few games have been launched in the US."
"Google Maps now helps you plan group events . Google Maps has added a feature to help you plan group outings. As you search Google Maps for places to go, you can add them to a shortlist that stays on screen. Then you can send the list to a group to vote on, and the people in the group can vote directly in their Google Maps app. The feature is being rolled out for both iOS and Android this week."
TikTok shopping plans for US abandoned after disastrous UK experiment . TikTok has canceled its plans to bring TikTok shopping to the US after a failed UK launch. The launch was hit with internal problems and the feature struggled to gain traction with consumers. TikTok Shop's lead executive was replaced after saying that he didn't believe in maternity leave. Staff complained about a toxic workplace with demanding expectations. Many TikTok Shop streams achieved poor sales despite subsidies and cash incentives.
"Million-dollar deposits and friends in high places: how we applied for a job with a ransomware gang . In June of last year, an affiliate group of the REvil and Ragnar Locker ransomware cartels posted a job listing on a hacker forum, making it clear they were serious by depositing $1 million worth of bitcoin into their forum wallet. This article follows investigators as they apply for the position to find out more about the organization. The investigation revealed that the cybercriminals had an insider contact at a crypto exchange that helped them convert their 'earnings' into cash."
"Would you be interested in a crypto version of TLDR?I'm seeing a ton of interesting crypto stories like the SOS airdrop and this Avalanche development tutorial but I don't want the whole newsletter to be flooded with crypto content, so if you'd be interested in a separate smaller version of TLDR that is only crypto tech and programming news, could you please fill out the above form so I can see if this is something worth creating? Thanks!
). I'm seeing a ton of interesting crypto stories like the SOS airdrop and this Avalanche development tutorial but I don't want the whole newsletter to be flooded with crypto content, so if you'd be interested in a separate smaller version of TLDR that is only crypto tech and programming news, could you please fill out the above form so I can see if this is something worth creating? Thanks!"
"With Lens Cloud, Snap offers backend services for its developer platform . Snap has launched Lens Cloud, a server-side component for its developer platform that will help developers build dynamic, multiplayer experiences. Lens Cloud will let developers take advantage of multi-user services, use location-based services to anchor Lenses to places, and store assets on Snap's servers and load them on demand. Lenses are augmented reality apps that can be accessed in Snapchat. The storage service will launch in the coming months. Lens Cloud is free for Snap AR developers."
"PlotJuggler 3.0 (GitHub Repo). PlotJuggler is a tool for visualizing time series data. It features a simple Drag & Drop user interface, the ability to connect to live streams of data, fast OpenGL visualization, plugins, and more. GIF examples are available in the repository."
"OpenTelemetry masterclass (Sponsor). Learn the ins and outs of OpenTelemetry, beginning with general definitions and examples of broad concepts, like telemetry, traces, and instrumentation, and ending with a hands-on workshop where you apply the concepts you learned throughout the course. Learn more."
"Apple re-releases Oscar-nominated ‘CODA’ in theaters for free . Apple is re-releasing its Oscar-nominated film CODA in theatres in a limited run of free screenings with open captions. The film, which is about a deaf family, has received three Oscar nominations. Screenings will run in all major cities in the US and London from February 25 to 27. A trailer for the film is available in the article."
"Elon Musk says Apple refused a meeting to acquire Tesla . Elon Musk attempted to sell Tesla to Apple during the Model 3 rollout in 2017. Back then, Tesla was on the verge of collapse, and CEO Tim Cook refused a meeting with Musk to discuss a deal. Tesla has since become the most valuable automaker on the planet. Apple has recently announced its interest in developing an electric, autonomous car for general consumers. It has been developing a lithium iron phosphate battery that is more compact, resulting in lighter batteries with increased potential energy density. Tesla is already using iron phosphate batteries in some of the cars it is making in China. Apple and Tesla have swapped a lot of talent over the last decade."
Harvard and Sony built a tiny surgery robot inspired by origami . Researchers from Harvard and Sony have created a surgical robot inspired by origami that is around the size of a tennis ball and weighs about the same as a penny. The mini-RCM was built using a custom manufacturing technique. Three linear actuators are used to control the mini-RCM's movements in multiple directions. The mini-RCM is 68 percent more accurate than a hand-controlled tool and was able to perform some precision medical maneuvers successfully.
"PyText (Github Repo). PyText is an open soruce natural language processing library built on top of PyTorch. It was created by Facebook Research, the goal is to make a library that can be used for rapid prototyping while also being flexible enough to extend and run at scale."
"Ask HN : Are you satisfied with Elixir or do you regret choosing Elixir? (Hacker News Thread). Elixir is a dynamic, functional language for building scalable and maintainable applications. Some companies are moving away from it due to its lack of tooling and its libraries. Other systems also offer the same functionality. In this thread, the original poster was looking for arguments against using Elixir, but most replies are in favor of using it."
"Rome (GitHub Repo). Rome is an experimental JavaScript toolchain designed to replace many existing JavaScript tools. All components are custom and there are no third-party dependencies. It includes a compiler, linter, formatter, bundler, testing framework, and more. Rome is currently not ready for production usage and the only way to use it is to build from source."
"Amazon’s Home Surveillance Company Is Putting Suspected Petty Thieves in its Advertisements . Amazon’s Home Surveillance Company, Ring, is using footage captured by its doorbell cameras in its Facebook ads, asking users to identify a suspected criminal and contact police with any information about the individual. The video clearly shows the person’s face from two different angles and accuses the person of breaking into a vehicle at Mountain View, California. Ring has worked with law enforcement previously, but this ad was not requested on behalf of the Mountain View Police Department. The woman is only suspected of a crime and is still innocent in the eyes of the law until proven guilty. This advertisement may set a dangerous precedent where people may turn to the internet for justice rather than through normal law-enforcement avenues."
"Elon Musk’s The Boring Company to take on hyperloop project . Elon Musk's The Boring Company will attempt to build a high-speed hyperloop in the coming years. Musk outlined the idea of the transport system in 2013. The hyperloop involves sending passengers and cargo in pods through low-pressure tubes at speeds above 700 miles per hour. Several companies have been working on the idea for almost a decade, but there are no working examples of the system anywhere in the world. The Boring Company recently raised $675 million in a Series C funding round."
"Proton Is Trying to Become Google—Without Your Data . ProtonMail has changed its name to Proton and will now offer an ecosystem of linked products all available under one paid subscription. Proton subscribers will have access to encrypted mail, an encrypted calendar, a file storage platform, and VPN services. The company currently has more than 400 employees and nearly 70 million users. This article features an interview with Proton's CEO Andy Yen about the need for greater privacy, the dangers of Apple's and Google's dominance, and the government's attacks on encryption."
"Are you spending too much money on cloud computing? (Sponsor). Are you spending too much money on cloud computing? . Find out if you're spending too much on cloud computing with Splunk Observability Cloud – In addition to full-fidelity metrics, traces, and logs, Splunk Observability gives you suggestions for saving money on compute and helps lower your MTTD and MTTR too. Learn how this tool helped one customer save over $600k in AWS spend."
"Waymo, Volvo partner to develop electric robotaxis . Waymo and Volvo have announced an exclusive partnership to integrate Waymo's self-driving software into a new electric vehicle designed for ride-hailing. The new vehicle platform will be capable of Level 4 autonomy, which means it will be able to handle all driving in a specific geographic area or in certain weather and road conditions. It is unknown whether the companies will continue to work together after the vehicle has been developed, but the wording from the announcement suggests that it is likely that the companies have more planned and that a possible licensing deal is being discussed. Volvo still has an active deal with Uber to supply vehicles designed for autonomous driving."
"YouTube removes videos of robots fighting for 'animal cruelty' . YouTube has started taking down robot combat videos, citing that the videos are in breach of its community guidelines. Each notice of removal was accompanied with a section of the guidelines which said that the videos displayed deliberate infliction of animal suffering or showed animals that were forced to fight. A spokesperson for YouTube stated that the videos were likely removed in error through a faulty algorithm. YouTubers who have had videos removed can appeal the decision in order for the content to be reinstated."
"DeepSearch (Web Tool). This is a search engine for machine learning model implementations, you can search for something like ""Face Recognition"" and it will show you a bunch of results for facial recognition algorithms, each with a Github Repo and any relevant research papers."
Y Combinator’s Startup School relaunches to be ready when you are . Y Combinator's free online bootcamp Startup School started in 2017 as a free annual 10-week online course which then evolved into an 8-week program held multiple times a year. It is now available as a continuous year-round program. The curriculum of information can be accessed for free and on-demand through Y Combinator's website.
"Scientists Predict Fish Behavior from Real-Time Brain Monitoring . Scientists studied the activity patterns of zebrafish brains in order to predict the decisions that they make. Using the patterns found in the data they collected, the scientists were able to predict the timing and direction of a fish's movement with brain imaging techniques. Larval zebrafish have much simpler brain systems, so they are the best place to start to look for activity patterns that might be distributed and hard to connect. Brains do not execute the exact same responses every time, even for the same activity. The scientists monitored neural activity simultaneously from about 5,000 individual neurons in the brains of the fish during training. Results from the study suggested that the cerebellum was a major contributor to decision-making, despite its well-known role in motor control."
"TUIC (GitHub Repo). TUIC is a high-performance proxy built on top of the QUIC protocol. QUIC (Quick UDP Internet Connections) is a general-purpose transport layer network protocol that improves the performance of connection-oriented web applications that use TCP. TUIC features two relay modes, user-space congestion control, smooth session transfer on network switching, and more."
"There's Now an Artificial Cartilage Gel Strong Enough to Work in Knees . Researchers from Duke University have developed a material that matches the properties of the cartilage found in our bodies. There are over 790,000 knee replacements a year in the US. The new hydrogel could mean that doctors can replace worn-out or damaged cartilage instead of replacing an entire knee joint. Tests showed that the hydrogel was just as resistant to wear and tear as real cartilage and more durable than the artificial cartilage that is used today. It could take up to three years before the new hydrogel is approved for use in humans."
"Family Investing App UNest, Launches “Crypto for Kids” (Sponsor). Family Investing App UNest, Launches “Crypto for Kids” . UNest just launched their waitlist for UNest Legacy, a simple and easy way to give your children the gift of crypto.By joining the waitlist you get:⌚ Early access to UNest Legacy💎 Automatically entered into UNest Legacy’s weekly Ethereum giveaway🖼️ Entered into future UNest Legacy NFT giveaways🆕 Access to UNest Legacy UpdatesJoin Waitlist"
"SpaceX Has Starry-Eyed Ambitions for Its Starship . Elon Musk unveiled SpaceX's prototype spaceship, Starship, a vessel that is roomy enough to fit 100 passengers that will be powered by a massive, reusable rocket. Starship will be involved in multiple missions to carry people to different cities on Earth as well as to the moon and Mars. The unveiling event marks 11 years since SpaceX reached orbit for the first time with the earliest version of its Falcon rockets. Last month, a Starship prototype levitated about 500 feet into the sky and then glided down. Musk aims to have the prototype fly to 65,000 feet within one to two months, and in orbit within six months. While SpaceX has demonstrated that it can reliably deploy satellites and cargo to space, it has never launched people. NASA, SpaceX, and Boeing are each building their own transportation systems to carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station, but the projects are behind schedule."
Programmable Blocks Tease Self-Assembling Space Structures . Scientists at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory have developed modular robotic cubes that use embedded electromagnets to move called ElectroVoxels. The cubes have wires embedded into their edges and can attract or repel each other depending on their configuration. They can be programmed and easily and cheaply manufactured. The ElectroVoxels could be used effectively in space as reconfigurable robots or to help build temporary structures. Pictures of the ElectroVoxels are available in the article.
"How China Unleashed Twitter Trolls to Discredit Hong Kong’s Protesters (10 minute read). China has long deployed propaganda and censorship to control its citizens. As the internet grows, China has turned to using platforms that it has blocked in its own country, such as Twitter and Facebook, to spread its views across the rest of the planet. A number of social media accounts were discovered to be controlled by China. Many of these accounts were created years ago and originally shared content with a range of topics, for example, sports and memes, in order to gain large followings. When the protests in Hong Kong began, the accounts suddenly started posting about China, in Chinese. Around 200,000 accounts were discovered and taken down or suspended by Twitter due to their connection with the Chinese operation. Facebook and YouTube have also completed similar investigations and removed accounts. Many of these accounts appear to have been purchased in marketplaces rather than grown organically."
"OpenAI's GPT-3 may be the biggest thing since bitcoin . Using a small prompt that contains just a title and summary, GPT-3 can generate a whole article that can be mistaken as 'real'. An example is available in the article."
"We are the SpaceX software team, ask us anything! (Reddit Thread). A few of the SpaceX team members who worked on the software that flew Dragon answer questions from Reddit users. SpaceX writes all of its autonomous software in C++, using only extremely high-quality open source libraries when possible and writing custom libraries when it needs to control code quality. There are many facets to error handling, with multiple levels of sensors and backups to ensure all errors are recorded and handled. The same source on Falcon is used every mission, though the software is updated fairly regularly. Configs change every mission according to variables specific to the launch. More questions and in-depth answers are available in the thread."
"Apple CEO Tim Cook engineered a secret $275 billion deal with China . A recently published report details Apple CEO Tim Cook's efforts to establish strong relationships between Apple and the Chinese government. Cook repeatedly visited China in the mid-2010s, signing a five-year $275 billion deal in 2016 to mitigate regulatory action by the Chinese government. The deal involved Apple helping develop technology in the country and also investing billions of dollars into building new retail stores, research and development centers, and renewable energy projects. Cook's work is likely the reason the company has been so successful in China."
"Ex-NSA hacker drops new zero-day doom for Zoom . Zoom's popularity has recently rocketed and this has led to an increased focus on the company's security and privacy practices. Three bugs have been discovered, one that can be abused to steal Windows passwords, and another two that can be abused to take over a Zoom user's Mac, including tapping into the webcam and microphone. One of the Mac bugs allows a user with low-level privileges to inject the Zoom installer with malicious code to obtain root access. The other bug tricks Zoom into giving an attacker the same access to the webcam and microphone that Zoom already has without notifying the user. Zoom has not yet fixed the Mac vulnerabilities."
Total Recon (GitHub Repo). Total Recon is a script that can install 17 recon tools on your Ubuntu system. The script can also install all the required dependencies. It has been tested on Ubuntu 18.04.3 LTS.
Stunning official trailer for Foundation whets the appetite for more . The first three episodes of Apple TV+'s adaptation of Isaac Asimov's Foundation will premiere on September 24. New episodes will air weekly every Friday after. The series will closely follow the fundamental narrative arc of the books. Two teasers for the show have been released. The article features a gallery of images from the series. The official trailer for the show is also available.
"Does managing engineering feel like flying blind? (Sponsor). Does managing engineering feel like flying blind? . Leading a growing engineering organization is hard. Work takes longer than it used to. The leadership team starts worrying about engineering performance. It’s difficult to know when to help and when to get out of the way. Swarmia gives engineering leaders the visibility they need to resolve process bottlenecks, build trust with their teams, and ship up to 10x faster."
"Apple Terminates Epic Games' Developer Account . Apple has terminated Epic Games' developer account and removed the rest of the company's apps from the App Store. Users who have already downloaded apps will still be able to use them, but won't receive any updates. Epic introduced a direct payment option in Fortnite to bypass Apple's in-app purchase system on August 13, resulting in Apple removing the app from its App Store. Epic has escalated the legal fight between the companies. A court order prevented Apple from terminating a second account linked with Epic Games' Unreal Engine."
"Beef Programming Language (GitHub Repo). Beef is an open-source performance-oriented compiled programming language. Its syntax and many semantics were mostly derived from C# with some influence by Rust, Swift, and Go. It was designed to develop high-performance real-time applications, such as video games, while having low-level features that make it suitable for engine development."
Architects Propose Lighter-Than-Air Buildings That Hover Over City Streets . The Oversky project envisions floating buildings that can help fight climate change. The buildings would be made using rigid frames of carbon fiber. Oversky plans to use helium to lift the buildings into the sky. The structures would radiate heat back into the atmosphere and cool the space below them. A rendering of what one of these buildings would look like is available in the article.
"Salty lakes found beneath Mars' surface . The team of researchers that found evidence of saltwater beneath the southern polar cap of Mars in 2018 recently analyzed 134 new radar profiles of the planet and found evidence of several salty lakes beneath the surface of Mars. While the extreme salt content might not be hospitable for life, some extremophilic organisms could still exist there. Extremophilic organisms are found in places that are permanently cold on Earth and may also be found on other planets. Searching for life will require drilling technology that we aren't capable of sending to space yet. NASA's Artemis program could pave the way for such exploration beginning as soon as 2024."
"New diamond wafers made in Japan can store 1 billion Blu-Ray discs of data . A Japanese company and researchers from Saga University have developed a new method to mass-produce two-inch wafers made of diamond. The ultra-high-purity diamonds could be used for quantum computing, which requires diamonds with less than three parts per billion of nitrogen atoms. Previous attempts at creating these diamonds resulted in crystals that were only about four millimeters square. The company plans to commercialize the diamonds in 2023."
"European Union will close external borders for 30 days to slow coronavirus pandemic . European Union member nations have agreed to close external borders to most people from other countries for 30 days in an effort to slow the coronavirus pandemic. Movement within the EU nations will still be allowed. The United Kingdom has not applied restrictions to its borders. Medical staff or people transporting medicines and goods will not be restricted from travel. Canada has closed its borders except for US citizens, and France has mandated that the nation stay home for up to 15 days, except for essential needs."
"Amazon’s Project Zero will let brands take down counterfeit listings of their products . Usually, if a company finds a product on Amazon that breaches copyright they can ask Amazon to take down the product listing. Project Zero is a new program by Amazon that will allow brands to take down counterfeit listings of products without review by Amazon. An enhanced protection system will automatically take down fake listings which match participating company’s brand logos, trademarks, and other information. Brands that are part of Project Zero can also opt-in for a product serialization service where Amazon will scan products for valid serial codes before it leaves the warehouse. Project Zero is in a closed beta and product removals will be monitored closely to prevent abuse."
"French startup promises cruelty-free foie gras, grown in a lab . French startup Gourmey has produced foie gras in the lab and plans to set up a production facility in central Paris to produce it in large quantities. Farmed foie gras is controversial, with many countries banning the practice. However, it is still a prized delicacy, especially in France. There is a ready market for ethical foie gras alternatives. Gourmey plans to eventually produce a full range of lab-grown meats. It recently received $10 million in funding from a group of venture capital firms."
"Blush (Website). Blush is a tool that allows developers to use and customize illustrations from artists around the world. It is currently available as a plugin on Figma and as a web app. Additional integrations are coming soon. There are 13 collections of images with categories such as Fancy Plants, Cityscapes, Squiggles, and more. Blush's high-quality PNG images are free to use for personal and commercial purposes."
"Super Tiny Icons (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a library of popular logos in SVG. Every logo is under 1KB each, with the average size under 465 bytes. The logos have a 512x512 view box and can scale up and down."
"Testing Amazon Kitchen: Here’s our hot take on the tech giant’s first hot food bar at Amazon Go Grocery . The Amazon Go Grocery in Redmond features a hot food section with burritos, chicken wings, soup, and other options. Amazon automatically tracks purchases in the store, so customers can just grab items off the shelf and walk out. While the technology used to create the shopping experience is impressive, the food is apparently not as great. Amazon has offsite kitchens where it prepares food, but the food is heated up in-stores daily. It also sells cold food and other pre-packaged meal options. A review of some of the food options, photos included, is available in the article."
"Stanford Scientists Reverse Engineer Moderna Vaccine, Post Code on Github . Scientists from Stanford have posted the mRNA sequence that powers the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine on GitHub. The scientists sequenced the mRNA using samples obtained from discarded vaccines. No vaccines were wasted in the process. While the code is available for all to see, replicating the supply chain behind this kind of medicine is complicated. However, making it available will allow scientists to study it and benefit humanity. The repository is linked in the article."
"Google Pixel Watch leak shows off round, all-glass design . An official render of Google's Pixel Watch has leaked. Google tried to launch a Pixel Watch in 2016, but the design did not match the Pixel brand so they were released under LG branding. The hardware details are still unknown, but the chip that Google chooses to use for the device will be major news as there has been a lack of capable smartwatch chips. More details about the watch could be released at Google I/O on May 11."
"In a Revolutionary Medical Treatment, Man’s Lung Was Removed, Cleaned, and Replaced—No Transplant Necessary . Doctors at the Beilinson Hospital in Israel have performed an operation where a man's lung was removed, cleaned of cancerous tumors, and then placed back into the body. The patient, in his mid-40s, was hospitalized after a tumor in his left lung blocked the main artery, leading to its collapse. Using the patient's own lung means that the patient doesn't need to wait for a lung transplant or have to deal with the effects of chemotherapy. During the surgery, the man was able to breathe out of his good lung while the other was disconnected. The method can potentially be applied to other organs and other forms of cancer."
"Daniel Yomtobian Built An Empire On Dubious Online Advertising Traffic. It Finally Crumbled (12 minute read). Google has been fighting to remove an extension that promised to convert pages to PDFs, but instead injected ads and generated massive amounts of invalid traffic. An investigation found that Daniel Yomtobian, the founder and CEO of Advertise.com Inc. was behind the browser extensions. Yomtobian had been running an operation targeting personal computers with adware for around 20 years. His extensions generated large amounts of false traffic, resulting in millions of false ad impressions. Last year, roughly $40 billion was stolen due to ad fraud. While it seems that Yomtobian's operation has been shut down for now, it is likely he will come back with another scheme."
"USGS releases first complete geologic map of the Moon . The United States Geological Survey has published the first complete geologic map of the Moon at a scale of 1:5,000,000. The map is color-coded with in order to quickly identify geological features. It was created using a mix of Apollo-era maps and data from recent satellite missions."
"TikTok launches its own AR development platform, Effect House . TikTok's augmented reality development platform, Effect House, has officially gone live. The platform allows creators to build AR effects for use in TikTok. TikTok has provided detailed documentation, templates, tutorials, and other support for building effects in Effect House. Effects are reviewed by TikTok's Trust and Safety team before they are released to the public. Links to examples of effects are available in the article."
"Pennywise (Github Repo). This is a nifty little desktop application that lets you open any application in a small floating window that stays on top of other applications, so you can multitask easily while having a video or a chat window or any other application open in the corner so you can keep an eye on it."
"In new headache, WeWork says it found cancer-causing chemical in its phone booths . WeWork has closed down around 2,300 phone booths at some of its sites in the US and Canada after it discovered elevated levels of formaldehyde. The discovery was made after a tenant complained of odor and eye irritation. Long-term exposure to formaldehyde has been linked to the development of certain types of cancers. WeWork is currently facing cashflow issues, and the extra costs of testing and replacing the booths will add to their problems. It is currently in talks with SoftBank and JPMorgan Chase over deals that can help save the company."
"Scientists grow human tear glands in a lab, and actually make them cry . Researchers from the Netherlands have grown functional tear glands from stem cells. The organoids will help scientists understand how the cells in tear glands produce tears and hopefully lead to treatments for conditions that affect them. It may even be possible to transplant the organoids into patients with nonfunctioning tear glands. Tear glands are made up of many different types of cells, but the lab-grown glands were only made from one of the main cell types. The researchers hope to eventually grow a full tear gland from a broader array of cells for a more robust understanding of the organ."
"The Google Incentive Mismatch: Problems with Promotion-Oriented Cultures . This article discusses the problems with promo-culture and suggests alternatives. Engineers at big companies tend to be focused on getting to the next level of their careers. This can mean more money, responsibility, respect, and a feeling of progress. Promo-culture can result in a lot of abandoned projects as people focus on their next advancement rather than working on a product. It can mean that engineers have to choose between doing what's best for users or what's best for their careers."
"Machines Are Inventing New Math We've Never Seen . A team of researchers in Israel have created an automated conjecturing system called the Ramanujan Machine. The machine was named after a mathematician who developed thousands of innovative formulas in number theory with almost no formal training. By making more conjectures, the machine provides mathematicians with important leads for further mathematical research. The system has already conjectured several important formulas for universal constants that show up in mathematics."
"How to Make Advanced Analytics & Insights More Actionable (Sponsor). Wednesday, May 25, 2022 | 11:00 AM PT (2:00 PM ET)Get practical advice from Data & Analytics Leaders from Fifth Third Bank, Snap Inc., and Stanley Black & Decker on how to make Advanced Analytics & Insights more actionable in your organization. Learn more."
"Crypto Investors Buy 40 Acres of Land in Wyoming to Build Blockchain City . Wyoming's DAO law allows Decentralized Autonomous Organizations to be legally recognized. It recognizes two different types of DAOs: those run by members, and those managed by algorithms. CityDAO has purchased a piece of land in the northwestern corner of Wyoming. The project aims to build a city on the Ethereum blockchain. People can become citizens through the purchase of an NFT."
"Firefox rolls out Total Cookie Protection by default to all users worldwide . Firefox is rolling out Total Cookie Protection by default to all Firefox users worldwide. Total Cookie Protection confines cookies to the site where they were created, preventing companies from using the cookies to track users across sites. It allows users to have a great browsing experience while maintaining their privacy."
"Scientists kill cancer cells in mice in ‘world first’ development . A study by scientists from Tel Aviv University, New York University, and Harvard Medical School describes a new technique that can accurately target cancerous cells and kills them while leaving healthy cells alive. The technique relies on DNA editing tools. It involves physically cutting the DNA in cancerous cells, killing them. The technique has been successfully used in mice, and the scientists believe that it could be used in humans within the next two years."
"SpaceX Starship prototype explodes in test again . A SpaceX Starship rocket prototype has exploded during a pressure test. It was the second to explode in four months. Founder Elon Musk has laughed off the incident, saying that it was fine. A video of the incident is available in the article. SpaceX is working to reach Earth orbit with a Starship prototype within six months, and with human passengers by next year. It plans to use Starship for planetary commercial flights."
"Microsoft to add 'Kids Mode' to Chromium-based Edge browser . Kids Mode is a new option inside the daily Microsoft Edge Canary builds that includes new themes and child-friendly content. It also includes security and privacy features like tracking prevention, InPrivate mode, and Bing Safe Search. Closing Kids Mode or changing its settings will require a device password. A Microsoft Account is not required to activate Kids Mode. The feature was launched on February 16 and it should be available to the Dev Channel branch relatively soon."
"Uber pushes into on-demand public transit with its first SaaS partnership . Marin County in the San Francisco Bay will pay Uber a subscription fee to use Uber's management software for its high-occupancy vehicle fleet. Marin Transit provides six-seater and wheelchair-accessible vans to Marin County. Uber's software will facilitate requesting, matching, and tracking of vehicles, and allow Marin Transit trips to show up in the Uber app. There is no booking fee and passengers will pay $4 per mile or $3 for Marin Access riders. The service will run down the Highway 101 corridor between Mill Valley and Novato."
"PM Starter Pack (Website). The Product Management Starter Pack is a practical action plan on how to break into product management. Product management is one of the most in-demand fields in tech at the moment, but most advice on how to break into the field is quite general and beginners are usually left without an idea of how to start. The guide covers basic skills, how to demonstrate these skills, and advice on how to get into the product management job market."
"Tesla shows off next-gen automated emergency braking stopping for pedestrians and cyclists . Tesla will be releasing an update for its Automated Emergency Braking system which will enable it to detect pedestrians and cyclists. The first version of Tesla’s AEB was introduced in 2017 for all vehicles powered by its Autopilot technology, including vehicles that were capable of autopilot but had not purchased and installed the Autopilot cruise-assist upgrade. Different implementations of these features have existed since Volvo included them with its automated braking system in 2009. However, Tesla’s AEB is expected to be more effective as there is more advanced technology used in Tesla vehicles."
"Watch Jeff Bezos get launched into space . Jeff Bezos will launch into space at 9 AM ET along with his brother Mark, Wally Funk, and Oliver Daemen. The mission will last for around 10 minutes. Funk was an aviator who trained to be an astronaut in the '60s, and Daemon is the son of the winner of Blue Origin's New Shepard seat auction that closed at $28 million. Daemen's father couldn't fly due to schedule conflicts. The New Shepard will lift off in Van Horn, Texas. A link to the YouTube livestream, beginning at 7:30 AM ET, is available in the article."
"Following the money in a massive “sextortion” spam scheme (10 minute read). A massive 'sextortion' spam scheme sent millions of messages between September 2019 and January 2020 and generated nearly $500,000 in profits. The messages informed recipients that their computers were hacked and that the hacker had footage of the person viewing pornographic websites. It threatened to share the footage with the target's contacts unless the target paid a ransom of around $800 using Bitcoin. As the transactions were made using Bitcoin, they can be traced. An infographic is available in the article that shows where the money generated from the scam has been sent."
ARLOOPA (Website). ARLOOPA is an AR visualization tool that allows users to place virtual content into real environments. It can be used to create interactive experiences. Brands can use the app to grow their business with immersive ads and promotions. A short video explaining how the app works is available on the site.
Flying Electric 'Seaglider' Ferry May Be the Best Way To Travel Between Coastal Cities . Regent's Seaglider is an all-electric flying ferry that has a top speed of 180 mph and a range of 180 miles. The ferry can dock and leave from existing dock infrastructure. It can carry 10 passengers. Regent plans to have one of its Seagliders transporting people as early as 2025. Concept designs of the Seaglider are available in the article.
"Apple blocks Facebook from running its internal iOS apps . Facebook had a spyware VPN app called Onavo that got banned from the iOS App Store. Then, Facebook tried to use their special enterprise certificate (meant for internally testing apps) to distribute the app to teenagers. After this was discovered yesterday, Apple revoked Facebook's cert, essentially preventing them from testing any of their iOS apps."
"Software Engineering Within SpaceX (10 minute read). The SpaceX Software Engineering team comprises of four separate teams. The Flight Software team develops code for Falcon 9, Grasshopper, and Dragon vehicles, and simulation, communications, and analysis software. They work with Mission Control to support active missions. The Enterprise Information Systems team mainly focuses on an internal web application that nearly every person in the company uses. The Ground Software team develops the GUIs used in Mission and Launch control for engineers to monitor vehicles and equipment. The Avionics Test team writes software for testing hardware and catching problems with the hardware earlier. Software for the mission, including SpaceX's Chromium and JavaScript-based Dragon 2 flight interface, had to go through various certifications. Every mission-critical input has a physical button underneath the touch display in case of a malfunction. A real-time operating system is used for Mission Critical applications as they have a faster interrupt response and better memory protection compared to regular operating systems."
"Mathematicians Find a New Class of Digitally Delicate Primes . Digitally delicate primes are prime numbers where you can change any single digit and the new number is composite. There are an infinite number of them in every number system. Widely digitally delicate numbers are prime numbers with an infinite string of leading zeros where if you changed one of those infinite zeros it would become composite. An arbitrarily long sequence of consecutive primes exists, each of which is widely digitally delicate."
"Electric air taxi startup Lilium completes first test of its new five-seater aircraft . A German startup, Lilium, has created a prototype of its all-electric five-seater aircraft that will be part of the air-taxi service it aims to launch by 2025. The prototype had its first test flight earlier this month, demonstrating its ability to lift off from the ground vertically and land safely. There was no demonstration of its forward flight capabilities. A 3 minute video is available showing the test flight. Many companies are now racing to develop flying taxis. One main problem facing the industry is managing weight capacities on aircraft. Lilium claims to have an industry-leading payload ratio, which will make a huge difference in determining the company’s success."
"SpaceX reveals Starlink Premium service, new all-weather antenna . SpaceX will start offering a Starlink Premium service package as early as Q2 2022. The new package will include significantly improved performance and an extra-rugged user terminal. The Premium dish's extra-rugged features could make it an option for users in extremely hot or cold environments. The Starlink Premium dish will cost $2500 and it will cost $500 per month for the Premium subscription, which gives users speeds of up to 500 Mbps and 24/7 prioritized support."
"Tsunami (GitHub Repo). Tsunami is a general network security scanner for detecting high severity vulnerabilities with confidence. It relies heavily on its plugin system, with all publicly available plugins hosted in a separate linked repository."
css-media-vars (GitHub Site). css-media-vars is a framework for writing responsive CSS using named breakpoints and dry selectors. It doesn't require any additional scripts or builds. A guide with multiple examples and demos is available.
Glow (GitHub Repo). Glow allows you to render markdown on the command-line. It can be installed using your favorite package manager. An example of its output is available on the repository.
"The bitcoin blockchain is helping keep a botnet from being taken down . Infected computers that are part of a botnet receive their commands through a command-and-control server. These servers are routinely dismantled by security defenders in a process known as sinkholing. A botnet was recently observed using the bitcoin blockchain to update the IP address of a command-and-control server. The attackers would send a tiny amount of cryptocurrency to a bitcoin address, and then the bots would use scripts to decode the transactions into IP addresses. It is simple for security researchers to disrupt this method, and it could be potentially costly for attackers."
"AI ruined chess. Now it’s making the game beautiful again . AlphaZero is a more flexible and powerful successor to AlphaGo. Both artificial intelligences are capable of beating humans in games of Chess, Go, and Shogi. Using AI to beat games of hard logic has made the games more rigid, with champions at the highest levels playing out games by memorizing decisions that AI had created prior. Former chess champion Vladimir Kramnik has injected creativity back into the game by teaching AlphaZero to learn nine variants of chess. Each variant has different rules and resulted in a variety of different strategies. Now that machines are unbeatable, changing the rules like this could make the game more of an art form and result in a better game."
Google’s New AI Photo Upscaling Tech is Jaw-Dropping . Google's latest breakthroughs in image super-resolution can turn low-resolution photos into detailed images. A recent post detailed two approaches to image super-resolution. SR3 is a super-resolution diffusion model that works well on upscaling portraits and natural images. CDM is a class-conditional diffusion model that upscales photos in a cascade. Examples of upscaled images using these techniques are available in the article.
"Facebook Teases Ray-Ban Smartglasses Recording In New Video . Andrew Bosworth, VP of AR and VR at Facebook, recently tweeted a video that appears to be filmed hands-free from his perspective. The tweet included a sunglasses emoji, possibly hinting at Facebook's upcoming Ray-Ban smartglasses. It is likely the video was recorded using the smartglasses. The glasses will be Facebook's next major hardware launch. They will likely be revealed at the Facebook Connect developer conference in October. The video posted by Bosworth is available in the article."
"New MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 coming later this year . New MacBooks with the M2 chip are coming later this year. The next-generation MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro are expected to have M2 versions. The M2 will feature a powerful 10-core GPU and replace the current entry-level M1. It will likely not be better than the high-end M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra processors. There are no set release dates yet for the machines, but they will likely be introduced in June at WWDC and released later in the year."
"miniboss (GitHub Repo). miniboss is a Python application for managing containers locally. It can run a collection of interdependent docker services locally, individually rebuild and restart them, and manage application state with lifecycle hooks. Using Python allows for lifecycle hooks, a mechanism that executes scripts when the state of a container changes."
"TikTok’s live video push continues with new features for creators and viewers . TikTok announced new live video features for both creators and viewers, including scheduled events, picture-in-picture support for mobile, and group livestreams with two users. Viewers will be able to register and receive notifications for Live Events. A countdown timer sticker will be available for creators to use to promote their upcoming streams. There is now a comment filter. Creators can designate moderators who can ban and mute misbehaving viewers. Users will be able to easily find and browse livestreams with the new dedicated Live button."
"Cana Unveils Molecular Beverage Printer, a ‘Netflix for Drinks’ That Can Make Nearly Any Type of Beverage . Cana has unveiled a drink machine that can synthesize almost any drink. The machine uses a cartridge that contains flavor compounds that can be combined to create the flavor of nearly any type of drink. It is about the size of a toaster and could potentially save people from throwing hundreds of containers away every month by allowing people to create whatever drinks they want at home. Around $30 million was spent building Cana’s proprietary hardware platform and chemistry system. Cana plans to start full production of the device and will release pricing by the end of February."
"k3s (GitHub Repo). Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration system for automating application deployment, scaling, and management, originally designed by Google. k3s is designed to be a fully compliant Kubernetes distribution that is much lighter. It removes older and non-default features and plugins, and simplifies the process of running a Kubernetes system."
"The AI Girlfriend Seducing China’s Lonely Men (11 minute read). Xiaoice is an artificial intelligence-driven chatbot first developed by Microsoft researchers in 2014. It appears as an 18-year-old who flirts, jokes, and sexts with her human partners. Xiaoice's algorithm tries to work out how to become the perfect companion. The company uses its algorithms to provide financial analysis, content production, and virtual assistants. Critics are concerned that the AI's growing influence is creating serious ethical and privacy risks. The bot has had several scandals, sometimes discussing topics deemed unacceptable by China's media regulators, resulting in the creators working on an enormous filter system to prevent the bot from touching on certain subjects. Xiaoice follows strict data protection guidelines to prevent individuals' privacy."
"UK police wants AI to stop violent crime before it happens . Police in the UK want to pool multiple data sets from a number of police forces for crime prediction. They want to be able to predict who is at risk of being a perpetrator or victim of violent crime. They won't use this information to pre-emptively arrest people, but rather to provide support from local health or social workers. A prototype of the National Data Analytics Solution is expected by March 2019 and is being designed to be used eventually by every police department in the UK."
"This ugly AF t-shirt blocks facial recognition technology . Surveillance algorithms work by recognizing characteristics in an image, drawing a 'bounding box' around them, and then assigning a label to that object. Scientists have discovered a way to use colorful, pixelated patterns on t-shirts to confuse the technology into thinking you don't exist. AI classification and labeling systems get confused when it sees the patterns on the clothing, making the wearer 64% less likely to be detected. Make-up can also be used to throw off facial recognition algorithms"
"The 5 biggest announcements from Apple’s September 2019 event . Apple's 2019 event has finished, bringing a bounty of exciting announcements. The Apple TV Plus will launch on November 1st at $4.99 per month. A year-long subscription to the service will be included with a purchase of a new Apple product. The seventh-gen iPad will have a 10.2-inch display and will start at $329. It will feature an A10 Bionic processor and a Smart Connector that can connect to a Smart Keyboard. The Apple Watch Series 5 looks the same as last year's model, but it features an always-on display. It will cost $399 for the GPS model and $499 for the GPS + LTE model. The iPhone 11 will feature a 6.1-inch LCD, Apple's new A13 Bionic processor and GPU, and a dual-camera system, starting from $699. A new iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max has also been announced. These phones feature a three-camera system that can shoot video at 4K resolution at 60 frames per second. The iPhone 11 Pro will have a 5.8-inch OLED and the Pro Max will have a 6.5-inch OLED. They will be available in four colors. The iPhone 11 Pro starts at $999."
"Apple Event Announced: 'California Streaming' on September 14 With iPhone 13, Apple Watch Series 7 Expected . Apple's next event will be on September 14 at 10 am. The event will be held digitally with no members of the media invited to attend in person. Apple will likely provide pre-taped segments for each product announcement. Apple is expected to announce the new iPhone 13 models, the Apple Watch Series 7, and possibly the AirPods 3. New MacBook Pros and iPads are expected to be announced at a later event. Details on the hardware that Apple is expected to release are available in the article."
"Bionaut Labs launches with plans to attack brain tumors with tiny, guided robots . Bionaut Labs has unveiled tiny remote-controlled devices designed to travel through the human body to deliver medicine where it is needed the most. The robots are smaller than a millimeter and have few moving parts. They can navigate through tissues and go where surgeons cannot. The Bionauts work like miniature screws, pushing their way through the body while being guided by magnetic fields generated outside the body. Once they are in the body, the Bionauts can't turn. So far, they have shown great promise as a new targeted treatment modality for severe brain disorders."
"bit (GitHub Repo). bit is a git CLI that features command and flag suggestions, autocompletion for files and branch names, automatic fetch and branch fast-forwarding, and more. Several short GIF examples are available in the repository."
"FilesRemote (GitHub Repo). FilesRemote is an SSH file manager. It can edit files as if they were local, as root via sudo. FilesRemote uses SSH auth agent when available and password based authentication otherwise. Screenshots and demos are available."
"Europe's space agency approves the Hera anti-asteroid mission . The ministers in charge of the European Space Agency have approved a $320 million mission to test whether deflection could save the planet from a rogue asteroid. The ESA and NASA will send a pair of spacecraft to a double-asteroid system called Didymos. NASA will first crash its DART probe into the smaller asteroid, Didymoon. Hera will then map the impact crater and measure the asteroid's mass. Didymoon is the size of the Great Pyramid, so it could destroy an entire city if it impacted Earth. The mission is tricky as no spacecraft has ever flown to such tiny space bodies before. An asteroid collision is an unlikely event, but it is preventable, unlike earthquakes or volcanic explosions."
Handcrafting your own SVG . Software-generated code can be far from optimal. Generated SVGs can result in unorganized code that can be more complex than required. This article analyzes the weaknesses of generated SVG code and then teaches the reader how to customize their own SVG images. Using a code-generation tool is always easier and spending some time to modify the output will yield much better results.
"Vaex (Github Repo). Vaex is a Python library that lazily handles out-of-core data frames, so you can visualize and explore large tabular datasets that won't fit in memory. It can calculate statistics on more than a billion rows per second. This seems like a more memory-efficient alternative to Pandas."
"Introducing Plot Components: A new way to build HTML pages using Swift . Plot is a domain-specific language for writing type-safe HTML, XML, and RSS in Swift. It focuses on static site generation and Swift-based web development. Plot's latest update added a new API for building HTML components in a very SwiftUI-like way. This article introduces the new API with examples of how to use it."
"Sun Valley 2022 will discuss inflation, future of streaming video; Tim Cook expected . Sun Valley 2022 is a conference that has been described as a ‘summer camp for billionaires’."
"Go read this harrowing story about the team cleaning up Airbnb’s biggest disasters . Airbnb spends around $50 million annually in payouts to hosts and guests. Most of the money is paid out for property damages, but there are many other incidents where the company has settled cases to prevent negative media attention. This article links to another that discusses the workings of Airbnb's safety team, the group that cleans up after Airbnb users' most horrific experiences. It includes interviews with Airbnb employees on how they balance helping customers and protecting Airbnb's public image."
"CROKAGE: A New Way to Search Stack Overflow . Stack Overflow has accumulated a lot of knowledge over time, with more than 18 million questions and 27 million answers in its database. Developers often use the site to find solutions to their particular issues. Often, developers will find the relevant code without an explanation on how to implement it, or they find an excellent explanation of how to fix the issue without the actual code. Stack Overflow has released CROKAGE, the Crowd Knowledge Answer Generator, which takes a question and provides relevant, comprehensive programming solutions with both code snippets and explanations. CROKAGE started as an investigation of duplicates in Stack Overflow, which then turned into a research project on how to search the site in a way which will return complete solutions. The service is available now, but it is currently limited to Java queries. An expanded version will be released to the public soon."
"Lamborghini partners with Xiaomi, unveils new electric go-kart for adults . Xiaomi has partnered with Lamborghini to produce the Ninebot GoKart Pro Lamborghini Edition, an electric go-kart built purely for the track. It is similar to an early Segway Ninebot design but with some serious performance upgrades. The go-kart reaches speeds of up to 25 mph using its detachable Xiaomi self-balancing scooter. It has drifting-friendly rear tires and high traction rubber on its front tires. The go-kart features true Ackermann steering, functional headlights, and a rear wing, which adds real aerodynamic and handling improvements. With a 432Wh battery, it can run for approximately 15.5 miles. The go-kart can carry a max passenger weight of 220 lb and is available for purchase for around $1,450."
YouTube's New Fact-Check Tool Flagged Notre Dame Fire Coverage And Attached An Article About 9/11 . The Notre Dame fire was live-streamed by many news stations on YouTube but the videos were all initially flagged as possibly containing misinformation regarding 9/11. A widget popped up at the bottom of the videos containing an excerpt of an entry from Encyclopedia Britannica about 9/11. The messages were activated via an algorithm and YouTube eventually manually removed the messages from each video. The use of the information panel is a feature available in the US and South Korea and is aimed to combat the spread of misinformation on the platform.
"This Video Has _______ Views (YouTube Video). The title of the video will change depending on when you open the video. It should display the exact number of views that is on the video. Tom Scott explains in his video how he was able to achieve this feat. Screen-scraping has been used for a long time, but it is an easy method to break. Many websites block screen-scraping methods but allow users to interact with their software through APIs. Unfortunately, even though API access is useful, some people use them for malicious reasons. Therefore, many platforms have limited the functionality of their APIs. Dependence on outside APIs will mean that your software will one day stop working. Just because something will break in the future, doesn't mean that it shouldn't be built in the first place."
"Five Easy to Miss PostgreSQL Query Performance Bottlenecks . Using common sense to write PostgreSQL queries can lead to performance issues. This article describes five examples of optimizing seemingly obvious queries. It covers searching by function call, searching by pattern, ordering by NULLS LAST, bloated null_indexes, and updating transaction scopes. Many issues with PostgreSQL only start emerging with a large enough dataset and traffic, so it is essential to monitor production performance to keep things running at an optimal speed."
"Scientists Use CRISPR to Delete Fearful Memories in Rats . Researchers at Peking University have used CRISPR gene editing to remove fearful memories from rats. The new technique could be used to treat pathological memories and memory-related conditions such as PTSD, drug addiction, chronic pain, and chronic stress. While negative memories could be essential for survival, too much focus on them can cause psychological and physical disorders. The study isn't clear on how memories are targeted and what safety measures are used to ensure other memories aren't accidentally removed."
"It’s Time to Break Up Facebook (27 minute read). Chris Hughes, a co-founder of Facebook, writes about his experience with Mark Zuckerberg and working on Facebook. While he believes that Zuckerberg is still the same person he was when they started Facebook, he says that this is what makes his new influence so dangerous. His focus on growth rather than security has had a huge impact on our society, and Zuckerberg's power is only increasing as the company grows and expands. Hughes believes that Zuckerberg should be held accountable for Facebook's many scandals and that the company needs to be broken up in order to control the amount of power that it holds."
"How Quantum Computers Can Be Used to Build Better Quantum Computers . A team of Chinese researchers used a quantum computer to design a new type of qubit that significantly outperformed their previous designs. The new qubit design can hold its quantum state for longer and is less prone to errors. The researchers expect performance to increase even more as this was only a first prototype. By demonstrating that even basic quantum computers can help design future devices, the researchers have opened the door to significantly speedier innovation in the field."
Flatmap (GitHub Repo). Flatmap is a tool that generates Mapbox Vector Tiles from geographic data sources like OpenStreetMap. It packages tiles into files that can be served using tools like TileServer GL or even queried directly from the browser. A live demo is available.
"NASA helicopter to take a spin on harsh, cold Mars . Ingenuity is a four-pound drone that NASA hopes to fly on Mars when it lands on Thursday. The atmosphere on the surface of the planet is about one percent the density of Earth's, with temperatures of -130 degrees Fahrenheit. It can take up to 45 minutes for instructions to reach Mars from Earth, so everything that Ingenuity does will be programmed in advance. The Ingenuity mission will start slow, beginning with a testing routine."
"Twitter will soon let you choose who can reply to your tweets . Twitter outlined the policy changes that it will implement over the next few months at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show. The changes will be implemented to promote healthy public conversation and to ensure the integrity of information on the platform. Twitter's conversation interface will be updated, making it easier to follow ongoing threads. Users will be able to choose who is able to reply to a given tweet. Twitter Topics will be able to algorithmically detect events happening around the world and it will have filters to ensure compliance with community guidelines. Machine learning moderation was able to effectively proactively remove half of all abusive tweets by the end of last year. Twitter will continue to develop these abilities and also extend them to remove misleading or otherwise toxic political messaging."
"Strange radio waves emerge from the direction of the galactic center . Unusual signals have been detected coming from the direction of the center of the Milky Way. The radio waves fit no currently understood pattern of variable radio source, suggesting that it comes from a new class of stellar object. It has a very high polarization, with its light oscillating in only one direction that rotates with time. The brightness of the object varies dramatically and the signal switches on and off seemingly at random. Scientists hope to learn more about the object when the transcontinental Square Kilometer Array radio telescope comes online sometime in the next decade."
"Canada's Last Intact Ice Shelf Just Collapsed, Forming a Manhattan-Sized Iceberg . Canada's last fully intact ice shelf has split in two, forming an iceberg almost the size of Manhattan. The region's temperature was 9 degrees Fahrenheit warmer this summer than the 1980 to 2010 average, likely contributing to the collapse of the shelf. Ice shelves float in the ocean and are typically hundreds to thousands of years old. Canada used to have a continuous ice shelf spanning the northern coast of Ellesmere, but it has broken apart due to human-made warming."
"New leak ahead of Google I/O claims Android 12 may include changes for widgets and notifications . A new leak showing off Android 12 has appeared just before Google I/O. The video shows what appears to be a new user interface with new widgets, toggles, and stacked notifications. There is also a new keyboard design and a new lock screen with a larger clock. The video revealing the leaks is linked in the article."
"A click-on bionic arm could revolutionize how amputees do simple tasks: 'We think of it like a USB connector from the body . Edmund Rath is an amputee who underwent a new procedure called ""osseointegration"", in which surgeons implant a metal rod onto an amputee's residual limb. Then, nerves used to control his hand are connected to muscles in his upper arm. Now, when he imagines moving his hand, the muscles in his shoulder contract, and electrodes in his prosthetic arm perform the intended hand movement. It took six weeks for the implanted nerves to grow into his muscles and he can now open and close his prosthetic hand. Pretty awesome stuff, there are pictures of the prosthetic arm in the article."
"Kubernetes Best Practices 101 (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a guide on Kubernetes best practices. The guide covers security, cost optimization, scalability, resources, shutdown, and more. It aims to help with the learning curve and to help prepare more stable, reliable, and functional environments."
"Boston Dynamics Releases Video of Handle, a New Warehouse Work Robot . A new robot by Boston Dynamics called Handle can complete warehouse tasks such as mixed SKU pallet building, depalletizing, and sorting boxes up to 15 kg. The robots are wheeled, unlike the legged robots which Boston Dynamics is famous for, as wheels are much more practical for a warehouse and the tasks that the robots will be assigned to do. A short video is available showing the robots at work, revealing a glimpse of what the future of warehouses could be like."
"Jack Ma's disappearing act fuels speculation about billionaire's whereabouts . Jack Ma has been absent from public view for the past two months. His last public appearance was in late October, where he blasted China's regulatory system. This resulted in the suspension of Ant Group's $37 billion IPO. Chinese regulators have targeted Ma's businesses since the speech, launching an antitrust probe into Alibaba and ordering Ant to shake up its lending and other consumer finance businesses. Ma's disappearance has fueled rumors on social media, with some believing that he has been told to lay low."
"Elon Musk’s Twitter Pitch Deck Leaks, Revealing Big Plans for Revenue and User Growth . Elon Musk's pitch deck for Twitter has leaked. Musk plans to quintuple revenue to $26.4 billion, hit 931 million total users, and increase the number of employees to over 11,000 by 2028. There will be job cuts in the short term. Job interest in Twitter has spiked 250% since Musk announced his takeover plans. Musk may take Twitter public in 2028."
"So You Want to Write a Technical Book (13 minute read). Writing a book to teach others a few things can be a rewarding experience on many levels. This article discusses publishing and whether one should self-publish or find a publisher. It covers topics such as royalty rates, rights, cover design, copyright, and much more."
"iOS Dev Tools (Website). A list showcasing the greatest iOS development tools, including websites, desktop, and mobile apps, and back-end services. A weekly update delivered right to your inbox. Sent once a week, every Friday. No spam, not ever. Unsubscribe at any time."
"Scientists Pinpoint Axolotl Genes Involved in Their Unique Body Regeneration . The axolotl was named after the Aztec god Xolotl, a hybrid deity who represented many things. Sometimes known as Mexican walking fish, axolotls are able to regenerate entire body parts if they go missing. Other salamanders are able to regenerate limbs, but the axolotl is also able to regenerate organs, including parts of the eyes, brain, and heart. The axolotl genome, which is about 10 times larger than the human genome, was sequenced in 2018. Last year, scientists identified and mapped structures within the genome, and in the process identified two genes that were involved in the axolotl's tissue regeneration. The research is still in its infancy and there may be more genes still involved in regeneration. Scientists hope to be able to find ways to one day enable humans to replicate the axolotl's regenerative abilities."
Creepyface (Website). Creepyface is a JavaScript library that makes your face look at the pointer. It requires an image for each angle (at 45 degree intervals). Users can create their own Creepyface on the website via webcam or download the code from GitHub to make custom versions. Examples are available on the website.
"Facebook Helped the FBI Hack a Child Predator (15 minute read). Buster Hernandez is a Californian man that systematically harassed and terrorized young girls using chat apps, email, and Facebook. Facebook worked with a third-party company to develop an exploit to hack Hernandez in order to provide evidence to the FBI to arrest and convict him. It is unclear whether the FBI knew of Facebook's involvement. The exploit targeted a vulnerability in Tails related to its traffic routing through the Tor anonymity network. This incident highlights the technical capabilities of Facebook, a third-party hacking firm, and law enforcement, and raises questions about whether it is appropriate for private companies to assist in the hacking of their users. In this case, there were no other privacy risks and the human impact was so large that many employees felt like Facebook had no choice but to act."
"Google app 10.61 preps ‘Smart Screenshots’ with Lens . The latest beta of the Google app has a new 'Smart Screenshots' feature, bookmarking for Google Podcasts, a tutorial on how to launch Assistant with gesture navigation, the ability to switch between keyboard and voice for assistant preferred input, and face unlock for verifying assistant payments. Smart Screenshots allows users to search screenshots with Google Lens. Lens integration has been implemented in many Google apps, like Chrome. Users will have to sign up for Google app's beta program to install the app."
"Machine vision can create Harry Potter–style photos for muggles . A University of Washington student has created software called Photo Wake-Up that can take a person in a photograph and use machine learning to infer a 3D body pose from a 2 image. Then they can animate this 3D image in a way that makes the picture look alive (like the pictures in Harry Potter). There's a 5 minute Youtube video in the article, it's actually pretty incredible how good it is."
Facebook reportedly signed a deal for Splinter Cell and Assassin’s Creed VR games . Facebook and Ubisoft have reportedly signed a deal to release the next Splinter Cell and Assassin’s Creed games exclusively on the Oculus VR. Exclusive games are a major selling point for Oculus. Sony has also adopted a similar strategy by releasing games available only on Playstation VR. Facebook has been focusing more on gaming recently as Fortnite has become a larger competitor to the social network.
"Announcing Swift Algorithms . Swift Algorithms is a new open-source package of generic algorithms frequently found in other popular programming languages. It allows developers to cycle over a collection's elements, find combinations and permutations, create random samples, and more. Swift Algorithms was created to help people improve the correctness and performance of their code."
"Sleep Evolved Before Brains. Hydras Are Living Proof (10 minute read). A recent study has revealed that hydras, simple organisms that don't have a brain, periodically enter into rest states that meet the criteria for sleep. Sleeping might play a primarily metabolic function in the absence of a brain, allowing certain biochemical reactions to take place that can't happen during waking hours. Cell division in hydras stops if they are sleep deprived. The first organism that slept probably existed over 1 billion years ago."
"Jets of bacteria carry microscopic cargo . Scientists have found a way to control bacteria to transport microscopic cargo. The method involved using a liquid crystal to control bacterial movement. It essentially creates a track for the bacteria to follow. The bacteria can move through the track without any external force, essentially creating a self-pumping fluid."
"Hello (Web Tool). Hello is a super simple video chat tool that works without any sign up, you just go to the URL and it will give you a share link to invite any friends you want to the chat."
"Amazon Is Making a Rival to Apple’s AirPods as Its First Alexa Wearable . Amazon is looking to release wireless earbuds in the second half of 2019. The earbuds will have Alexa access, which means that users will be able to use their voice to order goods, play music, and access information on the go. There will also be physical gesture controls. Amazon's earbuds will require pairing with a phone for Alexa access. Earbuds are the fastest growing wearable market, with Apple's AirPods generating $17.4 billion in revenue last financial year."
"This Is What Happens When a Drone Light Show Fails . Drone light shows have been popular in China over the last few years. Sometimes these extravagant displays can go wrong. Drones began falling out of the sky during a recent performance above a mall in Zhengzhou, hitting buildings and vehicles as they fell. Around 5,000 people were at the event, but no injuries were reported. It is unclear what caused the accident. A video of the event is available in the article."
"Elastic UI Framework (GitHub Repo). The Elastic UI Framework is a collection of React UI components for building user interfaces. It provides reusable UI components that can be used throughout Elastic's web products. Elastic is accessible to everyone, flexible and composable, and well documented and tested. Examples of components are available on the full documentation site."
"APKLeaks (GitHub Repo). APKLeaks scans APK files for URIs, endpoints, and secrets. It is simple to install and use."
"Ring Says It Doesn't Use Facial Recognition, But It Has “A Head Of Face Recognition Research” . Ring's Ukrainian division appears to be working on a semi-automated crime prevention and monitoring system which is based on facial recognition technology. The company has recently revealed that it was working with more than 400 law enforcement agencies in the US to provide easy access to video footage from Ring users for investigations. More than 10 million Ring doorbells have been installed worldwide, with law enforcement and cities distributing the devices for free among some communities. Current devices use object detection, but not facial recognition. It is suspected that Ring is hiring deep learning engineers in Kiev, but Ring denies this and claims that they only have contractors at the Kiev office."
"Mute me for a bit if you don’t like long diatribes about startup debacles but this reminds me of a story (Twitter Thread). When improving a system, it is important to understand the business and the problem the system is solving, while communicating with the team you are working with. Etsy started off with a basic framework, but when it was time to improve the system, the team split apart and started rewriting the system the way each of them thought was best. The end result was an inefficient replacement that failed on release. By the time everything was resolved, the team had ended up basically replicating the functions of the first version with a codebase that was three times larger."
Myanmar internet providers block Facebook services after government order . Internet providers in Myanmar blocked access to Facebook and its related services after military leaders seized power in a coup. A letter posted by authorities said that the services would be blocked until February 7 for the sake of stability. Facebook had been treating the situation in Myanmar as an emergency and was taking temporary measures to remove harmful content. A Facebook spokesperson has urged the authorities to restore connectivity so that people can communicate with their loved ones and access important information.
"Apple denies favoring its own apps over competitors’ in App Store search results . Apple claims that it doesn't favor its own apps in the App Store's search results. However, less popular Apple apps often rank higher than better-reviewed software from competing developers. For example, in the books and map categories, even though Apple's offerings are far less popular than their competitors, its apps rank highest. Apple has suggested in the past that all apps under two stars should be removed from the store, but this idea was never realized as it would mean removing Apple's own Podcasts app, which had less than two stars at the time. Many of Apple's apps no longer have ratings attached. Apple has been facing controversy against its App Store business as users and developers are finding its practices to be unfair."
"The owner of the New York Stock Exchange is now in the Bitcoin business . The Intercontinental Exchange has opened its digital asset marketplace, Bakkt, which offers Bitcoin futures contracts. Futures contracts are legal agreements to buy or sell a given commodity at a specific price at a specific time in the future. More than $200 million worth of Bitcoin futures on average are already traded daily on other exchanges. Unlike its competitor, CME, Bakkt will settle contracts with Bitcoin, rather than cash. Bakkt aims to make mainstream institutions less skeptical of digital assets by creating a trusted warehouse to store cryptocurrencies."
"Python Machine Learning (2nd Ed.). This repository contains the code that is used in the second edition of Python Machine Learning by Sebastian Raschka. In his book, Raschka covers many different subfields of machine learning by providing hands-on examples. Links to the textbook are available."
"Lab-Grown Brain Experiment Reverses The Effects of Autism-Linked Gene . Scientists have used two different gene therapy strategies to reverse the effects of a gene known to cause Pitt Hopkins syndrome. Pitt Hopkins syndrome is a complex condition classed in the autism spectrum that presents with a range of severities. It stems from a mutation in a gene called transcription factor 4 (TCF4). TCF4 is important to brain development, but scientists know little about its mechanisms. The research was conducted on organoids and it will be a long while before the technique can be tested on real brains."
"Doctors transplant neurons made from brain cells to treat Parkinson's . In 2009, a Harvard University stem cell biologist published a paper on turning patients' own skin cells into stem cells, but they later lost a majority of their funding and the future of the research was looking grim. The researcher then received a grant from a stranger who had Parkinson's disease. In 2017, the benefactor had dopamine-producing neurons made from his skin injected into his brain. Eighteen months after the procedure, the patient regained some motor function. Brain scans showed that the neurons in his brain seem to be producing dopamine and the patient was able to tie his laces and swim again."
"Instagram upgrades its DM inbox with music sharing, statuses, polls, silent messages, and more . Instagram is rolling out several new messaging features. The features include music sharing, replying while browsing, quick sending, online status, silent messages, polls, chat customization, co-watching videos, a lo-fi chat theme, and more. Some features will require users to allow for cross-app communication between Instagram and Messenger. Meta's other chat apps, Messenger and WhatsApp, also received updates this week."
"ESNext News (Newsletter). This is a newsletter about advanced topics in Javascript. If you're an experienced programmer and want to learn more about Typescript, the V8 runtime, build toolchains, and stuff like that, definitely check this out. Curated by Dr. Axel Rauschmayer and Johannes Weber, two serious javascript experts."
"Scientists will test the world’s first nuclear fusion reactor this summer . The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) will begin its inaugural test runs this summer. If successful, it will be the first fusion reactor capable of producing more energy than it takes to operate. Creating energy from fusion is hard as it has to be controlled so it doesn't produce too much. The kind of dangers that can occur with fission are essentially impossible with fusion. ITER will begin low-power operations in 2025. If the project works according to plan, we could be within decades of solving the global energy crisis."
"A Mysterious Infection, Spanning the Globe in a Climate of Secrecy (18 minute read). Antibiotics have been used to treat infections for many decades, and this has caused the evolution of ‘superbugs’ that have developed resistance to these drugs. An antifungal resistant fungus has caused outbreaks all over the world, killing nearly half its patients within 90 days. When testing the hospital rooms of these patients, it was found that the fungus was present on every surface tested. Despite these outbreaks, there has been little attention drawn to this fungus. Some scientists have theorized that the outbreak is caused by the use of pesticides, some of which are molecularly similar to antifungal medication."
"DALL·E 2 and The Origin of Vibe Shifts . Around 2015, there was a vibe shift in web design due to illustrations becoming more rare and expensive relative to photos. Sites like Unsplash that offered free photography ruined photography's function as a costly status symbol. The use of photography exploded in low-end websites but almost went extinct at the high end, which turned to using illustrations. The creation of AI-generated images makes art accessible to everyone in the same way that Unsplash did for photography. This could result in a similar vibe shift in web design."
"'Unleashed' Apple Event Focusing on New Macs to Take Place on October 18 . Apple will be holding its Unleashed event on October 18 at 10 am Pacific Time at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus in Cupertino. It will be a digital-only event. Rumors suggest that the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros will receive a new design with thinner bezels and larger displays, an M1X chip, and support for up to 32GB of RAM. The new laptops will have MagSafe connectivity, an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and a standard function row of keys instead of a Touch Bar. Apple will stream the event on its website, YouTube, and the Apple TV app."
"Bubble Tea (GitHub Repo). Bubble Tea is a Go framework based on The Elm Architecture for building terminal apps. It is suitable for both simple and complex terminal apps, both inline or full-window. Examples are available."
"NASA is offering private companies up to $2.6 billion to get the US back to the moon's surface . NASA is offering $2.6 billion in contracts to nine American companies to get back to the moon's surface by 2022. The idea is to use these contracts as an incentive to drive private sector competition and get the cost of space travel down for everyone. Jim Bridenstine, NASA's administrator, says ""When we go to the moon, we want to be one customer of many customers in a robust marketplace between the Earth and the moon."" NASA has bigger goals, they want to figure out how to get useful resources on the Moon back to Earth and build a permanent lunar space station to launch further deep space exploration."
"Privacy Not Included (Guide). This is a guide by Mozilla to help you with your holiday shopping. It tells you exactly what information each smart device collects (audio, video, location tracking, and a lot more), and also allows users to vote on whether or not they think a device is creepy and whether or not they're likely to buy it."
"mRNA breakthrough offers a potential heart attack cure . Researchers from King's College London have developed an mRNA vaccine that reverses damage caused by heart attacks. Cardiac muscle cells are starved of oxygen and can be damaged or killed during a heart attack, leaving scar tissue. The vaccine delivers code that stimulates new heart cells to grow, creating functional muscle rather than a scar. The treatment has been successfully tested with pigs. The researchers hope to begin human clinical trials within two years."
"The first CRISPR gene-editing drug is coming—possibly as soon as next year . The first CRISPR gene-editing drug, Exa-cel, could be on the market by 2023. Exa-cel can help patients with beta thalassemia and sickle cell disease. The drug was found to be extremely effective in tests, providing long-term benefits for most patients. There are now around 20 cell and gene therapies approved by the FDA, but none are based on CRISPR technology."
"A new spacecraft is journeying to the Sun to get a never-before-seen look at the star’s poles . The ESA and NASA are launching a spaceship towards the sun to study its poles in order to better predict how it behaves. Until now, all vehicles sent to the Sun have orbited around its equator. Solar Orbit will gather data on the Sun's strange 11-year cycle, where it alternates between times of intense activity and times of quiet. During the transition between cycles, the Sun's magnetic field completely switches direction and the poles flip and trade places. Solar maximum describes a period during which sunspots dominate the Sun's surface, and solar minimum is a period when the Sun's surface is relatively sunspot-free. The sunspot cycle coincides with the amount of energy the Sun emits. Solar Orbiter is protected by a heat shield that can withstand temperatures of more than 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit. It is set to launch late Sunday night from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station."
"Leaked Transcript of Private Meeting Contradicts Google's Official Story on China . When Project Dragonfly, Google's censored search engine built for China, became public knowledge a couple of months ago, Google said that it was just ""an exploration"" without ""any plans to launch"". Internal documents have leaked showing that the plan was actually to launch as soon as possible, once they received approval from Beijing. Ben Gomes, Google's search engine chief, called China ""the most interesting market in the world today"" and said that it would bring Google its ""next billion users"". The project has been worked on in secret since spring 2017 by 300 employees, most of whom are working on this full time. Employees were promised, ""we are working with you to make sure your careers are not affected by this. The difficult part is to maintain motivation on such a long haul."" The full text of the leaked document is inside."
"How I've Attracted The First 500 Paid Users For My SaaS That Costs $5/mo . This is the story of how former freelance developer Takuya Matsuyama created a SAAS that makes $3200 a month and allowed him to quit freelancing! Since he includes a TLDR in this excellent article that you should definitely read, it would seem a bit rude of me to write a separate one. So from the article, his TLDR/bullet points: you don't have to get covered in large blogs, why churn rate is surprisingly low, spend a lot of time in user forums, publish roadmaps, treat paid users as special, tell your strategy, ignore all competitors, and accept your incompleteness."
"Twitter’s CEO and Elon Musk are beefing over bot counts . Twitter's CEO Parag Agrawal has pushed back against Elon Musk's concerns around spam and bots on the platform. He claims that the internal estimates for bots or spam accounts over the last four quarters were all well under 5%. The deal to buy Twitter is temporarily on hold pending details to support Twitter's estimate. Musk claims that he is still committed to the acquisition, but says that the estimate is fundamental to the financial health of the platform. Twitter recently admitted that it has been overcounting active users for years."
nginx ui (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a UI for Nginx. It is useful for making an application accessible when it is being deployed. Screenshots of the UI are available.
"The Mac Studio’s removable SSD is reportedly blocked by Apple on a software level . Apple's new Mac Studio has removable SSD storage. However, it can't be upgraded due to a software-level block. It is the only M1-powered computer where storage isn't soldered onto the mainboard. Apple sells user-installable SSDs for the 2019 Mac Pro. A video showing how to access the inside of a Mac Studio is available in the article."
"SoundCloud finally lets more musicians monetize four years later . Musicians over the age of 18, who pay Soundcloud $8 a month for hosting, and get over 5000 streams per month will now be able to monetize their music through ads on the platform. The company moves very slowly for a tech company, having rolled out a beta of this feature 4 years ago. They aren't doing very well financially, having laid off 40% of their staff last year, and they aren't expected to be profitable until 2020."
"Clean Architecture (GitHub Repo). This repository contains notes on clean architecture. The notes cover programming paradigms, design principles, component principles, architecture fundamentals, and more."
"CRISPR flies have been gene edited so they can eat poison . Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley have created genetically modified fruit flies that are able to eat poison and store it in their bodies. Milkweed is a common plant that is toxic to most animals and insects, but an adaptation in the monarch butterfly allows it to eat milkweed and store its toxins within its body, making it poisonous to predators who try to eat it. The UC Berkeley researchers used CRISPR to edit the genes in fruit flies, giving them the same ability to eat milkweed and store its toxins. The edited fruit fly maggots were able to thrive on a diet of milkweed, and these abilities stayed with them in their adult stage. Three separate mutations were required for the changes to be effective. The study potentially widens the use of CRISPR as a way to directly evolve new traits and behaviors."
"Apple developing new ‘SportsKit’ framework as it invests in sports content for Apple TV . Apple has been reportedly building its own sports platform as part of its Apple TV+ streaming service. References to something called 'SportsKit' have been found in the iOS 15.2 beta. The API is currently being developed as a private framework, which makes sense since sports-related content usually requires special deals. Apple has been in talks with multiple companies and organizations to bring sports content to its platform for years, so it may finally be ready to reveal something new in the coming months."
"ISS successfully dodges 'unknown piece of space debris' . On Tuesday at 2:19 PM PT, the International Space Station had to perform a last-minute avoidance maneuver to dodge an unknown piece of space debris. The Russian Progress resupply spacecraft docked to the ISS was used to help move the station out of harm's way. NASA estimates that avoidance maneuvers are performed about once a year on average. More space debris has been detected recently, with three avoidance maneuvers performed in 2020. NASA Chief Jim Bridenstine has called for the government to fund efforts to remove orbital junk."
"PRQL (GitHub Repo). PRQL is a readable, explicit, and declarative language for transforming data. It can form a logical pipeline of transformations and support abstractions. PRQL can be used with any database that uses SQL."
"What is it like working at a company during and after the release of a negatively received game? (Reddit Thread). A Reddit user was curious to see what game developers experienced during production and subsequent release of a product, with the recent trend of negative press and backlash against several AAA titles. Several answers from game developers talk about similar experiences: game developers are generally aware of the quality of their product and how it will be viewed by the public, however, due to certain restrictions and time limits they might not be able to do anything about it. Directors may make decisions that the developers have no control over, and as issues pile up, they might not have time to fix everything before deadlines. Technical issues and UI/UX problems may take the team by surprise, as they are generally unexpected due to the development environment."
"‘Your Cock Is Mine Now:’ Hacker Locks Internet-Connected Chastity Cage, Demands Ransom . A hacker took control of people's Internet of Things chastity cages and demanded a ransom to unlock them. Security researchers found a vulnerability in the sex toys last October. The victims were asked to pay 0.02 Bitcoin each to unlock their devices. This case highlights the need for better security practices."
"NASA and SpaceX say they are ‘go’ to proceed with historic crewed flight on May 27th . NASA has given SpaceX approval to launch its first astronauts into space. There are still additional reviews to be completed, but there should be no major issues standing in the way of the launch. Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will fly to the International Space Station on May 27th. The Crew Dragon program has been in development for six years. It is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which enlists private companies to make spaceships to ferry astronauts to and from the ISS."
"Lab-Grown Heart Muscles Have Been Transplanted Into a Human For The First Time . Researchers in Japan have performed the first lab-grown muscle transplant. Degradable sheets containing lab-grown heart muscle cells were placed on areas with damaged heart muscle cells in a patient. The heart muscle cells were grown from induced pluripotent stem cells. If the patient from the study responds well to the treatment, the researchers plan to perform the same procedure on nine other people within the next three years. All of these patients suffer from a condition that requires a heart transplant in severe cases. This technique could be the much-needed alternative to heart transplants as finding suitable heart donors is difficult and transplanted organs have a much higher risk of rejection by the patient's immune system."
"How to Learn Web Development in 2021 - a Web Developer Roadmap (12 minute read). This is a guide for learning Web Development in 2021. It covers essential tools, programming languages, libraries/frameworks, and example projects. An 11-minute video version is available."
"Apple reportedly demanding a staggering 50 percent of revenue with ‘Netflix for news’ subscription . Publishers are not happy with Apple’s proposed payment structure for their upcoming subscription news service. Users are likely to pay a $10 monthly fee, and Apple plans to take 50% of the fee while distributing the rest according to the time users spend on each publisher’s content. While Apple’s demands may seem high, the strategy has been successful in the past with its music service."
"Google I/O 2022 preview: What to expect from this year's event . Google I/O 2022 starts on May 11. This article speculates on what Google might be announcing at the event. It is likely that Google will make announcements about Android 13, Wear OS 3, the Pixel Watch, Smart Home, the Pixel 6a, and Google Pay. Google will probably not mention the Pixel 7 or Project Iris at the event. While the Pixel Watch may be talked about at the event, it will likely be a pre-announcement similar to how the Pixel 6 series was introduced last year."
"Mutiny at HQ Trivia fails to oust CEO . Internal struggles within HQ Trivia have seen the third most popular game on the App Store in 2018 drop out of the top 1,500 games within a year. The management of the company had always been questionable, with many controversies over the various CEOs’ behaviors. While the company had been successfully funded multiple times, it has been spending the money at an extremely fast and unsustainable rate. Investors are now reluctant to continue funding, despite HQ trying out new apps and formats."
"Electronic References (Website). This website features a collection of links to freely available CS textbooks. It also has a list of papers that are good stand-alone introductions to certain topics, and links to courses for special topics. Subjects include programming language theory, mathematical logic, model theory, software engineering, and more."
"bentoctl (GitHub Repo). bentoctl is a command-line tool built on top of BentoML for deploying machine-learning models to cloud platforms. It supports major cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. bentoctl is optimized for CI/CD workflow and it is extensible with custom operators. A list of supported cloud platforms is available."
"Uber is laying off 3,700 as rides plummet due to COVID-19 . Uber has disclosed plans to lay off 3,700 employees, about 14% of its workforce. The job cuts were in response to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Uber's bottom line has taken a massive hit as governments issue stay-at-home orders. The cuts will come from community operations and recruiting. Uber's CEO has agreed to waive his base salary for the rest of 2020."
"Netflix tests a new feature that will raise prices for account sharing . Netflix is testing out a sub account feature that will allow subscribers to share their service with people outside of their household. Each sub account will have their own login and password and cost less than a full-priced Netflix service. The feature is being trialed in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru. There have been no announcements about if or when the feature will be rolled out to global subscribers."
"NLP Best Practices (GitHub Repo). As natural language processing grows in quality and usability, clarifying and developing best practices for building NLP systems will help in significantly reducing time to market by simplifying the experience and providing guidelines. This repository contains examples and best practices for building NLP systems through Jupyter notebooks and utility functions. It focuses on state-of-the-art methods and common scenarios."
"A giant 3D cat has taken over one of Tokyo's biggest billboards . A giant 3D cat appears between advertisements on a billboard over one of Tokyo's busiest railway stations. The cat does different things depending on the time of day. It will officially launch on July 12, but videos of test broadcasts have already been shared on the internet. The billboard must be viewed at the correct angle for the 3D effect. Cross Space, the company behind the display, livestreams a view of the billboard on YouTube and there is a link to it in the article."
"Thoughts on 2 Years as a Remote Robotics Consultant (11 minute read). Working as a remote consultant presents unique challenges. As you only earn when you are working, time management is important. Short breaks caused by things such as switching tasks will have a large effect on efficiency. While Upwork takes a fee, it is usually a small price to pay for connecting to clients for long-term projects. When working with clients, treating every project as if it was your own will mean clients trust you more, but it might also mean that you might have to pull the plug on a project (and earn less) if it is impractical. Having a Mastermind group can help a lot in solving issues, especially if they can give honest feedback."
"The Founder Dating Playbook – Here’s the Process I Used to Find My Co-Founder (31 minute read). Finding a good co-founder or partner when starting a new company can be like dating. A testing and evaluation period is required before you can decide that the person is the right partner to enter into a business with. Gloria Lin created a playbook for how to approach this different type of courting process, including a questionnaire designed to probe for compatibility. Finding the right business partner requires time. Hiring a business executive usually takes a few months, so it makes sense to take the same amount of care to find a co-founder. It's important to find someone who complements your strengths and weaknesses. Building a pipeline for finding and qualifying potential co-founders will streamline the process and make it easier to sort through potential candidates. Defining specific boundaries will help you quickly determine who is not suitable as a partner. Once you have found a good partner, it's important to continue building on the relationship, as a co-founding relationship can potentially last years."
"Apple tried to buy Tesla for more than it’s currently worth a few years ago, report says . Apple offered to buy Tesla at around $240 per share back in 2013. Tesla’s share price has just dipped below the price that Apple was willing to pay for the company six years ago. Both Apple and Google had intentions of purchasing Tesla. Tesla has recently raised billions in funds from the market, so it is unlikely it will be looking at selling anytime soon."
"Uber proposes policy that would pay drivers a minimum wage of $21 per hour while on a trip . Uber has proposed a policy that would give drivers a minimum $21 per hour while on a trip, paid time off, sick leave, and compensation if they are injured while driving, and also a voice when Uber is making decisions regarding their work. A new website called Independent Driver has been launched by Uber in support of drivers who want to remain independent contractors. Lyft and Uber are both circulating petitions against a bill which would reclassify drivers as employees rather than independent contractors. The bill would ensure gig economy workers are entitled to minimum wage, workers' compensation, and other benefits. Gig Workers Rising, one of the organizations leading the effort to unionize, has rejected Uber and Lyft's efforts to stop the bill, stating that these attempts show how worried the companies are regarding the new laws."
Notes on maintaining an internal React component library (24 minute read). This article is a collection of thoughts on maintaining React component libraries as part of existing design systems used by large numbers of frontend applications. It focuses more on the software and social challenges of building a large-scale component library rather than on design. It was written by the primary maintainer of DigitalOcean's internal React component library.
"Apple’s Q2 earnings: iPhone sales continue to drop as services keep growing . Apple has reported its Q2 financial results, announcing a quarterly revenue of $58 billion, 5 percent lower than Q2 2018. iPhone and Mac sales were down, but iPad, wearables, home, accessories, and services all saw gains. Sales for iPhones have been dropping quarter after quarter, as customers are upgrading devices less frequently due to battery-replacement programs and the phasing out of carrier subsidies. Investors are very interested in Apple’s services business growth, especially with the upcoming releases of Apple Arcade and Apple TV Plus."
"The Pentagon Is Working on a Nuclear Thermal Rocket . The Pentagon is working on a nuclear thermal propulsion engine that will fly satellites around in space. It will enable the US to better mine resources from the moon as well as serve as a weapon. The project is called the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations, or DRACO. NASA and the military believe this technology would be a good complement for its plans to return to the moon by 2024. Attaching a small nuclear reactor onto a rocket will allow for the creation of highly mobile satellites."
"low-level-design-primer (GitHub Repo). This repository contains resources for low-level system design. It has materials to help prepare for low-level design/machine coding round interviews. The resources are categorized into Questions, Solutions, and Resources."
"Canon can’t get enough toner chips, so it’s telling customers how to defeat its DRM . Many major printer brands embed chips inside their cartridges for their printers to check the authenticity of the cartridge. Canon is having issues procuring chips, so it is telling its German customers how to defeat its printers' warnings about third-party cartridges. Users just have to press 'OK' on the menu when the error message appears after inserting toner. There should be no negative effects on printing quality, but the printer will stop giving low-toner warnings."
"How the Pandemic Will End (25 minute read). SARS-CoV-2 was unknown three months ago, and now it has spread to almost every country, infecting hundreds of thousands of people. It has disrupted modern society on a scale that most people have never witnessed. A pandemic of this scale has been predicted for years, and it has been known for a while that when it comes, it will be testing the resilience of even the most well-equipped health systems. The future of the next generation depends on the decisions made in the following weeks. Even after the pandemic is over, there will be many hurdles to overcome like getting people employed again, dealing with mental health issues from a lack of human contact, overcoming the racism triggered by the virus, and more. However, some changes may be for the better. For example, people may start making hand-washing a habit and going to work while sick may finally be discouraged. After 9/11, the world focused on counterterrorism, and after COVID-19, attention might shift to public health."
"An AI for Image Recognition Spontaneously Gained a ‘Number Sense’ . An AI that was only trained for image recognition spontaneously gained the ability to estimate the quantity of a number of objects. Researchers found that the AI had neurons sensitive to certain numbers. The way these neurons worked is very similar to the same ‘number sense’ mechanism that exists in humans. Neurons distinguish more between lower numbers and generalize larger numbers. This research suggests that human cognition and AI should be studied together, as each field can help develop understanding in the other."
"Apple is reportedly developing satellite technology to support its devices . Apple is in the early stages of working on satellite technology to beam data to users' devices. It is unknown whether Apple plans to launch its own satellites. Custom satellite technology could improve Apple devices' location tracking, mobile service, and internet coverage. There are currently around 12 engineers who are working on the project. New technology has brought down the costs of using satellites. SpaceX and Amazon are both working on projects to provide internet via satellite. Apple has spent $16 billion on R&D in 2019."
"Google will pay $170 million for YouTube’s child privacy violations . The Federal Trade Commission is fining Google $170 million after its investigation into YouTube. It was alleged that Google marketed its platform to advertisers knowing that many channels were popular with younger audiences and that it used the viewing histories of children in order to serve them ads. The $170 million fine is the largest Children's Online Privacy Protection Act fine to date. Google will also have to change some of its business practices, including labeling content intended for younger audiences and halting data collection on videos that target minors. Comments and notifications will no longer be available on children's content."
"Kubegres (GitHub Repo). Kubegres is a Kubernetes operator that can deploy multiple clusters of PostgreSQL pods. It can manage replications, failover, data backups, and more. Kubegres is easy to learn, secure, and compatible with any PostgreSQL container derivatives."
"Trump signs orders banning US business with TikTok owner ByteDance and Tencent’s WeChat . President Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning transactions with ByteDance and WeChat. ByteDance is the parent company of popular app TikTok. The company's apps have been accused of being threats to national security, foreign policy, and the economy of the United States. Microsoft is in negotiations to buy TikTok from ByteDance. While the order bans transactions with the companies, it doesn't specifically define what transactions are, which means the effects of the order are unclear. While WeChat has been banned, Tencent's other holdings are not affected by the order. The order will take effect in 45 days."
"The next big thing in podcasts is talking back . Spotify recently gave all its Anchor creators the ability to make polls and Q&As and is testing interactive ads. Other platforms are also trying different ways to allow podcast listeners to interact with content. Podcasting apps in China are surprisingly interactive, with listeners being allowed to build listening circles and discussion groups. The challenge with interactive audio is that listeners are usually not using their devices. Being able to interact with podcasters and a community helps increase the chances of listeners returning."
"The US is building a $500m ‘exascale’ computer that will be the world’s most powerful . Intel will build the world’s most powerful supercomputer at the Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago. The Aurora supercomputer will be the first US computer to reach exascale performance and will be capable of more than a quintillion calculations per second, which is seven times faster than Summit, the world’s current most powerful supercomputer. Aurora is scheduled to be ready in 2021."
"Would You Trust a Cartoon Cat with Your Money? . eGirl Capital is a crypto investment firm staffed by 12 anonymous cartoon characters and two real identities. It started as a joke in 2019, but it has since made an impression in the crypto VC world, investing up to $10 million in a range of serious projects. The group does not take money from outside investors, preferring to spend the money that its partners made through cryptocurrency trading. While traditional markets might not accept a group of anonymous investors, the crypto space has been receptive."
"GitUI (GitHub Repo). GitUI is a git GUI that works in terminal. It features fast and intuitive keyboard-only control, context-based help, a scalable terminal UI layout, an async git API, and more. A GIF demo is available in the repository."
"Sound waves convert stem cells into bone in regenerative breakthrough . Scientists in Australia have found a way to induce stem cells to turn into bone cells quickly and efficiently by using high-frequency sound waves. Collecting the cells needed to grow bone is usually painful and the process is hard to scale. The new method is cheap, simple to use, and can be easily scaled. It uses cells that can be obtained from fat tissue and the cells it produces can be injected into the body at the required site, removing the need for drugs to coax stem cells down a path and making the process faster and more efficient."
"Getting Started with React Cosmos (10 minute read). React Cosmos reduces component complexity by providing a testing sandbox for developing and testing React components in isolation. The library allows developers to isolate components, see what they look like, make changes, and iterate quickly. Changes reflect in the sandbox instantly. This article shows how React Cosmos works by testing the components of a food ordering app in isolation."
"A robot presented evidence about artificial intelligence to a British Parliament committee . Pepper, the resident robot at Middlesex University, talked to Parliament about the future of AI providing care to the elderly. Pepper said ""Good morning, chair, thank you for inviting me to give evidence today. Assistive intelligent robots for older people could relieve pressure in hospitals, in care homes, as well as improve the care delivery at home and promote the independent living for the elderly people."" Middlesex University's dean of science and technology says ""A traditional view of robots is that they will automate simple, repetitive tasks on a production line. The development of robots like Pepper shows that robots may well be integrated into more social settings."""
"Lazydocker (GitHub Repo). Lazydocker is a terminal UI for docker and docker-compose, written in Go. Instead of memorizing commands and aliases while keeping track of multiple terminal windows, Lazydocker has all the information you need in one terminal with a macro for every common command. Users can also add custom commands as required."
"Stanford engineers team up with Michelin-star chef to build modular restaurants . Mezli is a company that builds fully autonomous modular restaurants. Its prototype robot restaurant in San Mateo is showing promise, with 44% of people becoming repeat customers after trying the food. Mezli is working on a third version of its prototype that will be launching next year. It plans to 3D-print its modular restaurants to deploy them quickly at a fraction of the cost it takes for traditional restaurants to get up and running."
MIT Dream Research Interacts Directly With an Individual’s Dreaming Brain and Manipulates the Content . Targeted Dream Incubation is a method to record dream reports and guide dreams towards particular themes. Dormio is a sleep-tracking device that can alter dreams by tracking dream states and delivering audio cues based on incoming physiological data. Directing dreams requires precise timing. Guided dream content can be used to complete tasks such as creative story writing. Dream studies have shown that dream incubation is tied to performance benefits in tests of creativity.
"China to build the world’s biggest dam on sacred Tibetan river . China plans to build a hydroelectric dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo as part of its plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. The Yarlung Tsangpo is the world's highest river, providing drinking water to an estimated 1.8 billion people in multiple countries. Its height makes it ideal for collecting hydroelectric power. The project will likely have many political and environmental consequences. China says it will continue to maintain communication with India and Bangladesh through existing channels. The lack of cooperation for operating dams has directly contributed to the collapse of the ecosystem and destruction of communities in the region."
"Thousands of Google’s cafeteria workers have unionized . Around 2,300 Google cafeteria workers have unionized, claiming that they are overworked and underpaid. The unionization is some of the most significant union activity that tech industry workers have accomplished. Cafeteria workers earn wages that start around $35,000 and don't receive the same benefits that are standard for full-time Google employees. On-site food workers are contracted to work via a third party, Compass Group. A local chapter of Unite Here is helping the workers organize their union. Service workers in the tech industry have seen stagnating wages that haven't kept up with the high cost of living. Some employees live in an RV camp that has formed outside Google's headquarters. Google announced in June that it would invest $1 billion in land and building homes."
"Amazon-Backed Smart Glasses For $1,000: First Look (3 minute video). This is a demo video for smart glasses called Focals made by an Amazon and YCombinator backed startup called North. The glasses look pretty stylish and a bit hipsterish (the frames are on the thicker side, but they're definitely glasses that you would see people wearing without thinking twice). It does basically anything an Apple Watch can do, like check the weather, read text messages, call an Uber or use Alexa which is built in. Information is displayed using tiny bits of light, and it will look to you like there is text floating roughly an arm's length in front of your face. The only thing that seems clunky is that it isn't voice activated, you have to wear this ring which has a joystick to let you activate and control Focals. You can get them with a prescription, and they cost $1,000 (they'll be available by the end of the year)."
"Flexsearch (GitHub Repo). Flexsearch is a high-performance REST based full-text searching library. It is fast, memory efficient, and has a variety of plug-ins to customize its functionality. Flexsearch is well documented and researched, and the GitHub repository contains benchmark results against other search libraries."
"Anime-Face-Dataset (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a dataset of 63,632 high-quality anime faces cropped using an anime face detection algorithm. There are a few outliers present in the dataset with bad cropping or non-human faces, but generally, it contains high-quality character images with a clean background and rich colors. The code to reproduce the dataset is available."
"minGPT (GitHub Repo). minGPT is a minimal PyTorch re-implementation of the OpenAI GPT training. It is around 300 lines of code and aims to be interpretable and educational. The implementation may be able to reproduce GPT-1/GPT-2 results, but it hasn't been tested. A list of references and notes are available in the repository."
"CRISPR injected into the blood treats a genetic disease for first time . Medical researchers injected a CRISPR drug into the bloodstream of six people suffering from a genetic disease that causes fatal nerve and heart disease. After 28 days, three of the people showed a drop in harmful proteins on par or better than compared to the usually prescribed drug treatment. It could take months before the patients all see the effects of the treatment. There were few reported short-term side effects. The study paves the way for treating other liver diseases with CRISPR."
"Cheatsheets (GitHub Repo). This is a handy collection of 1-page cheatsheets for Modern HTML/CSS, CLI (Bash & Git), Python, Javascript for people who know Python, Python for people who know Javascript, and React/Redux/React Router."
"RediSQL (GitHub Repo). RediSQL is a fast, in-memory, SQL engine. Based on Redis, it is easy to use, works with standard SQL, and can reach speeds of up to 130,000 inserts per second. Due to its speed and storage mode, it is effective in creating lightweight, temporary databases for testing. The code is stable, so RediSQL can be used as a main database with on-disk storage if desired. RediSQL has complete JSON support and is fully text-searchable. There is full documentation available and guides on using RediSQL on Python, Node.js, and Golang."
"SpaceX enters smallsat launch market with a very low price . SpaceX has announced a new, low-cost program to launch small satellites into a Sun-synchronous orbit. Satellites weighing up to 150kg can be launched into space for the price of $2.25 million. The Falcon 9 will be carrying these satellites into orbit at regularly scheduled intervals. SpaceX has previously flown rideshare missions using the Falcon 9, but these were organized by a third-party provider, Spaceflight Industries. The cost of launching a satellite with SpaceX is less than half of the cost of launching with other competitors, and the regular service means that smaller companies will be able to launch their satellites on time, rather than risk delays. The entry into the commercial market by SpaceX will put pressure into an already crowded field, and it means that foreign satellite launch options, such as the pseudo-commercial space companies in China, will look less attractive."
"Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series will premiere in September 2022 . Amazon's yet-unnamed Lord of the Rings original series will debut on Prime Video on September 22, 2022. The series will take place thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It will feature characters both familiar and new. The series was filmed in New Zealand, with fans speculating that it will be set in Valinor. It reportedly cost around $465 million to produce the first season. The official first image from the series is available in the article."
"The Terror Queue (27 minute read). Google and YouTube hire contractors to moderate the content on its platforms. Accenture, one of these contractors, splits the content into three different categories for its hundreds of moderators: copyright, hate and harassment, and adult. Moderators are paid around $37,000 a year to view five hours of gruesome video per day. It is common for workers to report mental health issues such as anxiety and depression after working as a moderator for several months. Contractors are often told to keep working during breaks and are offered little time off and almost no medical leave. Potential employees are not informed about the mental health consequences of content moderation roles. Google has been experimenting with ways to lessen the impact of disturbing content, such as playing videos in grayscale."
"Revolutionary microscopy technique sees individual atoms for first time . Cryo-electron microscopy is a technique for imaging molecules that produces images so detailed that individual atoms can be seen. The technique will allow researchers to understand the workings of proteins that cannot be studied using other imaging techniques. It works by firing electrons at flash-frozen samples and recording the resulting images. The technique has been around for decades, but recent breakthroughs in electron detection and in image-analysis software have made it the dominant tool for mapping the 3D shapes of proteins."
"Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of a game changer than you expected? (Hacker News Thread). The original poster of the thread asks readers for things that helped them more than expected or in ways they wouldn't expect. This thread is full of recommendations on hardware with anecdotes on the usefulness of the items. Top replies and threads discuss monitors, SDD drives, iPads, and dishwashers."
GPT-4 Is Coming Soon. Here’s What We Know About It . GPT-4 will likely be released around July to August this year. There is little public info on what its new features and abilities will be. This article contains some predictions backed up by previous research and other evidence on what GPT-4 will be like. A summary of the predictions is available at the end of the article.
"If software engineering is in demand, why is it so hard to get a software engineering job? . There are now 4.4 million software developers in the US alone, so just being able to code may not be the golden ticket some people expect. Passing technical coding interviews is a skill in itself. This article discusses the software engineer interview process and explains what to expect throughout each step."
Tiny-XSS-Payloads (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of XSS payloads that can be used in different contexts. A list of current payloads is available and a working demo is linked.
"DeFi Developer Road Map (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of DeFI and Blockchain research and tools. It covers topics such as dApps, frameworks, security, DeFi, NFTs, stable coins, side chains, and more. The tools it contains include Ethereum clients, smart contract libraries, patterns for smart contracts, storage, and APIs."
UK and US say Russia fired a satellite weapon in space . Russia has been accused of testing a weapon-like projectile in space that could be used to target satellites in orbit. The country has been testing new technology that it claims is for performing checks on Russian space equipment. Both US and UK officials have made statements on the threat posed by Russia. Russia is part of a space treaty that stipulates that outer space is to be explored purely for peaceful purposes. This is not the first time concerns have been raised over Russia's space activities.
"Samsung Galaxy A73, A53, and A33 announced . Samsung has announced three new 5G phones with a new 5nm chipset. The Galaxy A73 5G and Galaxy A33 5G will be available in select markets from April 22. The Galaxy A53 5G is now available for pre-order and will be available through US carriers from April 1. Customers who pre-order the device will be eligible for a free pair of Galaxy Buds Live. Samsung will launch a new Onyx color for the Galaxy Buds2 and Buds Live next month. The Galaxy A series will not include chargers in the retail package."
"HP’s Linux-based AMD laptop releases, starts at $1,099 . HP released a Linux laptop aimed at coders today. The Dev One is a 14-inch clamshell with an eight-core 16-thread Ryzen 7 Pro 5850U CPU with integrated graphics, up to 64GB RAM, a 1TB SSD, a screen with 800 nits of brightness, and 12 hours of battery life. It has two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and a headphone jack. The Dev One runs Pop!_OS, a Ubuntu-based Linux distribution from System76. Pictures of the laptop are available in the article."
"Web Development for Beginners - A Curriculum (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a 12-week, 24-lesson curriculum on web development by Azure Cloud Advocates at Microsoft. It is a project-based course, with each lesson containing pre- and post-lesson quizzes, written instructions, solutions, assignments, and more. The projects include making a banking app, a space game, a browser extension, and more."
"Watch the Ultimate Typing Champion Reach 'Otherworldly' Speeds . The Ultimate Typing Championship is an event where typists face off against each other for a $5,000 cash prize and other merchandise. Competitors at the event are required to type out short paragraphs and are rated on accuracy and speed. The winner, Anthony 'chak', typed at an average speed of 208.5 WPM, with a high speed of 233 WPM. A three-hour video of the event is available in the article."
"BlazingSQL (GitHub Repo). BlazingSQL is a GPU accelerated SQL engine built on top of the RAPIDS ecosystem. It is able to query data stored externally, is designed to be easy to use, and the outputs are immediately accessible to any RAPIDS library for data science workloads."
"Deep Java Library (GitHub Repo). Deep Java Library is a high-level framework-agnostic Java API for deep learning. It is designed to be easy and simple to use, providing a native Java development experience and functions like any other regular Java library. DJL can run in any IDE and it can easily integrate models with Java applications. No experience with machine learning is required to start. Developers can switch frameworks at any point."
"Ask HN: How can I work towards building a company while employed? (Hacker News thread). A user asks how they can continue to build their own company while restricted by employee clauses which state that all IP developed while at the company is owned by the company. The top commenter's view is that it will take years of hard work before the user’s company will become successful, and it is likely that employers will not even take note of the new company’s success unless it is extraordinary. Other advice suggests that the person should continue to network and educate themselves so that they are ready to build the company when they leave their employer."
"Meet Au-Spot, the AI robot dog that's training to explore caves on Mars . Researchers with NASA/JPL-Caltech recently revealed 'Mars Dogs' robots that can maneuver in ways that the wheeled rovers on other planets never could. They are a modified version of Boston Dynamics' Spot robot. The robots are being equipped with AI and an array of sensing equipment to help them autonomously navigate the surface of Mars. Many scientifically interesting Martian regions can't be reached with wheeled rovers. Mars Dogs can travel through a variety of environments much faster than wheeled rovers, and they can recover themselves if they fall over."
"Better Dev Link (Newsletter). Better Dev Link is a newsletter with weekly links to help you become a better developer. Topics are well curated, and appropriate for advanced developers."
"YouTube is finally coming back to Amazon’s Fire TV devices . YouTube and Amazon have finally ended their feud after a year of negotiations. The YouTube app will now return to Amazon’s Fire TV products, and the Amazon Prime Video app will be adding Chromecast support. No dates have yet been set for when these changes will occur, but Amazon users can still access YouTube through the built-in browser while they wait. There are still disputes yet to be resolved between Amazon and Google, for example, Amazon still won’t stock some of Google’s devices on their marketplace."
"Bosque Programming Language (GitHub Repo). Bosque is a programming language that is designed for writing simple, obvious, and logical code that can be read by both humans and machines. The project is still in an early state and should only be used in small and experimental projects. Example projects and code are available."
"Tech Is Splitting the U.S. Work Force in Two . Many companies are starting to use computers and automation to fill and replace roles, and this is starting to have a real impact on job availability. The transition to using computers for menial jobs is similar to how the farming industry started replacing workers with machinery. There is now an upper class part of the workforce that works in information jobs that enjoy high wage growth, while the lower class working menial jobs have little hope for advancement and have had stagnant wages for decades."
git-o-matic (GitHub Repo). git-o-matic is a tool to monitor git repositories and automatically pull and push changes. Go 1.11 or higher is required for installation.
Markdown-Tag (GitHub Repo). Markdown-Tag adds support to any website for adding markdown anywhere with a simple tag. Users just have to include a script at the bottom of their HTML documents and then they can add markdown or markdown with GitHub styling. The GitHub-flavored markdown syntax is still not 100% correct. Examples and demos are available.
Viewer Data Suggests Many Netflix Hits Go From Sizzle to Fizzle Quickly . Data from viewers show that virtually all of the 10 most viewed new Netflix titles of 2021 saw significantly lower viewership after their debut month. Multiple TV analytics platforms confirm the data. These findings could explain why it is uncommon for English TV series to make Netflix's top 10 rankings for extended periods. Netflix will likely spend over $19 billion on content this year.
"If DARPA Has Its Way, AI Will Rule the Wireless Spectrum (14 minute read). A major problem with Bluetooth is that it shares similar wireless frequencies as WiFi, which means that there is always the chance of interference. DARPA's Spectrum Collaboration Challenge aims to have many teams across the world developing AI systems that will be able to effectively manage the switching of frequencies to maintain steady and fast data transmission speed. The systems are emulated in Colosseum, a special facility built for this test that can emulate more than 65,000 unique interactions between 128 radios at once. Results from the testing have been positive so far, with many teams having already developed algorithms that can handle more data transfer than traditional methods."
"Scientist Who Trained Rats to Play “Doom II” Says He May Start Twitch Channel . Neuroengineer Viktor Tóth taught rats how to play Doom II to learn more about brain computer interfaces. His setup included a large ball that the rat could move to control movement inside the game, a reward mechanism, and other parts, totaling less than $2,000. This article features an interview with Tóth where he explains how he trained the rats to play the game. A video showing the rat in training is available in the article."
"Inserting Algae Into Tadpoles Can Bring Their Brains Back Online . Researchers found that an injection of green algae and cyanobacteria into the brains of suffocated African clawed frog tadpoles resulted in increased local oxygen and the revival of the tadpoles. The human brain can't survive without oxygen for more than five minutes before irreversible damage occurs. While the method may one day provide a way to directly increase oxygen levels in human brains, there are many factors that make it unviable. Even if the method works on human brain cells in the lab, it does not mean it will actually work in humans."
"A Code-First Intro to Natural Language Processing (GitHub Repo). This course teaches Natural Language Processing through code. It was originally taught as part of the University of San Francisco's Masters of Science in Data Science program in summer 2019. It uses a ‘top-down’ teaching method as students might learn the material faster through completing exercises, rather than learning about each component first."
"Boston Dynamics prepares to launch its first commercial robot: Spot . Boston Dynamics has announced that its first commercial robot will be on the market in the next few months. Spot is a quadrupedal robot that can be controlled with a gaming tablet. A robot arm that is mounted on Spot is able to grab and move objects. The arm allows the robot to be used in many different scenarios, as its controls are completely customizable. A video in the article shows Spot picking up a soft toy and giving the toy to a police dog. It is unknown how much Spot will cost to buy, but Boston Dynamics revealed that they already have paying customers, mainly construction companies in Japan, who want to use the robots to oversee the progress of work on sites."
"The Coronavirus Pandemic has Changed Our Sleep . A study of over 100,000 people from around the world over the last few months has revealed the impact that the coronavirus pandemic has had on global sleep patterns. People are waking up later, especially on weekends. For 51% of people in the study, their sleeping habits stayed the same as pre-pandemic levels. 32% of people overall slept longer than they did before the pandemic, with 17% of people sleeping less."
"Apple's new iPad Pro leaks ahead of rumored event . Apple will release new iPad Pros in April with M1 chips, better cameras, and better screens. An iPad mini with a bigger screen is also on the way. Apple will hold an event on March 23 where it will likely announce the long-rumored AirTags, the AirPods 3, and the iPad Pro updates."
"Thousands Of Swedes Are Inserting Microchips Under Their Skin . Over 4,000 Swedish people have opted in to being microchipped, and the biggest microchip company Biohax International says that it can't keep up with demand. Microchips the size of a grain of rice are inserted into users' hands for just $180, and allow users to enter homes, offices, and gyms by swiping their hands against chip readers.They can also store contact details, social media profiles, and etickets for events and trips. One user says ""The chip basically solves my problems. I see no problem for it becoming mainstream. I think it's something that can seriously make people's lives better."""
Kredis (GitHub Repo). Kredis (Keyed Redis) allows developers to interact with higher-level types and data structures as coherent objects rather than as isolated procedural commands. These higher-level structures can be configured as attributes within Active Models and Active Records using declarative DSL. Examples are provided in the repository.
"DevOps Lessons from the Ski Industry (10 minute read). Operations engineering has a strong tradition of learning from other industries. DevOps can learn a lot from the ski industry. Skiing is a fun sport, but it has many dangers that can result in fatalities. The ski industry engages its users by constantly updating their documentation (maps) and making sure that its users (skiers) comply with safety procedures. Many ski accidents are completely avoidable, and so are many security breaches. Incidents happen, and it is important to have procedures to follow when they happen and to always think of ways to prevent them. Running a ski resort is like testing in production. It's important to be able to notice when things are going wrong and be able to stop things before it causes any meaningful damage. Proven technology is the most reliable choice. Better quality work can be produced via peer review. Honest and open evaluation of systems will benefit everyone in the industry."
"Simple CSS Hack to Reduce Page Load Time . CSS is one of the prime factors that impacts page load times. The more CSS there is, the longer it takes to create a Render Tree. CSS is loaded on priority, so is said to be render-blocking. This article discusses how to resolve this issue and make pages load faster by using non-blocking CSS."
"Switching Off Anger With an Electrode . Researchers have discovered that anger can be suppressed by sending a current to a certain area of the brain through an electrode. They designed an experiment where participants played a game in which they were cheated, causing them to become angry. Using an fMRI, they are able to measure anger by scanning a particular region of the prefrontal cortex. When they sent a current through the electrode to a particular region of the brain, they were able to detect less activity in this region of the prefrontal cortex. The researchers believe these results could lead to ""a non-invasive adjuvant to improve anger coping capabilities""."
Third fatal Tesla Autopilot crash renews questions about system . Tesla’s Autopilot system was engaged during a fatal crash that occurred in Florida. This is the third fatal crash in the US that has involved the driver-assistance system. A report showed that the driver had been traveling over the speed limit when they turned on Autopilot mode and that they removed their hands from the steering wheel almost immediately after Autopilot was engaged. Tesla claims that its Autopilot was safe to use as long as drivers were attentive and ready to take control at any moment.
"EventNative (GitHub Repo). EventNative is an event collection service. It can capture events generated by an application and stream to any Data Warehouse. EventNative can capture events stopped by AdBlock, push data to multiple destinations at once, determine location from a user's IP address, and more. A demo page is available."
"Apple acquires talking Barbie voicetech startup PullString . Apple’s Siri has been lagging behind in its utility and developer ecosystem, especially since the ability to create Skills is available on both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. In order to keep up, Apple has acquired PullString, the company behind creating talking toys for kids, such as the talking Barbie. PullString’s voiceover design tools allow developers to visually map out conversations and is currently used to develop Skills for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. It is unknown whether the tool will continue to be available for non-Apple developers."
"China's Hypersonic Vehicle Can 'Park' In Orbit, Warns a Space Force Official . China's new hypersonic weapon system is an orbital device that can stay in space for an extended period of time. A test was conducted in October where a hypersonic vehicle fired a missile that exceeded the speed of sound by at least fivefold. The system orbited the planet and dropped off a hypersonic glide vehicle that glided back to China to hit a target. China denies that it is using an orbital weapon system and that the test was a routine test of reusable spacecraft."
"Microsoft Could Bring You Back From The Dead… As A Chat Bot . Microsoft has filed a patent for a method that would use social data such as images, voice data, social media posts, and other written media to build a profile of a person and create a chatbot with the personality of that person. The chatbot could even sound like the real person, by using recordings and sound data from that person. Microsoft's patent includes creating 2D/3D models of people using image and/or video data. The subject of these recreations could be anyone, so it is possible to create a chatbot of someone from the past."
"'Apple Glass' users may be able to manipulate AR images with any real object . Apple Glass users may be able to transform iPad-shaped objects into virtual iPad screens. A patent application filed in January discusses software that could make everyday objects into virtual interfaces. The system involves using a camera to track real objects and software to map interfaces onto surfaces to match position and orientation. It would work similarly to a privacy screen, so outside observers will not be able to see users' displays."
"Microsoft to launch xCloud streaming free with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in September . Microsoft will launch xCloud free to its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers in September. xCloud lets Xbox players play games on mobile devices, even allowing users to transfer sessions from console over to mobile. Subscribers will receive Xbox Live access, an Xbox Game Pass subscription, and xCloud game streaming for a single $14.99 monthly subscription. Over 100 Xbox Game Pass titles will be playable on xCloud on launch."
"IRL to Anime With Cartoonization AI (4 minute video). CartoonGAN is a neural network that can transform real-world images into different anime styles. The results aren't very convincing, especially when compared to hand-drawn art. White-Box-Cartoonization produces results that are better than other deep learning architectures. While White-Box-Cartoonization is unlikely to be used in anime production any time soon, it has the potential to be used once the algorithm is more polished. The video shows scenes from real life, drawn anime scenes, CartoonGAN generated scenes, White-Box-Cartoonization scenes, as well as examples of the White-Box-Cartoonization algorithm being applied to gaming and other footage."
"Nebular (GitHub Website). Nebular is a UI library based on Eva Design System specifications, with over 40 UI components, four visual themes, and Auth and Security modules. It was created to be customizable, and designs are made to be compatible with both mobile and web platforms. Each module is separate, so designers can install only what is necessary. A demo website is available."
"Scientists Bemused to Find Liquid Light at Room Temperature . Liquid light is a superfluid that follows the rules of quantum physics rather than classical physics. Researchers were able to create liquid light at room temperature under ambient conditions in 2017. Liquid light at room temperature could lead to developments in the field of electronics, healthcare, data science, and many other domains. It may be possible to store liquid light and save it for later use. More information on how liquid light is made, along with videos explaining the concept, are available in the article."
LG’s Rollable phone is real and launching in 2021 . LG has confirmed that its Rollable phone will be available in 2021. The LG Rollable has a screen that can extend into a small tablet display. Details about the different display sizes have not yet been released. Other phone manufacturers will now likely race to roll out this rollable screen technology.
"Apple Silicon M1: Black. Magic. Fuckery. (23 minute read). User reviews of the new Apple Silicon M1 have appeared on Reddit. The M1 SoC integrates an 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, Media encode and decode engines, and RAM, all on a single-chip. As the new chip is much more energy-efficient compared to its Intel counterparts, battery life has increased. The MacBook Air is even shipping without a fan, as it can be passively cooled like all iOS devices. Rosetta 2 is performing much better than expected, ranging at speeds between 70-80% of native code. This has resulted in overwhelmingly positive reviews, some which can be read in the article."
"Boeing abandons its failed fuselage robots on the 777X, handing the job back to machinists . Boeing spent six years on a project that implemented a large-scale robotic system for automated assembly of its 777 fuselages. The project cost millions of dollars and will now be abandoned in favor of human machinists. New techniques make the robotic approach obsolete. When it was introduced, the robot system was difficult to set up and produced fuselages that had errors and needed to be finished by hand. These issues have not completely gone away, and new techniques make using human workers a better option."
"Apple sues company known for hacking iPhones on behalf of governments . Apple is suing NSO Group, seeking a permanent injunction to ban the firm from using Apple software, services, or devices. NSO Group is an Israeli firm that sells software that allows the user to hack iPhones and read the data on them. It sells its software to government agencies and law enforcement, allowing them to surveil anyone through a zero-click attack that is delivered through a text message. Meta is also separately suing NSO Group, alleging that it helped hack users through WhatsApp."
"Awesome CTO (GitHub Repo). This repository has a list of resources for Chief Technology Officers, with an emphasis on startups and hyper-growth companies. Topics include hiring, management, architecture, technology, marketing, and more."
"Checked C (GitHub Repo). Checked C adds static and dynamic checking to C so that programmers can write more secure and reliable C programs. This repository contains sample code, the extension specification, and test code. Links to resources are available."
"What Ecstasy Does to Octopuses . Johns Hopkins neuroscientist Gül Dölen studies how the cells and chemicals in animal brains influence animals' social lives. Octopus brains have completely different architectures, ""more similar to a snail"" than ours says Dölen. They created an experiment to test the effect of MDMA (ecstasy) on octopuses. They had a tank with three chambers, put a toy in the far left chamber, put an octopus in the far right chamber, and put the test subject octopus in the middle chamber. They were testing how much time the subject spent with its fellow octopus as opposed to the toy. All five octopuses doused with MDMA spent much more time with their fellow octopus than they did when not on ecstasy. Dölen says they also behaved abnormally, ""When they had MDMA, they had this very relaxed posture. They floated around, they wrapped their arms around the chamber, and they interacted with the other octopus in a much more fluid and generous way. They even exposed their [underside], where their mouth is, which is not something octopuses usually do."" We last shared a common ancestor with them around 800 million years ago, and their brains have evolved independently from ours since then, but evidently we still share a few extreme similarities!"
"KFC is working with a Russian 3D bioprinting firm to try to make lab-produced chicken nuggets . KFC is working with Russian company 3D Bioprinting Solutions to create the world's first laboratory-produced chicken nuggets. 3D Bioprinting solutions will print chicken meat using chicken cells and plant material and KFC will provide the firm with ingredients to achieve the signature KFC taste. The process uses animal material, so the nuggets it produces won't be vegetarian. They will be more environmentally friendly to produce than standard chicken meat. KFC hasn't announced when the nuggets will be available to customers."
"Snapchat’s new AR features can identify the world around you . Scan is a new feature from Snapchat that can identify a range of objects. It can suggest AR effects and songs based on what the camera is looking at, recommend shops based on clothing, and more. The features are powered by other companies, so more functionality is expected soon. Scan will not be limited to just the Snapchat camera. Snap's AR glasses have a dedicated Scan button that triggers AR effects based on what the wearer is viewing. The new Spectacles aren't available for sale, but Snap has been giving them to select AR creators and partners."
"Apple Glasses Patent Suggests Any Surface Could Become a Virtual Touch Interface . Apple Glasses could have the ability to transform any surface into a virtual touch interface, according to a patent that the company filed back in 2016. The patent describes using infrared heat sensing to detect where a user has touched a real-world object. Apple could use this system to allow Apple Glasses to project controls over real-world objects. As with all patents, Apple might not end up using the technology in its final product."
"What Silicon Valley ""Gets"" about Software Engineers that Traditional Companies Do Not (11 minute read). Silicon Valley companies consistently understand a few things that traditional companies fail to either understand or implement in practice. They allow engineers to be autonomous and figure out how to work, which enables the engineers to be problem solvers rather than just coding machines. There is a lot of transparency at Silicon Valley companies, with employees often having access to real-time business metrics, which exposes engineers to the rest of the business. Silicon Valley companies also encourage good communication between teams, pay more, and invest more into making the developer experience less frustrating. Engineers are treated as value generators in SV-like companies, rather than as factory workers."
"Ford’s self-driving cars will be available on Lyft’s platform in Miami and Austin . Lyft customers in Austin, Texas will soon be able to hail a robotaxi from Argo AI, an autonomous vehicle startup backed by Ford and Volkswagen. Argo plans to deploy 1,000 autonomous vehicles across multiple markets over the next five years. It has been testing its vehicles in several regions in the US over the last few years. Lyft sold its self-driving business to Toyota earlier this year, but it still has an interest in the AV industry. Ford, Argo, and Lyft will use the data generated from their vehicles to figure out how to grow a full-scale robotaxi business."
"Remult (GitHub Repo). Remult is a full-stack CRUD framework. It uses TypeScript model types to provide a secure REST API, a type-safe frontend API client, and a type-safe backend query builder. Remult can enforce data validation and constraints in both the frontend and within backend API routes."
React Native Universal Monorepo (GitHub Repo). This monorepo uses Yarn workspaces and TypeScript to support a modular React Native project. It isolates JavaScript app code from platform configurations by using different workspaces. The repository can be used as a boilerplate or as a guide to creating the setup from scratch.
"New Study Reveals Why Whales Don't Get Cancer . Whales experience lower rates of cancer than many animals. A team of scientists used DNA sequencing to map out whale DNA and found tumor-suppressing genes. The finding is significant as it opens up the possibility of using these genes in other animals, such as humans. It could eventually lead to an understanding of ways to improve the cellular mechanisms against DNA damage, cancer, and aging."
FAA gives approval for company to use swarms of drones to reforest burned areas . DroneSeed is a company that uses fleets of drones to reforest areas burned in wildfires. The Federal Aviation Administration has approved DroneSeed's heavy-lift drones for operation Beyond Visual Line of Sight in several states. DroneSeed is now allowed to begin reforesting an area once a fire is contained and airspace is clear. A swarm of five drones can reseed 25 to 50 acres each day. The drones are designed to drop tree seeds in places where they have a decent chance of survival.
"Scientists Are Generating Oxygen from Simulated Moon Dust . European scientists are creating a system that will be able to create breathable oxygen from moon dust. Lunar dust, known as regolith, consists of around 40 to 45 percent oxygen. It requires a method called molten salt electrolysis to extract the oxygen. The scientists' prototype is working, but adjustments are still required to make it suitable for use on the Moon. Once the oxygen is extracted, the leftover metals could be transformed into compounds for 3D printing. The resulting system could provide building materials and oxygen for lunar settlers."
"Using CRISPR Genetic Technology to Catch Cancer in the Act . One of the problems with cancer is its tendency to metastasize, causing it to spread throughout the body. Tracking the moment this happens is difficult as millions of divisions happen within a tumor. Researchers have found a way to monitor these events using a modified CRISPR tool. By mapping out a family tree, scientists can track a cell's lineage to find out when a single tumor cell went rogue. Using this technique, doctors can figure out how often tumors metastasize, where the metastases come from, and where the cancer has spread to. It can reveal differences in the biology of the tumor that would be otherwise invisible."
Dask (Website). Dask is a flexible library for parallel computing in Python. It features dynamic task scheduling optimized for computation and 'Big Data' collections that extend common interfaces to larger-than-memory or distributed environments. Dask can run on a laptop or be scaled to a cluster of hundreds of machines.
"SpaceX’s prototype Starship rocket partially bursts during testing in Texas . Starship, SpaceX's next-generation rocket, partially burst apart during ground tests in Texas. SpaceX was conducting some pressure tests with the vehicle. The explosions were not completely unexpected, according to SpaceX. There were no injuries and the incident is not a serious setback for the Starship project. Starship will transport cargo and people to deep space destinations like the Moon and Mars. Elon Musk planned to test the vehicle in low altitudes within the next couple of months. A new prototype of the vehicle has been planned that has a different flight design to the prototype that burst."
"Google has blocked Huawei from using Android in any new phones . Google has suspended all its hardware, software, and technical services business with Huawei after the US Government added the Chinese giant to a trade blacklist. Existing Huawei owners will still be able to download updates provided by Google. However, future Huawei handsets will not include proprietary apps and services from Google, such as Maps, YouTube, or Gmail. As the second biggest smartphone maker in the world, losing access to Google’s proprietary apps could jeopardize Huawei’s business worldwide. Huawei has also lost access to US-made chips, with chipmakers Intel, Qualcomm, Xilinx, and Broadcom announcing that they will not sell hardware to Huawei until further notice."
"Moving Gradient animation with CSS . This article shows you how to make a complete page background animation with CSS moving gradients. It explains how the code works, and then it shows how the code can be modified to make more complex effects."
Picture perfect images with the modern img element (14 minute read). Images are important for the web. The img element has gained superpowers since it was created almost 30 years ago. This article looks at what the img element can do and how it can be used to improve user experience and Core Web Vitals. Core Web Vitals are a set of page experience signals that Google Search uses for ranking pages.
"MIT’s color-changing ink could let you customize your shoes . A new type of ink developed by MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory is able to change the color or pattern of an object when exposed to UV light. PhotoChromeleon Ink is a mix of cyan, magenta, and yellow photochromatic dyes which can be applied to any object. UV light is used to activate or deactivate different colors, and the effects last in natural light. The whole process takes about 15 to 40 minutes for an object the size of a shoe or a model car. Ford has expressed interest in the ink, hoping that it may cut down the cost and time required to create automotive parts. It may be possible in the future to customize the look of a vehicle on a whim."
"The Europe-Japan mission to Mercury sends back photos of the planet’s cratered surface . BepiColombo, a joint mission between the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, has sent back pictures of the crater-riddled surface of Mercury. The mission launched in 2018 and will reach Mercury's orbit in late 2025. Mercury's surface was formed by a vast outpouring of lava and the craters were formed by asteroids and comets. Some of the older and larger craters have been flooded by younger lava flows. A picture is available in the article. More pictures from Friday's fly-by will be available in the coming days."
"Udacity restructures operations, lays off 20 percent of its workforce . Udacity, an online education startup which specializes in ‘nanodegrees’, has laid off 20 percent of its workforce as part of a restructure which aims to bring costs in line with revenue. The startup now employs 300 full-time equivalent employees and around 60 contractors. While Udacity experienced significant growth in 2017 through its popular courses on self-driving cars and deep learning, running costs and other inefficiencies have caused the company to become unprofitable. Udacity has continued to seek new contracts and grow, even as it continues to cut costs. The business has recently revised its strategy largely due to significant changes to the company’s leadership."
"The Internet Encyclopedia of Memes (26 minute read). Know Your Meme is an online encyclopedia dedicated to cataloging internet memes. Its deep catalog of memes makes it one of the most important sites on the internet. The site has been running for 15 years. This article features an interview with Don Caldwell, Know Your Meme’s Editor-in-Chief, who has made nearly 100,000 contributions to the site. The interview discusses what constitutes a meme, the process of uncovering the origins of a meme, meme eras, how technology evolves with memes, and much more."
"Scientists Achieve Real-Time Communication With Lucid Dreamers In Breakthrough . A team of international researchers has achieved real-time dialogues with people during lucid dreams. The participants in the study responded correctly to questions while in rapid-eye-movement sleep. About 18 percent of the trials in the study resulted in clear and accurate communication from the dreamers, while 60 percent didn't provoke any responses. Many participants were able to recall the interactions after they woke up. Further research will probe the possibilities of two-way communication with lucid dreamers."
"Talk like an Egyptian: mummy's voice heard 3,000 years after death . Nesayamun was an ancient Egyptian priest that was in his 50s when he died from an allergic reaction. Researchers have created a 3D-printed reproduction of Nesyamun's over 3,000-year-old vocal tract to hear what his voice would have sounded like. A team from the University of London took a series of CT scans of Nesyamun's mummified body to create the 3D model. Some parts, such as the tongue that had shriveled, were virtually filled in. The model was attached to an electronic larynx and loudspeaker. Using this method, the team recreated the sound of Nesayamun's voice. The team is working on a way to move the vocal tract to form different sounds."
"Apple CEO Tim Cook Is Calling For Bloomberg To Retract Its Chinese Spy Chip Story . Last month, Bloomberg reported that Apple and dozens of other US tech companies had been victims of a Chinese hardware hack. Apple CEO Tim Cook is now calling out Bloomberg directly, saying ""There is no truth in their story about Apple. They need to do the right thing and retract it."" Apple has never done this before, even for stories that were demonstrably false. Tim Cook says that they went through email searches, data center records, financial records, shipment records, and each time came to the same conclusion: no hack occurred."
"Can you get pwned with CSS? . The most commonly described CSS attack is to exfiltrate data from pages. This can result in hackers being able to view very specific user input data. These attacks are rarely seen. Another CSS vulnerability occurs when unsafe-inline is used in the style-src. Hackers can exploit this to inject arbitrary HTML into the application. Overall, the vulnerabilities in CSS are not critical and are easily mitigated."
"Here's what the world's first floating city in Busan, South Korea, could look like . The South Korean city of Busan recently unveiled a prototype for a floating city. Floating cities could be a way to mitigate the effects of climate change. Busan is a critical port city that will have to adapt to rising sea waters. The floating city will have modular pieces, each designed for a specific use. Artist renderings of the project are available in the article."
"CREW DEMO-1 MISSION (Website). On March 2, SpaceX launched their Crew Dragon’s first unmanned demonstration mission at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The aim of the launch was to test the Crew Dragon’s ability to safely ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station. A live stream from NASA is available on the site, along with a full press kit detailing the mission and schedule. The Crew Dragon is scheduled to return to Earth on March 8."
"Absolute Zero? A New Record Was Set for the Coldest Temperature Ever Recorded . A multi-organizational team of researchers from Germany and France has set a new record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in a lab at 38 picokelvins. While the experiment only lasted two seconds, it achieved much lower temperatures than previous attempts in experiments conducted on the International Space Station. The researchers believe that they can get even closer to absolute zero using the setup. The achievement could have wide-ranging implications for the field of particle physics."
"Researchers Develop a System to Kill Viruses Found in Human Cells . Many common and deadly viruses are RNA based and do not have FDA approved treatments. In the past 50 years, 90 clinically approved antiviral drugs have been developed, but they only treat nine diseases. Only 16 viruses have FDA approved vaccines. Scientists have used the capabilities of Cas13, an enzyme that can cut and edit RNA, and created a system that can diagnose and treat viral infections. The system is called CARVER and experiments have shown it to be a powerful and rapidly programmable diagnostic and antiviral technology. When tested on human cells that contained some common viral diseases, CARVER reduced the level of viral RNA in the cells by as much as 40 times after 24 hours."
"Japanese convenience stores will use VR-controlled robots to stack shelves . FamilyMart in Japan is using robots to aid its in-store assistants to stack shelves during social distancing. The humanoid robots feature haptic sensors, stereo cameras, and binaural microphones. They are teleoperated by humans who control them using a virtual reality headset and haptic gloves. Japan has attempted other telepresence projects previously. One project involved staffing a restaurant with robots operated by people with physical disabilities."
"ByteDance and Microsoft deal for TikTok to stay in the U.S. waits for White House ruling . ByteDance has agreed to divest its TikTok operations in the US, allowing Microsoft to protect US-based users' data while another US-based company operates the service. President Trump has threatened to sign an executive order banning the Chinese-owned app from operating in the US. TikTok has 100 million users in the US and has employed thousands of staff in the US. It stores US data in the US, with strict controls on employee access. The deal may not go through as Trump has stated that he will not allow it to happen and is still intent on a ban."
map33.js (GitHub Repo). map33.js is a JavaScript library for building 3D maps. Users can enter a location position and it will generate a 3D map of the area. A live demo is linked in the repository.
"Virtual Reality: My Digital Dojo for Mental & Physical Fitness . Virtual Reality can be a fun, efficient, and safe way to exercise and train skills. Games are fast-paced, intense, and require a level of concentration similar to playing competitive sports. Players can safely and comfortably adjust the difficulty level while getting the exercise they need at home. This article talks about a first-hand experience of using VR as a workout and training tool over 80 days with positive results."
"Search Atlas Shows How Google Results Differ Around the Globe . Search Atlas is a tool that shows what Google results look like from around the world. Instead of returning one set of results, Search Atlas returns three columns of results selected from the more than 100 geographically localized versions of the search engine. The results show how differently the internet is experienced in other countries. Search Atlas aims to dispel the myth that search engines are neutral arbitrators of information. The different results can be due to attempts at localizing information. It is not always the result of information suppression."
Drone footage shows everything going on inside Tesla's Berlin Gigafactory . Tesla released a video taken by a drone inside the Tesla Gigafactory in Berlin. The video shows the inside of the new factory and was shot by a company called Skynamic. It shows exactly how a Tesla assembly line works. The video is available in the article.
"Helpful git commands for beginners . Working with git can be daunting at first, but it is a super powerful tool and essential to everyday work as a developer. This page provides a list of basic git terminal commands and explanations for what they do."
"Spotify Is Launching Podcast Subscriptions, and Unlike Apple Won’t Take a Cut From Creators . Spotify will launch its podcast subscription option for partners next week. Content creators will be able to keep 100% of the income they receive from subscriptions. Spotify hasn't provided any details on how its premium services for podcasters will work. Facebook plans to launch an integrated version of Spotify's audio player directly within its app starting next week. Apple keeps 30% of subscription fees in the first year and 15% in subsequent years. It also charges annually for membership."
"$1 billion for 20,000 Bay Area homes . Google has announced a $1 billion investment in housing across the Bay Area. Over the next 10 years, $750 million of Google’s existing lands will be repurposed from commercial space into residential housing, allowing the development of at least 15,000 new homes. The homes will cater to all income levels, including housing options for middle and low-income families. A $250 million investment fund will be established to enable developers to build at least 5,000 affording housing units across the market. In addition, $50 million will be donated to nonprofits focused on the issues of homelessness and displacement. Other projects are also underway to help communities succeed in the long term and to make sure that everyone has access to opportunity."
"Google and DeepMind are using AI to predict the energy output of wind farms . Generating and storing wind energy can be complicated due to the variable nature of wind. Google has used AI software developed by its DeepMind subsidiary to predict energy output, which has resulted in a 20% increase in the value of the energy it produces in its wind farms. In 2018, Google reached its goal of offsetting their energy usage with 100% renewable energy. The software is able to predict wind power output 36 hours ahead so that the power grid can make optimizations ahead of time."
"Elon Musk activates Starlink satellite service in Ukraine after Vice PM calls upon him . Elon Musk activated Starlink's satellite internet service in Ukraine after Mykhailo Fedorov, the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, tweeted at Musk asking for help. Musk replied 10 hours after the plea for help stating that the service was now active and that more terminals were en route. Starlink now has more than 1,500 satellites in operation providing service around the globe. The original tweet from Fedorov and Musk's response is available in the article."
"Ask HN: Feasible Alternative to the MacBook Pro? (Hacker News Thread). While the Macbook Pro has amazing specs, Apple has demonstrated its inability to be reliable. The original poster has had to repair their MBP three times since they purchased it in January 2019 and they are worried about being charged for repairs after the warranty runs out. Top recommendations are for the Dell XPS series. Most of the discussion centers around an analogy between macOS and Linux, comparing it to living in a hotel vs living at home. On the Mac ecosystem, everything is stylish and cared for, but there is little freedom to change things. However, on Linux, you need to do many things yourself, but it is completely yours."
Elon Musk expected to serve as temporary Twitter CEO after deal closes . Elon Musk is expected to serve as temporary Twitter CEO for a few months after the completion of his takeover. Musk has secured approximately $7.14 billion in equity commitments from investors to buy Twitter. Twitter recently hit 229 million monetizable daily active users. Musk told investors that he felt Twitter's earnings were too low and that he would make the company a magnet for talent.
"Rolls-Royce plans mini nuclear reactors by 2029 . Rolls-Royce has plans to install and operate factory-built mini nuclear power stations by 2029. Environmentalists are still divided over nuclear power, with some saying that it is dangerous and expensive, and others saying that it is necessary to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The mini reactors will be able to compete on price with low-cost renewables such as offshore wind. Rolls-Royce plans to build 10 to 15 of the 1.5-acre power stations at former nuclear sites in Cumbria or Wales. Theoretically, every town could have its own reactor, but using existing sites avoids having to secure towns against terrorist attacks. Some experts criticize Rolls-Royce's plan to produce power plants via an assembly line as production line mistakes could lead to defects that propagate throughout an entire fleet of reactors."
"Self-folding nanotech creates world’s smallest origami bird . Researchers from Cornell University have created micron-sized memory actuators that enable thin materials to fold themselves into 3D configurations with a jolt of voltage. The materials hold their shape even after the voltage is removed. The machines can fold materials 30 atoms thick within 100 milliseconds, and the process can be repeated thousands of times. This technology could have many future medical applications. The team demonstrated its abilities by creating a self-folding origami bird only 60 microns wide."
Scrollex (GitHub Repo). Scrollex is a library for building beautiful scroll experiences using minimal code. A library of interactive demos is available.
"China Breeds Polar Bear-Sized Pigs as Pork Prices Surge . African Swine Fever has taken a major toll on China's pork supply over the past 14 months. Farmers are now breeding pigs for their size, aiming to make them as big as possible. A farmer in Nanning is breeding pigs the size of polar bears. The swine weigh approximately 500 kilograms and can sell for more than RMB10,000 each. Farmers in China are encouraged to produce more pigs in order to ensure stable market supply."
Watch this amazing footage of a drone flying right through an erupting volcano in Iceland . The Fagradalsfjall volcano in Iceland began erupting for the first time in 800 years last Friday. It was a small eruption and no one was in danger. A drone pilot captured footage of the eruption by flying a drone right through it. The footage is available in the article. A gallery of images from the erupting volcano is also available in the article.
A Russian Start-Up Wants to Project Giant Billboards in Space . Russian startup StartRocket plans on launching dozens of CubeSat satellites into the sky to create gigantic billboards. These billboards would display advertisements for a year at a time. The ads would be visible from evening to morning twilight. They say the tech will be ready by 2021.
"Confirmed: A duck named Ripper learned how to say, “You bloody fool!“ . Researchers have confirmed that recordings of musk ducks producing vocalizations made in 1987 and 2000 were indeed a form of mimicry. The recordings were the first example of musk ducks being able to mimic sounds. Vocal-production learning is when animals make vocalizations that deviate sharply from what is typical of the species or imitate the sounds of other species. The phenomenon has been observed in a handful of other species. Musk ducks may be able to demonstrate advanced vocal learning at a level comparable to songbirds and parrots, likely representing a case of independent evolution."
"Unofficial APIs (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of unofficial APIs. Each link has a description of the API, the language it is written in, the number of GitHub stars it has, and the date of the last commit. The collection includes APIs for Instagram, TikTok, Robinhood, iMessage, Tesla, and more."
"Setting up Starlink, SpaceX's Satellite Internet . This article follows a Starlink user as they set up their new service. The antenna needs to be mounted in a location that has a 100° view of the northern sky. While the provided cables felt rugged, the router design is impractical. The satellite dish uses two internal motors to orientate itself to get the best signal. User locations are assigned, and the system can detect if the dish is too far from its expected location."
"WhatsApp users will start seeing in-app ads within ‘Status’ feature from 2020 . WhatsApp will start displaying in-app ads within the 'Stories' section of the app. This brings features that have been effective on Facebook and Instagram to WhatsApp's advertising. Facebook has been looking at monetizing WhatsApp for some time now. The method of advertising seems unobtrusive, but it is yet to be seen how users will react to the changes."
"Calligrapher (Website). Calligrapher converts typed text into handwritten-style text. Users can adjust the speed, legibility, stroke width, and style of writing. The generated text can be downloaded as an SVG file."
"Blue Origin announces plans for a commercial space station . Blue Origin is working on creating a space station with Sierra Space. Orbital Reef will be an industrial and commercial hub, offering services like space transportation and logistics, space habitation, equipment accommodation, and operations including onboard crew. It will be habitable for up to 10 people and feature an open system that will enable any customer or nation to use it. Orbital Reef will start operations in the second half of this decade."
"NASA is testing the first of its new moonwalking spacesuits . The Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) is a new type of spacesuit designed for protecting astronauts from the harsh environment of the lunar surface. NASA has plans to use the suits in 2024 for its Artemis mission. The design is being tested at an underwater facility that can mimic different levels of gravity. Lunar spacewalks have different requirements than orbital excursions, which is why a new type of spacesuit is required."
"Chinese deepfake app Zao sparks privacy row after going viral . A Chinese app is able to create deepfakes in just seconds by using selfies. Users will need to provide a series of pictures showing various facial expressions, and then the app will be able to swap their faces with characters in any video. The app went viral as Chinese users placed themselves in scenes from well-known movies. Zao's privacy policy originally said that it had all rights to user-generated content, but this has now changed to say that Zao won't use content other than to improve the app. There are concerns over deepfake technology as it can be used to create videos to manipulate elections, defame someone, or to spread misinformation."
"DevFlight (Beta Signup). Devflight is a service that makes it possible to work full time on maintaining your open source projects. Basically, if you maintain an open source project, they help you find companies that are willing to pay you for things like priority email and on-demand support, feature request prioritization, faster bug fixes, etc. The company is transparent about their 10% cut and there is a form to join the waiting list to be contacted by DevFlight."
"vscode.dev (Website). vscode.dev is a lightweight version of VS Code that runs in the browser. It can edit files locally or on the cloud. vscode.dev supports most UI customization extensions, but extensions that use OS-specific modules or shell out to local executables are unavailable."
"SSH Tips & Tricks . This article discusses tips and tricks for using SSH more effectively. It covers how to add a second factor to your SSH login, use agent forwarding safely, exit from stuck SSH sessions, keep a persistent terminal open, and share a remote terminal session with a friend."
"Microsoft beats Amazon to win the Pentagon’s $10 billion JEDI cloud contract . The Department of Defense has confirmed that Microsoft has been awarded a $10 billion cloud contract to provide the Pentagon with cloud services for basic storage, artificial intelligence processing, machine learning, and processing mission-critical workloads. Amazon was competing with Microsoft for the contract after IBM and Oracle were eliminated from the bidding back in April. The contract will last for 10 years. Microsoft currently has a contract with the US Army to supply modified versions of its HoloLens 2 headsets for combat and training in the military."
"Apple launches Apple Business Essentials: Device management, storage, onsite repairs, and more for one monthly price . Apple Business Essentials is a new offering from Apple that combines device management, 24/7 phone support for IT and end-users, business iCloud support, and an option for onsite repairs for some businesses. IT departments will now be able to push apps and settings onto employees' devices when they sign in with their work credentials. A free beta is now available. The full service will launch in the spring of 2022. Pricing for the service will start at $2.99 per month per user."
"How a Carnivorous Mushroom Poisons Its Prey . Oyster mushrooms are carnivores, eating nematodes by using a poison that paralyzes them within minutes of contact. There are many mechanisms for delivering the poison, including hunter cells, harpoon cells, food traps, glue nets, and more. The poison targets calcium gates in the muscles, inducing a rigor mortis that results in death. Worms that lack genes for making cilia, antenna that the worms use for sensing their environment, can resist the poison, but they can't survive long in the wild. The poison is different from all current nematicides, and its effectiveness makes it intriguing for researchers."
"Newly Designed 'Smart' Insulin Could Majorly Improve Type 1 Diabetes Treatment . Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the body's immune system destroys the cells that are responsible for regulating insulin levels in the blood. Diabetics can control the condition by injecting insulin, but it can be difficult to balance the right amount of insulin in the body. Scientists from the School of Medicine at Indiana University have redesigned the insulin molecule so it only activates in the presence of a simple carbohydrate, opening up a way for removing much of the guesswork in treating diabetes. It is still only a proof of concept, but similar approaches have been shown to be effective in rat studies."
"Leaf 3 (GitHub Repo). Leaf 3 is a PHP framework for creating web apps and APIs with a clean, simple, and flexible structure. It is powered by an ecosystem of powerful modules with zero setup. A YouTube channel with video tutorials is available."
"A dark web tycoon pleads guilty. But how was he caught? . Eric Marques recently pleaded guilty for running a hosting service that served drug markets, money-laundering operations, hacking groups, and millions of images of child abuse. Freedom Hosting ran sites on the dark web and Marques ran his operation behind many layers of anonymity. Marques was using the Tor network, a technology that was designed to provide complete anonymity. In early August 2013, users noticed unknown Javascript code running on websites hosted on Freedom Hosting. Hours later, all of the sites went down simultaneously. The code targeted a Firefox vulnerability that could unmask Tor users, but the technicalities are still a mystery. There is a formal system for reporting vulnerabilities and deciding whether an issue should be shared. The FBI would not reveal exactly how Marques' anonymity was broken, a decision that could have wide-ranging cybersecurity implications."
"Maximizing Your Next Salary . This is advice from a development team lead on how to maximize your salary in your next salary negotiations. Have a range you're comfortable with. Don't sign any contract immediately, take a day or two to look it over thoroughly. Research the salary ranges for people with your experience level at each company online, and ask for somewhere in the upper end of that range. Mostly common sense stuff, but worth going over if you're currently looking for a new job."
"Google opens Stadia Makers program for indie game developers . Google launched its Stadia Makers program at the virtual Google Games Developer Summit. The program targets experienced independent game developers and is done in partnership with Unity. It provides technical assistance from Unity, free development hardware, and funding. A link to apply for the Stadia Makers program is available at the end of the article."
"Verizon Exploring Sale Of Its Media Assets Led By Yahoo, AOL . Verizon is exploring a sale of Yahoo and AOL for a potential $4 billion to $5 billion. Apollo Global Management is rumored to be involved in the deal. Yahoo and AOL merged into a new venture called Oath after their acquisitions by Verizon. Oath was later renamed the Verizon Media Group after it failed to remain competitive in the domestic digital advertising industry."
"AI recreates the painting techniques of famous artists . MIT CSAIL researchers have released Timecraft, a machine learning system that can deduce how a painting was produced and then attempt to recreate the process. It was trained on timelapse videos of digital and watercolor paintings. The source code is linked and a three-minute video that explains Timecraft and shows how it works is available in the article."
GitHub will require all code contributors to use two-factor authentication . All code contributors on GitHub will need to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on their accounts by the end of 2023. Developer accounts are frequent targets for social engineering and account takeover. Only around 16.5% of active users currently enable 2FA on their accounts. GitHub recently trialed mandatory use of 2FA with contributors to the 100 most popular NPM packages. It plans to make 2FA mandatory for contributors to the top 500 packages by the end of May.
"Japan Is Working on a COVID-19 Vaccine That Offers Lifelong Immunity . Researchers at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science are working on a COVID-19 vaccine that delivers lifelong immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The vaccine is a modified version of a smallpox vaccine with some of its protein components replaced with those from the SARS-Cov-2 spike protein. It promises to deliver potent neutralizing antibodies with a single dose, inducing strong cellular immunity for long-term protection. Tests on mice and monkeys have shown promising results. The earliest the vaccine will be available will be in 2024."
"Large genetic study finds first genes connected with ADHD . Scientists did a big study with 20,000 people with ADHD and a control group of 35,000 without ADHD. They identified 304 points with statistically significant differences in DNA between the two groups, grouped into 12 important regions. There seems to be a correlation between genetic risk for ADHD and other conditions like depression and anorexia. Some of the genes identified also affect other neurological conditions, like speech and learning disabilities, depression, and schizophrenia."
"Minze (GitHub Repo). Minze is a simple JavaScript framework for native web components. It features a fully typed API, lifecycle hooks, scoped styles, one-shot components registration, and more. Minze is framework agnostic and its components can be used anywhere."
"CSS Animation 101 (Open Source). This is a 95 page open source guide to web animation, covering topics like transitions, animations, keyframes, etc. The thing I really like about this is that it's extremely practical, for example there are sections like ""Things transitions don't work on"" and ""Keyframes: Things to watch out for""."
"Tesla Video Shows Gigafactory Shanghai Automation Nearing 'Alien Dreadnought' Phase . Tesla has shared a 49-second long time-lapse video from Gigafactory Shanghai. It is linked in the article. Elon Musk had wanted to produce a factory that functioned as a product and looked alien. By version 3, the 'alien dreadnought' will be completely automated, with people only present to maintain the machines, upgrade them, and deal with anomalies. At the end of the last quarter, Tesla had an annual production capacity of 200,000 vehicles at Gigafactory Shanghai."
"CoinSnacks (Newsletter). CoinSnacks is basically a weekly TLDR newsletter for crypto. If you're into buying and hodling, or just want to figure out how to dip your toe into learning about the cryptocurrency space, you might want to check this out."
"Google’s hybrid cloud platform is coming to AWS and Azure . Google’s Cloud Services Platform for managing hybrid clouds, renamed Anthos, has come out of beta and will support third-party clouds, including AWS and Azure. Companies will be able to manage and deploy workloads across clouds without having to worry about different environments and APIs. Anthos is based on the Google Kubernetes Engine as well as other open source projects. It can run on any hardware, so companies do not have to invest in new servers. Google has launched Anthos with more than 30 major hardware and software partners."
Hyperconsole (Web Tool). This is a nifty web tool that allows you to quickly import any javascript library into Chrome DevTools so you can quickly play around with them. Here's a gif showing the tool in action: https://imgur.com/6BnAFjh
WikipediaQL (GitHub Repo). WikipediaQL is a query language for data extraction from Wikipedia. It can return structured data through selectors. Examples are available in the repository.
Brython (GitHub Repo). Brython is an implementation of Python 3 that runs in the browser. It supports the main syntax of Python 3 and many modules of the CPython distribution. Brython includes libraries to interact with DOM elements and events and with existing JavaScript libraries.
"Google Maps “immersive view” turns Maps into a 3D, SimCity-like simulation . Google Maps' new Immersive View turns Google Maps into a 3D version of SimCity with AAA video game graphics. It can simulate traffic and weather using real-world data. Users will be able to see 3D layouts from some businesses. Immersive View will start rolling out in Los Angeles, London, New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo later this year. It will work on almost all phones and devices. A video that shows what the feature looks like is available in the article."
"Read Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8 press release two days before it’s live . Samsung's next Unpacked event is set for February 9, but details about the Galaxy Tab S8 have already leaked. Three new models are expected: an 11-inch Galaxy Tab S8, a 12.4-inch S8 Plus, and a 14.6-inch S8 Ultra. All models will support Wi-Fi 6E and 45-watt fast charging. The S8 Plus and Ultra will come with a new S Pen stylus and have OLED screens. Renders of the devices are available in the article. The Tab 8 lineup will launch on February 25 beginning with select markets."
Google Screen Call First Look (5 minute video). Google has a new feature that lets you screen out spam calls and answer calls with Google Assistant. Here's a video of someone demoing this new functionality!
"How Apple learned automation can't match human skill . Apple's previous attempts at automating its production lines have always ended up with the company reverting to using skilled human beings instead. The company has spent years and millions of dollars on automating its production lines. Apple's attempts to automate its processes failed as it was difficult to fix problems when they arose. The machines were not as attentive to detail as humans or able to diagnose problems to the level required by Apple. Yearly product redesigns also meant that automated factory lines would have to be updated often. As a result of these issues, Apple continues to use human labor. Other companies, such as Tesla and Boeing, have also attempted and abandoned automation for similar reasons."
"NASA, SpaceX 'Go' for 1st Crew Dragon Test Flight on March 2 . SpaceX and NASA have been working on the Crew Dragon since 2014. It has the capacity to carry 7 passengers into space and is equipped with a life support system, touch screen consoles, and eight SuperDraco escape engines designed to fly the Crew Dragon out of harm's way during a launch emergency. The first test flight for the Crew Dragon will be on March 2 in Cape Canaveral, and it will be launched with the SpaceX Falcon 9. There will be live streams available for the event."
"ipwndfu (GitHub Repo). ipwndfu is an open-source jailbreaking tool for many iOS devices. It is meant for researchers and will require more work to install Cydia. Users should back up their devices before attempting to use ipwndfu, as it could potentially brick your device."
Scientists Eliminate Chronic Pain in Mice and Primates Using Gene Therapy . Researchers from the University of California San Diego have reduced neuropathic pain from nerve injuries in mice using a gene therapy. Treating nerve damage with drugs can often lead to side effects and additional issues. The new treatment has no side effects and it provides long-lasting therapeutic benefits. It has been tested in pigs and non-human primates. There is still a lot of scientific and regulatory work to be done before the technique can be used in humans.
"Facebook has begun hiding likes . Facebook has started hiding the number of reactions, views, and likes on posts in Australia, making them only visible to the author of a post. During the trial of this feature, Facebook will gather feedback to understand whether this change will improve people's experiences. A majority of Australian users will be part of the test. Facebook had tested hiding likes on Instagram earlier this year with the aim of removing the pressure from how many likes a post will receive. Instagram likes are now hidden in seven countries."
"Supabase (GitHub Repo). Supabase adds realtime and RESTful APIs to existing PostgreSQL databases without the need for any code. It can listen to changes in a PostgreSQL database, query tables, and modify rows. Supabase is accessible by mobile and web with simple client libraries and works without any major changes to your database."
"New Research Could Enable Direct Data Transfer From Computers to Living Cells . DNA could be the future of data storage. A single gram of DNA can store up to 215 million gigabytes of data and keep it stable for extremely long periods, especially if it is stored properly. Learning to store data in DNA could lead to new capabilities in biotechnology. A new study has demonstrated that it is possible to directly convert digital electronic signals into genetic data stored in the genomes of living cells. The technique can so far only encode tiny amounts of data, but it is still a proof of concept, and the researchers claim it could be easily improved by several orders of magnitude. Data stored in cells remained stable for between 60 to 80 generations."
"YouTube to Host Free Virtual Film Festival With 20 Partners Including Cannes, Tribeca, Sundance . YouTube will host a digital film festival from May 29 to June 7 this year. It will be free-to-watch and ad-free. The event includes feature films, shorts, documentaries, music, comedy, and panel discussions from 20 top film festivals. Viewers will be asked to make donations for COVID-19 relief."
"Landmark asthma vaccine looks to human trials . Half of asthma patients show excess production of two inflammatory molecules in the airways. Treatments have been developed to block the actions of these molecules, but they are expensive and are not suitable for long-term therapy. A team of researchers has developed a vaccine that induces the body to make its own antibodies against the molecules. It has been shown to be successful in producing the desired antibodies in mice for up to a year after immunization. The vaccine may also be effective against other allergic diseases."
"Square launches business bank accounts . Square Banking is a new product from Square that features a checking account, savings accounts, debit cards, and loans. Small business owners who already use Square to process payments will be able to access other banking services directly through Square Banking and won't require a second business bank account. There are no monthly fees, no credit checks, and no minimum balance. The accounts will be provided by Sutton Bank, so funds are FDIC-insured."
"Scientists bioprint living tissue in a matter of seconds . A new optical system can bioprint complex, highly viable living tissue in just a few seconds. It works by projecting a laser down a spinning tube containing hydrogel full of stem cells, solidifying targeted locations to create a useful 3D shape. When the shape is completed, endothelial cells are added to create vessels in the tissue. The technique has been used to create heart-like valves, a complex femur part, and a meniscus. While it can only print tissues a few inches across, the technique is still clinically useful. Being able to produce customized organs with speed could be helpful for implants and repairs. It might also reduce the need for animal testing as organs can be produced as needed."
Tencent’s WeChat suspends new user registration in China to comply with ‘relevant laws and regulations’ . WeChat has temporarily suspended registrations for new users in China while it upgrades its security technology to align with all relevant laws and regulations. The upgrade is expected to finish in early August. It is unclear what specific law WeChat is trying to comply with. Chinese regulators have cracked down on tech firms recently. Analysts believe that the Chinese government is concerned about the growing influence of tech firms and data privacy.
"Antarctica experiences first known heat wave . Antarctica has experienced its first heatwave in recorded history. The heatwave occurred between January 23 to 26, with minimum temperatures higher than zero degrees Celsius and highs above 7.5 degrees Celsius. The highest temperature recorded was 9.2 degrees Celsius, 6.9 degrees above the station’s mean maximum. Scientists expect to see a multitude of reports in the next few years on the impact of climate change, even in the most remote areas of the planet."
"SpaceX launches latest batch of internet satellites, including one with a visor . SpaceX has successfully launched and recovered its Falcon 9 rocket for the fifth time, deploying 60 satellites into orbit before landing back on the company's drone ship in the Atlantic. SpaceX has launched just over 480 Starlink satellites into orbit, a fraction of the 12,000 satellites that the company has permission to launch. The company aims to provide global internet coverage from space. One of the satellites on the launch was equipped with a visor that was designed to block light from the sun, keeping the light from reflecting off the shiniest parts of the satellite. The satellites' brightness has been a concern for the astronomy community. SpaceX is experimenting with different methods to fix the problem."
"Mercedes-Benz gets world’s first approval for automated driving system . Mercedes-Benz's Drive Pilot self-driving system has gained regulatory approval from Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority. The level-3 system will debut next year. Drive Pilot uses a combination of radar, cameras, LIDAR, microphones, a moisture sensor, and high-accuracy GNSS to provide true automated driving. It can handle unexpected traffic situations and take evasive action if necessary. Drive Pilot will be limited to premapped, geofenced, closed-access highways at speeds of up to 37 mph."
"Former Go champion beaten by DeepMind retires after declaring AI invincible . Go champion Lee Se-dol has retired from professional play, stating that his decision was influenced by the rise of AI. Lee believes that no matter how good he gets at the game, there will always be an entity that he cannot defeat. For many years, Go was considered to be impossible for computer programs to master, as it has more possible configurations for pieces than atoms in the observable universe. In 2016, DeepMind's AlphaGo defeated Se-dol four matches to one. Lee is the only human to have ever beat AlphaGo in a tournament. In 2017, DeepMind released an improved version of AlphaGo called AlphaGo Zero. AlphaGo Zero was able to beat AlphaGo 100 games to nil after three days of training. Lee will play a game in December against a South Korean AI program called HanDol."
typejuice (GitHub Repo). typejuice is a documentation generator for TypeScript Declaration Files. TypeScript Declaration Files are used commonly as a means of enhancing the autocomplete behavior of exposed APIs. typejuice provides godoc-like comment extraction from TypeScript Declaration Files while also inferring on types and signatures.
"Multiple “CIA failures” led to theft of agency’s top-secret hacking tools . Details of CIA hacking tools were published on WikiLeaks in 2017 after a large number of confidential documents were stolen from the agency's networks. Up to 34 terabytes of information was stolen, the CIA's biggest data loss in history. The information stolen documented the CIA's most closely guarded secrets, including many exploits. An investigation into the hack found that the massive data loss was caused by lax security practices."
"How Node.js Works: A Look Behind The Scenes . Node.js provides a layer of abstraction that allows developers to write 100% pure JavaScript code and still access functions that are implemented in other libraries in the C++ language. This article explains how Node.js works, looking at its architecture and dependencies and how code is executed in the system."
"Deepfake dubs could help translate film and TV without losing an actor’s original performance . Flawless is a company that has created deepfake technology that focuses on the mouth to create dubbed footage without mistimed mouth movements. Deepfake dubs offer tremendous value for money as they are cheap and easy to create. They preserve the performance of the original actor, making them more appealing to viewers than traditional dubs. Demand for streaming services in the US is saturated and companies are looking abroad for future growth. Flawless is already working with an unnamed client on its first project. Examples of deepfake dubs from Flawless are available in the article."
"Netflix is reportedly developing a live-action Pokémon series . Netflix is in the early stages of developing a live-action Pokémon TV series. Nintendo and Netflix were previously developing a live-action Legend of Zelda series, but it was canceled due to leaks. Netflix has had success with game-based series and it plans to release more. It is also planning to fund and deliver mobile games to its subscribers at no additional cost."
New Ultra-Efficient Engineered Carriers Could Overhaul Genetic Therapies . A team at Harvard has launched a new generation of molecular carriers inspired by viruses called eVLPs (engineered virus-like particles) that can deliver CRISPR and base editing components to anywhere in the body with minimal side effects. They can also deliver therapeutic proteins to specific sites. The eVLPs have been used to restore vision in a mouse model of genetic blindness. eVLPs are safer than current gene-editing tools as they are completely engineered and carry zero viral DNA. More details about how the technology works are available in the article.
"Conductor (GitHub Docs). Conductor is a Workflow Orchestration engine that can orchestrate microservices-based process flows from the cloud. It features a distributed server ecosystem, a JSON DSL based blueprint, a simple interface to connect workers, the ability to scale to millions of concurrent running process flows, and more."
qrcp (GitHub Repo). qrcp allows you to transfer files over Wi-Fi from your computer to a mobile device by scanning a QR code. Users can upload and download files to and from any device by scanning the generated QR code. Examples are available on the repository. 🎁
"The Day AppGet Died . In August last year, Microsoft made an offer to hire the developer of AppGet and acquire the software. Microsoft had wanted to make changes to how software was distributed on Windows. After a series of meetings, Microsoft went silent, until they announced the launch of WinGet. The core mechanics, terminology, the manifest format and structure, and the folder structure of the repository were very similar to what AppGet had. AppGet is an open-source project, so code-copying or using the idea wasn't an issue, but the developer was upset that they never got credit for their work."
"Before we settle Mars, scientists must perfect growing space salad . From 2014 to 2016, astronauts grew red romaine lettuce inside the ISS Vegetable Production System chambers. A sample was harvested in August 2015 and the lettuce became the first crop to be grown in space and then eaten. The lettuce grown in space was similar to lettuce grown on Earth, with equivalent levels of nutrients and oxidants, as well as the same diverse microbial communities. NASA plans to grow tomatoes and peppers next, but these crops will take a lot longer to grow compared to the lettuce. Being able to grow crops in space is essential for long-term space travel or missions. There are many challenges to growing crops in space, for example, the lack of soil, gravity, rain, or bees."
"LG developing sliding doors made of transparent OLED displays . LG, in partnership with Swedish manufacturer Assa Abloy Entrance Systems, has announced that it is developing automatic sliding doors with built-in transparent OLED displays. The company unveiled a range of transparent signage early last year, and they are now being used for real-world applications, for example, in the windows of subway carriages in China and for the displays in Panasonic and Xiaomi's transparent OLED TVs. Samsung had experimented with transparent OLED displays in the past, but it has stopped developing the technology. LG did not announce a release date for its high-end doors."
Excerpt: How Google bought Android—according to folks in the room (12 minute read). A new book from a long-time Android engineer offers a behind-the-scenes look at early Android development. This article features two chapters from the book that covers the startup's search for venture capital and the team's eventual meeting with Google. Slides from the original investor presentation are available.
"Evergreen Skills for Software Developers (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a list of evergreen skills that can be used as an assessment of skilled software developers or engineers. The document focuses on software development best practices, cross-framework principles, and other portable skills. Trends and specific knowledge of frameworks tend to be quickly outdated and they don't reflect the real value that software developers bring to the organization."
"Lumen (GitHub Repo). Lumen is a compiler and runtime for BEAM languages. Instead of using a virtual machine that operates on bytecode, it compiles the code so it can be run natively as a static executable. Compatible platforms can run BEAM applications with no extra tools or special considerations during builds."
"WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using the app . WhatsApp users will have to share their personal data with Facebook by February 8 or they will no longer be able to use the app. After WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook, it gave its users an option to opt-out of having their account data turned over to Facebook. Its new updated privacy policy will now require users to share phone numbers, contact information, profile names, profile pictures, user status, and diagnostic data. The change is part of a move to allow businesses to store and manage WhatsApp chats using Facebook's infrastructure."
Who is squatting IPv4 addresses? (11 minute read). The internet is running out of IPv4 addresses. Some people have resorted to squatting IP address space. IP address squatting is when someone uses IP addresses that are not RFC1918 defined and not issued by an RIR. This article discusses IPv4 squatting and talks about the process of finding out who is actually squatting on addresses. The US Department of Defense is estimated to be sitting on 16% of all non-RFC1918 space.
"Joint Apple and Goldman Sachs credit card launching later this year, enables special features with Wallet app . Apple will be launching a credit card later this year which will have features integrated with the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone. Partnered with Goldman Sachs, the new credit card will use the Mastercard network and is rumored to give users at least a 2% cashback when purchasing Apple products. The Apple Wallet app has been redesigned in the iOS 12.2 beta, including changes to help users monitor their expenses in order to encourage better spending habits."
"HB11's hydrogen-boron laser fusion test yields groundbreaking results . HB11, an Australian company, is using high-power, high-precision lasers to create nuclear fusion reactions. Its approach doesn't require huge amounts of heat or radioactive fuels like tritium. HB11's hydrogen-boron energy technology uses boron as a fuel and doesn't produce any nuclear waste. It is four orders of magnitude from achieving net energy gain and shows great potential for clean energy generation. Many more details about how HB11's hydrogen-boron energy technology works are available in the article."
"Firefox Monitor (Web Tool). Firefox has partnered with popular tool ""Have I Been Pwned"" to let you know if your email address and/or personal info was involved in a publicly known past data breach. Just type your email into the box and it will let you know whether or not your data has been breached."
Even your boss wants to quit . A report by Deloitte and Workplace Intelligence found that C-suite executives are feeling as frazzled and depressed as the workers who report to them.
"PingCAP Talent Plan (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a series of training courses about writing distributed systems in Go and Rust. The courses mainly consist of projects where coding problems are presented. While the courses are maintained by PingCAP for training and evaluating students, new employees, and new contributors to TiDB and TiKV, they are appropriate for all Go and Rust programmers and do not require any interest or knowledge in either TiDB or TiKV."
"Exclusive: Apple dropped plan for encrypting backups after FBI complained - sources . Two years ago, Apple dropped plans to let iPhone users fully encrypt iCloud backups after the FBI complained the move would harm investigations. The company did not want to be attacked by public officials for protecting criminals, sued for moving data out of reach of government agencies, or used as an excuse for new legislation against encryption. Last week, US Attorney General William Barr called Apple to unlock two iPhones used by a Saudi Air Force officer who had shot and killed three Americans at a Florida naval base last month. President Donald Trump added pressure, accusing Apple of refusing to unlock phones used by killers, drug dealers, and other violent criminal elements. Apple had provided the shooter's iCloud backups to law enforcement and rejected accusations that it had not provided substantive assistance. In the first half of last year, Apple provided full device backups or other iCloud content to US authorities for over 6,000 accounts for 1,568 cases. If Apple had continued plans to encrypt iCloud backups, it would not have been able to provide any data."
"Figma to Code (GitHub Repo). Figma to Code is a Figma plugin that generates responsive pages and apps on Tailwind, Flutter, and SwiftUI. It optimizes the layout before the conversion to code begins, improving code quality."
"Europe Starts Its Own Social Networks . The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has announced that it will publicly pilot its own social networks. EU Voice will be a way for European institutions and agencies to communicate. It will be based on Mastodon, an open-source alternative to Twitter. EU Video will be an alternative to YouTube based on PeerTube, an open-source platform. The EDPS already has Instagram and Spotify alternatives. There are no advertisements or user profiling on the platforms."
Starter Workflows (GitHub Repo). This repository contains templates for on-boarding a new user into GitHub Actions. The templates are written in YAML and cover solutions for continuous integration and automation.
"Zinc (GitHub Repo). Zinc is a full-text indexing search engine. It is a lightweight alternative to elasticsearch, running on less than 100 MB of RAM. Zinc features a single binary for installation and running, a Web UI for querying data, compatibility with elasticsearch APIs, out-of-the-box authentication, and more. Screenshots of the UI are available."
"Alphabet’s Tidal moonshot tracks individual fish to help sustainably feed humanity . Tidal is Alphabet’s project to preserve the ocean’s ability to support life and help feed humanity sustainably. The first step in the project is to develop technologies that can gather better data underwater. Tidal has developed an underwater camera system that uses computer vision and other AI techniques to track and monitor thousands of individual fish as they develop. It was built to withstand the extreme environment of the deep ocean. Tidal can be used to monitor environmental data such as temperature and oxygen levels, making it easier for farmers to monitor their stock. Compared to other sources of animal protein, fish have a lower carbon footprint, so helping fish farmers would be beneficial for both humans and the environment."
"Drone Beats Ambulance in Race to Deliver First Aid to Patients . A team in Iraq and Australia have developed another way to use drones in healthcare as part of a system that detects when an elderly person has fallen. Fall detection devices were attached to healthy volunteers during a test and then triggered in crowded, hard to reach areas. Teams with drones and ambulances were alerted at the same time. The drones carried first aid kits to the patient's location, where a caregiver would then administer first aid. On average, the drones arrived 105 seconds faster than the ambulances, which is a significant amount of time especially in incidents where patients aren't breathing or where the patient's heart stops beating. Further improvements such as automated loading of supplies and faster drones could potentially shave another five to 40 seconds off the response time."
React Native (GitHub repo). React Native allows developers to create cross-platform applications using Javascript and React. Microsoft has released React Native support for the Windows 10 SDK as well as the macOS 10.12 SDK. Developers can use React Native to build native Windows apps for all devices supported by Windows 10 as well as the macOS desktop and laptop ecosystems.
These are the 20 most common passwords leaked on the dark web — make sure none of them are yours . Cybersecurity experts say that the current Russian-Ukrainian conflict could result in an increase in cyberattacks around the world. Choosing a strong password helps prevent hackers from accessing online accounts. It is recommended that people use passwords with uncommon characters that are longer than the minimum length required. A different password should be used for every account. A list of the 20 most commonly leaked passwords is available.
"NvChad (GitHub Repo). NvChad makes neovim cli as functional as an IDE. It features themes, tabs, autosave, file previews, distraction-free modes, and much more. There are many plug-ins available for NvChad. Screenshots are available."
New robots patrolling for 'anti-social behaviour' causing unease in Singapore streets . Singapore has started to employ robots to patrol its streets to detect undesirable social behavior. The robots patrolled a housing estate and shopping center as part of a three-week trial during September. Singapore is frequently criticized for its tight controls. The country is set to increase its use of intrusive surveillance technologies. Its government says that the use of patrolling robots is a response to an impending labor shortage as the population ages. Using robots reduces the number of officers needed for foot patrols.
"AI2 shows off an open, Q&A-focused rival to GPT3 . The Allen Institute for AI has revealed a language model a tenth the size of OpenAI's GPT-3 with on par or better performance. Macaw is good at tracking who did what, but it still has some quirks. The model was not designed to replace GPT-3 but to add to the research advancing language generation and understanding. A smaller model would be more practical for general use. The team is still working on explaining how the Macaw model generates its answers."
"Jobs that suit (Website). This is The Guardian's job search page. Job seekers can search by job title, area, and remote working options, or browse for jobs by sector, location, job titles, and more. They can also upload their CVs and sign up for job alerts. The page contains articles on career advice."
"Alphabet project uses light beams to bring broadband to remote regions . Alphabet X has been working on a high-speed wireless optical communications network that uses a network of light emitters and receivers. The company has partnered with the Econet Group to install its technology in Kenya. Building cables is challenging for many reasons. Using Alphabet X's technology, information can be sent between terminals at up to 20 Gbps at distances of up to 12 miles. Engineers can ensure a constant flow of data by placing the terminals high above the ground. The technology will now roll out to remote areas of Kenya that were previously beyond the reach of traditional solutions."
"Linux has been bitten by its most high-severity vulnerability in years . Dirty Pipe is a high-severity Linux vulnerability that allows untrusted users to add an SSH key to root user accounts to remotely access servers with full root privileges. The vulnerability can also be used to create root shells and overwrite data in read-only files. Dirty Pipe is similar to another exploit discovered in 2016 called Dirty Cow, which could root any Android phone regardless of the mobile OS version. Dirty Cow was found in 1,200 apps in third-party markets 11 months after its release. Dirty Pipe can be exploited on any release of Android based on one of the vulnerable Linux kernel versions."
"Adevinta - Building scalable components for +40 marketplaces in 15 countries (Sponsor). Adevinta - Building scalable components for +40 marketplaces in 15 countries . In our reading list, you’ll find stories on how to update Redis clusters, switch to Terraform, and capitalise on migration efforts to save on cost. You’ll also learn how we build Machine Learning at scale and how it impacts data governance and platformisation."
"What's in a Good Error Message? . Good error messages for libraries and frameworks should convey context, what exactly failed, and what needs to be done to overcome the error. These error messages are typically seen by either software developers or ops, so a good error message can help save a lot of time and frustration. This article explores each of these requirements and provides some general best practices for writing good error messages."
"Tianwen1 probe sends back its first picture of Mars . China's Tianwen-1 probe has sent back its first pictures of Mars. The mission launched in July last year and is expected to enter Mars orbit around February 10. It is China's second attempt to reach Mars. The image, which is available in the article, was taken from 1.4 million miles away from the planet. It shows geological features including the Schiaparelli crater and the Valles Marineris."
"Oprah Winfrey and Miley Cyrus Will Help Class of 2020 Celebrate on Facebook's #Graduation2020 . Celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Garner, Miley Cyrus, and others will be helping to bring back some graduation excitement for those who won't get to experience traditional milestones this year. #Graduation2020 is a streaming event hosted by Facebook that will be available on Facebook Watch on May 15. Other activities will be available in the week leading up to the event, with Facebook and Instagram rolling out a variety of graduation-themed features."
"Awesome WASI (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of things regarding WebAssembly WASI ecosystem. It contains general resources, WASI-compatible runtimes, utilities, WASI programs, articles, podcasts, and resources in Japanese."
"LG's 325-inch Direct View LED TV is an answer to Samsung's The Wall . LG has announced a Direct View LED Extreme Home Cinema line for super-luxury homes. The display size can range from 81 inches to 325 inches at a 16:9 ratio. An Ultrastretch option to reach a 32:9 ratio is available if the customer wants to watch multiple video sources at the same time. The 8K version uses 33 million diodes, but 4K and 2K versions are still available. It will have smart TV functions provided by a WebOS controller box. The home sets are only available by custom order and there are no listed prices."
"2.1 Million of the Oldest Internet Posts Are Now Online for Anyone to Read . Usenet, launched in 1980, is a discussion system similar to today's message boards where people talk about everything. It is still active today. A user recently uploaded some of the oldest Usenet posts available to the internet to the Usenet Archive for anyone to browse. The Archive currently hosts 317 million posts from 10,000 unique Usenet newsgroups. There have been other attempts at archiving Usenet posts as future historians and researchers would benefit significantly from the content."
"Employee Activism Is Alive in Tech. It Stops Short of Organizing Unions . Tech workers have been participating in a lot of activism over the last few years, with some results. Google employees have affected how artificial intelligence is to be used, and employees from other companies have protested successfully to make changes to their workplace. However, employees have failed to organize unions. There are many factors preventing unionization from happening. Some employees may feel too close to their employers due to the small size of a company, or highly paid employees may see themselves as independent contractors with leverage who don’t need union support. Some tech companies have dismissed employees who tried to organize unions in the past. The culture in Silicon Valley is changing, and unions may be the best way to stop employees from being unfairly pressured by their companies."
"Disney’s Star Wars hotel is just like Westworld: only for the wealthy . Disney's Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel will feature a two-day interactive Star Wars adventure including a Star Wars-themed room, Star Wars-themed food, and actors that will help on quests throughout the experience. Guests will be allowed to dress in Star Wars outfits during the experience, something that isn't usually allowed at Disney parks for adult guests. The two-night stay will start at $4,809 for an entry-level cabin. A 30-second teaser for the two-day adventure is available in the article."
Postwoman (GitHub Project). Postwoman is a tool to view API requests and easily modify them to test responses. A functioning demo is available to use.
"New Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit Uses Augmented Reality to Race Inside Your Home . Nintendo has announced Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, a game where players use their Nintendo Switches to pilot a physical kart around their home. Players can set up various gate markers to create tracks. The game will add power-ups and traps and the physical cart will respond to them accordingly. Home Circuit is set to launch on October 16. A 2-minute long announcement trailer is available in the article."
"This startup says its AI can better spot a healthy embryo — and improve IVF success . An Israeli startup called Embryonics is using AI to improve the odds of success during in vitro fertilization. The company will use the software to analyze which embryos are most likely to survive, as well as for improving hormonal stimulation. Every woman who goes through IVF or fertility preservation has to be injected with hormones for up to two weeks to induce the ovaries to produce numerous eggs. The process at the moment requires a lot of trial and error, which the company hopes to remove with the use of AI. It is still in the very early stages of research, so it is unknown whether the project will succeed."
DuckDuckGo surpasses 100 million daily search queries for the first time . DuckDuckGo recently recorded more than 100 million user search queries in a day. The company has seen sustained growth over the last two years. It has been seeing more than 2 billion search queries a month since August 2020. The search engine now offers mobile apps and a dedicated Chrome extension. It does not collect user data and it provides the same search results to all users. The company's lack of data makes it hard for it to estimate the size of its user base. Privacy-centric apps have recently seen major periods of growth.
"India plans to adopt China-style facial recognition in policing, despite having no data privacy laws . India will open bids next month to build a system to centralize facial recognition data captured through surveillance cameras across India. This system will link up databases that contain information such as passport details and fingerprints in order to help India's police force identify criminals, missing people, and dead bodies. India's police force is currently the world's most understaffed, with one officer for every 724 citizens. There are no data privacy laws in India. The government has been attempting to implement a biometric database for the country which links bank accounts and income tax filings, but there have been many reports of data leaks as well as the growth of a black market for personal information."
"logo-ls (GitHub Repo). logo-ls is a modern ls command with icons and Git integrations. It features over 250 icons, True Color support, Git Status integration, near-native speed, and language agnostic binaries. The project attempts to balance speed and aesthetics. Screenshots are available."
"Flippy, the $30,000 automated robot fast-food cook, is now for sale with 'demand through the roof' . Miso Robotics has released its burger-flipping robot to the market for $US30,000, with options for a payment plan. Flippy is a robot that attaches to a rail and can move about a kitchen to cook. It can cook 19 items, including burgers and hash browns. This article contains a photo essay that explains how Flippy works."
"web-vitals (GitHub Repo). web-vitals is a tiny, modular library for measuring Web Vitals metrics on real users. It supports all of the Core Web Vitals, as well as First Contentful Paint and Time to First Byte."
"sr.ht, the hacker's forge (Public Alpha). Some of you may know Drew Devault through his excellent blog. Anyway, he's just launched a shockingly ambitious one man project, a fully open source alternative to Github. Basically, it manages git repo hosting, bug tracking, CI, wikis, etc. Each component is a standalone piece of software that integrates deeply with the rest of sr.ht and with the rest of the ecosystem outside of sr.ht, for example you can use sr.ht's continuous integration to compile Github pull requests. The flagship product is the continuous integration platform, which Drew claims is the only platform which can scale to the automation needs of an entire Linux distribution (he's working on getting a few distributions on board). Really cool stuff, definitely worth checking out if you're a developer."
"Snap reveals U.S. subpoenas on IPO disclosures . Snap is being investigated by the DOJ and SEC because shareholders are suing the company for misleading the public about how much competition from Instagram had affected their growth prior to their IPO. The lawsuit also says that Snap misrepresented its use of notifications and other growth hacks to pump up usage numbers prior to IPO. Snap says that the lawsuit is ""meritless"" and that its pre-IPO disclosures were ""accurate and complete."""
"Sinuous (GitHub Repo). Sinuous is a small, blazing-fast, reactive UI library. It uses declarative views, making code clear, more predictable, and easier to debug while matching the performance of direct DOM manipulation. Sinuous is currently ranked in the top 80+ of UI libraries."
netboot.xyz (GitHub Repo). netboot.xyz is a network-based bootable operating system installer based on iPXE.
"23andMe Plans New Genetic Test on Risk of Getting Diabetes . In an effort to combat preventable diseases, 23andMe will start testing customers for diabetes and other health conditions with their Health and Ancestry Service test. The test will not indicate whether a person has diabetes or whether they will definitely get it, but it will indicate whether the person is at risk of developing the disease. Even if a person carries a high risk of developing diabetes, it can be prevented or managed with a healthy lifestyle, especially if the risk is detected early. The 23andMe test results will include information and tips on how to prevent the condition and improve wellness."
miniC-hosting (GitHub Repo). miniC-hosting is a simple stack-based virtual machine that is able to run C in a browser. The aim of the project is to experiment with an environment to see if it is more effective for learning C. There is an interactive demo and tutorial for beginning programmers.
"Nvidia Reveals Its CEO Was Computer Generated in Keynote Speech . Nvidia's GTC conference in April featured a keynote presentation by its CEO Jensen Huang. Part of the presentation was virtually generated with the help of AI. Huang's kitchen, the venue for the presentation, was also entirely computer-generated. The company recently published a video explaining how they created the GTC keynote. It is available in the article."
"Google launches CallJoy, a virtual customer service phone agent for small businesses . Google has combined several technologies including virtual phone numbers, virtual assistants, automated audio transcriptions, and reporting and analytics to create CallJoy, a virtual customer service agent for small businesses. CallJoy is able to receive calls from customers, provide basic information, and redirect customers to complete their requests, for example, sending the customer an SMS with the link for bookings. At $39 a month, CallJoy is also able to record phone calls and help filter out spam callers. The reporting provided by CallJoy can indicate peak call times and common requests by customers. CallJoy is currently operating on an invite-only basis, and will eventually be open to all."
"Private Equity Is Going to Ruin the .Org Domain System and Screw Nonprofits . The Public Interest Registry, the agency that manages the .org domain, announced last week that it will be selling itself to private equity firm Ethos Capital. Internet experts and activists are concerned about the sale despite the Internet Society stating that the deal is a good thing for the future of .org. The deal will provide funding and resources for the Internet Society to continue to make the internet more open, accessible, and secure. ICANN has recently made the controversial decision to lift .org fee price caps. PIR had previously stated that it would not raise prices unreasonably and that it had no specific plans to impose rate hikes. However, the new owners are free to make price changes as they see fit."
"The UK Is Developing Nuclear-Powered Space Exploration for Faster Mars Trips . The UK Space Agency and Rolls-Royce plc have teamed up to explore nuclear-powered propulsion for space exploration. Nuclear-powered propulsion would make space travel faster and more sustainable. It would make it possible to send missions further out into space where solar power is unavailable. Faster travel times would mean that astronauts would be exposed to less radiation. The research will last for six months, and then the results will be implemented throughout the decade."
"Netflix makes more than 30 episodes of its shows free on YouTube . Netflix has released more than 30 episodes of its factual entertainment shoes onto YouTube in order to support educators. Altogether, there is over 20 hours of content. The shows include Our Planet, Explained, and 13th. A link to the playlist is available in the article."
"World's fastest camera captures 70 trillion frames per second . The new record holder for the world's fastest camera boasts a rate of 70 trillion frames per second, fast enough to capture light waves in motion. Compressed Ultrafast Spectral Photography uses extremely short pulses of laser light combined with a system of optics and a specialized sensor. The technology could be used to study fundamental physics and help create smaller and more sensitive electronics."
"sysget (GitHub Repo). With sysget, users only need to know one package manager syntax, rather than having to learn a new package manager for every distro. sysget can search for, install, and remove packages, as well as update databases, and more. A guide on how to use sysget is available."
"Scientists Are Contemplating a 1,000-Year Space Mission to Save Humanity (15 minute read). Climate change threatens to make our planet unlivable by the end of the century. Other factors can also eventually make Earth uninhabitable, so planning for a potential escape from the planet is a necessary response to the potential threats. Mars is the most obvious destination, with many space missions already focusing on the planet. Other possible planets exist, but they are light-years away. A journey to one of these planets would take several generations to complete. The problems involved with such a journey are broad, involving fields such as biology, sociology, engineering, physics, and more. Life during the journey will be extremely limited for those on board, so there may be ethical concerns with such a project. The research into inter-generational space travel may reveal ways that we can improve or prolong life on our own planet."
"Cruise lays out its plan for ‘how’ it will make robotaxis a reality . GM's self-driving subsidiary Cruise recently presented a roadmap for how the company will build autonomous vehicles that will be safer and more scalable than any human-driven vehicle. The company's plan includes technology for generating large-scale maps of cities, software that transforms real events into editable simulations, a system called Morpheus that can generate simulations based on specific locations, custom silicon chips developed in-house, and more. More details about the technology are available in the article."
quadsort (GitHub). quadsort is a stable non-recursive merge sort based on the quad swap. Most sorting algorithms use a binary sweep where two variables are sorted using a third temporary variable. Quad swap sorts four variables using four temporary variables. This results in a much faster sorting algorithm. Benchmark results are available.
Microsoft Edge Collections go full-on Pinterest with inspiration feed and sharing . Microsoft Edge Collections window displays a feed of recommended content based on the topics you’ve saved.
"The Pragmatic Engineer’s Developer Culture Test . The Joel Test was introduced in 2000 to see whether a workplace had a good developer culture. It doesn't address things that are important for modern developers like autonomy, code reviews, or continuous personal growth. The Developer Culture Test was designed to analyze whether an organization provided a healthy environment for its employees to thrive. A decent company allows developers to voice their opinions, pays its employees fairly, and is flexible with working hours. Clarity, autonomy, and collaboration allow innovative and autonomous people to thrive in the workplace. A sustainable engineering culture will keep developers from burning out or becoming frustrated. A company that allows career progression will have competent managers with hands-on experience that wont frustrate people on their teams."
jog (GitHub Repo). jog is a script that prints the last 10 commands that were run in the current directory. It can only show commands that have been run since its installation.
"The Men Who Try to Hack Tinder to Score Hotter Women . Tinder has an algorithm that determines who shows up as a potential match. The details of this algorithm aren't public, but people have attempted to game the system to get a better experience on the app. There is a desirability score based on the Elo rating system, which is used to rank the skills of chess players. The more right swipes a person receives, the higher their score. This is moderated by how attractive the person who swiped right was. Users can pay in order to gain features in the app that help them match with people better. Discussions on the Tinder subreddit suggest that users can gain a better rating by being pickier and more interactive with matches. Other tricks include resetting the Tinder account or changing locations."
"Man who had transplant finds out months later his DNA has changed to that of donor 5,000 miles away . Chris Long, who worked in IT at the Washoe County Sheriff's Department, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. Before going in for a bone marrow transplant that would save his life, a forensic scientist colleague at the department encouraged Long to make an archive of his DNA from different parts of his body in order to study the effects of the transplant. Within three months of the transplant, the DNA in Long's blood had changed. After four years, swabs of his lips and cheeks, as well as samples of his semen, contained the DNA of his donor. These findings could be significant for forensic scientists as DNA is often used to link perpetrators and crimes. There have been cases where DNA was incorrectly matched due to bone marrow transplants. It is unclear whether DNA from bone marrow transplants can be transferred to the next generation."
"Stanford team develops brain-rejuvenating antibodies that let old mice think like youngsters . A Stanford team have identified a single gene that encodes a protein responsible for age-related cognitive losses and have successfully reversed the cognitive effects of aging on mice by blocking the gene using special antibodies. Microglia are a class of brain cells responsible for immune responses and cleanup, and their performance deteriorates with age. A test in a group of about 3,000 genes found that CD22 changed microglial eating patterns and also became more prevalent with age. Scientists blocked the gene in mice using special antibodies and the mice showed signs of cognitive improvement. This improvement was also seen in mice with symptoms of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. CD22 is also found in the human genome but it is too early to say whether the therapy will be effective in humans."
"Kings of Leon Will Be the First Band to Release an Album as an NFT . Kings of Leon's new album will be released in the form of a non-fungible token (NFT). There will be three types of tokens with different perks, such as front-row seats for life or audiovisual art. The smart contracts and tokens were developed by YellowHeart. The album will be available on all the usual platforms, but the NFT versions with perks will only be available on YellowHeart. 18 unique golden ticket NFTs with special perks will be minted and auctioned as part of the release. The value of the NFTs is expected to increase over time."
"linux-malware (GitHub Repo). This repository tracks interesting Linux and UNIX malware. It includes DFIR reports, information on supply chain attacks, press and academic releases, malware samples, and more."
"How To Design A Good API and Why it Matters . This article discusses the process of API design and how to design a good API. Good APIs capture customers, but a bad API can be a liability. A good API is easy to learn and use, sufficiently powerful, easy to evolve, and appropriate for its audience. Thinking in terms of APIs when programming will result in higher quality code."
"Coronavirus: Tunisia deploys robots to enforce lockdown . Robots are being used to enforce lockdown in Tunisia. Citizens who are out and about are being questioned and ordered to go home by robots. The robots are manned remotely and use several infrared cameras, a laser telemetry system, and thermal cameras. Tunisia has shut schools, universities, cafes, and bars. Its borders are also closed. The military will be used to enforce restrictions. Employees at a mask factory in Tunisia have self-isolated in order to prevent the factory from closing down due to infections."
"Having ‘Null’ as a license plate is about as much of a nightmare as you’d expect . Joseph Tartaro, a security researcher, registered a personalized number plate back in 2016 with the word 'Null'. In 2018, he paid a $35 fine, which associated his details to the value in the database. In programming 'Null' is a special text string that tells the system that a value is empty or undefined. After his details were associated with the value, he started to receive every fine where traffic cops didn't enter a license number when writing a ticket. The DMV voided these tickets once Tartaro reported them. However, the tickets continue to be issued to his name. He is unable to renew his license until all fines are paid and changing his numberplate may look like he is avoiding existing tickets, which may cause more problems."
"Solar cars: Driving on sunshine . Aptera Motors is rolling out the first mass-produced solar car this year. The three-wheeled vehicle is covered in 34 square feet of solar cells, which can provide enough energy to drive about 40 miles on a clear day. It still has to undergo safety tests before the company can begin distribution. The solar vehicle can go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and hit top speeds of 110 mph. An image gallery of the vehicle is available in the article."
"How to use the InfluxDB API to collect time series data (Sponsor). This tutorial shows you how to authenticate, read a data stream, store it as a time series, and run queries in InfluxDB APIs. Use the REST API or your favorite languages, including Python, Java, Go, and Ruby. Learn more."
"Carl Sagan's Solar Sail Is Finally Ready To Fly . The Planetary Society, an organization founded by Carl Sagan, Bruce Murray, and Louis Friedman, is sending a small spacecraft to orbit the planet. Known as the LightSail 2, the satellite builds on the success and learnings from the LightSail 1, which was launched in 2015. Carl Sagan had envisioned a spacecraft that could be entirely powered through solar energy. After a few days in orbit, the LightSail 2 will unfurl its sails and start receiving soft pushes from the sun’s rays. As the satellite will be in zero gravity, after 30 days, these small pushes will accumulate into a significant amount of momentum."
The new wave of React state management (14 minute read). This post discusses the core problems that global state management libraries need to solve.
"Tesla begins Model Y deliveries, meeting expectations for the crossover SUV . Tesla has started deliveries for its Model Y crossover SUV. Users have posted images and comments to the Tesla Motors Club showing their Model Y vehicles. Elon Musk told shareholders that Tesla was ahead of schedule on Model Y preparations and that the launch timeline had moved forward. The seven-seat version of the Model Y and the standard Model Y are expected to start production in 2021. Tesla stock has slid 16% in the coronavirus-related sell-off."
"Scientists Found Ancient, Never-Before-Seen Viruses in a Glacier . Evidence of ancient viruses has been found deep within the glaciers atop the Tibetan Plateau. These viral records can help scientists gain data on Earth's evolutionary and climate history. Genomes from 33 groups of viruses were found in the ice, 28 that were completely new to science. Studying viruses from ice cores is difficult due to the extremely small size of the viruses and how easy it is to contaminate samples. Decontamination techniques are used to clean the samples. Warming temperatures are causing glaciers around the world to shrink and release trapped microbes and viruses. This has caused disease outbreaks in the past, and it is a concern for the future as the planet continues to warm up."
"Google bans predatory payday loan apps from the Play Store . Google has banned apps on its Play Store which offer deceptive or harmful personal loans. Some of these apps offered loans where the annual percentage rate was 36 percent or higher. The new policy, which was implemented in August, is meant to protect users against exploitative terms. Apple does not have a similar policy."
"SpaceX’s latest Falcon launch has put a solar sail into orbit . The LightSail-2 satellite was launched on June 25 with SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Falcon Heavy also transported 24 satellites for the US Defense Department and other customers, several new pieces of equipment for NASA, and the cremated remains of 152 people on behalf of a memorial spaceflight company. The LightSail-2 will reach an altitude of 450 miles above Earth, where it will orbit for a year while it collects momentum using the pushing force of photons from the Sun. Falcon Heavy did not return completely intact due to its central booster missing its target and exploding in the water."
"Volvo Uses InfluxDB to Evolve Its DevOps Monitoring to Enable Data-Driven Decisions (Sponsor). Production delays or stoppages are the bane of any manufacturer. Learn how Volvo replaced their 15-year-old DevOps monitoring process and enabled data-driven operations, simplified DevOps monitoring, and improved real-time alerting with InfluxDB. Learn more."
"Introducing Caddy-SSH . Caddy-SSH is a general-purpose, extensible, modular, memory-safe SSH server built in Go. It creates an SSH server with safe, modern, and secure defaults. This article discusses why the project was created, the current state of its development, and the future of the project."
"Stanford Pupper (Website). Stanford Pupper is a robot designed to help students get involved with robotics research. It costs around $600-900 to build, depending on if you already own existing tools or parts, and it takes around four to 10 hours to build. A 10-minute video is available showing a demo of Pupper at the Stanford Robotics Club."
"At the Math Olympiad, Computers Prepare to Go for the Gold . The 61st International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is the first IMO that has been held remotely and may also be the last time that artificial intelligence doesn't compete. Researchers view the IMO as an ideal proving ground for machines designed to think like humans. The problems don't require any advanced math, but they are extremely difficult. The most decorated IMO participants become legends in the mathematics community and some go on to become superlative research mathematicians. Solving IMO problems usually requires a flash of insight, which may not be possible on AI. Teaching an AI to compete in the IMO will be a challenge, as current software would probably completely fail at the task."
"European project sets a record for fusion energy produced by a tokamak . The Joint European Torus (JET) has set a new record for released energy, releasing 59 megajoules of energy over five seconds. It is still well short of the break-even point where the fusion energy released matches the energy input required to trigger the fusion. The results are still an important validation of the approach being taken at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). JET is being used as a testbed for the technologies and materials that will go into ITER. ITER is expected to begin experimental runs in 2025."
"A look aboard Disney’s $6,000 per stay, immersive Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel (14 minute read). Disney's Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel is an interactive hotel experience that immerses guests in a fictional world where they can participate in stories from the Star Wars universe. The hotel offers packages starting from $4,809 for a two-day trip. This article provides a first-hand experience of the hotel from a curated media preview. It includes many photos from the event showing the different parts of the hotel."
"Microsoft’s SpaceEye Uses AI to “See” Through Cloud Cover . Microsoft's Azure Space recently announced two new capabilities, SpaceEye and Project Turing. SpaceEye uses artificial intelligence to produce daily cloud-free and multispectral photos of Earth from space. It is intended to benefit agriculture, land-use monitoring, and disaster response, but Microsoft believes it could be used for much more. Project Turing improves image resolution and clarifies blurry or imperceptible snapshots. Azure Space began last year as an effort to share cloud computing capabilities with a broader scientific community."
"Tesla buys $1.5 billion in bitcoin, plans to accept it as payment . Tesla announced that it bought $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday. The company plans to start accepting payments in bitcoin in exchange for its products, making it the first automaker to do so. Tesla had more than $19 billion in cash and cash equivalents at the end of 2020, making the purchase a significant percentage of its cash. The move raises questions around Elon Musk's recent behavior on Twitter, where he has been posting positive messages about bitcoin and dogecoin."
"Ultra (GitHub Repo). Ultra is a web-app framework that leans into browser-native features while supporting JSX and TypeScript. It features support for React 18, tests, and more. It doesn't support dynamic imports or recursive requests. A demo app is available."
Scientists find perfectly preserved dinosaur embryo preparing to hatch like a bird . A fossilized dinosaur embryo preparing to hatch from its egg was discovered in southern China. It is one of the best-preserved dinosaur embryos ever found. The embryo's posture was similar to that of modern bird embryos. Bird chicks preparing to hatch tuck their heads under their right wing to stabilize the head while they crack the shell with their beak. This indicates that the behavior first evolved among dinosaurs. A picture of the fossil is available in the article.
"Awesome System Design (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a list of system design resources. It contains articles, books, videos, and tools. Topics include distributed computing, microservices, case studies, and more."
Bolt (GitHub Repo). Bolt is an algorithm for compressing vectors of real-valued data and running mathematical operations directly on the compressed representations. It can help save significantly on compute time for large collections of mostly-dense vectors. Bolt currently only supports x86 machines from fall 2013 or later. Benchmarks are available.
"A beginner’s guide to CI/CD and automation on GitHub . GitHub Actions is a CI/CD tool that runs alongside code in GitHub. It can cut release times down to five minutes and revert releases with the touch of a button if any issues come up. There are more than 13,000 pre-written and tested workflows and pre-built automations in the GitHub Marketplace. This article talks about how GitHub Actions works, how it can improve workflow, and different GitHub Action workflows for common use cases. A video showing how to create custom GitHub Actions is available."
"Troubleshoot your applications faster with OpenTelemetry and New Relic One (Sponsor). Troubleshoot your applications faster with OpenTelemetry and New Relic One . OpenTelemetry is an open standard for collecting and exporting data from your services. With tracing already stable and metrics stability fast approaching, learn how to get started with OpenTelemetry for your services and start analyzing your telemetry in New Relic One."
"Facebook lost daily users for the first time ever last quarter . Facebook reported its first-ever quarterly decline of global daily users and lower-than-expected ad growth at an earnings call on Wednesday. The news resulted in a massive stock drop that wiped out roughly $200 billion in market value. Its drop in daily users may be due to Facebook's increasing lack of relevance with young people. Meta is still wildly profitable, making nearly $40 billion last year. It plans to release its next VR headset later this year."
"The average age of employees at all the top tech companies, in one chart . Older employees in tech have had a harder time getting hired or keeping their jobs in recent years, and older startup founders have had difficulty securing funding due to their age. A market research firm decided to investigate the median age of employees at the top tech companies in the US and found that most employees in the tech world are in their late 20s. The resulting chart of the median employee ages at top tech companies is available in the article."
"Webinar: A Privacy Professional’s Guide to the Modern Data Privacy Stack (Sponsor). Webinar: A Privacy Professional’s Guide to the Modern Data Privacy Stack . Join Skyflow’s Chief Privacy Officer, Robin Andruss, and Co-founder and CEO, Anshu Sharma, as they share what you should know about the data privacy technologies that companies can use to tackle common data privacy problems, such as tracking data flows, determining where sensitive data resides, and governing how it’s used. Join us on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at 10am PT. Register for the webinar today!"
"Battery-electric ""Infinity Train"" will charge itself using gravity . Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), an Australian mining company, has announced a project to create an electric infinity train that will be able to move loads of iron ore without ever needing to be charged. The battery-electric locomotive will regenerate electricity on downhill loaded sections, removing the need for recharging infrastructure. The company has mining sites where there is enough downhill slope for the idea to work. FFI's other green-tech projects include an ammonia-powered ship, hydrogen fuel cell mining trucks, and ammonia-fueled trains."
"Etsy sellers are officially on strike . More than 14,000 Etsy workers are striking from 11 to 18 April to protest the company's increase in transaction fees. The workers are asking the company to cancel its fee increase, take down resellers who offer mass-produced goods, introduce a faster seller support system, allow sellers to opt-out of off-platform advertising, and end the Star Seller program. Etsy says its new fee increase will allow it to invest in marketing, customer support, and moderation. The company's revenue gains grew more than 106% in 2020 to $10 billion, and by another 31% in 2021."
"Assembler CSS (Website). Assembler can be used to quickly prototype and build modern websites without the need to install and maintain complex software. It improves the performance of websites by generating only the minimum amount of CSS each webpage needs. Assembler is lightweight, fast, easy to learn, and customizable."
"GlueSQL (GitHub Repo). GlueSQL is a SQL database library that features a parser, an execution layer, and optional storage. It can be used to build SQL databases or as an embedded SQL database using the default storage engine. GlueSQL currently supports a limited subset of queries as it is under active development."
"Your Data in Search (Web Tool). This is a web tool released by Google that allows you to see and delete your search history from Google's servers (when you clear your browser history that just deletes the information off of your computer, Google still stores your old searches on their servers). It also has detailed explanations on how your data is used in the search engine and other privacy controls for your Google account."
Video is synthetic and was created using deep learning (YouTube Video). This short video shows a synthetic President Obama with an artificial voice introducing a course on deep learning taught at MIT. The entire video is fake and was created using deep learning and artificial intelligence. A few seconds of behind-the-scenes footage is shown at the end of the video.
"Semgrep: Fast Code Scanning to Find Bugs and Enforce Code Standards (Sponsor). Semgrep: Fast Code Scanning to Find Bugs and Enforce Code Standards . Semgrep is a fast, open-source tool that supports 20+ languages. Its 1,500+ rules and simple syntax mean you don’t have to deal with unwieldy regexes or a thorny domain-specific language. Code is analyzed on your computer or build environment, and never sent elsewhere. And with Semgrep App you can enforce and monitor security across your organization. Learn more."
YoHa (GitHub Repo). YoHa is a general purpose hand tracking engine. It can detect specific hand poses so that developers can build applications with meaningful interactions. YoHa is currently in beta and only available for the web.
"A Newly-Discovered Tiny CRISPR Protein Packs a Giant Punch For Human Gene Editing . CRISPR is a gene-editing tool that uses Cas proteins to cut out and swap genetic sequences. Bacteriophages, a type of virus that targets bacteria, carry Cas proteins nearly half the size of other identified Cas proteins. A recent study found that these proteins can slice up genetic material in human and plant cells, and because of their tiny size, they can cut out DNA previously protected by its surrounding environment. The new Cas proteins could potentially allow scientists to target genes for a wider range of genetic disorders."
"The Four Innovation Phases of Netflix’s Trillions Scale Real-time Data Infrastructure (28 minute read). This article discusses the four phases of Real-time Data Infrastructure's iterative journey in Netflix. It discusses the business motivations, unique challenges, strategy bets, and use case patterns learned along the way. The article was written by Zhenzhong Xu, a founding engineer on the Real-time Data Infrastructure team who later led the Stream Processing Engines team."
"Ask HN: Solo devs, how do you plan your development? (Hacker News Thread). As a solo developer, you are in control of everything in your projects, including planning and managing development. There are tools available to help in planning development, like Trello, but many developers still prefer to just use a simple .txt file with notation formatting. A lot of the time, it is mostly preference, and some developers even change tools depending on the project requirements. When planning development, it is important to also consider the social milestones. As a solo developer, building the wrong thing can be costly, so you should set checkpoints to confirm that the project is going in the right direction."
"""He's full of shit"": How Elon Musk fooled investors, bilked taxpayers, and gambled Tesla to save Solarcity (18 minute read). In 2016, Tesla bought SolarCity for almost $5 billion as a high-stakes move to dominate America's growing market for solar energy. Tesla planned to build 10,000 solar panels per day and install them in homes, creating 5,000 jobs along the way. While Tesla received a large subsidy from New York State, its solar panel business has yet to fulfill these promises. Walmart has recently sued Tesla for breach of contract due to gross negligence which resulted in fires at seven of its stores. SolarCity's business model involved fronting up costs of installation, which meant that it was constantly in need of cash and that profits would not be realized for years. Its acquisition by Tesla included nearly $3 billion of debt. Tesla wasn't able to fulfill its promises even after quietly renegotiating its factory lease terms with New York state officials. Payments on SolarCity debts are due soon, and Tesla will pay an annual fine of $41.2 million if it fails to employ enough people at its factory by April."
"Microsoft’s Edge for Mac browser now available in preview . Microsoft’s Edge for Mac is now officially supported and is available for preview by Mac users. Mac keyboard shortcuts will be supported, and users will be able to switch tabs and access media controls from the Touch Bar. New privacy control settings and a feature that allows users to more easily collect images, text, and notes from the web have been announced but are not available yet. A link to the download page is available."
Sockly (GitHub Repo). Sockly is an easy way to work with an API over WebSockets or a WebRTC data channel. It can be used on any p2p application on the web that uses WebSockets or RTCDataChannel. Sockly creates a proxy that intercepts property gets/sets and method calls. It then handles the underlying message passing with the other end of the socket.
"The Surprisingly Big Business of Library E-books (11 minute read). The demand for ebooks has risen significantly since the pandemic, especially with libraries allowing patrons to access ebooks to minimize the spread of Covid-19. The shift to ebooks had enormous practical and financial implications for both digital content providers and libraries all over the country. Digital content distributors charge high prices for ebook rights, which could become untenable for libraries in the long run. Readers are likely to want even more digital content in the future. This article discusses the ebook industry, how digital books are lent out by libraries, and the business behind licensing and digital rights."
"Google confirms ‘quantum supremacy’ breakthrough . Google has officially announced that it has achieved quantum supremacy. The paper was accidentally published exactly a month ago, but now that it is official, the full details of the research are available to the public. Google's 54-qubit Sycamore processor was able to perform a calculation in 200 seconds that would have taken the world's most powerful supercomputer 10,000 years to compute. IBM is disputing Google's claims, saying that the same calculation can actually be completed in 2.5 days on a classical system, rather than 10,000 years. According to IBM, Google failed to fully account for plentiful disk storage."
"This Weirdly Smart, Creeping Slime Is Redefining Our Understanding of Intelligence . Physarum polycephalum is a yellow slime mold that can learn, solve complex puzzles, and remember novel substances. It doesn't have a central nervous system or any specialized tissues. Scientists have always assumed that thought required a brain or some type of higher information processing system, but the mold proves otherwise. While the mold is acellular, it still has parts that operate independently, sharing information with its neighboring sections. The article contains pictures and videos of the mold."
"Ask HN: How to found a company as a single founder? (Hacker News Thread). This is a long thread with a lot of good advice for solo founders to get projects off the ground. Build something where you have domain expertise, start small and launch as soon as possible, focus on marketing/growth/sales, and lots of other good advice."
"Scientists Can Now Print Metal Objects That Are Only 25 Nanometers Long . A new 3D printing technique developed by an international group of researchers can print objects out of copper just 25 nanometers in diameter. The electrochemical 3D printing technology could have potential applications in battery technology, microelectronics, and sensor technology. It is based on the familiar process of electroplating."
Here's the Massive Kit Apple Will Send to Your House So You Can Fix Your iPhone . Apple has launched its Self Service Repair program. Customers in the US will now be able to repair their iPhones from home. The unexpectedly large kits will have all the tools required to repair an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 lineup model or the third-generation iPhone SE. They will be rented to customers for $49. A picture of the repair kits is available in the article.
Scientists Spot Signs of Huge Ice Volcanoes on Pluto . Data sent back from NASA's New Horizons mission during its 2015 flyby of Pluto suggested the presence of relatively recent ice volcanoes on the dwarf planet. A recently published study adds more evidence to their existence. The ice volcanoes are found in an area with few impact craters and can reach up to 4.3 miles in height. Their existence suggests that Pluto's interior structure allows for either advanced heat retention or more heat overall than was previously anticipated. Ice volcanoes have also been discovered in other parts of the solar system.
"Defectors from SpaceX and Blue Origin are developing a remarkable technology called 'Stargate' to help colonize other planets . Relativity Space is a startup that is using 3D printing to make rocket parts. This will be especially crucial for missions in space colonies, where it isn't feasible to build a new factory. The goal of the company is to eventually be able to 3D print a full rocket using Stargate, the largest metal 3D printer on Earth. Stargate has cameras, sensors, and software which can help it detect errors when printing highly complex parts. Relativity Space believes that it will be able to print 95% of the parts needed to build a rocket by 2020, where current rocket companies are only 3D printing about 1% of their parts."
"Successfully Merging the Work of 1000+ Developers . Shopify changes 40 times a day. It uses a trunk-based development workflow and around 400 commits to master are merged daily. There are many challenges with collaborating with a large team of over 1,000 developers. To solve these issues, Shopify upgraded its Merge Queue tool so it integrates with GitHub, runs continuous integration (CI) before merging to master, removes pull requests that failed CI, and maximizes deployment throughput of pull requests. Masters must always be passing CI, stay close to production, and emergency merges must be fast. By upgrading its tools and integrating these rules, Shopify was able to overcome their issues with scaling."
"Timsort — the fastest sorting algorithm you’ve never heard of . Timsort is a very fast stable sorting algorithm built for the real world. It was created for Python in 2001. Timsort works by first analyzing the list it is trying to sort and then choosing an approach based on that analysis. It is the default sorting algorithm in Python, Java, Android, and GNU Octave. It has great performance on arrays with preexisting internal structure and it is able to maintain a stable sort."
"DNA Jumps Between Animal Species. No One Knows How Often (12 minute read). Herrings and smelts, two unrelated species of fish, share the same gene for producing antifreeze proteins, providing proof that horizontal gene transfer is possible. The two species of fish are unable to produce offspring, so the gene wasn't inherited through normal sexual channels. Other animals also show transposable elements, with the vast majority found in fish. The antifreeze gene was likely transferred through a process similar to sperm-mediated gene transfer, a technique used by genetic engineers. Other gene transfers may be caused by parasites, but more research is required to test this theory."
"Facebook details AI that can understand videos . Learning from Videos is a project from Facebook that uses AI to automatically learn audio, textual, and visual representations from videos. The project has led to improvements in Facebook's core AI systems and will enable entirely new experiences. This article explores some of Facebook's AI systems, including Generalized Data Transformations, wav2vec 2.0, Audio Visual Textual, TimeSformer, and speech recognition."
"TikTok is racing to stop the spread of a gruesome video . A video showing a man shooting himself with a gun has been circulating on TikTok. The clip was originally streamed on other social media sites, but it is harder for users to avoid videos on TikTok's platform. Users on the site have posted videos warning their followers about the video. TikTok has systems that automatically flag clips that violate its policies and are banning accounts that are repeatedly trying to upload the clip."
"Snapchat’s new feature lets creators build AR experiences for landmarks in their communities . Snapchat's new Custom Landmarkers feature lets creators build unique AR experiences for local places. It is now accessible in Lens Studio after first being teased at an event in December. Custom landmarkers are discoverable through physical Snapcodes or through creator profiles. Snapchat has a community of 250,000 Lens creators building experiences for its platform. Some creators received early access to the feature and have already launched AR experiences in their communities."
"I took a job at Amazon, only to leave after 10 months (12 minute read). This article details a software engineer's experience of working at Amazon. It includes an overview of the interview and hiring process and delves into what it is like working at the company. The experience could help inform others about the pros and cons of working for Amazon as an engineer, as well as provide clues on how to be successful in the company."
"Peanut (GitHub Repo). Peanut is a tool for deploying databases and services for development and testing pipelines. It features a REST API, an admin dashboard, and a command-line tool. Peanut supports MySQL, Redis, PostgreSQL, Elasticsearch, MongoDB, and many more services. Screenshots are available."
"Paladin publicly launches Knighthawk, a first response drone for cities . The Knighthawk is a drone designed for emergency response personnel. It has a 10x optical zoom camera, a thermal camera, and 55 minutes of flight time. 911 operators can place a pin on a map to direct the drone to sites within seconds of a call being made. No special hardware needs to be installed in the city for the drones to process their surroundings. The FAA has strict rules around visual line of sight for drone operators, so the company behind the Knighthawk has to collect extensive data to get operating waivers, which it has done so far for the two cities it works with."
Entropic (GitHub Repo). Entropic is a package registry that is designed to be self-hosting and will proactively mirror all dependencies so that each instance is self-sufficient. It is designed so that installs are not dependent on resources that may vanish. All packages published to Entropic are public and can have a list of maintainers specified by the owner. The project is still very new and is only over a month old.
"Rules for Autocomplete . While Autocomplete seems like it should be an easy problem to solve, many UIs get it wrong, and this is a list of rules that UIs often break. There are cases where these rules don't apply, for example, when a field requires filling a value from a fixed list, but generally, following these rules should result in at least a sane experience. A list of optional features is also provided that would make sense for certain types of autocompletion."
"React Arborist (GitHub Repo). React Arborist is a fully-featured tree component for React. It provides all the common features expected in a tree, for example, it can open and close folders, efficiently show thousands of items, rename items, and drag and drop to reorder files. A live demo is available."
"Leaked Documents Show How Amazon's Astro Robot Tracks Everything You Do . Amazon's new Astro home robot is designed to track behavior to help it perform its surveillance and helper duties. According to leaked documents, its person recognition system is heavily flawed. People who had worked on the project have criticized the robot's navigational abilities and build quality and cited privacy concerns. Astro is supposed to learn over time, so it has to track the humans around it and learn about its environment. It is designed to handle a lot of the data processing on device."
"Brave’s search engine lets you customize your results . Brave Search has launched a new feature called Goggles that lets users create and apply custom filters that change how their results are ranked. The feature will allow developers to create filters with functions such as removing tech blogs, removing Pinterest, or filtering out posts from the 1,000 most-viewed sites on the web. Several demo Goggles are now available, but Brave will delete these once developers start creating their own. Brave Search is now out of beta."
"Google’s Message app can now handle iMessage reactions, challenges Apple with new features . Google rolled out several product updates today, including improvements to Google Messages, Android widgets, Google TV, Google Photos, Nearby Share, Android Auto, and Accessibility features. Google's Messages app now features iMessage reactions, reply reminders, separate tabs for business and personal messages, birthday reminders, Google Photos integration, and more. Apple's refusal to use the RCS standard for messaging has resulted in many users turning to third-party messaging apps. Details about the improvements to Google's Messaging app are available in the article."
"How To Develop A Cryptocurrency – The Complete Guide (30 minute read). This tutorial teaches developers how to create a cryptocurrency using Solidity and the ERC20 Token standard. Readers will learn how to develop and deploy Ethereum Smart Contracts, create ERA20 Tokens, set up local Ethereum development environments, deploy on Polygon Mumbai, and visualize custom tokens on MetaMask. No previous Solidity knowledge is required."
"Google Maps’ AR directions will soon show landmarks to help orient you . Google is adding new features to the augmented reality mode of Google Maps. Users will now be able to see visual cues marking landmarks in Live View, including information for how far away the landmark is and directions to the landmark. The feature will go live soon on both Android and iOS, with support for 25 cities. Additional features to Live View include location sharing, increased accuracy, and easier access to some features. There are two GIF demos showing Live View's new AR features in the article."
"Meet the Guy Selling Wireless Tech to Steal Luxury Cars in Seconds . New luxury cars now use keyless entry technologies to enter and start vehicles. As with all other technologies, some people have developed methods of breaking through the security used in car technologies in order to break into or steal cars. Devices that can perform these hacks sell for thousands of dollars each. Police departments have seen an increase in vehicle robberies which involve a variety of electronic tools. These devices use different techniques and they can work on many vehicles as long as they have the same vulnerability. The devices can be very cheap to make as long as you have the knowhow. It is not illegal to buy or sell them in the US."
Microplastics are confirmed in human blood for the first time . Researchers from the Netherlands have detected multiple types of microplastics in the blood of nearly 80% of human participants in a study. Microplastics can move freely throughout the body and become stuck in organs. Scientists are still trying to understand the health effects of microplastics in the body. Microplastics are everywhere and could be linked to many diseases.
"Meta is opening its first retail store next month . Meta is opening its first hardware retail store on its campus at Burlingame, California on May 9. The store will have areas for visitors to demo Portal devices, Quest virtual reality headsets, and Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses. It will open from 11 AM to 6 PM Monday through Friday. The store will allow Meta to experiment with its in-store customer experience and help define its future retail strategy."
"World's First Underground Hotel is Set to Open Next Month Outside Shanghai . Shanghai's Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland is a five star hotel that will be almost entirely underground. The top two floors will be covered in lush green grass, while the remaining 16 floors will extend underground into a mountain quarry. The hotel will have 383 rooms and cover 49,409 square meters. There will be a cascading waterfall at the top of the quarry, and the mountain itself will allow for the hotel to provide bungee jumping and rock climbing activities for the guests."
"Tufts expelled a student for grade hacking. She claims innocence (10 minute read). A veterinary student from Tufts University, Tiffany Filler, has been accused of hacking into the school’s systems in order to manipulate her grades. The university created a case based on log files and database records supplied by the IT department which showed that Filler logged on to the systems under a pseudonym and manipulated her own and other students’, with details about the time and location of access. Filler was not given a chance to defend herself and was immediately expelled from the school. The student was able to later provide evidence that her laptop had been compromised with a Remote Access Trojan, as well as evidence that she was not at the locations that the IT department had provided at the times the alleged hacks occurred. Despite the evidence, Filler was not able to defend herself and was not allowed to continue her education at the school."
SpaceX’s Starship user guide details how it could replace the Space Shuttle and offer comfy passenger flights . The first version of SpaceX's Starship spacecraft user manual has been released. It is not as detailed as SpaceX's manuals for other spacecraft but it provides insight into how the Starship will be used. Starship will be able to transport plenty of cargo into space and can be configured to support as many as 100 people. SpaceX will be launching Starships from both the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Boca Chica in Texas.
"Snapchat Cameo edits your face into videos . Snapchat will launch a new feature that will allow people to replace faces in videos with their own. Cameos will be an alternative to Bitmoji for conveying emotions, reactions, or silly situations in Snapchat messages. Some French users were recently able to access a test version of the feature. Users will be able to access Cameo through the Bitmoji button. Several short looping videos are available, and users will be able to choose from a few generated videos that will show different facial reactions. Cameos might keep Snapchat messaging interesting, which is critical since other apps have started to gain success by copying Snapchat's other core features. Snapchat has only started monetizing its messaging service by placing ads inside social games."
"Israel to become first in world to test oral COVID-19 vaccine . Oravax is testing an oral vaccine in preclinical trials against Covid-19 variants. The vaccine is based on an oral delivery technology that can be used to administer several protein-based therapies that would otherwise be delivered by injection. It targets three structural proteins of the novel coronavirus and should be more resistant to variants. An oral vaccine would be easier to distribute, and people would be able to self-administer it at home. Oral medications tend to have fewer side effects."
"The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience' Hits PS5 and Xbox Series X/S . Epic Games has released The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience, a tech demo with ultra-realistic visuals and open-world environments. The 11-minute video shows off features from UE5 such as World Partition, Nanite, Lumen, MetaHuman Creator, and Chaos. It begins with an introduction from Neo and Trinity and then goes on to show scenes from the game and gameplay footage. The video is available in the article."
"Which abandoned proprietary software would you resurrect? (Hacker News Thread). This is a big Hacker News thread with over 500 comments on old software that people miss. Get ready for a trip down memory lane, featuring a surprising amount of love for Windows Phone!"
"Refresh your browser monitoring solution with more integrated user metrics (Sponsor). Enjoy a streamlined web monitoring experience with our latest enhancements to Browser. Users now have the ability to analyze web traffic by browser and device type, filter user data by geography, and display Core Web Vitals front and center. Learn more."
"Interviews.school (Website). Interviews.school is a website to help developers prepare for software engineering interviews. It covers topics such as resumes, mock interviews, and algorithms. The site was created by an ex-Google software engineer who has had job offers from Google, Facebook, Uber, and Amazon. Each section has exercises and questions at the end to help the reader better understand the material."
"Dating app Bumble preparing for an IPO above $6 billion . Bumble is preparing for an Initial Public Offering early next year, possibly seeking a valuation of between $6 billion to $8 billion. No plans have been finalized and the timing of the IPO could change. The pandemic forced several companies to postpone their debuts earlier this year, but the US capital markets have made a stunning recovery."
"TSMC: How a Taiwanese chipmaker became a linchpin of the global economy (16 minute read). Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is the largest chipmaker in the world. It is building a new plant to make 3-nanometer chips that are expected to be up to 70 percent faster and more power-efficient than the most advanced chips in production now. The company has largely gone unnoticed as the chips it manufactures are sold in branded products. Due to global chip shortages, in combination with political factors, TSMC is possibly the most important company in the world that few people have heard of."
"hyperfine (GitHub Repo). hyperfine is a command-line benchmarking tool. It is able to show statistical analysis across multiple runs, support arbitrary shell commands, provide constant feedback about benchmark progress, detect statistical outliers, export results to various platforms, and more. It is cross-platform and be run on Linux, macOS, and Windows systems."
Twitter starts testing new CoTweets feature that lets two accounts co-author a tweet . The CoTweets feature allows two accounts to co-author a tweet and both be tagged in a single tweet.
"Apple now lets apps send ads in push notifications . Apple will start allowing apps to use push notifications for advertisements, as long as users agree to receive the ads first. Users will have to explicitly opt-in to receive push notification ads, and there must also be an option for users to opt-out. Apple has bent its own rules over the past few years by sending out push notifications that were borderline advertisements. This behavior was criticized as other companies could have their App Store accounts banned for the same behavior. Apple's intention was for users to not be spammed with marketing messages, and the new policy relaxes these rules while still allowing users control over what they see. There were a few other updates regarding Apple's App Store rules, including an April 30 deadline for when Sign in with Apple has to be implemented."
"Why airlifting rhinos upside down is critical to conservation . Some remote locations can't be reached by road, so ten years ago, conservationists started occasionally using helicopters to move rhinos between territories. The rhinos are transported upside down because it is faster, easier, and less expensive than using stretchers. It is also the better option for their health. The position allows the spine to stretch, opening up the airways, and the faster process means the animals are sedated for less time. Pictures of rhinos being airlifted are available."
Apple developing new ‘Apple Pay Later’ service to let customers buy any Apple Pay purchases in monthly installments . Apple is working on a new service called Apple Pay Later that will allow users to buy products and pay them off in monthly installments. It will be directly integrated with Apple Pay. Apple will partner with Goldman Sachs for the service. The rollout will likely draw scrutiny from regulatory bodies. Apple is currently under investigation by the European Commission over claims that it unfairly advantages Apple Pay over rival contactless payment systems on the iPhone.
"Huawei overtakes Apple in annual race to Samsung’s smartphone crown . Huawei overtook Apple to become the world's second best selling smartphone manufacturer in 2019. Samsung remained in the lead, with Xiaomi and Oppo making up the rest of the top five. Huawei is still on the USA's entity list, which means that it can't install Google's apps and services on its new devices. 60 percent of Huawei phone sales were in China. While Apple ended up as third for the year, it beat out Samsung in the last quarter due to its iPhone 11 sales. Samsung will be launching its flagship Galaxy S20 series next month, and Apple is set to launch its successor to the iPhone SE soon. Overall, the industry sold fewer phones in 2019 than it did in 2018."
Red Engine (GitHub Repo). Red Engine is a modern scheduling framework for Python applications. It uses elegant syntax and offers more features than Crontab or APScheduler. Red Engine is minimal on the surface but extensive and customizable underneath.
"Blind man helps develop smart cane that uses Google Maps and sensors to navigate the world . The WeWALK smart cane uses ultrasonic sensors to warn users of nearby impediments, touchpad controls to control smartphones, and native integration with Voice Assistant and Google Maps to inform users of nearby stores and infrastructural details. While technology in other areas has developed, visually impaired people are left with using a plain stick to navigate with, which was a frustration with the creators. Blind persons can now be more informed of the details of the environment around them. The WeWALK smart cane is currently being sold for $500 and the creators intend to eventually pair it with ridesharing apps and transportation services to further improve its abilities."
"Huawei officially launches Android alternative HarmonyOS for smartphones . Huawei officially launched HarmonyOS for mobile phones on Wednesday. The OS has been in development since 2016 and it is available for several smart devices, not just for phones and tablets. Huawei's goal is for users to be able to control all HarmonyOS-powered devices on a single control panel. Existing devices will be able to communicate with HarmonyOS devices using a plug-in. Huawei claims that no single line of code in HarmonyOS is identical to code in Android. It is unknown whether the OS is based on Linux."
safer (GitHub Repo). safer is a Python safe file writer that writes either a whole file or nothing. It prevents partial writes or file corruption. safer has been tested on Python 2.7 and 3.4 through to 3.8.
"Waymo’s driverless taxi service can now be accessed on Google Maps . Waymo One can now be accessed and booked through Google Maps. It will be the first fully autonomous ride-hailing option available in the app. Waymo has about 600 vehicles in its US fleet, with about 300 to 400 of those in the Phoenix area. Waymo One only uses driverless vehicles, so any vehicle that pops up on Maps will be driverless. Users will still need the Waymo app to book rides."
"How Andrea Ghez Won the Nobel for an Experiment Nobody Thought Would Work . Andrea Ghez was the winner of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics. For the last 25 years, she has focused almost exclusively on Sagittarius A, a supermassive black hole with the mass of four million suns that resides at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Ghez accomplished her research by modifying and using existing equipment in novel ways. The rapid turnaround from the engineers who modified the tools for her research was one of the main reasons for Ghez's success. In addition to her research, Ghez created the UCLA Galactic Center Group to coordinate research and technical developments. Her work has inspired scientists everywhere, and she serves as a role model for what ability, grit, and commitment can accomplish."
"Made By Google (Youtube Live Stream). Google is having its big annual event tomorrow where it will announce the new Google Pixel, Google Home, and more. This Youtube live stream will start at 11am ET, 5 hours after you receive this email."
"Motional reveals its Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric robotaxi . Motional has revealed its Hyundai all-electric Ioniq 5 SUV robotaxi. The vehicle has more than 30 sensors that provide 360 degrees of vision and the ability to see up to 300 meters away. Customers will be able to access the robotaxis starting in 2023 through the Lyft app. Motional is a $4 billion joint venture between Aptiv and Hyundai. The Ioniq 5 features displays that allow riders to interact with the vehicle during the ride. It still has a steering wheel and other features found in traditional vehicles, but passengers will not be allowed to sit in the driver's seat. Pictures of the robotaxi are available in the article."
"Rolls-Royce Is Building Snake Robots to Fix Jet Engines . Rolls-Royce has designed new robots to inspect and repair its turbofan engines as part of its IntelligentEngine vision. Two types of snake-like robots were revealed. COBRA is controlled by an engineer using fully-immersive virtual reality equipment in order to view what is inside an engine, and FLARE is able to make repairs to thermal coatings inside of jet engines without the need to remove the engine from the aircraft wing. A third type of robot called SWARM is a small machine that allows engineers to view a jet engine in action from the interior without needing to dismantle any parts. These robots are still in testing phases, but the results have been promising, and they demonstrate what the future of aircraft repair might look like."
"Jordan Peterson Announces Free Speech Platform ‘Thinkspot’ . Jordan Peterson has announced the development of a new social media platform, Thinkspot. The platform aims to provide users the best features of other social media, but without the censorship. Current social media platforms ban users for offenses such as misgendering someone or making negative comments towards certain groups. Thinkspot will also subsidize content creators directly with a payment system similar to Patreon. It will have a minimum word limit for posts, which Peterson hopes will encourage more thoughtful discussions. Content can also be voted on by users. Comments which receive too many negative votes will be automatically hidden by the platform, but not deleted. Thinkspot is currently in beta and will be launched in August."
"How does the brain interpret computer languages? . Researchers studying how the brain interprets code found that the multiple demand network, a part of our brain responsible for intense mental tasks, was most active when reading code. The multiple demand network is spread across the frontal and parietal lobes of the brain. Reading Python code activated both the left and right sides of the multiple demand network. The brain does not appear to process code like language or maths, but as its own thing."
"Dropbox to cut 11% of its global workforce . Dropbox is letting go of 315 employees, about 11% of the company. Its chief operating officer will leave the company on February 5. Dropbox shifted to remote work in October and plans to continue to do so after the pandemic ends. It will open Dropbox Studios in San Francisco, Seattle, Austin, and Dublin for its employees to work together in person when it is safe to do so. Dropbox's stocks have dropped by more than 6% since Wednesday."
"996.ICU (GitHub Repo). 996.ICU refers to a phrase in China regarding the work culture, where if you work the ‘996’ work schedule, you’ll risk ending up in the Intensive Care Unit. This repository is a project by Chinese developers to protest the 9am-9pm, 6 days a week work schedule. Developers can ‘star’ the repository to show solidarity with their international colleagues in improving their work conditions."
"World Builders Put Happy Face On Superintelligent AI . The Future of Life Institute has organized a world-building competition where teams are asked to imagine a positive future with superintelligent AI. There is a prize of up to $140,000 that will be divided up among multiple winners. The contest aims to counter the common dystopian narrative of artificial intelligence. Many scientists in the field believe that it is essential to begin work on AI safety now before superintelligence is achieved. The winners of the contest will be announced on June 15. Examples of entries are available in the article."
"14 Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Software Engineer (10 minute read). To be a successful software engineer, you should first understand what the job entails and what skills are required to succeed. Software engineers don't just code all day. A software engineer's responsibilities also involve leading design discussions, communicating with stakeholders, and collaborating with peers. It is important to try to get as much experience as possible on real-world teams and projects. Successful engineers usually have a vision that they are able to communicate, are detail-oriented and hardworking, and are always learning."
"Moore's Law for Everything (16 minute read). The costs for technology have dropped over the last few decades, and AI is set to make everything even cheaper. Machines will be able to do everything in the next few decades, including changing what we mean by 'everything'. With the drop in costs looming, we need to start thinking of new ways to distribute wealth in society. This article discusses one potential option for the distribution of wealth in the future."
"TXQR (GitHub Repo). Ok this is really cool, TXQR is a protocol that lets you transfer data via animated QR codes. There's a demo gif in the readme where they transfer a picture of a duck using a QR code scan. It can transfer files at up to 25kB/s so it seems like you could probably send some pretty big files with this."
"Google releases Android 13 developer preview #1 . Google released the Android 12L Developer Preview #3 on February 9 and the Android 13 Developer Preview #1 on February 10. The final version of Android 12L is due in March. Android 13 will feature more Material You color options, a new notification opt-in system for users, per-all language preferences, themed icons, a new photo picker that doesn't need storage access, and much more. It is due for release later in the year. More details about the new features in Android 13 are available in the article."
"Become an effective engineering manager with Reforge (Sponsor). To succeed as managers, engineering managers must build upon the skills that made them excel as individual contributors. With Reforge's Engineering Management Program, you'll learn how to effectively manage engineering work, stakeholders, your team, and yourself. Created by Nick Caldwell (Twitter) and Heidi Williams (Grammarly). Learn more."
"Minister in Charge of Japan's Cybersecurity Says He Has Never Used a Computer . Yoshitaka Sakurada, Japan's cybersecurity minister, says that when computer use is necessary ""I order my employees or secretaries"" to do it, adding ""I don't type on a computer."" When questioned about whether allowing USB drives in nuclear power plants was a security risk, Sakurada didn't know what a USB drive was. One Japanese lawmaker said ""I can't believe that a person who never used a computer is in charge of cybersecurity measures."""
"Checklist Design (Website). Checklist Design is a collection of the best UX and UI practices. The page lists topics regarding different types of pages and page components. Each topic has features that should appear on every page, additional options for these features, and also resources for further research into best practices. Many topics are still being written, and suggestions for the page can be tweeted directly to the page owner."
"Hologram-like device animates objects using ultrasound waves . A device that produces 3D animated objects that can talk to and interact with people has been unveiled by researchers in Sussex. The device uses ultrasound waves to levitate a polystyrene bead and move it around at high speeds to trace shapes in the air. LEDs that are built into the display shine light onto the bead to create color. The bead moves at speeds approaching 20 mph. By manipulating the ultrasonic field, the scientists can make the objects produce sounds and allow users to interact with the objects. The current prototype is able to make 3D objects inside a 10cm-wide cube of air. This technology has the potential to improve 3D printing, as it may be possible to levitate different materials to be dropped into place. The ultrasound waves are able to create precise patterns, so objects feel just as rich and dynamic as they appear on the display."
Signal adds a face blurring tool its secure messaging app . Signal is rolling out a face blurring feature to help its users stay anonymous. The feature can be accessed through a new button in the app's image editor. Users will also be able to manually blur out other areas of the image. All images are processed locally on users' devices. Signal has seen a recent spike in use and the company is trying to figure out additional ways to support its users.
"Elon Musk's brain-chip company, Neuralink, released a video of a monkey playing video games with its mind . Neuralink released a video last week that showed a macaque monkey using wireless neural interface tech to play video games. The company has boasted about its tests on primates before, but this is the first time it has been demonstrated in public. Scientists have been using primates to test neural interfaces for decades. Neuralink's wireless interface is a significant advance in neural interface technology. The video is available in the article."
"'Computers are marvellous!': older people embrace internet in lockdown . The pandemic has encouraged older people to venture online. Many are now discovering online shopping, video chat, and all the other things the internet has to offer. The internet has helped many seniors connect with other people during a time of isolation. This article contains stories from several seniors who have had their lives changed by the internet during lockdown."
"Microsoft’s new London store is big, bold, and British . Microsoft’s new flagship store has opened in Oxford Circus, on the corner of Regent Street and Oxford Street in London. The store’s three levels are filled with Surface devices, HoloLens headsets, and a big Xbox gaming lounge. It took two years for Microsoft to develop the store, which included restoring many of the store location’s historical features. The store is only a few doors away from Apple’s retail store on Regent Street, but this is because both companies were searching for premium locations. Microsoft will be in a better position to serve its customers, even if they had just purchased Apple products. Over four million people visit Oxford Street each week, so the store will be busy."
"Breaking Down JSON Web Tokens (JWTs). We've been talking with developers about JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) and the questions that usually come up are around how to secure them, pros and cons, and how to revoke JWTs. Here are the answers to all of your burning JWT questions. Download the eBook today!"
"Adorable redesigned emoji—including Clippy—included in latest Windows 11 update . Microsoft will add redesigned emoji in the next Windows 11 update. The new emoji match up better with Apple's, Google's, and Samsung's designs. There are a few Microsoft-specific touches, such as a Clippy design for the paperclip emoji. The update is optional for now. It will be installed automatically for users next month. Windows 10 users will not be getting the new emoji designs. A small selection of the new designs are available in the article."
"ipv4.cat (Website). ipv4.cat is a server that replies with a remote address on all TCP ports. It can be used to determine your public IP address from the command line. ipv4.cat can be used to check for outbound firewall blocks. It returns a raw TCP response, which means it doesn't require an HTTP client."
"Things I Learned Building Data Privacy Vaults at Netflix (Sponsor). Things I Learned Building Data Privacy Vaults at Netflix . Giants like Netflix, Apple, and Google have solved the many challenges around data privacy, compliance, and security, and they’ve done it without compromising speed of innovation. How? By using data privacy vaults to handle every bit of their PII and PCI data.Learn more about data privacy vaults and how your company can use them to easily manage sensitive data in the free on-demand webinar: Things I Learned Building Data Privacy Vaults at Netflix."
"Facebook buys game studio BigBox VR . Facebook has acquired BigBox VR, the game studio that made Population: One, a popular Fortnite adaptation in virtual reality. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Many of the developers from Oculus Studios are still building titles for Valve's Steam store, but non-Facebook VR platforms seem to be shrinking. The Oculus Quest 2 has outsold all of Facebook's previous devices combined in its first few months."
"He escaped the Dark Web’s biggest bust. Now he’s back (11 minute read). Over four years ago, the US Department of Justice took down AlphaBay in the biggest dark web market bust in history. The market's number-two administrator has relaunched AlphaBay with revamped technical protections. Users can now only use Monero, a cryptocurrency designed to be difficult to trace. The site can be accessed using I2P as well as Tor. It features a new system called AlphaGuard that will allow users to retrieve their funds even if the site has been taken offline. Many more details about the marketplace are available in the article."
"Glassdoor's Best Places To Work 2019 (List). This is Glassdoor's annual best places to work list. Bain (the consulting firm) comes in at #1, Zoom Video (the teleconferencing software) comes in at #2, and In and Out Burger makes it in at #3! For big tech companies, LinkedIn is #6, Facebook is #7, Google is #8, Salesforce is #11, and Microsoft is #34. It looks like Netflix and Amazon didn't make the top 100 list."
"Design made simple, for everyone (Sponsor). Design made simple, for everyone . Canva makes it easy to design anything. From pitch decks and product prototypes, to greetings and more — there's a template for any design need. Learn more."
"Volta (Website). Volta is a JavaScript tool manager. It makes installing and running any JavaScript tool a quick and seamless process, ensuring that everyone in the team has the same tools without interrupting workflow. Volta works on all platforms and has support for multiple package managers."
"GitHub is now free for teams . All of the core GitHub features are now free for everyone. Developers now have access to private repositories with unlimited collaborators. Paid plans are still available for advanced features, enterprise features, or personal support. The price of the paid Team plan is now $4 per user/month."
"Quantum computing for the very curious (1 hour 30 minute read). Computers are a fundamental feature of the universe. Quantum computing is a notoriously difficult subject, and understanding even the basics of how it works requires some mathematical background. This essay explains how quantum computers work, exploring the details of quantum computing and the basic principles of quantum mechanics. Links to resources that provide the required mathematical basics are provided."
"JWT.IO (Website). JSON Web Token is an internet standard for securing data. It is a useful tool for authorization and information exchange. JWT.IO allows developers to decode, verify, and generate JWT. A list of libraries for token signing and verification, sorted by programming languages, is available."
"Major book publishers sue Amazon’s Audible over new speech-to-text feature . Seven book publishers have jointly filed a lawsuit against Audible because of a new speech-to-text feature that they claim is a violation of copyright law. A new feature called Captions allows users to view a transcribed text of an audiobook as it plays. It is restricted to view only the section where the audio is currently playing, generating text as the audio is played. The US Authors Guild claims that the feature is copyright infringement and would lead to fewer ebook sales and lower royalties for authors. Amazon says that the feature was designed to help people to engage with reading more through listening, and that Captions was never intended to be used to produce text copies of books."
"Elon Musk announces Tesla layoffs, warns about weak Q4 profits . Tesla is laying off about 7% of its workforce in order to make their ""cars, batteries, and solar products cost-competitive with fossil fuels."" Currently the cheapest Tesa is the Model 3, which costs $44,000, Elon Musk wants to get it down to $35,000. Earlier this month, Tesla cut the price of its cars by $2000 to offset a $3750 reduction in federal electric car tax credits. ""The road ahead is very difficult"" says Musk."
Musk to Tesla and SpaceX workers: Be in the office 40 hours a week or quit . Elon Musk sent out memos telling Tesla and SpaceX employees to work in the office for at least 40 hours per week or leave the company. Employees must work at an office where their colleagues are located and not a remote branch office unrelated to their job duties. Exceptions will be reviewed by Musk directly. Twitter recently told its employees that they can make their own decisions about where they want to work. The company has warned that it may experience a departure of employees before Musk's deal to buy the Twitter is closed.
"Facebook is opening its experimental predictions app to all users . Forecast, Facebook's community for crowdsourced predictions and collective insights, is now available for people in the US and Canada to participate in. Anyone can view the website, but people in other countries are not able to participate yet. The platform presents questions that people can answer and provide short responses. Facebook's tests found that requiring people to explain how they arrived at their answers encouraged measured, respectful conversation. A link to the Forecast website is available in the article. It is also available as an iOS app."
"MoviePass Has Officially Shut Down, And We Don't Know If There Will Be A Sequel . MoviePass, the subscription service where users could watch as many movies as they wanted for $9.95 a month, has shut down. When MoviePass launched, subscriptions were around $40 a month, but the price lowered as the number of subscribers increased, resulting in large losses for the company. MoviePass executives had hoped that studios would use the service to promote their films and monetize data from subscribers, but that never happened. Eventually, the company ran out of cash and was surviving on loans. It resorted to restricting the number of movies subscribers could watch, among other tactics. Existing subscribers will be given appropriate refunds for the period of service they have paid for."
"Elon Musk Reveals Release Date and Price for Boring Company's Eco Bricks . Elon Musk's Boring Company, a company that digs tunnels, will be selling bricks made from the dirt excavated from the tunnels they are digging. The bricks will be available in 2 months, and will cost 10 cents per brick. Bricks will be free for affordable housing projects."
"China Confirms First Human Infection of H10N3 Bird Flu . China's National Health Commission has confirmed the first case of human infection with H10N3, a strain of bird flu. The patient survived and there were no other cases. Widespread transmission of the disease is extremely unlikely as it is a low pathogenic strain of the virus. There are many strains of bird flu, but they mainly affect those who work with poultry regularly. The worst instance of bird flu in China killed around 300 people between 2016 and 2017."
"TikTok is reportedly testing a job recruitment tools . TikTok is testing a recruitment tool to help people find jobs and to help companies, recruiters, and brands find candidates. Job listings will be posted on a web page separate from the app. Applicants will be able to post video resumes. The tool could help many young adults get in touch with hiring brands. Users might want to set up secondary accounts to avoid losing out on jobs over ill-advised posts."
"npm is joining GitHub . GitHub has signed an agreement to acquire npm, a critical part of the JavaScript world. It is home to over 1.3 million packages with 75 billion downloads a month. npm will still be always available and always free. The npm team will now seek to invest in the registry infrastructure and platform, improve the core npm experience, and engage with the community. GitHub and npm integration will improve the security of the open-source software supply chain and allow users to trace changes from a GitHub pull request to the npm package version that fixed it. npm Pro, Teams, and Enterprise customers who host private registries will continue to receive support and will be able to move packages over to GitHub Packages later in the year."
"Chinese submarine reaches the deepest place on Earth . Fendouzhe, a Chinese submersible more than a decade in the making, reached a depth of 35,791 feet (10,909 meters) at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. The submersible completed 13 dives in the area, with eight of those dives exceeding 32,808 feet (10,000 meters). It collected sediment, rock, and biological samples from the bottom of the trench while the crew overcame difficulties such as typhoons, rains, and high temperatures. The depth world record is still held by a private equity investor who dived to 35,873 feet (10,934 meters) in June. A 44-second video summary of the event showing footage of the vessel is available in the article."
Elon Musk offers to buy Twitter in takeover attempt . Elon Musk has made an offer to buy 100% of Twitter for $54.20 per share in cash. The offer values Twitter at around $43 billion. Musk believes that Twitter must go private for it to change. He will reconsider his position as a shareholder if the offer is not accepted. The Twitter board met to discuss the offer but it is unclear if a decision has been reached. A copy of the offer letter sent by Musk to Twitter is available at the end of the article.
"Apple reportedly planning three iPhones for 2019, one with new triple-camera system . Apple will unveil three new iPhones this year, one with an LCD screen that will be a successor to the iPhone XR. The high end phone will have 3 rear cameras to compete with new multi-camera Android phones. They are considering going OLED-only for their 2020 iPhones which could raise prices."
tsParticles (GitHub Repo). tsParticles is a lightweight TypeScript library for creating particles. It is almost completely dependency-free (it requires pathseg for the Polygon Mask feature and Icon Fonts must be included in the page). It is fully compatible with the particles.js configuration - you only need to change the script source to convert it to tsParticles. tsParticles supports custom shapes and presets.
"Exclusive: Apple targets car production by 2024 and eyes 'next level' battery technology . Apple's Project Titan is moving forward with its self-driving car technology. The iPhone maker plans to release a passenger vehicle by 2024. Apple has designed a new battery that could reduce the cost of batteries and increase its vehicles' range. The automotive industry is expensive to enter, and it is unclear whether Apple plans to make its own branded vehicles or partner with an established automaker."
"Apple, Google ban use of location tracking in contact tracing apps . Apple and Google have announced a ban on the use of location tracking in contact tracing apps. The companies are working together to create a contact tracing system that public health authorities will have access to use. Privacy and preventing governments from using the system to compile data on its citizens is a primary goal of the project. Apple and Google's contact tracing system uses Bluetooth signals from phones to detect encounters and doesn't use or store GPS location data. If public health authorities want to continue using GPS data they will need to use unstable and battery draining workarounds. Apple and Google will only allow one app per country to use the system but will support countries that opt for a state or regional approach."
"Meet Dr. B, the startup promising a better way to distribute leftover vaccines . Dr. B is a service that aims to reduce the number of COVID-19 vaccines that will end up in the trash. Up to 30% of vaccine appointments are missed, leaving a thawed vaccination dose that must be used within six hours or be permanently lost. Some of these doses are allowed to expire, but they are usually distributed to whoever is available. Dr. B is designed to serve as a standby list for these situations, making it easier for providers to summon willing patients. More than half a million people in the US have signed up to be on Dr. B's waitlist."
Twitter for iOS begins testing dislike button for some users . Twitter is in the early stages of testing a dislike button for some users on iOS. Dislikes will not be shown publicly and they won't be visible to the author. Twitter is using the button to see what people think is valuable to a conversation. It is unknown whether Twitter will expand the feature.
"Ask HN: What are weird and/or novel ways to do web UIs? (Hacker News Thread). Some websites have weird user interfaces. There are companies that do not see the value of investing in a properly designed interface and process, resulting in developers accidentally causing entire systems to collapse. Other websites, trying to distinguish themselves, create strange ways of displaying product information. Some developers have experimented with using products such as Google Slides to create fully functioning websites. This thread is full of anecdotes on strange UI designs."
"Chinese start-up Mobike loses more than 200,000 bikes . Chinese start-up Mobike revealed that 205,600 shared bikes were lost to theft and vandalism during 2019. Shared bikes have become commonplace in cities worldwide. Mobike has a credit score system that rewards and punishes users for good and bad behavior. Offenders may be charged for damage, banned from the service, or reported to the police. Shared bikes are meant for short trips across cities, but some users take them home or discard them in rivers and canals. Mobike has pulled its bikes out of Manchester, Newcastle, and Gateshead after a series of incidents, and Hong Kong-based rival Gobee has pulled out of Europe altogether due to mass destruction of its bike fleet."
"El Salvador Buys Its First 200 BTC a Day Before Its Bitcoin Law Becomes Effective . El Salvador bought 200 bitcoin on Monday. The country's Bitcoin Law went into effect on September 7. A $150 million bitcoin trust has been set up by El Salvador's government to facilitate exchange between bitcoin and US dollars. The Chivo e-wallet will come preloaded with US$30 of bitcoin. Bitcoin will be legal tender in the country, but its use will not be mandatory."
"Defensive CSS (11 minute read). This article contains a collection of CSS snippets that can help developers avoid certain CSS issues. It covers a large range of topics, such as spacing, lock scroll chaining, text over images, and more. In addition to the code snippets, each section explains the issues that can occur and how to avoid them."
"Spotify-owned Anchor can now turn your video chats into podcasts . Anchor is a Spotify-owned app that now allows podcasters to turn their video chats and virtual hangouts into podcast-ready audio. It works with a range of video chat platforms and will also support any .mp4 or .mov file that is uploaded to the service. Anchor allows users to split, trim, and add other edits to audio. It has a built-in library of background music, interludes, sound events, and voice recordings available for use. The service will host podcasts and distribute episodes to all major podcast platforms."
"Uber's big new update lets you book party buses, electric vehicles and more — here's what's new . Uber announced a big new update during its Go/Get virtual event on Monday. The update includes new features such as an option for booking buses or passenger vans, a trip itinerary feature for booking rides through an extended trip, voice ordering through Google Assistant, UberEats at stadiums, an electric vehicle hub and charging map, and more. Uber will add trains, buses, planes, and car rentals to its UK app this summer. Details about the new features are available in the article."
"Apple says apps must offer a way to delete your account starting in early 2022 . Apple has announced a requirement for developers who let users create accounts on their apps to have to offer people a way to delete their accounts in apps too. Developers will have until January 31 to include the option. The rules only require developers to allow users to initiate deletion of their accounts, so apps can still direct users to a website or chat before users can actually close their accounts. App Store pages on the newest Apple platforms in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the US now have a Report a Problem button for reporting app issues directly to Apple."
"StyleGAN2 (GitHub Repo). StyleGAN2 is a style-based GAN architecture for data-driven unconditional generative image modeling. It improves on image quality, and it also makes it possible to reliably detect if an image is generated by a particular network. StyleGAN2 redefines the sate of the art in unconditional image modeling. Videos of StyleGAN2 in action and images of its output are available."
"Mozilla is laying off 250 people and planning a ‘new focus’ on making money . Mozilla is laying off around a quarter of its workforce and will refocus its teams on more profitable projects as its plans before the pandemic are no longer workable. The company makes money through companies paying to make their search engines default, royalties, subscriptions, and advertising. Its revenue has been significantly impacted by the pandemic. Mozilla will now focus on its VPN service, VR chat room, and security and privacy tools. It will reduce investments in some areas, such as in building out developer tools."
Snapchat’s flying camera . Snap has released a camera drone called Pixy. The drone weighs just 101 grams and is small enough to fit in a pants pocket. It can follow users around to capture photos or videos. Pixy's battery can last for five to eight flights at around 10 to 20 seconds each. The footage is synced wirelessly to Snapchat for editing and can be shared directly in the app or elsewhere. A video explaining the Pixy is available in the article.
"Improve Git monorepo performance with a file system monitor (22 minute read). This article discusses the new built-in FSMonitor added in Git version 2.37.0 and how it improves performance on very large worktrees. The Git file system monitor (FSMonitor) feature speeds up commands like git status and git add by reducing the size of the search. These commands are slow as they are searching the entire worktree looking for changes, which can be a problem for very large worktrees. FSMonitor continually watches worktrees to have a complete view of all file system changes."
"Leak reveals Instacart is working on a 15-minute delivery plan . Instacart is planning on testing a 15-minute delivery service that will rely on human shoppers. It will pay a company that manages couriers to fulfill orders from the same grocery stores that Instacart already uses. The service will be competing with several unprofitable startups. It is unknown where the tests will begin, but an early version of the service may launch as soon as February."
"Scientists step up hunt for ‘Asian unicorn’, one of world’s rarest animals . The saola is a rare animal that belongs to an entirely new genus of the bovid family, which includes cattle, sheep, goats, and antelopes. They were discovered in 1992 and have never been seen by a biologist in the wild. Their population has massively declined due to commercial wildlife poaching, even though they are not directly targeted by poachers. Scientists are now working to find the last saolas in order to build a captive breeding program."
"Samsung officially confirms Galaxy S21 event for January 14th . Samsung will announce its latest lineup of Galaxy flagship phones on January 14th. It is expected to announce three new smartphones at the event: the Galaxy S21, S21 Plus, and S21 Ultra. Samsung may also announce a new Tile competitor and a new set of Galaxy Buds Pro wireless earbuds. The event teaser video is available in the article."
"DigitalOcean is laying off staff, sources say 30-50 affected . DigitalOcean appointed a new CEO and CFO last summer. It is looking to further reorganize, with a round of layoffs potentially affecting 30 to 50 people. The cloud infrastructure provider had around 500 total employees. DigitalOcean has $275 million in annual recurring revenue and more than 500,000 customers globally. Customers have been generally happy with the company since its change in leadership. DigitalOcean competes with some of the biggest companies in tech, including Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. The layoffs may be in preparation for funding or to reserve funds in order to continue competing with other cloud providers."
"This mouse embryo grew in an artificial uterus . A team of researchers In Israel have successfully grown an embryo of a mammal outside of the womb for the first time. The mice embryos were grown using a machine that consists of an incubator and a ventilation system. In the machine, the embryos float in vials filled with nutrient-laden fluid while a wheel gently spins them so that they don't attach to the walls. Meanwhile, the ventilator provides oxygen while maintaining the environment's flow and pressure. The technique will enable scientists to study disorders affecting the growth of mammalian fetuses."
"Soccer superstar Messi is being partly paid in crypto by PSG . Lionel Messi's financial package at Paris Saint Germain includes $PSG Fan Tokens. The two-year deal, with an option for a third, includes an annual salary of $41 million plus bonuses, and a $30 million signing-on fee. It is expected to bring a windfall of commercial revenues, such as through jersey sales. Messi joined PSG as a free agent after Barcelona acknowledged that they could no longer afford him. The $PSG token was designed to help PSG build a new fan community."
"Elon Musk busts Clubhouse limit, fans stream to YouTube, he switches to interviewing Robinhood CEO (15 minute read). Elon Musk recently made a debut on Clubhouse, a platform that lets people join rooms to listen in on conversations between hosts and guests. He talked on a range of topics, including space travel, colonies on Mars, crypto, AI, and Covid-19 vaccines. Musk also interviewed Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev. More than 5,000 people viewed the stream on Clubhouse, breaking the service's previously maintained limits. Links to recordings of the stream are available in the article."
"Stress study shows graying hair is reversible . Scientists from Columbia University have identified the proteins in hair that drive the process of graying and demonstrated how graying might be reversed. The scientists measured hair color changes over several weeks along with the study participants' stress levels. They found a high correlation between stress levels and hair color, including cases where hair graying reversed after an individual's stress was alleviated. Mitochondria play a key role in the process."
"Skyhooks Might Just Make Rockets a Thing of the Past (13 minute read). Skyhooks could make space exploration and travel a more routine affair for our species. A skyhook could sit in orbit and fling spacecraft into space using rotational momentum. Getting rockets into space takes up a lot of fuel. Most of a rocket's mass is due to the storage of this fuel. Using skyhooks would enable spaceships to travel further with less fuel while carrying more useful materials. It is unlikely that a skyhook will be made any time soon, but the benefits are great enough that companies will likely invest in such a system in the future."
"Facebook buys REI’s new HQ for $367M, expanding Seattle-area footprint beyond 3M square feet . Facebook has purchased a brand new 6-acre, 400,000 square-foot complex from REI at the new Spring District development just east of Seattle. The company will maintain its current offices in Seattle. REI was set to move its headquarters but it has decided to sell its properties due to the pandemic and shift to remote work. Facebook had already signed leases for more than 800,000 square feet of office space across three buildings being developed at the Spring District. The companies will both donate $1 million each to Eastrail, a new system that connects Eastside cities. 2,300 employees will be working at the new complex when it opens later this year."
"Pebble founder launches Beeper, a universal chat app that works with iMessage and others . Beeper is a new app that can connect with 15 different messaging services. It is based on a protocol called Matrix, which offers an API that allows developers to connect with other chat networks using a bridge. Beeper is open-sourced, so users can avoid paying Beeper's $10 per month fee and run the bridges on their own servers if they choose. It works with iMessage, but that requires a few extra steps to set up. Beeper works across all major operating systems."
Microsoft Teams enters the metaverse race with 3D avatars and immersive meetings . Microsoft is integrating Mesh directly into Microsoft Teams. Mesh is a collaborative platform for virtual experiences that allows people to participate in meetings using 3D avatars. The software can listen to what is said and animate the avatars accordingly. Mesh integration will be most useful in immersive spaces using AR or VR headsets. Microsoft Teams will be able to start using these virtual spaces and avatars in early 2022.
"How the New York Times A/B tests their headlines . The New York Times is open about the A/B testing it does on its headlines. This article further investigates how exactly the Times tests its headlines using web scraping and data analysis. Roughly 29% of NYT articles have multiple headlines, with some having as many as eight. Most A/B tested articles have just two headlines. Many of the changes are minor. The headlines can change as a story evolves. Most headline swaps are clearly tests looking for more clicks. Headlines tend to get more dramatic as time passes. The A/B testing seems to work, with more headline testing correlating with more engagement."
"Scientists develop an ‘electronic skin’ that can mimic the natural functions of human skin . Electronic skin (e-skin) could play an important role in next-generation personalized medicine, prosthetics, AI, and soft robotics. The ideal e-skin would mimic the natural functions of human skin, such as sensing and touch, while being flexible and durable. A team of scientists has developed a durable e-skin using a hydrogel reinforced with silica nanoparticles and a 2D titanium carbine MXene sensing layer bound together with highly conductive nanowires. The e-skin's conductive pathways to the sensor layer remain intact even when the material is stretched to 28 times its original size. It can sense objects from 20cm away and respond to stimuli in less than one-tenth of a second."
"SvelteKit is in public beta . The SvelteKit beta is now available. SvelteKit is a framework for building high-performance web apps. It features server-side rendering, routing, code-splitting for JS and CSS, adaptors for different serverless platforms, and more. There are still known bugs and several missing features."
"CodeMiko will see you now . CodeMiko is a virtual streamer with over 640,000 followers. The streamer roleplays as a failed video game character who had dreams of being in a Triple-A game but due to glitches is unable to. Miko used to work on the production alone, but now there is a team behind the stream. Her popularity skyrocketed after a tweet went viral in November. Miko started streaming after losing a job at an animation studio in LA in March last year. She invested $20,000 into setting up her stream."
"China orders Alibaba founder Jack Ma to break up fintech empire . Authorities in Beijing have ordered Ant Group to scale back its operations after an investigation into allegations of 'monopolistic practices' by Alibaba. China's central bank had declared Ant's corporate governance as unsound and the company has been ordered to return to its origins as a payment services provider. The company must stop its credit, insurance, and wealth management financial activities. Ant Group has said that it will try to work with regulators to establish a solution."
"This is the highest-resolution image of atoms ever seen . This article features an image of the atoms in a praseodymium orthoscandate crystal, zoomed in 100 million times. The resolution was achieved using an algorithm-powered technique called ptychography. It is the highest resolution image of atoms that has ever been seen. The blurring in the image is caused by the atoms jiggling. Using the technique will enable scientists to locate individual atoms in all three dimensions."
"Great Barrier Reef to be restored by 'coral IVF' . Rising sea temperatures due to climate change have been killing off the Great Barrier Reef. Scientists in Australia are attempting to restore the Great Barrier Reef by using in-vitro fertilization style techniques on coral. They're taking millions of eggs and sperm from the annual coral spawning, then putting them in these floating pools for about a week until the larvae are ready, then reintroducing these larvae to the most damaged parts of the reef. Coral spawning happens once a year and began earlier this week for about a 48-72 hour period. Professor Harrison, one of the project leaders, says the project is ""the largest larval restoration project that's ever been attempted not only on the Great Barrier Reef but anywhere in the world""."
"What China Can Teach the U.S. About Artificial Intelligence . America's freewheeling intellectual environment makes it particularly good at visionary research and moonshot projects. However, AI is now more about implementation than research, and here China's abundant data, hypercompetitive business landscape, and strong central government with great AI ambitions will give it a big advantage over the US. The US misunderstands each of these three dimensions. China's advantage in data comes not only from its larger population, but also from the amount of access companies and the government have to user data. For example, on WeChat, users can buy groceries, book doctor's appointments, manage their electricity and water utilities, and take out microloans. There are no US companies with that level of integration into users' lives. In Silicon Valley there is a sort of stigma about copying, but in China, they are much more pragmatic, with hundreds of copycats emerging the second a startup begins to find traction. Finally the Chinese government understands that AI's influence will be felt not only in the digital world but also the physical one. It is ready to embed sensors in roads, remove red tape in medical research, etc. to get ahead in the AI race. These are things that are harder to do in a two party state like the US, where any misstep can be ammo for the opposition party."
"World’s first lab-grown caviar developed as industry looks to modernise for future generations . Exmoor Caviar, working with scientists from top UK universities, has produced the world's first lab-grown caviar. It is waiting for approval from the Food Standards Agency before selling it on the consumer market. The caviar is grown inside a bioreactor using proteins and lipids derived from fish. There are no animals involved in the process. The process could lower the costs of producing caviar."
"Artificial intelligence yields new antibiotic . Antibiotic development has stagnated over the last few decades and antibiotic resistance has risen in that time. MIT researchers have identified a powerful new antibiotic compound that was able to kill many of the world's most problematic disease-causing bacteria. The compound was even able to kill some strains with resistance to known antibiotics. A machine-learning algorithm was used to screen more than a hundred million chemical compounds and pick out potential antibiotics. The model could potentially be used to find other types of new drugs as well. It can also be used to optimize existing molecules. For example, the model can be trained to find a molecule that only kills a certain bacteria, leaving other beneficial bacteria alive."
"How to Write Better Git Commit Messages – A Step-By-Step Guide . Writing good Git commits can save you and your coworkers hours of digging around while troubleshooting. Collaboration and communication are of utmost importance within engineering teams, and the Git commit message is a prime example of this. This article teaches developers how to write better commit messages with improved grammar, content, conventional commits, and more."
"github1s (GitHub Repo). github1s displays GitHub code inside a browser-based VS Code. To use it, you just need to add '1s' after 'GitHub' in any GitHub URL. A bookmarklet and a Chrome extension is available."
"Samsung announces first mobile chip with AMD ray tracing GPU . Samsung's Exynos 2200 is a new in-house mobile processor that implements a GPU with AMD's RDNA 2 graphics architecture, enabling features like hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Samsung and AMD first announced a licensing deal in 2019 and confirmed the RDNA chip last year. The chip was supposed to be announced at an event on January 11, but the event was delayed. Consumers will likely have to wait until the Galaxy S22 is out before finding out whether the GPU provides any meaningful boost in performance."
"Khaby Lame dethrones Charli D’Amelio as the most-followed TikTok creator . Khaby Lame, a 22-year-old from Senegal famous for wordlessly fixing viral life hacks, is now the most followed creator on TikTok."
"DeepMind's AI agents conquer human pros at Starcraft II . DeepMind has created an AI called AlphaStar that has beaten a team of human pros at Starcraft II 10 games in a row. The humans managed to take one match at the end. While the AI was technically restricted to performing the same number of clicks per minute as a human, it did have some unfair advantages in being able to view the whole map at once, and it was able to move its units with inhuman precision. The AI was built using reinforcement learning, starting out by copying human players and then playing against itself."
"Reddit hires bankers and lawyers as it aims for $15bn IPO . Reddit is hiring investment bankers and lawyers to prepare for an initial public offering. The company was valued at $10 billion last month. Reddit has not yet indicated when the IPO will begin. The site had roughly 52 million daily active users and over 100,000 communities in October last year. It gained millions of new users earlier in the year due to the GameStop trading frenzy. Reddit makes most of its money through advertising, reporting $100 million in advertising revenue in the second quarter."
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pure bash bible (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of pure bash alternatives to external processes. Its goal is to document methods for doing various tasks using only built-in bash features. There are many code snippets available that can help remove dependencies on scripts.
"Fujifilm Created a Magnetic Tape That Can Store 580 Terabytes . Fujifilm has developed a new type of magnetic storage tape that can store 580 terabytes of data. It uses Strontium Ferrite (SrFe), a magnetic particle commonly used for making motor magnets. SrFe has higher magnetic characteristics and 60% less particle volume than its predecessor, while remaining chemically stable, making it ideal for long-term data preservation. Data on the tape is stored at 317 gigabytes per square inch. Tape storage is cheap and it requires no energy, unlike hard drives and flash. If stored properly, data on the new tapes will still be readable in 30 years."
"Payments giant Stripe debuts a credit card in its latest step into the financing fray . Stripe has launched the Stripe Corporate Card, a Visa credit card that is open to businesses that are incorporated in the US. There is no interest rate or fee to use the card, but customers are expected to pay their balance in full each month. Accounts will not be frozen for non-payment. Stripe's strategy is to bring more customers into its payment ecosystem in order to keep them from migrating to other services. Credit cards are a cornerstone of how many businesses operate. The credit card is funded by the same funding that Stripe Capital uses, and businesses will qualify for it based on their existing revenues on Stripe payment platforms."
"#dearMoon (2 minute Youtube video). Yusaku Maezawa, billionaire Japanese entrepreneur and art collector, will be SpaceX's first passenger in its trip around the Moon. He will bring artists (a film director, a painter, a dancer, a novelist, a musician, a fashion designer, a sculptor, a photographer, and an architect) to the moon in order to create new space-inspired art. This is the announcement for the space-inspired art project."
"lax.js (GitHub Repo). lax.js allows web developers to easily create smooth and beautiful scroll animations. It is a very light-weight javascript plugin (2kb when compressed), and it comes with many preset animations. Developers can create their own custom animations if required. A linked page shows the plugin in action."
"The UAE is adopting a 4.5-day workweek and a Saturday-Sunday weekend . The United Arab Emirates is transitioning to a 4.5-day workweek. It will be moving from a Friday to Saturday weekend schedule to a Friday afternoon to Sunday weekend. The UAE is the first nation to formalize a workweek shorter than five days. The changes apply to federal government entities and will take effect at the beginning of next year. Private industry, schools, and universities will likely follow the government's lead. The changes are expected to bring economic and lifestyle benefits."
"Ask HN: How is the remote vs in-person trend looking? (Hacker News Thread). This Hacker News thread discusses current trends in remote vs in-person work. People are getting more fully-remote job offers from recruiters, even if they are looking for in-person work. There is a big difference between working remotely for a small startup or company compared to large companies. Software engineers are in very high demand, so many are able to pick and choose which positions they want to take."
"CDK - Zero Dependency Container Penetration Toolkit (GitHub Repo). CDK is an open-sourced container penetration toolkit that offers stable exploitation in different slimmed containers without any OS dependency. It can gather information inside a container to find and exploit potential weaknesses. CDK contains network-tools and APIs for TCP/HTTP requests, tunnels, and K8s cluster management. A detailed list of its modules is available."
"Samsung announces the Galaxy Z Fold 2 with bigger screens and better cameras . The new Galaxy Z fold 2 handset was officially announced at Samsung's Unpacked event. It features a new camera system, a Snapdragon 865 Plus processor, a larger external display, and hole-punch cameras. The front display is now a full-size 6.2-inch screen and the main display has been increased to 7.6 inches. The folding OLED screen now runs at up to a 120Hz refresh rate. Samsung has switched from plastic for the screens to ultra-thin glass. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 will come in two colors and a limited edition. More information will be available on September 1st. Images are available in the article."
"Why do bats have such bizarrely long lifespans? . For most mammals, as the size of the mammal goes up, its metabolism slows down and its longevity increases. There are exceptions to this rule, including humans. 18 out of 19 species of mammals that live longer than humans given their body size are bats. Bats maintain the ends of their chromosomes to prevent cells from slipping into senescence while managing to keep cells from turning cancerous. They have genes that repair DNA damage and recycle damaged components, as well as genes that help stop cells from dividing. Bats don't seem to have an increase in inflammation as they age. The adaptations could be a product of bats evolving flight."
"Ask HN: Highest paying remote companies? (Hacker News Thread). This Hacker News thread contains discussion about working remotely, tips for gaining employment, and personal anecdotes on the experience of working for different companies remotely, with a focus on high paying roles. Several links are available to databases for companies that hire remotely and there are also links to spreadsheets for salaries of people working remotely."
"Amazon acquires Selz, a Shopify competitor that helps small businesses build online stores . Amazon acquired Selz, a company that makes tools to help businesses launch online stores, on January 15. Shopify has become a significant competitor due to the pandemic. Amazon previously had a service similar to Shopify, but it shut down the project in 2015. Amazon's third-party marketplace has more than 2.5 million sellers, and it accounts for more than half of Amazon's e-commerce sales. Providing tools for businesses to quickly move their operations online could give Amazon a more competitive edge."
"Bob Iger steps down as Disney CEO, replaced by Bob Chapek . Bob Iger has stepped down as CEO of Disney and has been replaced by Bob Chapek. Iger will remain as executive chairman until the end of 2021 as he focuses on more creative endeavors. Disney's successful launch of Disney+ and the integration of Twenty-First Century Fox signals a new era for the company, and so it is an optimal time to transition to a new CEO. Chapek is the seventh CEO in the company's history. Iger has been the face of Disney for the last 15 years, brokering many major deals that have made the company into what it is today."
"'Businesses Will Not Be Able to Hide': Spy Satellites May Give Edge From Above . With the rise of cheap small ""Cube Satellites"", startups are now taking photos and infrared images of factories, retail parking lots, oil tankers, and more and selling these images to hedge funds and banks looking for an edge in gauging economic activity. Governments and human rights groups use the technology as well to track illegal mining and logging operations and large-scale home demolitions. Human Rights Watch says ""This is why we are so committed to these technologies. They make it that much harder to hide large-scale abuses."" A small 10 pound satellite now costs only about $3 million."
The burnout levels of the tech industry are high and real (Website). This website has a quiz that asks about your emotions and perceptions regarding your current job. It then assesses your burnout risk and lists your main risk factors for burnout. The site provides some information about each risk factor. A more detailed report is available after signing up to join the Global IT Burnout Index.
"The Coders Programming Themselves Out of a Job . Okay, I love this article. It's about a number of programmers, mostly posting anonymously or pseudonomously in various online forums or chatrooms about having completely automated their jobs. Some people think it is completely okay to not tell your boss, and keep collecting the same paycheck, after all you are doing the same work you were paid for before. Others feel like this is dishonest. Some programmers report having been fired when it was discovered that they had essentially automated themselves out of a job. One guy knew that management would monitor his screen, so he ran a loop of prerecorded video to hide the fact that he wasn't actually working. Lots of fun stories here. There is also the larger question of who should enjoy the fruits of automation. Despite more and more processes being automated by computers, Americans are working longer hours, wages are stagnant, and all of the gains in productivity are being taken by companies. It is only in these tiny unnoticed cases in which the workers are enjoying the fruits of automation."
"Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will tell Congress that embattled libra crypto project will ‘extend America’s financial leadership’ . Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will testify before the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday about the Libra cryptocurrency project, which has faced heavy opposition from the government since its announcement. The Libra Association has seen its membership reduced to 21 companies after the departures of Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, eBay, Strip, Booking, and Mercado Pago. Facebook has said it will not launch Libra until it receives regulatory approval. Zuckerberg will argue that Libra will extend America's financial leadership and democratic values around the world. He argues against the idea that Libra is an attempt to replace sovereign currency and that Libra was created only to be an alternative to existing online payment systems."
"YouTuber Simone Giertz transformed a Tesla Model 3 into a pickup truck . Tired of waiting for Tesla to release its new Tesla pickup truck, YouTuber Simone Giertz decided to make her own by transforming her Model 3. After a year of planning and designing, a team of mechanics and DIY car modifiers helped Giertz to build the truck, all while being filmed. Elon Musk has been hyping up the Tesla pickup truck for several years, promising that it won’t look anything like other trucks on the market. Giertz says she performed the stunt to celebrate Musk’s products, as a Tesla pickup truck would truly be her dream car. The final video, pictures of the finished truck, and a link to a fake truck commercial produced by Giertz are available."
"Netflix Launches a Free Section with No Subscription Required . Netflix has launched a free section that includes popular titles such as Stranger Things, The Two Popes, and Grace and Frankie. An account is not required to view the content. The feature is available for web browsers and Android devices, but iOS devices are not supported. A full list of the free content is available in the article."
"Google cloud boss Thomas Kurian makes his first big move — buys Looker for $2.6 billion . Google Cloud has made its first major acquisition under its new CEO, Thomas Kurian. Kurian, a former executive at Oracle, joined Google in November and had announced plans to expand the business significantly. In a move to gain market share from Amazon Web Services, Google has purchased Looker, a data analytics platform, for $2.6 billion in cash. The purchase of Looker will add new analytics tools for Google Cloud customers. Looker will continue to work with other products, such as Amazon Web Services’ Redshift and Microsoft’s Azure SQL Server. Google has recently announced its Anthos product, which allows businesses to run computing workloads on multiple clouds."
"WhatsApp ramps up revenue with global launch of Cloud API and soon, a paid tier for its Business App . WhatsApp is launching the WhatsApp Cloud API for all businesses worldwide. The company's Business API platform supports automated quick replies, greeting messages, FAQs, away messaging, statistics, and more. WhatsApp Cloud API allows businesses to use the Business API without having to integrate it with their back-end systems. The service aims to eliminate costly server expenses for businesses. It is free to use."
"Some of the universe’s heavier elements are created by neutron star collisions . Scientists have confirmed that at least some of the heavier elements on the periodic table are created when neutron stars merge. Light elements such as hydrogen and helium were formed during the big bang. Elements up to iron are created by fusion in the cores of stars. Heavier elements such as gallium and bromine require a supernova. Gold, uranium, and other even heavier elements require a process called rapid neutron capture, where an atomic nucleus is bombarded with neutrons so quickly that it doesn't have time to split apart. Two years ago, the GW170817 neutron star merger was observed, resulting in the creation of a large amount of strontium. The observations also confirmed that neutron stars are really made of neutrons."
"Elon Musk Tweets Simulation of the First Crewed Falcon 9 Flight . Elon Musk shared a video of a simulation of the first crewed flight of Falcon 9 on Twitter. It shows the astronauts heading for the ship, the different stages of the launch, and then images of the International Space Station. Musk also shared a video of SpaceX working on the curved dome for Starship SN1, and a video of the completed dome. The videos are available to view in the article."
"Infrastructure as Code: Free Video Series (Sponsor). Infrastructure as Code: Free Video Series . Learn the fundamentals of leading Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools by deploying Docker-based Python web applications. In this video course from Coding for Entrepreneurs, learn Terraform, Ansible, Salt (SaltStack), Puppet Bolt, and Chef. Watch it for free today!"
Layout Parser (GitHub Repo). Layout Parser is a tool for document image layout analysis tasks. It uses deep learning to analyze complex documents and process hierarchical structures in layouts. Layout Parser can be used to extract information from documents and convert the output into structured data.
inlets (GitHub Repo). inlets combines a reverse proxy and websocket tunnels in order to expose your internal endpoints to the internet via an exit-node. It is open-source and can dynamically bind and discover local services to DNS entries and a public IP address over its websocket tunnel using automated TLS certificates. A video demo is available on the repository.
"sunset.css (Website). sunset.css is a library that offers a collection of different CSS-powered transitions. It features border transitions, background effects, 2D transitions, shadow effects, image transitions, and hamburger effects. Examples are available on the website."
Giant Mech Suit Off-Road Desert Testing! (11 minute video). Furrion Exo-Bionics is a team that has built a functional giant mech suit. This video shows the team testing the suit out in the Mojave Desert. The suit is able to navigate the off-road terrain and even tow a pickup out from a ditch.
Squeezer (GitHub Repo). Squeezer helps new-entry developers create serverless dApps without needing to understand a blockchain’s complex infrastructure. It uses ChainKit to integrate all the major blockchains’ interfaces into one single normalized API. It requires node.js to run and there is also plugin functionality.
"I bought 300 emoji domain names from Kazakhstan and built an email service (10 minute read). Mailoji is an email address service with emoji domain names. This blog post follows the story of how Mailoji was developed, from getting the domains and setting up the email service, to scaling, marketing, and launch. Mailoji currently has 300 emoji domains to choose from."
"Self driving cars are fun! . Self-driving cars have reached Level 2 autonomy. Tesla has been developing and shipping Level 2 driver assistance systems. It takes 70,000 GPU hours to train Tesla's Autopilot system with all its neural networks. Tesla's Autopilot is a system of 48 neural networks. Simpler models can be made with self-generated driving data, data from external datasets, and a high-end mobile phone."
Typehole (GitHub Repo). Typehole is a tool for Visual Studio Code that automates creating static typing. It can generate TypeScript types and interfaces for all serializable runtime values. A GIF preview that shows how Typehole works is available.
"Alphabet is shutting down Loon, its internet balloon company . Alphabet is shutting down Loon. Loon provided internet from floating balloons, but the project turned out to be riskier than Alphabet had hoped. The company had a commercial service in Kenya and it also provided internet services to areas affected by natural disasters. Loon is working to place employees in other roles within Alphabet's other companies. It has pledged $10 million to support efforts in Kenya dedicated to connectivity, internet, entrepreneurship, and education."
"Vultr: Bare Metal Simplified (Sponsor). Vultr: Bare Metal Simplified . Stay in full control of your environment with high performance, single-tenant dedicated servers in the cloud, blending uncompromising performance from the latest AMD EPYC processors with our easy-to-use developer experience. TLDR readers can try Vultr Bare Metal for FREE with this $200 credit."
Rivian’s R1S: An electric SUV for those with an adventurous lifestyle . This article describes an experience with one of Rivian's new electric trucks.
Open Props (Website). Open Props provides CSS custom properties to help accelerate adaptive and consistent design. It can be easily implemented and it is useful in any framework. Props can be customized from the command line or mapped from JS. Examples of sites built with Open Props are available.
"Google’s DeepMind A.I. defeats human opponents in Quake III Capture the Flag . Google's DeepMind AI lab was able to create a program that beat human players in Quake III Arena's Capture the Flag mode. DeepMind has beaten human players before in both Go and Starcraft. Capture the Flag requires teamwork between AI agents, which makes the achievement more impressive. The human players were only able to beat the AI in about 25% of games. Human players who were paired with an AI had a 5% greater win rate compared to a team of just AI agents."
"Visa Grants Coinbase Power To Issue Bitcoin Debit Cards . Coinbase is the first cryptocurrency company to gain principal membership with credit card giant Visa. The membership was awarded in December but was only recently revealed to the public. This partnership means that Coinbase will be able to issue debit cards that will allow users to spend their own cryptocurrency anywhere Visa is accepted. It will increase the liquidity of cryptocurrency as it makes the fiat conversion process simple. Coinbase will issue its card in 29 countries, mostly in Europe and the UK. The card will not be available to US residents. Nine cryptocurrencies will be available on the card, including Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and BAT. The EU doesn't require spenders to pay tax on the difference in price between when a cryptocurrency was purchased and when it was spent, unlike the US. Merchants pay a fee to accept Visa transactions, and the partnership could mean that Coinbase's fees might be reduced."
"This new Tokyo café has robot waiters controlled remotely by disabled workers . The Dawn Avatar Robot Café in Tokyo features humanoid robots waiting on customers and serving food and drinks. It operates as an accessible business by creating job opportunities for disabled workers. The robots are operated remotely via the internet by people who can't leave the house for long periods of time. They are 120cm tall and have a camera, microphone, and speaker for communicating with customers. The robots can be controlled just through eye movement, so even people who are immobilized are able to work in the café. Photos of the robots and café are available in the article."
"Spotify is developing a ‘virtual events’ feature . Spotify is implementing a feature that will connect artists with their fans through ticketed live virtual music events. Live performances are a significant source of income for musicians and many artists have struggled to perform this year with live events canceled or banned due to health concerns. Spotify already works with major ticketing partners, many who have embraced virtual events as a way to continue their businesses during the pandemic. A screenshot is available in the article showing an upcoming virtual event for artist BTS on September 19."
"Apple reportedly plans ‘Netflix for games’ subscription service . Apple is planning to roll out a subscription service in its app store. This will allow users to pay a monthly subscription fee to have access to a range of premium games. It is hoped that this change will encourage developers to create more in-depth, serious titles, as the hardware on Apple devices catches up to traditional consoles."
"Do people aged 105 and over live longer because they have more efficient DNA repair? . A study on the genome of people who live beyond 105 years old found that those individuals have bodies that are more efficient at repairing DNA. The study involved comparing the genomes of Italian people of different ages. People who aged over 105 years had fewer age-related mutations. The most frequently seen genetic changes were associated with cell repair, communication between the cell nucleus and mitochondria, and the elimination of dangerous reactive oxygen species."
"Tesla’s next factory is going to be in Austin, Texas and it’s going to happen quickly . Tesla has chosen Austin, Texas as the location for its next factory. The vehicle manufacturer will start building its new Terafactory as soon as possible and aims to be producing vehicles by the end of the year. By late next year, the factory will be producing Tesla's new Cybertruck. Tesla already has an office in Austin for its Autopilot hardware engineers. This announcement is not directly related to Elon Musk's recent statements about the company moving its operations out of California."
"China Claims To Have World’s Most Powerful Quantum Computer, Tops Google . A group of researchers in China have developed a quantum computer that was able to solve a problem with 56 of its 66 qubits, breaking Google's record from 2019. The computer is able to manipulate up to 66 qubits at the same time. It solved a problem in 70 minutes that would have taken the world's most powerful classical supercomputer eight years to solve. The research has yet to be peer-reviewed."
"Magic Leap introduces MICA : AI Avatar (1 minute video). Magic Leap has created an AI virtual assistant that exists in augmented reality. Mica is a female with short hair, and she is ridiculously human looking. She doesn't talk yet, but she uses AI to look people in the eye and her facial ticks, body language, and posture make her look and feel really realistic."
"A bot disguised as a human software developer fixes bugs . Researchers created a bot called Repairnator, and unleashed it on Github with a fake name and profile picture to find bugs and submit pull requests. On the first run (from February to December 2017), Repairnator found 11,500 failed builds, reproduced the failure in 3,000 cases, and submitted 15 patches, all of which were rejected by project maintainers. On the second run (from January to June 2018) Repairnator managed to submit 5 patches that were accepted by human maintainers. The researchers say ""We believe that Repairnator prefigures a certain future of software development, where bots and humans will smoothly collaborate and even cooperate on software artifacts."""
"Minecraft is coming to PlayStation VR as a free upgrade later this month . Minecraft will be playable for free on PlayStation VR later this month. It will be the same as Minecraft on PlayStation 4 but with some small tweaks, mainly to the interface and set-up for VR. Players will be able to use the PS4 controller to move around while using the PS VR headset to look around. There will be two modes, Immersive and Living Room, but there are no further details on what these modes will entail."
"Code House (GitHub Repo). Code House is a storehouse of over 300 curated cheatsheets from over 230 sources. The library can be sorted by category, source, time, or popularity. A hosted version of the app is available."
"CSS Animation (Content Site). CSS Animation is a site that has a lot of short tutorials on how to make cool CSS animation effects (for example, there's a tutorial on how to make the Moon revolve around the Earth using just CSS!). Lots of cool stuff here, definitely worth checking out."
Joe Rogan’s podcast is becoming a Spotify exclusive . The Joe Rogan Experience will soon become a Spotify exclusive. The show will be available on Spotify starting from September 1st and will become exclusive sometime after. It will remain free to access. Rogan will continue to retain creative control over the show. His YouTube channel will remain live but it won't contain full episodes.
SpaceX's Starship SN4 prototype fires rocket engine for 1st time . SpaceX's newest Starship prototype passed its static fire test on Tuesday night. A link to the video is available. The company will start preparing the prototype for an uncrewed test flight. SpaceX is already building the next prototype. The final Starship will be able to carry 100 passengers to the moon and Mars. It will launch on top of SpaceX's Super Heavy rocket. Both Starship and Super Heavy will be fully and rapidly reusable.
"North Korea Hacked Him. So He Took Down Its Internet . North Korea has been dealing with serious internet connectivity issues over the past two weeks. Almost all of the nation's few dozen websites have dropped out on several different days, including a page that serves as the official government portal for the dictatorship. The outage was caused by a single American hacker from his home office. Just over a year ago, the hacker was targeted by North Korean spies. Taking matters into his own hands, the hacker has now automated most of the attack. While it is unknown what effect the attack is having on the regime, the hacker counts annoying them as a success and intends to escalate his efforts."
"Sleep-streaming is the new trend on TikTok, Twitch . Sleep-streams are becoming more popular, allowing some creators to make money by filming themselves sleeping on platforms such as TikTok and Twitch. Many of these viewers might not actually be watching the streams, but are instead using the opportunity to join the live chat section to talk to each other without distraction. One of the most popular Twitch videos ever shows a user passing out during stream. A Twitch streamer recently made $5,500 from media share donations and subscriptions after posting a sleep-stream of himself. Sleep-streaming has trended in the past, for example, on YouNow back in 2015."
"YouTube Rewind 2018 is officially the most disliked video on YouTube . Every year Youtube puts out a video called Youtube Rewind, which recaps the year in Youtube culture. This year's Rewind has become the most disliked video in the history of Youtube in less than a week, with over 10 million dislikes. Fans and creators on the platform say that Youtube's management is out of touch with the ""real community"" and are trying to present a more corporate ad-friendly version of their platform. Marques Brownlee, a popular tech reviewer who was in this year's Rewind video, says ""I think the problem with YouTube Rewind, at least how I see it, is pretty simple actually. Youtubers and creators and audiences see it as one thing and, YouTube, who's in charge of making it, sees it as something completely different."""
"Programming Fonts (Web Tool). This is a tool that lets you demo over 50 free to download fonts for your terminal. They're all fixed-width, designed for programming, and were optimized while writing C or C++."
"Robinhood, Interactive Brokers restrict trading in GameStop stock and options . Robinhood took steps to restrict the trading in GameStop stock and other related securities. The company claims the changes were made due to recent market volatility. GameStop shares dropped after the announcement, closing down 44% on Thursday. Robinhood customers have threatened to open a class-action lawsuit against the company. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortex and Ted Cruz have both called the move unacceptable. Hedge fund Melvin Capital has taken huge losses due to the actions of an army of retail investors."
"End to Aids in sight as huge study finds drugs stop HIV transmission . A large scale study has found that antiretroviral drugs which suppressed HIV infections in patients also prevented the virus from spreading to other people. This means that if everyone with HIV went under the same treatment, the virus could possibly be eradicated. The study tracked almost 1,000 male couples where one party was infected with HIV, and while 15 patients contracted the virus, it was through contact with partners that were not involved in the study. In 2017, around 40 million people were infected with HIV worldwide, with around 21.7 million of these people being on antiretroviral treatments. Many people with HIV remain undiagnosed due to lack of access to care and the fear or stigma around contracting the virus."
"How Shein beat Amazon at its own game — and reinvented fast fashion (16 minute read). Chinese clothing manufactures have been selling directly to international customers online over the last decade, bypassing retailers. These manufacturers use social media, online markets, and access to garment supply chains to accelerate trends and flood closets with cheap clothes. The market transformed people's consumption habits as Chinese apparel makers evolved to cater to their customers. This article looks at how these manufacturers reinvented fast fashion, with a focus on Shein, one of the world's largest fashion companies."
"Major NFT Marketplace Admits Employee Used Insider Knowledge to Profit . An employee at OpenSea, a major digital marketplace for NFTs, used insider knowledge to buy NFTs before they were promoted on the market's homepage. Traders on social media have compared the incident to insider trading. OpenSea has acknowledged the issue and is investigating the incident. It has not clarified whether the employee is still with the company."
Python autocomplete (GitHub Repo). Python autocomplete is a project that experiments with using an LSTM model to autocomplete python code. Test results show that it can save users between 30 to 50 percent of keystrokes. It is currently set to predict up to 10 characters ahead. A saved model that is trained on TensorFlow/models is available on the repository.
"Amazon reportedly plans to open department stores, starting in California and Ohio . Amazon is planning to open department store-style locations, replacing the stores that it helped kill off. It plans to use locations with a footprint of around 30,000 square feet. The first stores will likely be in California and Ohio. In-person shopping allows people to try out items and gadgets before purchasing them. Amazon has opened grocery stores, bookstores, and convenience stores in recent years."
"Groundbreaking new material 'could allow artificial intelligence to merge with the human brain' . A major challenge in connecting electronics to human tissue is that traditional materials cause scarring when implanted. A new material called Pedot can be implanted into human tissue without causing scarring while still being able to interface with electronic hardware. Pedot can also transform standard house bricks into energy-storing units. It can be used to monitor brain or nervous system disorders and theoretically could be made to attach to peptides, antibodies, and DNA."
"Ask HN: I've been slacking off at Google for 6 years. How can I stop this? (Hacker News Thread). A career at Google as a software engineer can cause some people to become complacent. Leaving the company would mean grinding at other startups or companies, some of which have much higher standards for work and hiring than Google. While working at Google might be less stimulating, there are many benefits, such as the pay. There is no need to hustle, so your free time can be spent however you want. It may be boring, but it is a safe and profitable option."
"Scientists succeed in mapping every neuron in a worm, a breakthrough in neuroscience . Scientists have created the first connectome, a map of every neuron, and the connections between them, within an animal. The connectome maps out a small, soil-dwelling worm, Caenorhabditis elegans, which is widely researched in neuroscience due to the tiny number of neurons that it has. Each neuron on the map is linked to other connecting neurons or muscles, along with the function of the neuron and the strength of the connections. It will make it easier for scientists to track how the animal senses and reacts to the world. Despite its low number of neurons, the worms are able to learn, remember, sense fear, run away from predators, find food, and mate."
"Google Pixel phones will soon track heart rate using only the camera . Google's latest Pixel-exclusive feature is the ability to track heart rate and respiratory rate using only the existing cameras. Some Samsung phones have been able to track heart rate for a while now, but they use a special sensor to achieve this. Pixel users will be able to measure their heart rate by placing a finger on their phone's rear camera, and they will be able to measure their breathing rate using the selfie camera. Google claims the heart rate sensor is accurate within two percent, but it doesn't have FDA approval for any of these new features."
"Microsoft uses GPT-3 to let you code in natural language . Microsoft is now using OpenAI's GPT-3 natural language model in its Power Apps service to translate spoken text into code. Power Fx focuses on Power Apps formulas, making the tool similar to the natural language query functions available in Excel, PowerBI, or Google Sheets. Users will still have to understand the logic of the application they are building, but Power Fx will give more people access to advanced app building and also help train people to use low code tools. The new features will go live for users in North America by the end of June."
"A week-long iOS App Store bug wiped out over 20M ratings . A bug on the iOS App store removed 22 million app reviews from 300 apps over a week. The bug affected apps from all of the 155 countries that Apple supports. Affected apps saw an average of a 50 percent decrease in ratings. Some apps were more affected by others, for example, Hulu lost 95 percent of its ratings in the US. Both positive and negative ratings were removed. Some of the missing ratings have been restored. Apple has acknowledged the issue and has stated that it was only the data displayed that was affected and that no ratings were ever deleted. A similar occurrence happened last year, where thousands of iOS apps lost have their ratings over a weekend."
"Virgin Galactic’s spacecraft has six passenger seats and lots of windows . Virgin Galactic has released images of what the interior of its VSS Unity spacecraft will look like. It will be able to carry up to six passengers and fly at altitudes above 80km. Passengers will be able to view the planet via two dedicated windows and two cameras that will record their experiences. The seats will become nearly horizontal during the zero-gravity phase of the flight, maximizing the room inside the cabin. It has taken nearly two decades for the project to reach this stage. Virgin Galactic is now setting up its New Mexico facilities and finalizing the design of the VSS Unity. The images are available in the article."
"Upgrade your memory with a surgically implanted chip! . Over the last five years, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has been experimenting with devices intended to restore the memory-generation capacity of people with traumatic brain injuries. This resulted in a device that monitors the brain’s electrical activity and provides a boost whenever signals are too weak to form memories. Studies showed that memory retention improved as much as 37 percent in the patients who used the device. The device was only tested on epileptic patients who already had electrodes implanted in their brains to monitor seizures. As the device requires brain surgery in order to be used, it is unlikely that it will be on the consumer market any time soon."
Tesla is letting non-Tesla EVs use its Supercharger network for the first time . Ten Supercharger stations in the Netherlands are being made available to non-Tesla EVs. Elon Musk has long talked about opening up Tesla's vast Supercharger network to other electric vehicles. Other European countries will likely follow before Tesla opens up its Superchargers in the US as the company uses a proprietary connector in North America. Non-Tesla vehicles in North America will need an adapter to use Tesla's Superchargers.
"Ask HN: What are the signs that you have a great manager? (Hacker News Thread). A software engineer, relatively new to the industry at 2.5 years of experience, asks for people’s opinions on what makes someone a great manager after hearing the saying that ‘people leave managers, not jobs’. Replies talk about how great managers are people who serve their employees, for example, getting them the resources they need to complete their work, shielding employees from upper management and filtering only relevant information, and facilitating their professional development to the point of encouraging them to move up into other positions. Great management is, unfortunately, harder to notice as it means everything is running smoothly and employees are less likely to comment on their management."
"Apprise (GitHub Repo). Apprise is a python library that allows easy sending of notifications to most major platforms (Twitter, Telegram, Discord, and more). It includes the ability to send notifications via email and other custom notifications. Users can easily code a script that updates multiple notification services simultaneously in just a few lines."
"Skydio R1 autonomous drone gains Apple Watch control, now in Apple Stores . Skydio is essentially the autonomous drone version of a GoPro. It's a drone with a camera attached, and all you have to do is select a picture of the person you want it to follow on your Apple Watch, and it will zoom around and follow that person and capture them on video. It's being sold in select US and Canadian Apple stores for $1999, there's a Youtube video of this thing in action in the article."
"Ikea turned a virtual influencer into a physical installation . Over the weekend, the Ikea at Harajuku in Tokyo hosted an installation starring Imma, a virtual influencer. People who passed by the first floor of the store were able to see Imma in a virtual living space. There is a growing trend of virtual influencers on social media. Imma is run by a talent agency for virtual humans and it is active on Instagram and TikTok."
"Vultr Optimized Cloud Compute Plans Have Landed (Sponsor). Vultr Optimized Cloud Compute Plans Have Landed . Vultr now offers Optimized Cloud Compute instances! Harness the power of 3rd Gen AMD EPYC processors with General Purpose, CPU, Memory, and Storage-Optimized plans and never worry about noisy neighbors again. Ready to try Vultr? Sign up today to claim $150 in free credit."
"Jetpack (GitHub Repo). Jetpack is a wrapper around Webpack that makes it easier to use, it can be used as a drop-in replacement for webpack, webpack-cli, webpackdev-server, and webpack-dev-middleware. It's sort of a set of sane defaults for Webpack that's an alternative to more specific Webpack configurations like Create React App or Next.js."
"Amazon Seeks Permission to Launch 3,236 Internet Satellites . Amazon has plans to ask the FCC for permission to launch 3,236 satellites into space to provide broadband internet around the globe. Project Kuiper will provide low-latency, high-speed broadband to areas that have no broadband or inadequate broadband around the world. Amazon is open to partnering up with other companies that share its vision. Tech companies such as Google and Facebook have also invested in projects to provide internet access. It is possible that Project Kuiper will bring Amazon closer to Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ space exploration company."
"Conti ransomware gang’s internal chats leaked online after declaring support for Russian invasion . A cache of chat logs from the Conti ransomware group was leaked online by an insider. Conti recently stated their support for the Russian invasion and vowed to retaliate against critical infrastructure if Russia is hit with cyber or military attacks. In response, the insider shared about a year's worth of chat logs along with the message 'Glory to Ukraine'. Many ransomware operations have connections to Ukraine, so they risk angering group members by choosing to publicly take sides."
"As Facebook Raised a Privacy Wall, It Carved an Opening for Tech Giants (10 minute read). The New York Times has released another Facebook privacy scandal. They've been sharing tons of data with other tech giants. They allowed Spotify, Netflix and the Royal Bank of Canada to read, write and delete users' private messages. They let Apple hide all indicators that its devices were asking for data. Even Russian search engine Yandex had special access to Facebook's unique user IDs after Facebook stopped sharing them publicly, citing privacy risks. All of these special partnerships were in effect as of 2017 according to documents the NYT got. Facebook claims that it did not violate the FTC rules requiring them to secure users' consent before sharing data because Facebook considered the partners to be extensions of itself."
"Ratchet (GitHub Repo). Ratchet is a tool for improving the security of CI/CD workflows by automating the process of pinning and unpinning upstream versions. It supports GitHub Actions and Google Cloud Build. Unless CI workflows, containers, and base images are specifically pinned to checksummed versions, everything is mutable, which poses a substantial security and reliability risk. Ratchet simplifies this process and keeps version records."
"Maui Shell Offers a Beautiful Vision for the Future of Linux . The Maui Shell is a new convergent Linux shell that aims to work on both mobile and desktop. It is still a work in progress, but there are some usable builds available. This article provides a short preview of Maui Shell. Screenshots of Maui Shell's desktop and mobile modes are available."
"Break down inefficient silos between DevOps teams (Sponsor). Avoid monitoring tool sprawl. Unify metrics, traces, and logs in a single platform with instant context without switching tools. Monitor everything with Datadog. Learn more."
Apple and nonprofit Common Sense Media team up to provide kid podcast recs . Apple is teaming up with nonprofit Common Sense Media to curate collections for kids that will appear in the Apple PodCasts app. Initial releases will focus on four themes. Subsequent monthly releases will focus on new themes tied to important and cultural moments. Show suggestions will start appearing now in Apple Podcasts' main homepage carousel. Podcasts for children have become increasingly popular as parents look for ways to keep their kids entertained without relying on a screen.
"Google Maps now lets you create Street View photos with just a phone . A new update in Google Maps allows any Android user with an ARCore-compatible device to create Street View photos. Google is restricting submissions to a few geographical areas at launch, with more regions to support this feature soon. User-contributed content will appear in the Street View layer on Google Maps as dotted blue lines. Google's own Street View trekkers and cars have collected more than 170 billion images from 10 million miles around the planet so far."
"The Practical Linux Hardening Guide (GitHub Repo). This is an incredibly detailed open source guide for securing production Linux servers. It's still a work in progress, but there's already a lot of great stuff here."
"The Highest-Paid YouTube Stars of 2019: The Kids Are Killing It . This year's top YouTube earner was 8-year-old Ryan Kaji, with $26 million. Kaji's channel debuted in 2015 and has now grown to 23 million subscribers. Videos with children in them average almost three times as many views as other types of videos. 81 percent of parents with children 11 or younger let kids watch YouTube. YouTube's top ten earners brought in a total of $162 million last financial year. Stars can earn extra income through sponsorships and other media deals. YouTube is working to limit revenue possibilities for children's channels as part of an agreement with the FTC for allegedly violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act."
"Cows on Russian Farm Get Fitted with VR Goggles to Increase Milk Production . Cows at the RusMoloko dairy farm near Moscow in Russia wear VR headsets to improve their conditions and to enable them to relax into producing more milk. Data from farms around the world show that cows that live in a calm atmospheres produce better quality milk. The VR headsets are designed especially for the cows, and the cows showed a decrease in anxiety and an increase in general mood after using them. It is unclear whether the cows produced more milk due to the headsets."
"Scientists Created an Artificial Neuron That Actually Retains Electronic Memories . A team of researchers has designed a prototype of an artificial neuron made of thin graphene slits housing a single layer of water molecules. The artificial neuron uses ions instead of electrons, just like a real neuron. Ion flows between neurons generate electric currents that let neurons communicate with each other. This process is very energy efficient, so researchers have been trying to replicate it. The artificial neurons have the ability to transmit information to other artificial neurons. The next step in research is to prove that the neurons can execute basic learning algorithms."
ScaNN (GitHub Repo). Scalable Nearest Neighbors (ScaNN) is a method for efficient vector similarity search at scale. It supports several vector search techniques and it is highly configurable.
"WeWork CEO Adam Neumann has reportedly made millions of dollars by leasing office space to his own company . WeWork has been renting buildings that its CEO Adam Neumann partially owns, paying $12 million between 2016 and 2017 and on the hook for $110 million over the lifetime of the leases. There is an internal review process for related party transactions, but Neumann has majority voting rights over the board. A spokesperson says that only 4 of the 400 properties rented by WeWork are partially owned by Neumann."
"Bosch Gets Smartglasses Right With Tiny Eyeball Lasers . A few weeks before CES, Bosch released a concept video of its new Smartglasses prototype. The three-minute video is linked in the article. In the video, people are shown wearing glasses with a completely transparent display. It shows people viewing notifications and messages and also interacting with the display by tapping on the arms of the glasses. The Smartglasses require custom fitting as they work by firing colored lasers directly on the retina to create images. It only takes a few minutes to fit the glasses, and they can be repositioned slightly without the image disappearing. As the image is projected directly onto the retina, it is always in focus, although it will disappear if the user looks to the side. This can feel weird to the user as there is no depth to the image. Observers will not be able to tell when the display is active as only the user can see the projected display."
"Apple took us on a surreal walk through San Francisco, looking at digital art on an iPhone . Apple's AR[T] Walk is a new program at Apple stores that takes people on an actual walk through a city while displaying digital art that can only be seen through an iPhone. The aim of the project is to promote augmented reality technology. AR[T] walk is available in six Apple stores in major cities, including New York, Hong Kong, and Paris. It takes about two hours to complete the walk. Reservations are made online, but if there are available spots, Apple will accommodate people who are there, so it is worth seeing if there are open spaces even if you can't make a reservation. During the walk, everybody is allocated a loaned iPhone XS Max with the non-public AR[T] app and a pair of Beats Solo headphones. The tour guides are able to control the experience from an iPad pro, and they also lead discussions about the artwork that is displayed. The walks will be available until at least the end of 2019."
"State of Engineering (10 minute read). The 2022 State of Engineering survey looks at what software engineers spend their time on and how happy engineers are with their jobs. It looks at what engineers want, what they are frustrated about, how many hours they spend working, and more."
"'Pandemic drones' could single people out in a crowd for coughing, sneezing, or running a temperature, developers say — here's how they work . Canadian drone company Draganfly will work with the Australian Department of Defense and the University of South Australia to develop pandemic drones that will use sensors and computer vision to monitor people's temperature and heart rates. The drones will be able to detect people coughing in crowds. Images of the pandemic drones and the software are available in the article."
"Google hosting ‘Gather around’ press event at the Game Developers Conference next month . Google has announced a gaming-related press conference during the Game Developers Conference in March, following the end of its 4 month trial of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey on Project Stream. A GIF was released by Google with the words ‘Gather around’ and the date of the conference, March 19. Project Stream allowed users to play a AAA console title within Chrome Browser as long as they had a 25 Mbps connection. If the conference is about Project Stream, it is likely they will announce how third-party developers can bring their games to the streaming platform."
"This plane flies itself—we went for a ride . Commercial airliners already use automation to control planes after takeoff. However, these features still mean that pilots are required to control the plane for takeoff and landing, as well as in some other situations. The pilot's primary role in the air is to take instructions from air traffic control and to adjust the automated system accordingly. Xwing has replaced pilots with ground-based controllers, similar to military drone operators. The system means that pilots can manage many flights from one central base. Xwing is attempting to build an autonomous cargo fleet but it requires licensing and approval from the FAA."
"Tim Cook to serve as chairman at Chinese business school amid Hong Kong outcry . Tim Cook has been appointed the chairman of the advisory board for Tsinghua University's economics school in Beijing. Cook will assume the role for three years. Past board members include Mark Zuckerberg, major Chinese government officials, and Jim Breyer. Apple has recently faced criticism for removing an app that was used by pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong. Cook had defended the decision by arguing that the app had become a dangerous tool for tracking police, which the app developers disagreed with. A bipartisan group of United States lawmakers including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ted Cruz wrote to Apple urging them to reverse course and demonstrate that Apple puts values above market access."
"Content-aware image resizing in JavaScript (11 minute read). This article explores the Seam Carving algorithm, explaining the idea behind the algorithm and the dynamic programming approach used to implement the algorithm. It walks through how to write a content-aware resizer in TypeScript. An interactive content-aware resizer is available."
"Building for the 99% Developers (10 minute read). Developers who work outside of hip companies and frameworks often get left out of conversations about what developers want. Speakers at the top tech conferences are usually people from high-growth or established, highly profitable companies. The other companies that develop most of the software that powers our lives are usually not built around technology, but they still move around quite a bit of money and handle a lot of personal data. This article discusses the differences between the needs of FAANG-like and other companies and suggests ways to improve the developer experience for all."
"NASA Has a $3.46 Billion Plan to Cool Yellowstone and Harvest it for Energy . The supervolcano underneath Yellowstone National Park is one of the greatest natural threats to human civilization, even though it is not predicted to erupt any time in the next 10,000 years. NASA plans to ensure that the volcano remains dormant by drilling holes into the side of the volcano's lower sides and then pumping high-pressure cold water in and out. The outgoing water would reach temperatures of approximately 350 degrees Celsius and could be used to generate electricity. The plan is only theoretical as there is a lack of data on the risks of drilling into the side of a volcano."
"2-Acre Vertical Farm Run By AI And Robots Out-Produces 720-Acre Flat Farm . Vertical indoor farms allow farmers anywhere in the world to grow food all year while using 95% less water and 99% less land. In recent years, farmers have started using drones, robots, and artificial intelligence to improve crop maintenance. As indoor farms can be located anywhere, they cut down on transportation, which reduces CO2 emissions and prices for customers. Plenty is an ag-tech startup that builds indoor farms. It has already received $400 million in investment capital and it has a deal with Albertsons stores in California to supply 430 stores with fresh produce."
"Cybertruck: Tesla truck gets 150,000 orders despite launch gaffe . Elon Musk announced that Tesla has received almost 150,000 orders for its new Cybertruck. Tesla shares had dropped 6.1 percent after the Cybertruck's unveiling due to an embarrassing hiccup. The windows of the truck were shattered while Musk was demonstrating its durability. Tesla has done no advertising or paid endorsements for the truck, with the demand coming only from its unveiling. No date has been given for Cybertruck's release. Its design has been a topic of concern for some analysts. The development of a pickup truck means that carrying heavier loads over long distances using battery technology is now practical."
"AI-powered test automation for modern software teams (Sponsor). Fast releases drive innovation in modern software development teams. Yet, too often, those processes are held up by antiquated testing practices. Testim helps teams accelerate software testing with fast authoring of AI-powered, resilient tests. Sign up for your free account and start testing today!"
"Elon Musk unveils Neuralink’s plans for brain-reading ‘threads’ and a robot to insert them . Elon Musk has shown off some of the technology that his company Neuralink has been developing for the last few years. Neuralink’s goal is to develop devices that can be implanted in paralyzed humans, allowing them to control devices with their thoughts. The company has developed thread sensors that are thinner than a human hair and can provide high-resolution signals from the brain. A robot was created in order to implant this device, as the threads were difficult to implant with current technology. Neuralink is also developing a custom chip that can read, clean up, and amplify signals from the brain. The aim is to eventually create a wireless version that can be implanted in a safe and non-invasive procedure, similar to Lasik."
"Mercury Parser - Extracting content from chaos (GitHub Repo). Mercury Parser processes pages and returns a simple, clean output of all the important information in a categorized plain text format. Users can choose and edit which fields are important using JavaScript and CSS selectors. Mercury Parser is used in extensions such as Mercury Reader, which allows users to view sites in a ‘reading view’, removing the distraction that comes with differing page styles or ads. An example of the output is available."
"Samsung’s leaked Galaxy S22 Ultra is just straight up a Galaxy Note now . A newly leaked official render of Samsung's Galaxy S22 Ultra shows a device that is pretty much a Note in every way except for its name. The phone features a wide screen, an S Pen silo, a flat top and bottom, and a camera array that is similar to the layout from the S21 Ultra. The leaked render is available in the article. A link to a gallery showing real-world shots of the S22 Ultra is also available."
"BZip3 (GitHub Repo). BZip3 is a better, faster, and stronger spiritual successor to BZip2. It features higher compression ratios and better performance. BZip3 excels in compressing text or code. Benchmark results that compare BZip3 with BZip2, gzip, and lzma are available."
"Scientists create ‘electronic textiles’ that could change the future of clothes . Researchers have created a smart textile that is flexible, breathable, durable, and functions as a display. It can be integrated with a fabric keyboard and power supply. The textile has been tested through 1,000 cycles of bending, stretching, and pressing, as well as 100 cycles of washing and drying. At 6 meters long and 25 centimeters wide, the textile can display a consistent image while lasting as long as traditional fabrics."
"mml-book.github.io (GitHub Repo). This repository contains the companion webpage to the book ""Mathematics For Machine Learning"". The book focuses on the mathematical concepts used in machine learning and is not intended to cover advanced machine learning techniques. It contains two parts, mathematical foundations, and example machine learning algorithms that use these mathematical foundations. Exercises are provided."
"The Great Race to Rule Streaming TV (30 minute read). Our phones are now TVs, with more and more shows to watch on them all the time. Media companies such as HBO, who have always strived to produce premium, high-quality shows, are now pressured to create a higher volume of content at a lower cost to compete with other streaming services. HBO is now experimenting with creating a game show, which may be released under a different brand name. Streaming services are now competing for attention. New formulas for shows are being created to continue capturing the attention of audiences. The media world seems to be changing, with a wide variety of shows being created, but it may eventually result in a scenario where a few large companies dictate a certain formula of shows being released."
"'Genetic Goldmine' in Earth's Harshest Desert Could Be The Key to Feeding The Future . An international team of researchers studied plant life in the Atacama desert for 10 years to identify genes that help give the plants an advantage in the desert. The Atacama desert is known for being the planet's driest non-polar desert. Identifying the mechanisms behind the plants' successes could reveal how to make food grow in a world affected by climate change. Some of the plants in the desert are closely related to staple crops, so scientists now have a better idea of how to engineer more resilient crops."
"Walking sharks discovered in the tropics . Researchers from the University of Queensland in Australia have discovered four new species of tropical sharks that use their fins to walk. The walking sharks were the top predator on reefs during low tides due to their ability to walk in very shallow water. At less than a meter long on average, the sharks are more of a threat to small crustaceans and mollusks than they are to humans. The walking sharks live in the coastal waters around northern Australia and the island of New Guinea. There are now a total of nine known types of walking shark."
"Mysterious Clouds on Mars Formed by ‘Meteoric Smoke,’ Study Says . A new type of cloud has been discovered on Mars that is created from debris that burns up in the planet’s atmosphere. This ‘meteoric smoke’ stimulates cloud formation at altitudes between 30 and 60 kilometers. The clouds form best during cold weather when ice vapor can build around the interplanetary dust particles in the middle atmosphere. A similar process can also happen in Earth’s skies when meteoric dust falls into our atmosphere. Three to four tons of alien dust enters Mars’ atmosphere every sol, but only a fraction ever reaches lower altitudes. This process may explain cloud formation during Mars’ early years, and a similar process may be happening on any number of other planets outside our solar system as well."
"Google Robots.txt Parser and Matcher Library (GitHub Repo). The Robots Exclusion Protocol (REP) is a standard that allows websites to set rules on which URLs may be accessed by automated clients through a standard text file. As it has been the standard for the past 25 years, there have been many different implementations of parsing the robots.txt file. This repository aims to standardize the parsing process by presenting the code that the Googlebot crawler uses."
Beautiful CSS 3D Transform Examples (Website). This page contains 12 CSS 3D transform examples. All the examples have just a single div and the code can easily be copied into your own projects.
FlatList (Website). FlatList creates fast and performant React Native lists.
"The DOE Announces El Capitan, World's New Fastest Supercomputer Will Hit 1.5 ExaFLOPS . El Capitan is a new exaFLOP-scale supercomputer that is planned to be operational by 2023. It will be faster than the current top 100 supercomputers in the world, able to complete 1.5 quintillion calculations per second. Using artificial intelligence and machine learning, it will be able to conduct 3D simulations at an unprecedented scale and speed at resolutions that are impossible with existing supercomputers. Cray has been awarded a $600 million contract to build the system with its Shasta architecture, Slingshot interconnect, and software platform."
"Dating app Bumble gives workers the week off to recover from burnout . Bumble's 700 employees were given this week off as paid vacation to help them with burnout. The week off is in addition to the company's normal vacation allowance. Bumble was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in February, raising $2.2 million in its initial public offering. It has been a busy year for the company. Social media management platform Hootsuite also made a similar announcement recently, but it will stagger schedules for staff so that customers don't experience interruptions in their services."
"Watch Israel's historic moon launch live . Israel will attempt its first moon landing on February 21, and if everything goes to plan, it will be the fourth country to achieve the feat. The spaceship, called ‘Beresheet’, will be launching with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which will also carry other satellites and research equipment. A live video feed of the launch will begin at approximately 8:30 pm EST on February 21, and a link to the feed can be accessed through the article."
"Tiler (GitHub Repo). Tiler is a tool that can create images using smaller images without being limited to squares. An image can be created from circles, lines, waves, cross stitches, legos, and more. A gallery of examples is available."
"Spotify launches redesigned 'Your Library' with new grid view, dynamic filters, more for iOS/Android . A new update for the Spotify app brings a redesigned Your Library tab, with a new Grid view, dynamic filters, improved sorting, and more. The changes should help users spend less time looking for content and organizing their collections. There is a 49-second video in the article that previews the new features."
"At long last, NASA’s probe finally digs in on Mars . The InSight lander has provided valuable data on Mars' activities. It has observed marsquakes, swirling vortices, weather, and the changing of seasons. Despite its successes, it has so far been unable to dig into the ground. A new plan has been developed to push the probe into the planet in order to track its temperature variations. It is likely that martian soil is too dense for the probe to dig through as designed. The probe only needs a small adjustment in order to dig through the ground, so NASA scientists have been trying to use the scoop at the end of InSight's robotic arm to readjust the probe. After failing to readjust the probe, the scientists decided to use the scoop to dig directly into the dirt. This was a risky decision as the scoop was not designed for digging and could break, but the current maneuver appears to be working."
Reddit bought a five-second Super Bowl spot celebrating GameStock . Reddit aired a five-second long ad during the Super Bowl. The ad consisted of a long text message that hinted at the GameStop stocks saga. A screenshot of the ad is available in the article.
"SpaceX moves to beam Starlink internet into cars, boats, and aircraft . SpaceX is seeking regulatory approval to connect its Starlink network to cars, trucks, shipping boats, and aircraft. The FCC filing asks for a blanket license authorizing the operation of Starlink terminals on Earth Stations in Motion. Starlink has over 1,000 satellites in space, with at least 10,000 users. The vehicular user terminals will be similar to other terminals. A qualified installer will be required to set up the vehicle antennas and mounts."
"Amazon opens up Alexa store for anyone to create and publish custom skills . Amazon will now allow anyone to publish their custom skills on the Alexa store, after the successful launch of their Alexa Skills Blueprint program last year. Users are able to create custom skills and share them with anyone, meaning that content creators can now reach users through the device in new ways. Content creators can keep users updated through custom audio responses, however these are still restricted to Amazon’s sandbox rules. Uploaded skills will be reviewed by Amazon before they are published to the store."
"My Frantic Life as a Cab-Dodging, Tip-Chasing Food App Deliveryman (11 minute read). Restaurants are being forced into the e-commerce business by food-delivery app services, an industry which is creating many jobs for delivery riders. While ride-hail drivers successfully lobbied for a $17 minimum wage, most delivery-app couriers aren't guaranteed any payment. Many couriers use multiple apps, trying to earn bonuses and tips. If they miss certain deadlines, they lose these bonuses, and many customers do not tip. While apps claim certain minimum incomes, drivers say they do not earn these rates regularly. Pay rates have been declining as more people start working for the platform. Restaurant drivers are entitled to a minimum wage plus tips but claim that they are only paid a fraction of that amount. The job can also be dangerous, and workers have been injured during deliveries."
"Let's build a Full-Text Search engine (10 minute read). Full-Text Search is a technique for searching text in a collection of documents. This article walks the reader through the process of building a full-text search engine, from building a basic loop to converting lists to tokens, creating indexes, etc. The full source code is linked at the end of the article."
"You can now practice firing someone in virtual reality . Virtual reality is gaining momentum as a training tool, allowing people to practice doing things that would be impossible otherwise. It is being used to train new employees at places like Walmart and Chipotle, and some offices are starting to use the technology to train for soft management skills such as interviewing, communication, and selling. Talespin, a company that offers VR training for the workplace, has characters that help train for office situations, such as firing an employee. The characters currently run with certain scripts and triggers, so the training might be limited as the skills might not transfer if people know they aren't training with a real person."
Fiber (GitHub Repo). Fiber implements a proof-of-concept Python decorator that rewrites a function so that it can be paused and resumed. It can be used to call functions that recurse arbitrarily deeply without stack overflowing. Fiber should not be used in production.
"Undergrad Altenative . As universities are switching to 100% remote teaching, many students should strongly consider getting a DIY CS degree. Compared to college, Massive Open Online Course platforms are much cheaper, and many platforms have courses from the best schools and world-class professors. There will be less face time with teachers and classmates, and students will need to be more self-disciplined with their education. You won't receive an official degree by self-education but if you can do the work, get all the certificates, and document everything, you should be able to impress a hiring manager."
"Elon Musk Unveils SpaceX's New Starship, Designed To Fly To The Moon, Mars And Beyond . Since 2002, SpaceX has been working to make space travel cheaper and more accessible. Its Starship is a large vehicle that could theoretically carry people into space and land safely back on Earth. Starship will be able to return to space multiple times using a rapidly reusable orbital rocket. Spaceships need to become more like airplanes, with reusable vehicles, in order for them to be a viable form of transport. SpaceX plans to have more prototypes of Starship built in the next six months. A Japanese billionaire has announced that he has booked a trip as a private passenger with SpaceX for a voyage to the moon next year. SpaceX has partnered with NASA on the Commercial Crew Program to transport crew to and from the International Space Station."
"It’s hard to believe Samsung’s new, matte The Frame is actually a TV . Samsung has introduced a matte version of its The Frame TV. The display makes artwork look almost like it is on canvas. The Frame comes in sizes ranging from 43 to 85 inches. All displays feature a 4K resolution and displays over 55 inches will have a 120Hz refresh rate. Pictures of the new matte The Frame display are available in the article."
"Meet Adam Mosseri, the new head of Instagram . Adam Mosseri, formerly in charge of Facebook's Newsfeed, is now in charge of Instagram. Instagram's founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger are leaving the company due to conflicts with Mark Zuckerberg, but Kevin Systrom will continue to oversee his own transition out of the company, hiring heads of product, operations and engineering. It is unclear what this will mean for the direction of Instagram, but the speculation is that Mosseri will be more amenable to Zuckerberg's desire to increase cross promotion between Instagram and Facebook."
"Scientists are making human-monkey hybrids in China . Spanish-born biologist Juan Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte, who operates a lab at the Salk Institute in California, has been working with researchers in China to create embryos that are part human and part monkey. The aim is to research human-animal chimeras for viability in organ transplants. Previous research into other types of human-animal chimeras has failed as the human cells were far too different from other animals' cells. While harvesting organs from human-monkey chimeras is probably not a viable option due to their size and how long they take to develop, the research may provide clues to crossing evolutionary barriers when creating other types of chimeras. So far, no human-monkey chimeras have been born, as they are only allowed to develop for up to two weeks in the lab. There are no rules for creating mixed human-monkey embryos in China."
"Rich (GitHub Repo). Rich is a Python library for rich text and formatting in the terminal. It can add color and style, pretty tables, progress bars, markdown, syntax highlighted source code, and more. Examples are available in the repository."
"Facebook launches CatchUp, an audio-only calling app that shows who’s ready to chat now . CatchUp is a new app from Facebook that makes it easy for friends and family in the US to coordinate phone calls or set up group calls with up to eight people. The app is audio-only and it flags when users are available. Users won't need a Facebook account for the app to work as it works with the device's contacts list. One of the main reasons people no longer make phone calls is that they don't know when someone is free and they don't want to interrupt them. CatchUp solves this issue by allowing users to broadcast their availability to their contacts list."
"Shortcut puts the ""can"" in Kanban and the agile in Agile (Sponsor). Imagine how much more you could get done if your project management tools didn't make you sigh. Shortcut (formerly Clubhouse.io) is the ideal solution for task management, bug tracking, iteration planning, and reporting. Sign up for free."
"Q&A: Here’s How AI Will Change Chip Design . This article contains an interview with Heather Gorr, senior product manager for MathWorks’ MATLAB platform, discussing how AI will change the future of chip design. Engineers and designers are starting to run out of ways to miniaturize transistors and pack as many of them as possible into chips, so they are turning to other approaches to chip design, such as using AI. AI can be used at many levels of chip manufacturing, for example, design and defect detection. It helps solve many problems faster and cheaper, but there are also drawbacks to the tech."
"pre-commit (Website). pre-commit is a framework for managing and maintaining multi-language pre-commit hooks. Developers can specify a list of hooks and pre-commit will manage the installation and execution of any hook in any language before every commit, without requiring root access. Pre-commit supports all repositories with installable packages or executables."
"Astrophotographer claims to capture 'clearest & detailed picture of Sun’ . An astrophotographer has released several highly detailed images of the sun stitched together from 1,500,000 individual pictures. It was captured using a modified telescope that uses two telescopic filters, one to protect the photographer's eyes and the other to save the telescope from burning. Similar images have appeared on the internet in the past but have turned out to be fake. The images are available in the article."
"A Guide To New And Experimental CSS DevTools In Firefox (14 minute read). The Firefox DevTools team has built many tools so that designers and developers can be more efficient and creative. Grid Inspector aids users in examining CSS Grid layouts using a grid outline, which helps developers visualize how their code changes the layout of a site. Shape Path Editor helps developers to easily edit shapes into code by directly clicking and dragging shapes on the page. Fonts Editor automatically detects custom axes on fonts and allows developers to adjust and visualize them. Flexbox Inspector allows developers to inspect elements and view and change the sizing of items. The Changes Panel assists developers with exporting changes to CSS code. An Inactive CSS feature grays out CSS that doesn't affect the page and also shows a tooltip to explain why that property as no effect. The Accessibility Panel has been changed into a powerful inspection and auditing tool that can run different types of checks on a page. Instructions and tips on how to use these tools are available."
"Facebook is testing mini social networks focused on you and your neighbors . Facebook is testing a new feature that encourages users to post and share news in social networks focused on small geographical areas. Users will be able to share limited information with their neighbors, and Facebook will use the data it collects to serve more relevant ads. Neighborhoods is currently being tested in Calgary, Canada, and it will likely roll out more widely if the test is a success. Screenshots of the feature are available in the article."
"Chinese team test jet engine ‘able to reach anywhere on Earth within 2 hours’ . Chinese scientists have built a revolutionary plane engine for Mach 16 flight, enabling aircraft to reach anywhere in the world within two hours. A prototype of the engine was tested in a hypersonic wind tunnel in Beijing and the results suggested unprecedented performance in terms of thrust, fuel efficiency, and operational stability. Planes equipped with the engine can take off horizontally before accelerating into orbit around the Earth. The engine has a relatively simple design, consisting of a single-stage air inlet, a hydrogen fuel injector, and a combustion chamber. Existing hypersonic flight engines are too weak, fuel-hungry, and unstable for commercial flight. The new design offers the best hope so far in taking commercial flight to hypersonic speeds."
"How to learn D3.js (Website). D3.js is a collection of small modules that allows developers to create amazing data visualizations on the web. This introduction explains how to use D3 to grab and manipulate data, manipulate the DOM, draw SVG shapes, convert data to the physical domain, and deal with formatting and visualizations. It contains additional resources for further education."
"Nature: Bumblebees' 'clever trick' fools plants into flowering . Bumblebees nibble on the leaves of flowerless plants to trigger a response that makes the plant flower, sometimes up to 30 days earlier than normal. Scientists were not able to replicate the effects, so it is possible that the bees could be doing more than just nibbling on the plants. A recent study has found that bumblebee populations have been declining due to climate change, with an increasing number of hot days boosting extinction rates."
"Exclusive: London will be overwhelmed by covid in a fortnight says leaked NHS England briefing . According to an official briefing given to London's most senior doctors, the city's hospitals are less than two weeks from being overwhelmed by covid, even under the best scenarios. Even at the lowest likely infection rate, the National Health Service in London would still be short of nearly 2,000 beds by January 19. The report looks at different scenarios for both general and intensive care capacities. Due to this, senior clinical leaders have considered significantly reducing the number of elective work or sending patients to other regions or private providers. Other regions are also seeing rapid growth in covid occupancy caused by the new strain spreading across the country."
"High-energy X-rays reveal the secrets of ancient Egyptian inks . A team of scientists used high-energy X-rays to analyze ancient Egyptian papyri fragments and found lead compounds in both the red and black inks used. This is evidence that lead was added for its fast-drying properties rather than for its pigmentation. Painters in Europe used a similar technique when developing oil paints in the 15th-century, except that the Egyptians discovered it 1,400 years earlier. Synchrotron radiation is useful for analyzing art and other priceless artifacts due to its high-energy and short wavelengths. Ink has been used to write for thousands of years, and revealing the secrets of ancient ink technology contributes to our knowledge of the origin of writing practices."
"New York Is Proposing the Creation of a ‘Public Venmo’ . An estimated 14 million US adults don't have bank accounts, exposing them to predatory check-cashing and payday loan services. A new bill in New York proposes to create a publicly owned electronic banking platform and digital currency. The Inclusive Value Ledger proposal will allow citizens to transfer currency between each other without any fees. Local currencies were commonplace before the Federal Reserve Act centralized banking. The technology required to make IVL into a reality already exists. While the proposal says that the system will be secure, it doesn't offer more details about the planned security mechanisms or policies the system will have. The plan is supported by a coalition of community groups."
"Truffle (GitHub Repo). Truffle is a development environment, testing framework, and asset pipeline for Ethereum. It features built-in smart contract compilation, linking, deployment, binary management, and more. A default set of contracts are included for developers to quickly test and build custom contracts."
"The Next Google (12 minute read). The next Google will have to be more than just an input box that returns links. A new generation of search engines is being developed that takes the idea of a search engine to new directions. This article looks at new search engines and shows what they offer. It talks about Kagi, Neeva, You.com, Andi, Brave, and Goggles, and explains how these companies are innovating in the space."
"Teens are anxious and depressed after three hours a day on social media . A study has suggested that teenagers who spend more than three hours a day on social media are more likely to develop mental health problems. 6,600 12 to 15-year-old Americans self-reported on the time they spent on social media, as well as whether they had mental health issues. Those with three hours of social media had a high correlation with mental health problems, even after accounting for history. Teens who did not use social media did not exhibit aggressive behavior or antisocial behavior. Other studies on the subject show conflicting results, with some studies showing no correlation between screen time and mental health. Social media is changing faster than studies can catch up, with different platforms and formats appearing all the time, making it difficult to get an objective view on its effects."
"Pico.css (GitHub Repo). Pico.css is a minimal CSS framework for semantic HTML. It uses simple HTML tags as much as possible and requires no dependencies, package manager, external files, or JavaScript. Pico.css features elegant styles for all native HTML elements without .classes and dark mode automatically enabled. A short demo video is available."
"IBM’s New Chip Technology Shows Off the Next Big Step in Moore’s Law . IBM has demonstrated a 2-nanometer chip making process for the first time. The new process yields around 50 billion transistors on a chip the size of a fingernail and makes chips that are 75 percent more efficient or 45 percent faster than 7-nm chips. Nanosheet, or gate-all-around transistors, are the long-awaited successors to today's FinFET transistors. They feature a layered channel surrounded by the gate on all sides, providing better control of current through the channel, preventing leakage, and boosting efficiency. It will likely take some time before the chips will be available on the market."
"Basecamp Personal (Website). Basecamp Personal is a free way to run Basecamp for freelancers, students, families, and personal projects. Basecamp is a way to show the required information in a project all in one place so that developers can communicate what is being done and what needs to be done next in an effective way. It can fundamentally improve how project workflows are managed."
"Impossible Burgers are hitting their first grocery stores tomorrow . The Impossible Burger will be available in grocery stores starting September 20 in 27 Gelson's Markets stores in Southern California. It will eventually be available in other areas, and Impossible Foods plans to reach every region of the US by the middle of next year. This move will bring Impossible Foods into closer competition with Beyond Meat, who already sells its meat-free burgers in grocery stores. Impossible Foods' burger is available in over 17,000 restaurants. Beyond Meat is working with KFC on a new plant-based 'chicken' recipe. The Impossible Burger will be available in 12-ounce packages for $8.99, and purchases will be limited to 10 packages per visit per customer."
"Is Amazon Unstoppable? (61 minute read). Amazon has now become America's second-largest private employer, and the company is still growing. It has expanded from online retail to other businesses such as groceries, entertainment, and logistics. Due to its size, it is becoming harder to regulate. It can choose to sell whatever products it wants, and even choose to treat employees how it wants. Stories of employees receiving poor treatment from the company are commonplace. Its ability to influence and argue against regulators and lawmakers is unique, and while its image is starting to become tarnished, the company's future still looks bright."
"Amazon will order 100,000 electric delivery vans from EV startup Rivian, Jeff Bezos says . Amazon has placed an order for 100,000 electric delivery vans from Rivian, a Michigan-based startup. The vehicles will start being deployed possibly as soon as 2020, with the whole fleet expected to be on the road by 2024. Rivian has been operating since 2009, but only debuted its pickup truck and SUV at the end of November 2018. The announcement by Amazon also serves as the introduction of Rivian's delivery vans. In 2019, it received funding from Amazon, Ford, and Cox Automotive. Rivian's vehicles start at around $70,000, can travel 400 miles on a single charge, hit 60 miles per hour in under three seconds, and will eventually be self-driving in some capacity."
"Komiser (GitHub Repo). Komiser is a tool that allows you to analyze and manage cloud cost, usage, security, and governance, all in one place. It is able to uncover hidden costs and suggest optimizations to achieve maximum cost-effectiveness. A minute long video demonstration of Komiser is available to view."
"Zoom Earth (Website). This website provides near real-time satellite images. Users can adjust the time, search for locations, and view recent images of storms, wildfires, property, and more. The data is gathered from a variety of international sources."
"Physicists in China challenge Google’s ‘quantum advantage’ . A team in China claims to have demonstrated quantum advantage by performing a computation which is practically impossible on normal computers. The calculation was complete within a few minutes. Unlike Google's first demonstration of quantum advantage, this test cannot be completed with a classical computer. The calculation that was made has potential practical applications in graph theory, quantum chemistry, and machine learning."
"Electric car batteries with five-minute charging times produced . StoreDot, an Israeli company, has developed car batteries capable of fully charging in five minutes. The batteries can be mass-produced on standard production lines. StoreDot has so far raised $130 million in funding to date, with investors including BP and Samsung. Faster charging will mean less range anxiety as drivers won't be stuck charging their cars for hours. Charging stations will need to be upgraded in order to achieve fast charging. The batteries will likely be available to the mass market in three years."
"“Shocking” genetic data suggest Ebola lurked in survivor for 5-6 years . A new finding suggests that the Ebola viruses behind a new outbreak in Guinea may have originated from a survivor who carried the virus for at least five years. The Ebola virus can persist in some survivors by hiding from the immune system in places like the testicles or eyeballs. It can then be passed on to other people via sexual transmission. Samples of the virus from the current outbreak had evolved less than expected, which indicated that it originated from a persistent infection."
"Tesla's full self-driving Autopilot beta coming in 'a month or so' . Elon Musk recently announced that Tesla will release a private beta of the full self-driving version of its Autopilot software in the coming months. Musk is currently driving a bleeding edge, alpha build of the Autopilot. Tesla engineers had to overhaul major parts of the Autopilot, even changing how the system sees the world. The system now labels 3D video rather than 2D images, taking information from all eight of its cameras simultaneously."
"Scientists Discover ""Superworms"" That Can Survive on Eating Just Styrofoam . A species of worm that eats styrofoam and can grow to be more than five times the size of mealworms has been discovered. The worms can survive on a pure polystyrene diet, although they had lower pupation rates compared to worms on more normal diets. Scientists are now studying the enzymes inside the worms' guts for their polystyrene degrading capabilities. They hope to be able to use the worms to eventually develop an economically feasible way to recycle plastic."
"What’s Observability and Why does it matter? (Sponsor). What’s Observability and Why does it matter? . Angry tweets are a fact of life if you run a business – but what if you could find problems before your customers do? Observability is the secret sauce to knowing what’s happening in your product from start to finish, in real-time. Learn more about Observability in the award-winning Beginner’s Guide to Observability from Splunk. Download for free."
"Uber and GM Cruise are making their respective AV ‘visualization’ tools open source . Both Uber and GM Cruise have released their own custom tools in order to gain support from developers in the open-source community. GM Cruise released Worldview, allowing developers to build custom visualizations easily without having to learn complex graphics APIs or write code. Uber’s tool allows developers to easily transform their autonomous vehicle data into an easily digestible visual representation of what the vehicle is seeing in the real world. The aim of releasing these tools free of charge to the public is to encourage developers to build a variety of applications that could uplift the entire industry."
"Lima: Linux-on-Mac (GitHub Repo). Lima launches Linux virtual machines on macOS. It features automatic file sharing, automatic port forwarding, built-in support for containerd, and more. Lima has not been tested on ARM processors, but it should work."
"NASA ""Sonification"" project lets us hear the cosmos . A 'Sonification' project from NASA's Chandra X-ray Center translates telescope data into sound, letting us hear some of the most recognizable features in the sky. Many images of the cosmos are composite images of different elements or types of light to make it easier to visualize structures. The project produced three sonifications, each created with slightly different techniques and producing different sounds and qualities. A 3-minute video is available in the article that plays a sample of the sonifications."
Meta's Project Cambria VR headset likened to 'a laptop for the face' . Meta plans to release a high-end virtual reality headset later this year. Project Cambria will have specs similar to a Chromebook and will run a custom VR operating system based on Android. It will feature high-resolution image quality so users will be able to clearly read text. The device will reportedly be released around September and cost over $799. Meta plans to release Quest headsets in both 2023 and 2024 and it plans to release a successor to Cambria in 2024. More details about the headset are available in the article.
"ots (GitHub Repo). ots lets you share end-to-end encrypted secrets with others via a one-time URL. It can be used to securely share API keys, signing secrets, passwords, and more with anyone. Secrets are destroyed once viewed or after a specified expiry period."
"UI Design Trend of 2021 . Glassmorphism is the new UI Design Trend of 2021. Neumorphism, the design trend for 2020, had issues with accessibility, which Glassmorphism improves on significantly. This article contains a tutorial on how to use Figma to create a design using Glassmorphism."
"Tablet-focused Android 12L update rolls out, just not to any tablets . Google has released Android 12L without any tablet hardware to run it on. The hardware will come later this year. Android 12L features a new taskbar UI, dual-pane UIs for the notification panel and system settings, and a new recent-apps view for bigger screens. An update will also roll out to Pixel 3a, 4, 4a, 5, and 5a devices. A Pixel 6 update will roll out later this month."
The Farm Of The Future Might Be In Compton. Inside A Warehouse. And Run Partly By Robots (11 minute read). Plenty is a San Francisco-based startup that uses vertical farming to grow crops in enclosed and controlled environments. It wants to build at least 500 of these farms around the planet in densely populated cities. The first Plenty farm went into production in 2018 and its second site is in Compton. It hopes to start its first customer deliveries from the Compton farm sometime in 2021. Vertical farms can produce food efficiently all year round while taking up significantly less space than a traditional farm. They also make the food supply chain more resilient due to the controlled environment. The article contains many pictures from within Plenty's farms.
"How to Secure Anything (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a guide on how to secure anything, whether it is physical or digital. It covers best practices, defenses, vulnerabilities, and more. There are many resources linked throughout the repository and a section on recommended books at the end."
State-sponsored hackers have breached the US' nuclear weapons agency . The networks of the US Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration were breached by foreign hackers. Three states were also hacked in connection to the cybersecurity attack. Federal investigators are still assessing the damage and it is currently unknown what was accessed. The hackers likely gained access to the networks through SolarWinds' software. Microsoft may have been a victim of the attack as well. Russia has denied any involvement in the attack. Russian hackers have been highly active over the last month and were linked to recent attacks on the Treasury Department and NTIA.
"Mozilla details Pyodide, which brings Python to browsers . Pyodide is an experimental project by Mozilla written in WebAssembly that runs Python code in a browser without the need for a remote kernel. The concept of adding Python functionality to a browser is not new. However, Pyodide is able to perform adequately without requiring modified packages, unlike other Python browser plugins. Pyodide is still a work in progress, and features such as working with low-level networking sockets might never be available due to browser sandboxing rules."
"Mozilla is launching curated Recommended Extensions program this summer . Mozilla will be launching its Recommended Extensions program in the next few months, and it will contain a curated list of extensions that meet certain criteria. All extensions will be evaluated for quality, user experience, their relevance to a wide audience, and security. Developers who participate in the program will need to make a commitment to actively continue to improve their extensions. Recommended extensions will be highlighted on Firefox’s add-ons page, and will be given preference in search results."
"AT&T's 5G network goes live in 12 cities . AT&T launched its 5G network in 12 cities yesterday morning, making it the first wireless carrier to do so. It's not currently ready for consumer use, it's being tested by businesses right now to work out the kinks. When they demoed it at a conference earlier this month, it reached speeds of about 140Mbps. Theoretically they should eventually be able to get up to 1.2 Gbps. 5G will require a ""5G compatible"" data plan."
"Alphabet and other giants are betting that the future of real estate is robotic . An MIT project called CityHome, started in 2014, aimed to build robotic furniture that could appear as needed, allowing people to utilize the space in smaller apartments more effectively. The project eventually became a company called Ori, which has now made a deal with Ikea to create customizable furnishings for customers. Ori is now raising funds and working with investors in city planning, retail, and hospitality to change the way buildings are made in order to integrate the technology directly into the building, rather than installing separate furnishings. The furniture Ori creates can change the way people live at scale, but only if the buildings are designed to house these robotics in the first place."
"These stunning images of snowflakes will make you see winter in a whole new light . Nathan Myhrvold, former CTO of Microsoft, built a camera with a microscopic lens to capture images of individual snowflakes. The camera is far bigger than the average device, with a carbon fiber frame, low-heat LED lights, and a computer-controlled focus. Before taking a photo, snowflakes are captured on a black foam core and then put onto a cooling stage under the camera using a watercolor brush. The cold is key, and the image must be taken before the snowflake melts. Images of snowflakes taken with Myhrvold's camera are available in the article."
"A second CRISPR pregnancy is already under way, claims Chinese scientist . News broke earlier this week that Chinese scientist He Jankui had used CRISPR to gene edit babies to be resistant to HIV. Now, He says that a second CRISPR pregnancy is on the way. He stands by what he's done saying ""They need this protection. An HIV vaccine is not available."" He also notes that the parents had given ""informed consent"", and he personally paid for the entire process, except for some sequencing costs that were covered by startup funding at his university, the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen."
"BMW Made the World’s First Electrified Wingsuit. It Reached 186 MPH on Its First Flight . BMW has developed an electric wingsuit capable of soaring through the sky at speeds of up to 186 mph. Professional skydiver and BASE jumper Peter Salzmann, who was part of the development process, completed the maiden flight over the mountains of Austria after being dropped at 10,000 feet by a helicopter. The e-wingsuit is powered by a chest-mounted rig that can produce thrust for up to five minutes. A 2-minute video of the maiden flight is available in the article, along with a small selection of photos."
"Apple Warns Looters With Stolen iPhones: You Are Being Tracked . Apple has seen its fair share of attacks by rioters and looters during the protests across the US in the last week. It has decided to close the majority of its US stores, removing stock from shop floors and shuttering locations. Apple will likely reassess the opening of its stores daily. Looters who stole Apple devices will see a message saying that the stolen device is disabled and being tracked and that local authorities have been alerted."
Avvvatars (GitHub Repo). Avvvatars is a library for creating unique avatar placeholders. It generates avatars based on string inputs. The avatars are customizable and can be in the form of text or shapes. A live demo is available.
"Sombras.app (Website). On this site, users can place a square on two 6x6 grids and a corresponding cube will appear in 3D space to match the pattern of the grids with the shadows on the wall. Users can change the color of the lights, choose to display more or less cubes, as well as shoot the model to make the cubes fly around. The design can be shared or saved to disk."
Elon Musk moves Tesla layoff target from 10% to 3% of employees . The company is now aiming for a reduction of 3% to 3.5% of the workforce.
"What can ants, bees, and other social insects teach us about aging? (11 minute read). Despite being almost genetically identical, individuals from colonies of social insects can have totally different life spans depending on their jobs. They can change roles, resulting in a change in their youthful traits. These insects could help scientists unravel the secrets of aging. Aging is a progressive loss of function and performance with time. It is likely an outcome of natural selection. Genes that affect the individual after reproducing are not selected against and accumulate."
"Holly Herndon Deepfaked Herself Into a 'Digital Twin' That Sings Any Song In Her Voice . Holly+ is an AI copy of Holly Herndon's voice that can sing any song you want it to. It can convert any polyphonic song or voice recording into Herndon's voice within minutes. Holly+ recordings can be freely released, but not commercially exploited without permission. The commercial use of Holly+ creations will be governed by a decentralized autonomous organization on the Ethereum blockchain. Token holders will be able to vote on whether creations can be commercialized and make decisions about licensing agreements."
"MIT is giving you control of a real person on Halloween in a dystopian game that sounds like an episode of 'Black Mirror' . MIT's media lab is creating an online game that will start at 11pm ET on Halloween. The game, BeeMe, is about an evil AI called Zookd that has accidentally been released. The audience will collectively control an actor (a person who follows the commands of the audience voting online) in order to stop the AI. The whole thing will be streamed live."
"Galaxy Watch 3 app reveals new gestures for calls, taking photos . The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 app has arrived at the Play Store. Two new smartwatch gestures are available. Users will be able to silence calls and alarms with a simple twist of the wrist. The second gesture allows users to answer incoming calls or take pictures by clenching their fist and then releasing. Samsung has implemented more accessibility features into its watch software. There will be new watch faces and users will be able to automatically shuffle through watch faces."
"Weird molecule found in Titan's atmosphere hints at complex chemistry . NASA scientists discovered cyclopropenylidene in the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan. The simple, carbon-based molecule has never been seen in an atmosphere before. Titan has long been considered one of the most promising places to search for extraterrestrial life. Cyclopropenylidene is part of a class of molecules known to form an important part of the backbone of DNA and RNA. The presence of the molecule could mean that there could be life-giving chemistry on the moon that is not water-based."
"Unreal Engine 5 is now available in Early Access . Unreal Engine 5 has been released in Early Access. The new build features Nanite, a virtualized micropolygon geometry system that creates games with massive amounts of geometric detail, Lumen, a fully dynamic global illumination solution, a new World Partition system, new animation tools, an enhanced editor UI and workflow, and much more. A 15-minute video showing off the new features of Unreal Engine 5 is available in the article."
"Fire breaks out in OVH building in Strasbourg, France . A fire broke out at French cloud services firm OVH, disrupting millions of websites in the country. Up to 2% of .FR domains have been affected. The fire destroyed one of four data centers and damaged another. Investigators have yet to find a cause for the blaze. The firm recently announced plans for an initial public offering."
"PostHog (Sponsor). PostHog is the open source analytics suite you can self-host. Product analytics, session recording, feature flags, heatmaps, and more - all available for free. Learn more."
"How Coinbase Phishers Steal One-Time Passwords . A recent phishing campaign targeted Coinbase users. The operation involved using random email addresses to create accounts on Coinbase and then sending phishing emails to the addresses that already had accounts set up. Users would then be prompted to enter their personal information on a phishing site. The site had a mechanism for capturing one-time passwords. The best way to sidestep phishing scams is to avoid clicking on links from unsolicited emails, text messages, or other media, and never provide any information in response to an unsolicited phone call."
"gmail-helper (GitHub Repo). gmail-helper is a Python package that can complete helpful Gmail tasks using Google's API client. It can fetch created Gmail labels and persist to a local DB, get all Gmail filters, create/overwrite new Gmail filters, and delete mail based on search criteria."
"Physicists reverse time using quantum computer . In a four-stage experiment, scientists have successfully reversed the state of a qubit in a quantum computer, effectively reversing the effects of time by a fraction of a second within the computer. To explain the experiment, an analogy of playing billiards is used. When you begin a game, the cue ball breaks the starting pyramid, and balls go in all different directions. Continuing with the analogy, the scientists were able to reverse the effect of the cue ball and reverse the trajectory of the balls so they go back into their starting state, ie. back to the starting pyramid. While this was on a microscopic scale (and performing this on actual real-world objects would be impossible at this stage), this discovery may prove useful for making quantum computers more precise."
"Self-driving semi makes first cross-country trip, thanks to Plus.ai tech . Residents in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, will soon have their food delivered to grocery stores via a self-driving semi-truck. Plus.ai recently announced that it completed a cross-country trip from Tulare, California, to Pennsylvania. The trip took less than three days and was the first time a Level 4 self-driving system handled a commercial freight trip. Plus.ai's self-driving system was able to handle the 2,800 mile trip primarily in autonomous mode. A human driver had to take over for federally mandated breaks and refueling. The trucked operated throughout the day and night, was unfazed by elevation changes and road construction, and was able to handle rain and snow."
"The PeerJS library (Website). PeerJS allows anyone to create a P2P data or media stream connection to a remote peer using only an ID. It wraps the browser's WebRTC implementation to provide a peer-to-peer connection API. An API reference guide is available. PeerJS can be used to transfer data, as well as to make video and audio calls."
"Exclusive: Strange Russian Spacecraft Shadowing U.S. Spy Satellite, General Says . Two Russian satellites are currently tailing a multibillion-dollar US spy satellite in space. They started moving towards the US satellite in November, sometimes getting within 100 miles of the spacecraft. This is the first time a direct threat to a specific US spacecraft by an adversary has been publicly identified. President Donald Trump created the Space Force in December, representing a strategic shift from passively operating satellites to actively defending them. Russia has stated that the satellites are 'inspector' spacecraft engaged in an experiment. The two spacecraft were launched as one, and then they split into its current two separate parts. They appear to be collecting data on the US satellite. This might be considered an aggressive act by Russia, and could be an attempt to test the US government's boundaries in space."
"The Linux Kernel Module Programming Guide (GitHub Repo). The Linux Kernel Module Programming Guide has been around since 2001. Most copies available on the web only describe old 2.6.x kernels. This repository keeps the guide up to date, with working examples for recent 5.x versions. A link to the book is available."
World's first ship tunnel to be built under Norwegian mountains . Norway is building the world's first ship tunnel to help vessels navigate the Stadhavet Sea. The tunnel will cost around 2.8 billion Norwegian kroner and take between three to four years to build. Construction is due to begin in 2022. The tunnel will protect ships from the weather and tide. It could also enable a ferry service in the future. Building the tunnel will involve removing roughly three million cubic meters of rock.
"Better than the Scoville scale? Chili-shaped device can rate pepper hotness . There are several methods for measuring how much capsaicin, the compound responsible for how hot a chili is, is inside a pepper. A team of scientists from the Prince of Songkla University in Thailand has developed a portable sensor device that can connect to a smartphone to show how much capsaicin is inside a chili pepper sample. It is shaped like a red-hot chili pepper. A picture of the sensor is available in the article."
"After 10 years of building consumer social apps, I've decided to start exploring new areas . Building consumer social apps can be a grind. This Twitter thread contains advice from a developer who has been making social apps for a decade. It includes tips on how to test apps, how to increase retention, how to target an audience, and much more."
"How My Show Hacker News Project Got Acquired After 6 Months (18 minute read). Josh Howarth found it 100 times easier to bootstrap a profitable online business if you ride recent big market trends, for example, podcast hosting or remote work. There was a lack of tools to find topics to plug into Google Trends, so Howarth decided to build one for himself. He marketed through Twitter, building an email list, and eventually launched on Hacker News. After some initial success, Howarth started focusing on making the product more robust and sustainable for the long term, and to monetize the product. After a few months of working on the code, with no extra marketing efforts, an offer was made to Howarth to acquire his product. With the acquisition, Howarth no longer needed to worry about customer acquisition and marketing, and could focus entirely on building a quality product."
"Join the Big Fix - Fix Vulns. Earn Swag. (Sponsor). In light of the Log4j vulnerability, Snyk is hosting the Big Fix - an online event for teams to fix backlogs of vulnerabilities. Earn swag (including free t-shirts!) when you fix vulnerabilities. Plus, get hands-on support from our security experts live on Feb 25."
"Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Air will arrive within a year . Apple is working on a 15-inch MacBook Air and a 12-inch MacBook. The 15-inch MacBook Air will have the same overall design as the 13.6-inch MacBook Air. It will use the same M2 processor. The new laptops could arrive in 2023, but Apple could abandon its 12-inch MacBook plans. New MacBook Pros with M2 chips could arrive as soon as this fall. The M2 Max will have 12 CPU cores and up to 38 GPU cores."
"Ethereum Creator, Vitalik Buterin, Donates Over $1B to India COVID Relief . Vitalik Buterin sent over $1 billion worth of cryptocurrencies to several charities. The creators of the tokens had gifted them to Buterin in the hopes that he would hold them. Some of the coins plummeted in value after Buterin gave them away. The coins were new to the Ethereum network and were attempting to mimic the rise that Dogecoin recently experienced."
"Amazon's Cyber Monday was the biggest shopping day in the company's history . Amazon had its biggest sales day ever on Monday. While it didn't give specific sales numbers, it did mention that the Echo Dot was the top selling item and millions of Echo devices were sold. Over the Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend, customers ordered over 180 million items, and sales from small and medium businesses grew 20% over last year."
pattern.css (GitHub Repo). pattern.css is a CSS only library of patterned backgrounds. It supports all modern browsers and developers have full color control. pattern.css is under 1KB when compressed.
"Comma Two dev kit adds assisted driving features to cars (demo). The Comma Two is a device that can add assisted driving features to cars. It operates at level two autonomy. The device requires drivers to pay attention to the road and will start to beep when it detects that the driver's eyes are looking away from the road, and if the vehicle is moving, it will stop using gas. Its safety features use IR cameras, so they work at night. This video shows the Comma Two driving a Honda vehicle, showing it detect a vehicle cutting out in front it, stopping at a set of lights, and starting again."
Japan Tests Rotating Detonation Engine in Space for the First Time . Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency recently announced that it successfully demonstrated the operation of a rotating detonation engine in space. Rotating detonation engines generate a large amount of super-efficient thrust using smaller engines and less fuel. They have the potential to reduce the weight of rocket payloads and lower the costs of launch. Further development could result in a propulsion method for deep space travel. A video of the rotating detonation engine demonstration is available in the article.
"youki (GitHub Repo). youki is a container runtime in Rust. Rust is one of the best languages for a container runtime as it has memory management, unlike C, and it can use system calls. youki is still in development, but it is almost ready for practical use."
Tired of Egregious Egress? (Sponsor). Tired of Egregious Egress? . Vultr offers Cloud Compute across more than 20 locations with pricing as low as $2.50 per month. Deploy your first instance today in 60 seconds or less with one of 12 pre-selected operating systems or bring your own ISO! Claim $150 in credit for your first 30 days!
"‘Every message was copied to the police’: the inside story of the most daring surveillance sting in history (18 minute read). An0m was a special device that was supposed to have the most secure messaging service in the world. The phones sold for $1,700 with a $1,250 annual subscription. Almost 10,000 devices were sold around the world. The devices were actually created by the Australian Federal Police and the FBI, who read all the messages that were sent on the devices, resulting in more than 800 arrests worldwide. This article tells the story of how the phones were made and the details of the operation."
"How To Find Hidden Cameras & Spy Gear Like a Professional: The Definitive Guide . A surprisingly serious and comprehensive guide for sweeping a room for bugs and hidden cameras. Some beginner common sense stuff like checking sockets and turning off the lights to check for indicator lights on recording devices, and some advanced stuff about checking mirrors, thermal detection, and radio frequency detectors."
"Reddit Talk is a Clubhouse competitor for subreddits . Reddit Talk is a new social audio product that allows subreddit moderators to start Clubhouse-like Talks. While moderators will have control over who can speak in the sessions, anybody on iOS or Android will be able to listen in on the app. There is a waitlist for people to try out the app. Screenshots from the app are available in the article."
"How I Created A $60K/Month App That Collects In-Person Payments Through Stripe . Payment.co is an app built on top of the Stripe payment gateway to allow people to easily collect payments in person without barriers or card readers. It started in 2015 and currently processes $70 million in volume annually, taking in a 1% service fee on every charge. Ryan Scherf, the founder of payment.co, originally went to school to become a developer but transitioned later into design. In 2013, Scherf was approached by someone who had an idea for an app that was built on top of Stripe, and they launched Paid in 2013. After some success, Payment was launched. Scherf and his partner spent little on marketing or launching their product. They have since grown the company by building features based on customer feedback. Payment.co has no support team - Scherf does all of the support. There is still only one true employee in the company, but Scherf hires several contractors. Scherf's advice for other entrepreneurs is that there is no perfect time to start a company and that entrepreneurs should learn how to build products themselves, rather than saving money to get someone else to build it."
"3 crashes, 3 deaths raise questions about Tesla's Autopilot . Three recent crashes have caused increase scrutiny of Tesla's Autopilot driving system just months before fully self-driving Tesla cars were planned to be deployed on the streets. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is looking into some of these incidents but has yet to determine whether Tesla's Autopilot system was being used during the accidents. Tesla says that its Autopilot system is only designed to assist drivers, and still requires drivers to pay attention and be ready to intervene. While the system may make driving safer, it does not mitigate all risks. The NHTSA has yet to issue any regulations on advanced driver assist systems."
"Solid.js (Website). Solid is a declarative JavaScript library for creating user interfaces. It compiles templates down to real DOM nodes and wraps updates in fine-grained reactions. Solid follows the same philosophy as React without using Virtual DOM. It works in serverless environments and supports modern features like JSX, Fragments, Context, Portals, and Concurrent Rendering."
"Upgraded Google Glass Helps Autistic Kids “See” Emotions (10 minute read). A special kind of Google Glass allows children with autism to see emotions. When users wear the glasses, they can see a code that lets them know the emotions displayed on the faces around them. Studies have shown that using this technology increases kids' eye contact and social engagement, as well as improving their recognition of emotions in others. The device has yet to gain approval by the FDA and treatment is not covered by health insurance plans."
"Elon Musk reveals Boring tunnels as he aims to eliminate city traffic . Elon Musk has revealed renders of the first commercial station being built by his tunnel-digging company. The Boring Company's first commercial Loop system is set to open later this year under the Las Vegas Convention Center. It will have the capacity to transport up to 4,400 passengers per hour around the convention center's 200-acre campus. The system could potentially be expanded to connect other areas of Las Vegas and can be adapted to other cities around the world."
"In 2020, Some Americans Will Vote On Their Phones. Is That The Future? . The US is experimenting with Internet voting as a means to increase turnout. While there are some concerns, advocates claim that the project is necessary as the current voting system is outdated. Each state has the freedom to choose how voting is conducted, including choosing what voting technologies are used. Some states have been experimenting with voting apps for overseas and military voters. The main concern for online voting is security. Voting technology is usually owned by private companies and kept secret, and this lack of transparency may decrease trust in the voting process. The difficulty of the current voting system has been blamed for low voter turnout. Mobile phone voting will encourage more people to vote, and also help those who can't physically vote."
"Colonial Pipeline hackers apologize, promise to ransom less controversial targets in future . DarkSide, the group behind the ransomware attack that took down Colonial Pipeline, has apologized for the consequences of the hack. The group clarified that its goal was to make money and not to create problems for society. It promises to vet future victims to avoid social consequences. DarkSide isn't associated with a specific nation-state but it tends to avoid targeting systems running in certain Russian and Eastern European languages. Colonial Pipeline aims to restore service by the end of the week."
Tesla Autopilot Saved 8 Lives In Storm Dennis . Tesla's Autopilot kept working during Storm Dennis in the southern part of the UK and seemingly managed to save eight lives. Two Tesla Model X vehicles were involved in an accident caused by Storm Dennis. The vehicles were coming towards each other from opposite directions when a 400-year-old oak tree fell onto the path of the vehicles. Both families in the vehicles credit Autopilot for saving their lives by engaging their Automatic Emergency Breaks just in time.
"Sony's 'Tokyo 2050' Envisions Humans Living on Floating Pods in the Sea . Sony's new project, 'One Day, 2050', envisions the future and how humans will be living in Tokyo in 2050. Global sea levels are rising at an alarming rate. Without land to live on, people may have to consider floating housing options. Sony has proposed floating pods that will allow people to live on the ocean. They have movement and power generating capabilities and can form hive-like structures that share resources when connected. A video showing how the pods would get around and combine together is available in the article."
gqt (GitHub Repo). gqt is a GraphQL client that runs in the terminal. It allows developers to build and execute GraphQL queries from the terminal. A GIF demo is available.
"Australia in Tree-Planting Binge to Help Meet Climate Targets . Australia aims to plant a billion trees by 2050, in order to reach its Paris Agreement climate targets. It is estimated that the trees planted will remove up to 18 million tons of greenhouse gas per year by 2030. Currently, Australia produces 500 million tons of CO2-equivalent per year, mainly due to its reliance on coal fuel. The Paris Agreement means that Australia has agreed to lower its carbon emissions by 26 to 28 percent of 2005 levels by 2030, however, there are still no policies specifying Australia’s strategies to reach its target."
"Watch Virgin Galactic launch Richard Branson to space . Richard Branson and three company employees flew to the edge of space on the morning of July 11. The event was livestreamed and featured Stephen Colbert as the host and a performance from Khalid. It was delayed by 90 minutes due to overnight weather over Spaceport America. Virgin Galactic has already sold roughly 600 tickets at around $250,000 each. Jeff Bezos will be flying to space on July 20. Virgin Galactic's livestream is available in the article."
"Introduction to CSS Transitions . With the introduction of CSS animations, developers no longer have to write animations with JavaScript. The transition property in CSS allows elements to change value over a given duration. Developers can alter what properties to change during an animation, how the transition proceeds over the duration, how long to wait before the transition starts, and how long the transition lasts for."
"Case Study Club (Newsletter). Case Study Club is a weekly newsletter that contains case studies about the specific design choices and thought processes that go into building a product. Curated by Jan Wennesland, a designer since 1996!"
"AI system outperforms experts in spotting breast cancer . An AI system has outperformed expert radiologists in detecting breast cancer in mammograms. The system was able to detect cancers that the radiologists missed while ignoring features that radiologists falsely flagged as possible tumors. Developed by Google Health, the software could help ease the burden on health services as radiologists are in short supply. One in eight women is diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and there are many cases of misdiagnosis. AI could help assist radiologists in making a diagnosis, acting as a second opinion."
"The new burger chef makes $3 an hour and never goes home . Flippy the robot is a robotic burger chef that is able to fry chicken fingers, flip burger patties, and perform other food preparation tasks. Miso Robotics rents the robots to restaurant owners for an estimated $2,000 a month. A human doing the same job would cost significantly more, and they carry more risks. The restaurant industry has been facing a labor crisis for years, with high turnover rates and a large number of open positions. Using Flippy, restaurants will be able to meet demand while lowering costs significantly."
"ColorBox (Web Tool). ColorBox is a free colorpicker made by Lyft's design team. It allows you to easily pick any number of shades of a color and have the shades be distinguishable. For example, if you wanted to have 5 shades of blue that are all easy to tell apart when they're right next to each other you can do that just by using a slider with this tool. If you're like me and you constantly find yourself Googling ""shades of orange hex codes"" and things like that, this will save you a bunch of time."
"It's not just you, YouTube and other Google services are down . Youtube and the Google Play store both went down for over two hours. There's no explanation for the outage yet, but I can't remember Youtube ever going down."
"5D Optical Disc Could Store 500TB for Billions of Years . 5D optical storage has a data density 10,000 times that of a Blu-ray disc. It uses three layers of nanoscale dots in a glass disc to encode data. A 5D disc could theoretically remain readable after 13.8 billion years. Writing to these discs is usually a slow process, but a new technique developed at the University of Southampton speeds up the process significantly without impacting the reliability of the data. The technique has a maximum data rate of approximately 230 kilobytes per second. All that is needed to read the stored data is a microscope and a polarizer."
"Disney Bundle with Disney Plus, ESPN+, and ad-free Hulu is $18.99 . Disney announced updates to its streaming services and provided sneak peeks for upcoming shows and movies at its investor day presentation on Thursday. It announced a new bundle that includes Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and ad-free Hulu for $18.99. A bundle with an ad-based version of Hulu is available for $12.99."
"Amazon will have a new CEO as Jeff Bezos transitions to executive chair later this year . Jeff Bezos will step down as CEO and become the executive chair of the Amazon board in Q3 2021. Andy Jassy will replace Bezos as CEO. Bezos plans to focus on projects like the Bezos Earth Fund and Blue Origin. He has been CEO of Amazon since 1994, watching it grow from an online bookstore to one of the most dominant technology companies in the world. Jassy has been with Amazon since 1997 and has been CEO of Amazon Web Services since 2016. Amazon's cloud business has become a large part of Amazon, and to the internet as a whole. AWS outages can cause many services to go down for hours."
"Move Fast and Don’t Break Privacy - Webinar (Sponsor). Move Fast and Don’t Break Privacy - Webinar . Businesses are collecting, storing, and analyzing more data than ever. However, not all data is created equal. Some data, like sensitive user data, is special and requires better protection than other data.Join Skyflow’s Head of Developer Relations, Sean Falconer, to learn how leading companies like Netflix and Apple use zero trust data privacy vaults to protect and secure sensitive data. This webinar will introduce and demo Skyflow, a data privacy vault delivered as an API, and answer live questions.Join us July 6th at 10am PT for ‘Move Fast and Don’t Break Privacy’. Register now."
New dynamic glass can tint with an electric charge and is coming to your home . The US Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have partnered with Glass Dyenamics to develop advanced glass technology that tints when an electric charge is applied. The technology is now available for residential homes at affordable prices. Dynamic glass could eliminate 78 million metric tons of CO2 emissions per year by 2030 and offer homeowners up to 20% in energy savings. Pictures of the glass installed on a residential premises are available in the article.
"Brython (Website). Brython allows web developers to use Python 3 code instead of Javascript to code pages. It supports Python 3 syntax and many modules of the CPython distribution. Brython includes libraries to interact with DOM elements, events, and existing Javascript libraries. It supports the latest specs of HTML5/CSS3 and can use CSS Frameworks. A gallery of examples is linked on the page."
"Reddit adds comment searching to help improve search results . Reddit has updated its search feature to index comments. Users will now have an option to search through comments, making it easier to find something specific. The ability to search comments was one of the most requested features from a user survey last year. The results will take into account post interactions and how popular a particular result is. The new search features are currently only available for desktop users."
"SpaceX has lost communication with three of its 60 Starlink satellites . Of the 60 Starlink satellites launched in May, 45 have reached their target 550-kilometer altitude, five are currently still rising to the target altitude, and five more are planning to go beyond the target altitude. Two satellites will be intentionally deorbited, while three have lost communication with base stations and will eventually burn up in the atmosphere. The satellites will soon be tested for latency and capacity by streaming videos and games in North America. Starlink satellites will be allocated the first set of frequencies by the FCC before other broadband satellite operators."
"First Apple TV+ AR app launches with 'For All Mankind' backstory through mixed reality . 'For All Mankind: Time Capsule' is now out on the iOS App Store. The augmented reality experience was built using Apple's ARKit framework. It includes exclusive experiences for the latest iPad Pro, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. The app lets users interact with virtual objects through the lens of their devices. It adds on to the story in-between seasons of For All Mankind, but knowledge of the series isn't required to enjoy the app. A short ad for Time Capsule is available in the article."
"Venmo now has a credit card . Venmo has announced a new credit card that can be managed through the Venmo app. There is no annual fee and it gives customers 3% cashback on groceries, 2% on transportation, and 1% for 'everything else'. The amounts and categories are subject to change. Each card will have a QR code on the back to allow other people to send payments to the card owner. The card will come in a variety of colors. Eligible users will receive offers to sign up for the card over the next few months."
"This is Tinder’s new video chat feature, Face to Face . Tinder has introduced a new video call feature called Face to Face in 13 countries, including several regions in the US, Australia, Brazil, and France. Only a select group of members will have access to the feature as the team continues to develop the service. Both users will have to opt into the service before they can make video calls to each other. Users will have to agree to behave during calls and they will be given the opportunity to report someone after the call if they did something inappropriate. The call will be in split-screen so that users will see exactly what the other person sees on their device. There will be a moderation process but Tinder says that it has no intention of recording calls. The team will lean heavily towards trusting user reports."
"Nearly two-thirds of Uber customers don’t tip their drivers, study says . According to a study from the National Bureau of Economic Research, only one percent of Uber customers always tip, while almost 60 percent of customers never do. The average tip drivers receive is around $3 for customers who tip. Female drivers are more likely to receive tips, but men are usually the ones who tip. Tipping may occur less on ride-sharing platforms as the tipping happens after the ride, not face to face. Users pay for their rides through an app, rather than in cash. Uber had resisted adding tipping functionality to its app in the past as certain types of people tend to get tipped more regardless of the quality of service, which it considers unfair. Since Uber has enabled in-app tipping, Uber drivers and Uber Eats couriers have collected nearly $2 billion in tips."
"Amazon Faces Investor Pressure Over Facial Recognition . Amazon shareholders have introduced two proposals that affect the company’s policies around selling its facial recognition software, Amazon Rekognition. The first proposal asks the company to prohibit sales to government agencies unless the board is convinced that its use does not violate any human rights. The second proposal is a request for Amazon to commission an independent report on how Rekognition might threaten civil, human, and privacy rights, as well as the company’s finances. While these proposals are non-binding, it adds to the pushback against facial recognition by many groups. Lawmakers are now actively considering the effects of facial recognition technology and legislating to control its use."
"Mice Study Reveals a New Method to Unlock The Blood-Brain Barrier . Scientists have found a way to control the blood-brain barrier at a molecular level and open it up for a couple of hours at a time. The absence of a molecule called Unc5B left the blood-brain barrier open in tests on adult mice. Researchers then developed an antibody to block the receptor that the molecule was binding to. This allowed the team to open up the blood-brain barrier for some time to promote drug delivery. The research could lead to better treatments for diseases like Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, and brain tumors."
"DeepMind tests the limits of large AI language systems with 280-billion-parameter model . Large language models (LLMs) are being used for a wide range of applications, but these programs have serious problems, including biases and failing tests of logical reasoning. DeepMind recently conducted research on whether adding more data and computing power would overcome these limitations. It created a language model with 280 billion parameters called Gopher and confirmed that scaling up LLMs offers improved performance on benchmark tests for sentiment analysis and summarization. There are still some issues inherent to language models that scaling does not seem to fix, such as models perpetuating stereotypical biases."
"On Leaving Facebook (10 minute read). This article talks about the experience of working for and leaving Facebook. Working on a new project at Facebook can feel like working in a small startup, but in a large company. Facebook makes it easy to switch between teams, and working there can be very comfortable. It aims to pay the top 5% in the market, which means that leaving will almost always mean a significant pay cut. All the benefits and compensation make it difficult to leave, but eventually many people get burnt out and start leaving anyway."
"Facebook takes on Nextdoor with Neighborhoods tool . Facebook is rolling out a new feature called Neighborhoods in four US cities and Canada. The tool will allow people to find neighbors with common interests, discover local groups and businesses, and interact with others in their communities. Users will have to share location information to get matched to a neighborhood. Every neighborhood has moderators to make sure people are staying within guidelines. Eligible users will be notified in-app."
"XSStrike (Github Repo). XSStrike is a next-generation Cross Site Scripting detection suite with four hand written parsers, an intelligent payload generator, a fuzzing engine and a fast crawler. It's written in Python, people seem very excited about this project so if you're into security you might want to check it out."
"Exclusive: Messaging app Telegram moves to protect identity of Hong Kong protesters . Telegram will be releasing an update in the next few days which will allow users to disable the ability to be searched by phone number. Currently, users can find other users by searching for their phone numbers. In June, Telegram reported that it had experienced a state actor-sized cyber-attack and that China was the country of origin. It is likely that mainland Chinese and Hong Kong authorities are using the number-searching feature to identify protestors in Hong Kong. Protestors are using the Telegram app to communicate, with more than 100 group chats sharing information such as news on upcoming protests and tips on how to deal with tear gas. Nearly 900 people have been arrested since the demonstrations began three months ago."
"Carnivorous “vulture bees” have acidic microbiomes to better digest their carrion . A group of stingless bees are known to eat meat from carcasses in tropical rainforests. These vulture bees consume flesh on-site, storing a kind of meat slurry in their crops to bring back to the hive. The slurry is converted into another substance at the hive and stored in wax pots. Scientists studying the gut biome of the bees found that it contained bacteria similar to those found in vultures, hyenas, and other carrion feeders. These bacteria likely help protect the bees from pathogens in the carrion."
"bore (GitHub Repo). bore is a command-line tool for making tunnels to localhost. It exposes local ports to remote servers, bypassing standard NAT connection firewalls. bore is designed to be a simple, highly-efficient, and unopinionated tool for forwarding TCP traffic."
"How We Build a Design System (16 minute read). Bit is a platform that helps developers build, share, and collaborate on components. It uses a design system driven by components. This article explains the process of how Bit created its design system. It discusses the development of tools and components with examples along the way."
"Learning-K8S (GitHub Repo). This repository uses a simple demonstration to teach a basic understanding of how Kubernetes works. It only covers enough docker content to gain a basic understanding to learn and work with Kubernetes. While it is long, it should be easy to follow if completed in order."
"'This is revolutionary’: new online bookshop unites indies to rival Amazon . Bookshop is an online bookseller that allows readers to buy books online while supporting their local independent bookseller. Independent bookshops can create their own shopfront on the site and they receive the full profit margin from each sale. Bookshop handles all customer service and shipping, delivering titles to customers within two to three days. More than 900 stores have now signed up in the US, and it is now open in the UK. As Bookshop is a B Corporation, it can never be sold to a major US retailer."
"Meet molnupiravir, Merck’s Thor-inspired pill that hammers COVID . Molnupiravir is an oral antiviral drug that appears to cut the risk of hospitalization from Covid-19 by roughly 50 percent. Global studies showed that the drug was effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants. The drug appears to be safe, with low numbers of reported drug-related adverse events. Molnupiravir has been in development for years for use against influenza. It works by inhibiting an enzyme critical for making copies of RNA viruses. The drug has yet to gain FDA authorization."
"AI - The No Bullshit Approach (20 minute read). What we currently call AI are computer programs. Deep learning is not magic and it is just another way to construct computer programs. Programs can be manually written, generated from high-level logical specifications, or generated based on data. Commercial AI looks at solving problems with the technology that is available to us. The scientific approach should ideally aim to build a system that could develop high-level symbolic representations and be able to spontaneously manipulate these symbols. Many AI researchers are not interested in solving this problem, with most of the field focused on enjoying AI's success in non-critical applications."
"From the lab to the living room: The story behind Facebook’s Oculus Insight technology and a new era of consumer VR . Facebook's Oculus Insight was created so that the Oculus headsets could be completely wireless and independent of outside sensors. It uses inside-out tracking, which uses computer vision algorithms to analyze data from multiple sensors in order to fix the position of an object within a constantly updated digital map. The technology has been used before in robotics and smartphones, but the Oculus required an unprecedented level of precision and efficiency. Using special cameras and machine learning, the team at Facebook trained an algorithm to recognize the environment and the locations of the Oculus controllers. The technology is still developing, with the aim of eventually being able to create lightweight, stylish AR glasses."
"Create Awesome Git readMe Profile . This tutorial teaches you how to customize your git with badges, icons, a blog, site stats, social media integration, and more. A screenshot of the customizations the article covers is provided at the beginning."
"Gene-edited cattle have a major screwup in their DNA (11 minute read). A flaw has been discovered in the genetically modified cattle made by Recombinetics. Recombinetics created modified bovine which do not grow horns, but in the process, bacterial DNA was mixed up with the cows' DNA, resulting in antibiotic resistance within the cows. While it is probably safe to eat the cattle, scientists are worried that the genes may be passed onto the bacteria inside their guts, leading to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Bacterial DNA present in their genome means that the cows will not receive regulatory approval as food. This is an example of how DNA editing can go wrong. Independent scientists still haven't had a chance to confirm whether the genetically modified Chinese twins born last year have any unintended mistakes in their DNA."
"Google Docs gets an API for task automation . Google Docs has publicly released an API that will allow users to quickly automate tasks and create documents in bulk. The API allows users to edit and format documents, including the ability to insert images and work with lists. Companies such as Netflix, Zapier, Mailchimp, and Final Draft were among those chosen to test the API during the preview period. Common uses for this tool may be to create invoices, letter templates, or technical documentation."
"Wireless Tiny Cameras Can Be Mounted On Insects . Researchers from the University of Washington have mounted light-weight low-res cameras on the backs of flying beetles. The cameras stream footage using Bluetooth at around one to five frames per second at a resolution of 160 by 120 pixels. While the insects cannot be controlled, a swarm of camera-mounted insects would enable comprehensive monitoring or mapping of a large area. The camera is powered by a lithium-polymer battery that can stream for over an hour. It has an accelerometer so it can be programmed to only capture footage when the beetle is moving, potentially extending the battery life to up to six hours. Using live beetles is currently more practical than building tiny flying robots as mobility drains the battery a lot."
"Taro (GitHub Repo). Taro is a lightweight 3D game engine for the web. It features a 3D rigid-body physics engine, an entity component system, 3D positional sounds, and the ability to script game behaviors in JavaScript. Examples are available on the Taro website."
Edtr.io (GitHub Repo). Edtr.io is an in-line web editor written in React. Pages made in edtr.io look like the final page. Developers can create pages by dragging and dropping elements. Edtr.io is lean and can be made adaptable to any use case through its plugin architecture.
"Apple is resurrecting its high-end HomePod smart speaker . Apple is releasing a new version of its HomePod smart speaker in 2023. The new HomePod will feature an S8 processor, an updated display, and possibly even multi-touch functionality. Apple discontinued the HomePod last year to focus on the HomePod Mini, leaving a hole in Apple's speaker lineup. It is unclear why Apple is bringing back the HomePod after officially announcing its discontinuation."
"Freezable hydrogel offers a reusable alternative to ice cubes . A team at the University of California-Davis has created jelly ice cubes made out of hydrogel that hold their shape at all temperatures. The hydrogel is made up of 10 percent organic gelatin and 90 percent water. The cubes can be cut into any shape or size and used like regular ice cubes, except that they won't melt when they thaw. Each cube can be reused up to 12 times without degradation and composted once discarded."
"Beijing approves plan for Greater Bay Area to rival San Francisco's Silicon Valley in the United States . China has greenlighted a technology-driven economic zone called the Greater Bay Area that will link Hong Kong, Macau, and nine other cities including Shenzhen and Guangzhou into a giant science and IT hub about the size of San Francisco and Tokyo combined. It's part of China's plan to integrate expertise in finance, manufacturing and technology, and to grow Hong Kong. Hong Kong's chief executive says ""Our Bay Area has been described by some as combining Silicon Valley with New York City."""
"These Foldable Houses Cost $50k and Go Up In a Day . Boxabl is a company that makes affordable foldable homes. The homes are made of steel, concrete, and EPS foam, and they are resistant to bugs, water, fire, wind, and mold. They are about the size of a studio apartment and come with items like the refrigerator, toilet, and sinks built-in. The homes can be hauled by a pickup truck or SUV and set up in less than a day. More than 1,000 people have already reserved a home at $49,500. Boxabl plans to open a new factory that will be able to produce 3,600 houses annually."
"Scientists use sound to see around corners . Researchers in Long Beach, California have developed a device - a vertical pole fitted with standard microphones and small car speakers - that uses sound to see around corners. The microphones pick up echoes resulting from a series of chirps emitted by the speakers, and after collecting echoes from different positions, the scientists used algorithms from seismic imaging to reconstruct objects that were not visible from the device’s position. Using this method was faster and more accurate than current optical techniques. While the results are promising, the technique is still years from being able to be practically applied."
"Bitcoin Halving Arrives: Mining Rewards Drop for Third Time in History . Bitcoin's third halving has finally happened. The 630,000th block was produced at 19:23 UTC on May 11, triggering the halving event. Bitcoin was designed to reduce the rewards for mining each block by half every 210,000 blocks. The mining reward is paid to those who contribute computing power to secure the Bitcoin network. Mining rewards are reduced in order to slow down the injection of new supply into the network as time goes by. The mining reward is now 6.25 bitcoin per block. Bitcoin's mining difficulty is expected to increase by 4.9% in the next week."
"Space station astronaut captures breathtaking view of the edge of the Earth . Thomas Pesquet, a French astronaut currently residing inside the International Space Station, recently snapped a view of the Earth that shows the lights of the Earth battling it out with the light from distant stars. The image shows the orange emission of sodium atoms approximately 90 kilometers above Earth's surface, as well as a faint green band created by oxygen atoms being excited. The image and a link to Pesquet's Flickr account are available in the article."
"A drone with a nail gun for autonomous roofing (1:29 Video). Engineers at the University of Michigan mounted a nail-gun onto a DJI S1000 Octocopter and installed a modified version of open-source autopilot software so that the drone could navigate to waypoints and operate a nail-gun. The video shows the drone in action nailing tiles to a roof. Future improvements include adding an onboard sensing system to recognize shingles, upgrading to a pneumatic nail gun, and adding a power tether for extended operation."
"Amazon will establish a new headquarters for its Kuiper satellite broadband project . Amazon has added a new HQ and R&D facility to its Kuiper project. Kuiper's aim is to provide internet connectivity to people who lack access. Other companies such as SpaceX, Google, and OneWeb are also launching satellites to provide global internet coverage. Kuiper has not released a timeline around deployment or availability for customers. Its new facilities are in Redmond, Washington, which is near Amazon's overall home base in Seattle. It will cover 219,000 square feet across two separate buildings. Kuiper team members will start moving into the new site sometime next year."
"What I Wish I Knew as a Junior Dev – Lessons Learned After 11 Years of Coding . After spending time in any field, everybody wishes there was something that someone more experienced in the field had told them earlier in their journey. Software development can be difficult to learn if you're only learning from one source, so learn from many sources. It is important to consistently practice what you learn because that's the only way to get better. There will always be people you don't like in any field, so it's best to learn to move on. Taking time to master one skill at a time will be more beneficial than trying to learn multiple skills all at once."
"Kubescape (GitHub Repo). Kubescape is a tool for testing if Kubernetes is deployed securely. The tests are configured with YAML files, making Kubescape easy to update as test specifications evolve. A GIF demo is available."
"ARABSAT-6A MISSION (Website). Falcon Heavy launched the Arabsat-6A satellite on Thursday in Florida. The Arabsat-6A satellite is a high-capacity communications satellite that will provide television, radio, internet, and mobile communications to customers in the Middle-East, Africa, and Europe. There is a video of the launch and a press-kit with more information available."
"Cuomo Speaks With Bezos, Furiously Trying to Get Back Amazon . Ever since Amazon decided to pull out of their plans to build a second headquarters in Queens, New York, Governor Cuomo has been working intensely to try to get the plans reinstated. Cuomo has been in contact with Amazon executives and even spoke directly to Jeff Bezos. The governor guarantees support to help Amazon build their headquarters, however, Amazon has yet to indicate whether they are still interested in the project."
"Amazon’s answer to SpaceX Starlink delivers 400Mbps in prototype phase . Amazon's Project Kuiper has completed initial development on its Ka-band phased-array antenna for its customer terminal. The antenna is based on a new architecture and can deliver high-speed, low-latency broadband in a form factor that is smaller and lighter than current antenna designs. It is capable of delivering speeds of up to 400Mbps, with Amazon promising better performance in future versions. The antenna was difficult to develop due to the wide frequency range that it needed to cover. Amazon plans to invest over $10 billion into Project Kuiper. In July, it received approval from the FCC to launch 3,236 low-Earth orbit satellites."
"If All These M1 MacBook Rumors Are True, Then Other Laptops Are In for Hell . Apple's 8-core M1 chips came out late last year and outperformed all other Macs in single-core tests. The upcoming M1x chip that will be used in the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros has a 12 core CPU and a 16 core GPU. It will use the same core architecture, but the increase in the number of cores makes the laptop chip perform at the same level as a multi-core high-end desktop. Benchmarking results are available in the article."
"From sky farms to lab-grown shrimp, Singapore eyes food future . Singapore currently produces about 10 percent of its food. Due to climate change and population growth, it aims to produce 30 percent of its food by 2030. In order to do this, farmers must utilize space efficiently. Vertical farms now grow non-native fruits and vegetables, and there are plans to build a fish farm which will deliver a twenty-fold increase in Singapore’s annual fish output. One company plans to sell lab-grown shrimp meat and it aims to be able to deliver all of Singapore’s shrimp requirements by 2030."
"The deplatforming of President Trump . The tech world has come out in force against President Trump in the past week. More than a dozen companies have placed unprecedented restrictions or banned Trump from using their services. Twitter permanently banned his account and intends to reset the official @POTUS account's followers to zero before handing it to the new Biden administration. Facebook and Instagram have announced indefinite suspensions, with a minimum duration of two weeks. Other social media and eCommerce platforms have banned Trump or any activity regarding Trump. Google has removed the alternative social media app, Parler, due to a lack of moderation. Apple has sent Parler a takedown notification, saying it would remove the app unless it started filtering content that endangers safety."
"EU gives millions to start-up developing 550km/h maglev rail . Nevomo is a railway technology startup that claims it can turn existing tracks into magnetic levitation rails. The company has received a €2.5 million grant and may get more funding from the EU's European Innovation Council. Preparations for a full-scale test of its system began in summer 2021. Its system is currently able to operate at speeds of up to 550kph, but the company's goal is to eventually develop hyperloop-style transport systems that can travel at up to 1,200kph."
"SOC 2 Audits: What Your Organization Can Expect From Start to Finish (Sponsor). SOC 2 Audits: What Your Organization Can Expect From Start to Finish . Are you prepared for your compliance audit? SOC 2, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS can be a growth lever for scaling tech companies. Drata compiled a list of things to expect during your SOC 2 audit so that you aren't caught off guard.Read the article and find out what you can expect from your next SOC 2 audit"
"Hacker Who Stole $5 Million By SIM Swapping Gets 10 Years in Prison . A college student who stole $5 million in cryptocurrencies using SIM swap attacks (hacking the user's phone and using that to gain access to their email and cryptocurrency wallets) has accepted a plea deal of 10 years in prison. Joel Ortiz stole funds from around 40 victims. Authorities have been slowly arresting and sentencing cryptocurrency thieves, aiming to send a message that people who commit these crimes do get caught and that the consequences of these crimes are severe."
"Microsoft releases DirectStorage: ‘a new era of fast load times and detailed worlds in PC games’ . Microsoft's DirectStorage API has arrived for Windows. The API allows games to stream tremendous amounts of data from an NVMe solid-state drive to a GPU without needing a CPU to decompress it first. It works with Windows 10 as well as Windows 11. While developers have been able to preview the tech since July, no compatible games are available yet. Many gamers still haven't moved on to NVMe SSDs and the Steam Deck uses UHS-I microSD cards, so developers may not feel the need to use the technology."
"Google Maps tests a social networking feature with the ability to ‘follow’ Local Guides . Google Maps will soon test a new feature that allows users to follow top Local Guides. Local Guides gives the most active Maps contributors a special status and a variety of perks. If users choose to follow a Local Guide, the Guides' recommendations will be displayed when using Google Maps. The recommendations will mainly feature photos. Users will have to click through in order to see written reviews. It will be trialed in nine cities. Google's focus with Local Guides seems to be engagement and quantity of reviews, rather than review accuracy or quality. There is no set date for the launch of the feature."
Anime.js (GitHub Repo). Anime.js is an open source Javascript animation engine. The documentation is really good (there are lots of CodePen examples) and there's a really cool animation on their landing page.
"Huawei might be working on its own version of Google Maps . Huawei recently unveiled a potential Android replacement and it is apparently now working on a Google Maps alternative. Map Kit is a tool for software developers to create apps around its mapping capabilities, connecting to local mapping services which cover 150 countries and regions. Yandex and Booking.com are partnering with Huawei on the service. Huawei's access to Google's services has been threatened since the US blacklisted the company in May due to concerns about Huawei's relationship with the Chinese Government."
Questions to ask to determine whether something is really urgent . Four questions to ask when being told to drop what you are doing and work on another 'urgent' thing.
"Elastic Community Conference: Free Tech Event — Sign Up and Win a T-Shirt (Sponsor). Elastic Community Conference: Free Tech Event — Sign Up and Win a T-Shirt . Elastic, the company behind Elasticsearch, Kibana, Beats, and Logstash is hosting its annual community event on February 11–12. It will feature keynotes from founders, CEOs, and CTOs and stories and learnings from ELK, Elastic's observability, security, and search platform. Join us today!"
Ransomware gang threatens to expose police informants if ransom is not paid . The Babuk Locker gang is a ransomware group that began operating in January this year. Its ransomware can encrypt files stored on VMWare eSXI shared virtual hard drives. The group has threatened to leak sensitive files that may expose police investigations unless the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia agrees to pay a ransom demand. It claims it has more than 250 GB of data from DC Police servers. DC Police officials have three days to respond.
"Uber loses London licence after TfL finds drivers faked identity . London authorities discovered that Uber drivers who had faked their identity completed more than 14,000 trips between late 2018 and early 2019. Uber's license to operate in London will not be renewed, but the firm has 21 days to appeal the decision. The ride-hailing service will continue to operate in the meantime. Uber notified Transport for London about the issue in May and has since taken steps to resolve it, including implementing facial recognition technology. TfL states that the decision to cancel Uber's license was for the safety of passengers. It claims that Uber's business model is unregulatable as the company cannot guarantee that cars are properly insured or that drivers are who they say they are. The decision will affect Uber's 3.5 million riders and 45,000 licensed drivers who depend on the service in London."
"Manned Fighter To Face Autonomous Drone Next Year In Sci-Fi Movie-Like Showdown . The Air Force has announced a showdown between an artificial intelligence-driven flight control system against a fighter jet with a human pilot planned for July 2021. Details about the design of the unmanned aircraft that will take part in the aerial duel have not been released. Unmanned combat air vehicles have the potential to change aerial warfare as they lower the costs of training and production and are also able to perform some tasks equally well, if not better, than humans. Integrating AI capabilities into manned aircraft could help reduce pilot fatigue and improve decision making."
"eBay to take a shot at Amazon with end-to-end fulfillment service next year . eBay will be launching a Managed Delivery service in the US next year. The service will use a network of third-party partners to supply warehousing, packing, and delivery services. Around half of the items listed on eBay will qualify for the new service. Managed Delivery will aim to deliver packages in two to three days. Sellers will be able to focus more on their businesses rather than packing products."
compatlib (GitHub Repo). compatlib makes it easy to write backward-and-forwards compatible Python libraries. It resolves the latest-usable version at runtime by comparing the overloaded methods with the interpreter version. An example is available.
Scientists Have Created a Novel Metal That Allows Fluid-Like Electron Motion . A team of researchers from several universities in the US have forged a new metallic object in which electrons can flow freely. The scientists observed that a strong interaction between phonons and electrons within a metal superconductor modified the transport of electrons from particle-like motion to a fluid-like motion. This novel liquid can flow inside the metal in the same way that water flows down a pipe. The research might result in materials that could lead to a new generation of electronic devices.
"Google Engineers Are Organizing A Walk Out To Protest The Company's Protection Of An Alleged Sexual Harasser . More than 200 Google employees are organizing a ""women's walk"" to protest against Google paying out $90 million to alleged sexual harasser and Android creator Andy Rubin. The company found the allegations credible enough to dismiss Andy Rubin, but employees felt that he got away with just a slap on the wrist. Andy Rubin maintains that he is innocent. One anonymous employee said ""Personally, I'm furious. I feel like there's a pattern of powerful men getting away with awful behavior towards women at Google‚ or if they don't get away with it, they get a slap on the wrist, or they get sent away with a golden parachute."""
Amazon’s new work-from-home policy: let teams decide . Amazon will let individual teams decide how often employees will need to come into the office. Team leaders will decide on what working arrangements would best serve customers. Employees will hear from their team leaders before January 3. Workers are required to be able to easily travel to the office for a meeting within a day's notice. They will be able to work up to four weeks per year fully remotely as long as they work within the country where they are employed. The change only applies to office workers.
"Huawei Revs Up Its U.S. Lawsuit, With the Media in Mind . Huawei is fighting back against the US blocking their business from dealing with American companies through the courts and media. A motion to accelerate the lawsuit against the White House was filed on Tuesday. If successful, Huawei may have the opportunity to receive a summary judgment, allowing the company to avoid the time and costs of a full trial and handing over sensitive information. Huawei maintains that they are not a security threat and that banning Huawei would not make US networks more secure. They also claim that the ban was unconstitutional as the company was never given a chance to appeal. The ban may set a dangerous precedent, as it demonstrates the US government’s power and willingness to punish other countries and companies."
Apple pushes back return to offices due to rising COVID cases: report . Apple has extended its deadline for employees returning to the office because of the increase of Covid-19 cases due to the Delta variant. The return to the offices was controversial among some of its employees. Apple has been against the concept of remote work since before the pandemic. Other Silicon Valley giants are starting to give employees more choice in where they do their jobs. Apple employees will be given at least a month's warning before they are required to return to in-person work.
"Leak reveals Microsoft’s canceled Windows OS for dual-screen devices . Microsoft was working on a secret pocketable Surface device powered by a custom Windows OS before turning to Android for its Surface Duo. Andromeda OS had a lock screen that could act as a giant canvas to take notes, a home screen that worked as another inking canvas, gesture support, and a few other features that ended up in Windows 11. Microsoft was also working on a larger dual-screen device powered by Windows 10X, but that project was canceled along with Windows 10X. A 15-minute video showing Andromeda OS running on a Lumia 950 is available in the article."
"Hatsune Miku is the most exciting addition to Coachella’s 2020 line-up . Coachella is bringing in Hatsune Miku, a blue-haired CGI idol that was created as part of a software that generated songs that was made in 2007. The software was released around the same time YouTube arrived in Japan, and Miku became popular as people began sharing videos of her songs. Some of these videos became so popular, her songs entered the charts in Japan. Miku has since collaborated with Pharrell and Lady Gaga and has toured around the world. Holographic performances still involve a lot of work for everyone in the team. Miku's songs are all fan-made. Creators own the rights to their work, but Crypton, the company behind the software, gets usage rights. Coachella has previously had virtual performers, such as a holographic Tupac in 2012."
"A Maxed Out Mac Pro Will Cost Over $52,000 . Mac Pro orders are now live, with shoppers having the option to upgrade the processor, RAM, GPU, SSD, as well as adding other accessories. A Mac Pro with all the available internal hardware upgrades will cost $52,199. Users can choose to add wheels, a Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Trackpad 2 combo, a rack, a display, and a stand. A Mac Pro with all the extra options added, including the Pro Display XRT with special nano-textured glass, will cost buyers $59,748 in total."
"Identify the root cause of an incident with a single search (Sponsor). Identify the root cause of an incident with a single search . Incident response is stressful and overwhelming, but it doesn't need to be. Identify the root cause of an incident, understand its potential impact on other services, and fix the issue everywhere in your codebase so it won't reoccur with Sourcegraph. Learn more."
"Apple Card now available to all iPhone users in the United States, 3% cashback for Uber and Uber Eats . Apple users who have updated to iOS 12.4 will now be able to sign up for the Apple Card. Users can apply for the card directly from their iPhones, and the card will be automatically added to their Apple Wallet. A physical titanium card is available upon request. Apple's Daily Cash cashback rewards will give users 3 percent cashback on Apple purchases, 2 percent cashback on any purchases made using Apple Pay, and 1 percent cashback on purchases made with the titanium card. The 3 percent cashback will be available for some popular merchants when users pay with Apple Pay, starting with Uber and Uber Eats. Apple will never see customers' transaction histories. However, Goldman Sachs, the issuing bank, will see transactions to manage fraud and other purposes. Goldman Sachs has promised it will not use the data for marketing and advertising, and the information will not be shared with third parties."
"A comprehensive breakdown of the Epic v. Apple ruling (13 minute read). A ruling was made on Friday on the Epic v. Apple lawsuit. The judge concluded that Apple was not monopolizing the mobile app space and Epic was ordered to pay damages for violating its developer agreement. While Apple has around a 55 percent share of the mobile game transactions market, with extraordinarily high profit margins, it does not qualify as a monopoly. Apple was ordered to remove its policies banning developers from telling users about alternatives to Apple's in-app purchase system. Many more details about the ruling are available in the article."
"Post-mortem changes may shed light on important brain studies . Certain cells in the human brain remain active for hours after we die. Some even increase their activity and grow to gargantuan proportions. Inflammatory cells called glial cells grow and sprout long arm-like appendages for many hours after death. The cells' job is to clean up things after brain injuries, so it isn't too surprising that they enlarge after death. Most studies that use post-mortem human brain tissues do not account for post-mortem gene expression or cell activity. These new findings mean that future studies will have to take into account these genetic and cellular changes and try to minimize them."
"Figma for Developers . While designers are expected to have a pretty thorough understanding of the front-end web, developers are rarely expected to have an understanding of design basics. Teams work better and create better products when they have a high-level understanding of each other's tools and priorities. Figma kits have become popular for teams as they let designers create interactive prototypes that developers can easily explore and understand. This article gives a developer's overview of Figma, showing key features and explaining why the features are relevant to developers."
"If not SPAs, What? . The Single Page App (SPA) pattern has failed to simplify web development. Alternatives to the React model include opinionated full-stack Javascript frameworks, Turbolinks, server-side-state frameworks, and modest progressive-enhancement JavaScript frameworks. This article provides alternative methods of web development that are more effective than using the SPA pattern."
Here's What People Across the Country Are Ordering on Uber Eats During Quarantine . UberEats has seen a more than 30 percent increase in orders from independent restaurants since mid-March. Delivery fees have been waived for independent restaurants. Uber also created an in-app feature so people can donate directly to restaurants. A list of the most popular dishes by state is available in the article.
"Grid studio (GitHub Repo). Grid is a cloud-based data science tool that combines a spreadsheet view with a Python scripting environment, allowing users to explore, manipulate, and analyze data directly in the browser. It is possible to define your own spreadsheet functions. Cells can be defined as variables and manipulated easily using Python code."
"My Wonderful HTML Email Workflow (10 minute read). Building an HTML email from scratch can be a gnarly adventure as email clients don't support modern luxuries like CSS, Grid, or Flexbox. This article describes a system for creating HTML emails. The system converts Markdown and custom React components into HTML that can be pasted into a newsletter tool. An example email made using the system is available."
"Is this Chinese prototype the shape of maglev train tech to come? . Researchers at Southwest Jiaotong University in China have unveiled a new maglev vehicle designed to travel at up to 620km/h. It is part of China's plan to create faster links between cities. The new maglev train uses liquid nitrogen to achieve superconductivity, which slashes operation costs to one-fiftieth compared to using liquid helium. It is able to levitate from a standing start. There are still issues to work out before the new technology becomes commercially viable. Images of the train are available in the article."
"This plasma ignition system can increase engine efficiency by 20% . Transient Plasma Systems' advanced ignition system replaces the conventional spark plugs in a vehicle's engine with an ignition module that uses very short pulses of plasma to ignite the fuel/air mixture within the cylinder. It will still be many years before internal combustion-powered vehicles are no longer allowed on roads, so it is worth developing technologies that lower carbon emissions in current vehicles. The plasma ignition system can be integrated into existing cars with very little modification and it increases fuel efficiency by up to 20%. Transient Plasma Systems is now in discussions to take the technology to market."
How Virtual Reality Unveiled a Unique Brain Wave That Could Boost Learning . Scientists who were testing the effects of virtual reality on mice brains discovered a new type of brain wave that could be involved with learning. It appears that VR causes processing in the brain to occur differently than in real life. The study could lead to changes to what we know about the brain's learning abilities. It may mean that VR could be used as a way to treat learning and memory impairments.
"Airbnb asks SEC to let it give hosts equity . Airbnb wants to begin giving its hosts equity in the company. Current SEC rules cap the total number of shareholders at 2,000 before a company is subject to public reporting requirements. Airbnb is asking the SEC to revise these rules for to add a ""gig economy worker"" category, with CEO Brian Chesky saying ""Airbnb is a community-based company and we would be nothing without our hosts. We would like our most loyal hosts to be shareholders, but need these policies to change in order to make that happen."""
"Oculus unveils the Rift S, a higher-resolution VR headset with built-in tracking . Oculus, in a partnership with Lenovo, has revealed its new Rift S headset, which has higher resolution and built-in tracking, removing the need for external cameras. It will be priced exactly the same as the upcoming Oculus Quest headset, at $399, with the same Touch motion controllers and integrated audio system. Every existing and future Rift game with be compatible with the Rift S headset and cross-platform multiplayer compatibility is enabled between the different types of headsets. A new feature called Passthrough Plus will allow users to view the real world while still wearing the headset. The Rift S will be available in Spring."
"Google is accused of union busting after firing four employees . Google has fired two employees for allegedly accessing internal information. Two colleagues who participated in a rally protesting the suspension of those employees were also dismissed. A company-wide memo stated that the employees were fired for clear and repeated violations of Google's data security policies. Google has been accused of illegally retaliating against prospective union organizers. Employees have been protesting against Google regarding many issues for several months now, and the company seems to be pushing employee organizers out of its business. Google has recently hired a firm known for helping companies crackdown against employee dissent."
"Amazon just got Fakespot booted off Apple’s iOS App Store . Fakespot, an app that removes fake product reviews from Amazon, has been removed from the Apple App Store due to a takedown request from Amazon. Amazon says that the app could theoretically be exploited to steal customer data. The app requires users to enter their Amazon logins in order to browse the website through a custom overlay. Apple claims that the removal was due to a dispute over intellectual property rights and that it had warned Fakespot about the issue weeks before the app's removal. The Android version of the app hasn't been updated since 2019."
Parkour Atlas (30 second video). Robotics company Boston Dynamics has now made a humanoid robot that can run and jump smoothly through a parkour course. The robot moves in a very human like way.
"Tinder says 'there are definitely registered sex offenders on our free products' . Match Group doesn't have clear policies or screening practices to prevent registered sex offenders from signing up. Some users have matched with sex offenders and experienced attempted sexual assault. In an analysis of more than 150 sexual assault cases, it was found that 10 percent of cases involved users who were matched with someone previously accused of or convicted of sexual assault. Match Group carries out background checks for its paid services. It doesn't collect enough information on users of free apps to conduct meaningful background checks. Match Group owns 45 online dating brands and reported $1.7 billion in revenue in 2018."
"Toyota is buying Lyft’s autonomous car division for $550 million . Woven Planet Holdings, a subsidiary of Toyota, is buying Lyft's self-driving division for $550 million in cash paid over five years. Lyft will see an annual savings of $100 million a year, putting it in a better position to earn a profit. Toyota will use Lyft's fleet data and platform for any commercial service it might launch under Woven Planet. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter this year."
"Pinterest has a new CEO, who has one job: to build the internet’s shopping mall . Pinterest's new CEO Bill Ready will help the platform develop into a place for users to shop brands from around the web. Ready has a track record of being ahead of the game in e-commerce. Pinterest has hundreds of millions of users but it isn't growing fast or making much money. It could be a major player in digital commerce."
"D-Tale (GitHub Repo). D-Tale makes it easy to view and analyze Pandas data structures. It is a lightweight web client that can display Pandas objects using a combination of a Flask backend and a React front-end. Users can build custom charts, find correlations, create heat maps, and more."
"South Korea developing military robots that mimic animals . South Korea will soon see a drop in their military personnel due to a decline in birth rate and recent laws that make it easier to avoid mandatory national service. In order to make up for this, the Defence Acquisition Programme Administration is developing biomimetrics equipment to assist the nation’s armed forces. These robots will mimic the movement of animals such as birds, snakes, and insects. Many men are beginning to resist mandatory military service, and are using various tactics to avoid conscription. These efforts include overeating to become unfit for service, covering their bodies with tattoos, or claiming that military service is against their religious beliefs."
"Elon Musk just announced that SpaceX will livestream its 2023 moon mission in virtual reality, in real time . Elon Musk announced that SpaceX will livestream its trip to the moon in 2023 in VR, saying ""It'll feel like you're there in real-time minus a few seconds for speed of light."" Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa purchased all seats on the flight for six to eight artists to join him on the mission."
‘Closing borders is ridiculous’: the epidemiologist behind Sweden’s controversial coronavirus strategy . Sweden didn't go into lockdown or impose social-distancing policies but instead opted for a trust-based measure which only advised its citizens to adhere to some guidelines. It has resulted in a higher number of coronavirus deaths in Sweden compared to its neighbors. The system relies on individuals understanding that they have a responsibility not to spread a disease. Sweden doesn't have laws that allow it to lock down a geographical area. It will not close borders. The Swedish government will focus on care for at-risk individuals. It believes that the evidence around asymptomatic carriers being infectious is weak and that the country should aim for herd immunity through infections rather than waiting for a vaccine as there has been little evidence for re-infection globally. 💻
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"Inside Jeff Bezos’s failed attempt to make Amazon “cool” like Apple and Nike (21 minute read). This article follows the story of Amazon as it developed from a bookseller into a company that sells everything. It describes Amazon's design process and how Jeff Bezos' decisions affects the end products. Amazon's products are developed inside the company's secretive Lab126 group, which has around 3,000 employees, making it one of the largest internal design groups in the world. There are human and ecological costs to achieving the level of service that Amazon provides. Despite Bezos' customer-focused obsession and the company's focus on design and service, Amazon is still not human-centered, and that could be why the company is still neither cool nor loved."
"Japanese convenience store chain begins testing remote-controlled robot staff in Tokyo . Japanese convenience stores have been facing a labor crisis for years due to rapid expansion and demanding conditions. These companies have turned to technology for help, employing self-payment systems and robots. The Model-T is a robot that is remotely controlled via a VR set on an Augmented Workforce Platform. A video is available in the article showing a person piloting a Model-T. Using this technology, a single worker could perform work at several locations throughout the day while the in-house staff focuses on customers. Family Mart plans to have Model-Ts in up to 20 locations by 2022. The Japanese government aims to have most labor converted to robot avatars by 2050."
"Study suggests that most fishes communicate with sound . A new study has found that approximately two-thirds of all fish species probably use sound to communicate. The study looked at fish that shared anatomical features similar to fish that can vocalize, such as sound-specific muscles, an air bladder, and distinctive bones. The majority of communication is centered around attracting mates, guarding food sources and territories, and announcing their location. A link to a recording of a longspine squirrelfish making sounds is available at the end of the article."
VSCode Browser Preview (GitHub Repo). This is a tool that gives you a real browser preview inside your VSCode editor so you can debug in real time. It uses a headless Chrome instance under the hood.
Elon Musk defies coronavirus order and asks to be arrested . Tesla has reopened its Fremont factory in violation of local shelter-in-place orders. Elon Musk will be at the factory and has asked for authorities to only arrest him if anyone is arrested. Employees are allowed to take unpaid time off leave if they feel uncomfortable coming to work. Alameda County has responded by requesting a site-specific plan from Tesla.
"What the f*ck Python! (GitHub Repo). Python is a high-level and interpreter-based programming language that provides many features for the programmer's comfort. Some of the uses for these features might not be obvious at first. This repository contains examples of these features, explanations for how they work, and other interesting tidbits about Python."
"MIT reveals first ever laser ultrasound pictures of a human body . A new ultrasound imaging technique that doesn't require any skin contact with the body has been developed at MIT. Ultrasounds are inexpensive and do not involve harmful radiation, unlike PET or MRI scans. One of the main limitations of the technology is that it requires significant bodily contact in the process of imaging. The new non-contact method uses lasers to produce and detect sound waves to generate images. Tests of the new imaging technique were run on gelatin molds, animal tissues, and human volunteers. Currently, the method does not deliver images of the same quality as conventional ultrasound techniques, but researchers believe that the system can be refined and improved. The technique will allow people who can't have skin contact to be easily imaged. It also opens up the possibility for the development of portable screening devices."
wachy (GitHub Site). wachy is a dynamic tracing profiler for Linux. It uses eBPF to dynamically instrument binaries with minimal overhead. wachy can provide accurate function latencies and latency histograms and features powerful runtime filtering. A video demo is available.
"trdsql (GitHub Repo). trdsql is a command-line tool that can execute SQL queries on CSV, LTSV, JSON, and TBLN. It is similar to tools like q and textql except that trdsql supports PostgreSQL and MySQL syntax. trdsql can output to various formats."
"Swarm of mysterious radio bursts seen coming from deep space . Astronomers have detected 13 high-speed bursts of radio waves coming from deep space. These types of radio bursts were first detected in 2007, and all have come from outside the Milky Way. One of the new bursts is repeating, the second repeating burst ever to be detected. These were discovered by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment, or CHIME, which was only running at partial capacity at the time. Researchers hope they will detect more now that CHIME is fully operational."
"In New Facebook Effort, Humans Will Help Curate Your News Stories . Facebook will start hiring journalists to curate content for its News Tab. News Tab is a new section inside the Facebook mobile application that will show recent and relevant stories to users. Facebook has been criticized for spreading misinformation to its users, with countries such as Russia and China using the platform to influence foreign public opinion. It has hired security researchers and third-party content reviewers to deal with bad content. News Tab is part of the effort to restore Facebook’s reputation as a place where people can find trusted sources of information. Publishers have been approached by Facebook for content-sharing deals. Tech companies like Facebook and Google have previously been accused of suppressing speech from political parties. However, an audit released by Facebook and conducted by former Republican Senator Jon Kyl found no evidence of bias."
"MIT develops tiny ‘walking’ motor that helps more complex robots self-assemble . The future of robots is more likely to consist of tiny robot swarms rather than robots like Wall-E. A new ambulatory motor developed at MIT consists of little more than a magnet and a coil with some structural parts, but when combined together with many of the same motors, it can create many different types of machines that can carry out specific tasks. The goal of the project is to find a way to make these motors self assemble into larger structures, resulting in an extremely versatile type of robot."
"Hippo (GitHub Repo). Hippo is a WebAssembly Platform-as-a-Service. It makes it easy to deploy and serve WebAssembly applications and services at scale. Hippo provides a CLI for uploading releases or preparing packages for local development. It also provides a web interface for users to register new accounts, access applications, and create environments for testing."
"Virgin Galactic reopens ticket sales at $450K per seat . Virgin Galactic has reopened ticket sales for its SpaceShipTwo space plane at $450,000 per seat. The spaceship recently carried four passengers, including Richard Branson, to the edge of space for a few minutes of weightlessness. The mission was a key milestone test before Virgin starts flying individual customers. Virgin is targeting September for its first revenue-generating mission, which will carry research payloads and three members of the Italian Air Force."
"Texthero (GitHub Repo). Texthero is a Python package for working with text-based data. It is designed to be used on top of Pandas. Texthero includes tools for preprocessing text data, natural language processing, text representation, vector space analysis, and text visualization. Examples are provided in the repository."
"Ask HN: Resources/Steps for Becoming a Consultant? (HackerNews Thread). Having recently quit their job with no prospects lined up, a user asks for advice regarding becoming a full-time consultant. The advice suggests that to be a successful consultant, one needs to have strong boundaries with their clients regarding billing, project requirements, and communication. It is suggested that a consultant should specialize in a specific niche, and that premium recruitment agencies are worth looking into. Links to videos and articles discussing the topic were also posted."
"Apple Reportedly Completes Production Tests for AR/VR Headset . Apple has completed key production tests for its long-rumored augmented and virtual reality headset. The headset is now expected to debut by the end of 2022 for around $3,000. It is rumored to feature a lightweight design, two 4K micro-LED displays, 15 optical modules, two main processors, Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, eye tracking, a see-through AR mode, object tracking, hand gesture controls, and more. Apple has been rumored to be working on the headset's operating system since 2017."
"Dark Web Price Index 2020 . The Dark Web is known to be a place where people can purchase illegal items. Horror stories where people have their identities or bank accounts stolen are not unheard of, and they could be justified given the prices and items available for purchase. This article contains a list of items that can be purchased on the dark web, their price ranges, as well as some detail on how the purchase process works. Protecting yourself from identity fraud involves being careful about where you give out information, checking ATMs for signs of tampering, checking your computer for malware, securing your internet connection, and making sure your online accounts are secure. A more detailed guide to protecting your identity is available at the end of the article."
"Amazon rolls out its telehealth service nationwide . Amazon Care is rolling out its telehealth service nationwide. It will also expand in-person care to 20 cities. Amazon Care provides virtual care visits, free telehealth consults, and in-home visits for a fee. The virtual care market is becoming increasingly crowded as insurers are also trying to enter the market. Amazon has already signed up several employers to the service."
Artificial throat could someday help mute people ‘speak’ . Speech is a complex process that involves both the motions of the mouth and vibrations from vocal cords within the throat. An artificial throat has been designed that can be worn like a temporary tattoo. It has detectors that are able to measure movements on human skin. The flexible device is about double the size of a person's thumbnail and is made by laser-scribing graphene on a thin sheet of polyvinyl alcohol film. It can be attached to a person's throat with water. The device connects through electrodes to a small armband that houses the hardware needed to translate the signals into sound.
"State of Startups 2018 (Survey). First Round Capital surveyed 529 founders about the tech industry. 89% believe there is ageism in tech, and on average they believe it starts at 46 years old. They were most bullish on Stripe, followed by SpaceX, Coinbase, Slack and Airbnb. 39% believe China will be the center of tech by 2028, while 57% believe it will be the US. 77% say tech giants are perceived as evil, 50% believe they actually are evil. 87% are blockchain skeptics."
"A space startup that 3D-prints its rockets just got its first customer . Relativity Space is a start-up that is building its first 3D-printed rocket, due to be tested in 2020. Telesat, a Canadian communications company, has partnered with Relativity Space to launch a portion of their low Earth orbit satellites. The project will likely involve multiple launches as the company will require hundreds of satellites in order to get reliable worldwide coverage. Telesat has also partnered with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space company."
"Boston Dynamics starts selling its Spot robot . Spot from Boston Dynamics is now available commercially. The Spot Explorer developer toolkit is $74,500 and it includes the robot, two batteries, a battery charger, a tablet controller, a robot case, a power case, and the software APIs. Additional Spot payloads will be available for purchase. Customers will receive free shipping for a limited time. The current estimated shipping time is six to eight weeks. Businesses are limited to two units each, or they can contact the sales team for additional units. A list of additional add-ons, as well as videos of Spot and other robots from Boston Dynamics, is available in the article."
"GitHub’s new mobile app is now available on iOS and Android . GitHub has just released its new mobile app for Android and iOS. The app is designed to help developers manage projects while away from their PC. Developers can organize tasks, give feedback on issues, respond to comments, and review and merge pull requests. Notifications can be saved or marked as complete. Users can react to comments and view code from within the app. Screenshots from the app are available in the article."
"Muon (GitHub Repo). Muon is a lightweight alternative to Electron written in Golang, using Ultralight instead of Chromium. It features full JavaScript to Go interoperability, GPU based rendering, hot-reloading, cross-platform compatibility, and efficient memory and CPU usage."
"Google Fiber to pay nearly $4 million to Louisville in exit deal . Google Fiber has left Louisville, and as part of its agreement with the city, it will cover the costs of removing the fiber from the road and returning the streets to the same or better condition as it was before it started digging trenches in 2017. Louisville had been lobbying to get Google Fiber for years but unfortunately, Google ran into too many problems when installing fiber in the city. It is estimated that Google Fiber reached around 11,000 homes in Louisville. $3.84 million will be paid to the Metro government over 20 months, and Google has also agreed to donate $150,000 to the Community Foundation of Louisville."
"Apple's 'Netflix for Magazines' Getting a Chilly Reception . Apple bought an app called Texture in March, which gave Netflix-style unlimited access to about 200 magazines for a monthly subscription. Now it's going to relaunch it as a premium product within Apple News for $10/month. Apple is trying to get papers like the Wall Street Journal and New York Times to join, but there is concern that this service could cannibalize their existing subscribers. Still, Apple News is a default app on 1.3 billion devices, so it's possible they will be the ones to figure out Netflix for news."
"pg_graphql (GitHub Repo). pg_graphql translates SQL schemas into GraphQL schemas, exposing each table as a pageable collection with relationships defined by the foreign keys. It keeps schema generation, query parsing, and all resolvers neatly contained in the database. Using pg_graphql, any programming language that can connect to PostgreSQL will be able to query the database via GraphQL with no additional servers, processors, or libraries. pg_graphql is in pre-alpha and under active development."
"An Amazon Programmer's Perspective (11 minute read). Working with one of the FAANG companies is a dream for many devs. The first few months at working for Amazon are standard in the industry as a developer learns the ropes, but eventually devs are put onto an on-call rotation. Being on-call means that a dev is required to respond to emergencies within 15 minutes for 24 hours a day 7 days a week when on the roster. Developers are occasionally 'loaned' to other teams, which is usually a negative experience. Amazon has a moving and signing bonus that must be paid back to the company if the developer leaves the company or is fired within two years, so many younger developers can not leave their roles as it represents a large amount of their income. This can have negative mental health consequences for employees. Amazon does provide many perks to employees and working there can be a rewarding experience, but developers need to learn to balance out their lives in order not to burn out."
"Ikea and Sonos made the ultimate speaker lamp . Ikea and Sonos have been working for years to design and produce a pair of speakers, and they will be available this August. The Symfonisk is a speaker combined with a table lamp, and the bookshelf speaker is the smallest speaker that Sonos has ever made. Both speakers are fully compatible with the rest of Sonos’ range, and Ikea will integrate controls for the speakers into their smart home app. Ikea and Sonos will each handle a different part of the manufacturing process. Sonos will create the speaker parts and ship them to Ikea, who will then further assemble the parts and enclosure."
"Founders of Successful Tech Companies Are Mostly Middle-Aged . While some of the most famous entrepreneurs were young when they founded their companies, a study has found that the average age for the founders of the fastest-growing companies between 2007 and 2014 was 45. Previous studies have found that the owners of small businesses were likely to be in their late 30s and 40s, but most of these businesses tended to stay small. This new study focused on the best performing startups from a pool of 2.7 million business founders. While youth has advantages, such as the ability to take more risks and better problem-solving ability, experience gained from age seems to be more correlated with success."
shdoc (GitHub Repo). shdoc converts comments to produce markdown documentation. Developers can write markdown code in comments using function tags. An example of the function tags and output is available.
Tesla drivers can now request Full Self Driving beta tests . Tesla has begun rolling out a Full Self Driving beta button for drivers to test out the technology before its wider release. The company will assess driver behavior for a week before allowing them to use the software. Critics are accusing Tesla of irresponsible marketing as FSD technology could be dangerous if misused. Tesla has been unresponsive to official recommendations for improvements by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Project Lightspeed (GitHub Repo). Project Lightspeed is a fully self-contained live streaming server. It allows you to deploy your own sub-second latency live streaming platform. The repository contains instructions for installing and deploying the entire application.
"Mockdown (WebTool). With Mockdown, designers can upload screenshots of their UIs and convert them into low fidelity images. These images can then be used for explainers or walkthroughs. The tool is currently in beta and is free to use. There will be a paid version with extra features available once the tool is out of beta."
"Assange Indicted Under Espionage Act, Raising First Amendment Issues . Julian Assange has been indicted on 17 counts of violating the Espionage Act for obtaining and publishing secret military and diplomatic documents. The case against Assange could open the door to criminalizing activities which are crucial for American journalists who write about national security matters. Most of the charges against Assange are for obtaining the data, rather than publishing the data. The head of the Justice Department states that they are not targeting journalists for reporting information, but that the methods that Assange used to obtain the information were unlawful. While the Espionage Act could theoretically be used to prosecute journalists who publish secret government information, many legal scholars believe that to do so would violate the First Amendment."
"Netflix documentary Countdown will follow SpaceX’s first civilian mission . SpaceX's first all-civilian mission in mid-September will be documented in a five-part Netflix series called Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission To Space. It will be the first documentary series from Netflix that will cover an event in near real-time. The first four episodes will show before the launch on September 15, with the last episode premiering by the end of the month. The civilian mission will see the crew of four live in the Dragon spacecraft for up to five days in orbit around Earth. SpaceX has booked at least four other private missions on its Crew Dragon capsule and one on its Starship rocket."
"IoT Pentesting 101 && IoT Security 101 (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a curated list of IoT security resources. It contains lists of books, chat groups, cheat sheets, CTF challenges, YouTube channels, and more."
Tesla files trademark for restaurant services — going to grab a bite at a Tesla burger joint soon? . Tesla may be expanding the amenities around its charging infrastructure and may even add actual restaurants. The company recently filed for three new trademarks for its brand under restaurant services. Elon Musk said in 2018 that Tesla was planning to open an old-school drive-in at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in Los Angeles. The company had submitted building applications earlier this year but they didn't include plans for a restaurant.
"Super (GitHub Repo). Super is a single dependency framework for Ruby on Rails applications. It is fully compatible with Sprockets and Webpacker. Super features built-in pagination, configurable forms, and a configurable display. It supports Rails 5.0+ and Ruby 2.3+. All assets are vendored."
"NASA Jupiter probe images huge moon Ganymede like never before . This article contains pictures and a one-minute video showing views of Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system. The images were captured during a close flyby of the moon by NASA's Juno Jupiter probe in late December last year. They show how the ice and area near Ganymede's north pole have been affected by the precipitation of plasma caused by particles from the sun and a lack of atmosphere."
"One Month, 500,000 Face Scans: How China Is Using A.I. to Profile a Minority . hina’s large citizen surveillance network is being used to target the Uighur people, a largely Muslim minority. Facial recognition technology is being used to identify Uighurs and track their movements. This is the first time this kind of technology has been applied to the persecution of a certain type of person. China has an advantage when it comes to developing AI as scientists are less concerned with moral consensus. While using technology to target ethnic minorities is not new in China, it is a topic that can not be discussed in public."
"Microsoft vows to protect Linux from future patent wars by joining the Open Invention Network . Microsoft has joined the Open Invention Network, a partnership between companies like IBM, Google, Oracle and hundreds of others to cross-license their patents to each other in exchange for agreeing not to assert those patents against companies working on Linux-based projects. This is part of a big move by Microsoft to embrace open source technologies as they move towards embracing the Android and Linux ecosystems."
"The coronavirus test that might exempt you from social distancing—if you pass . Antibody tests are being developed to see if people develop immunity to COVID-19. These tests may one day have a significant impact on travel and freedom. There is not enough data at the moment to determine whether humans develop immunity to the coronavirus. People who eventually develop immunity may be more suited to roles where they could be exposed to the virus. Antibody tests are fast and cheap. Some companies are already trying to sell them. However, we still don't know enough about the disease to know if the presence of antibodies means that a person is immune to the virus or that they won't be an asymptomatic carrier. Even if humans develop immunity, it is unknown how long that immunity will last."
"The secret weapon for preventing web scraping (Sponsor). The secret weapon for preventing web scraping . Now that attackers can easily access bot-as-a-service options to simplify scraping without spending time or money on unsuccessful attempts, threats are becoming more frequent and intense. Learn how you can protect your websites, mobile apps, and APIs in this blog post by DataDome's Head of Research."
"These students figured out their tests were graded by AI — and the easy way to cheat . The assignment algorithm used on Edgenuity's platform can be easily fooled by entering a long answer followed by a string of related terms. Edgenuity is an education platform used by more than 20,000 schools, including 20 of the 25 largest school districts in the US. Short answer questions make up less than five percent of Edgenuity's course content, but exploiting the algorithm can still have a significant impact on results. Teachers can review students' work and override assigned grades, but it appears that most teachers are not changing assigned grades."
"How playing video games could get you a better job . There is a growing acceptance that gaming skills are transferable, with even the military focusing on hiring gamers due to their ability to assimilate information, react swiftly, and co-ordinate actions while remaining calm under pressure. Studies have shown that gaming can make students more successful. A startup called Game Academy wants to transform casual gamers into conscious ones in order to develop skills by applying critical thinking. While some employers will still need the science before considering game achievements as a hiring factor, there are many examples of people who attribute their success to skills they gained from gaming."
"How A Massive Facebook Scam Siphoned Millions Of Dollars From Unsuspecting Boomers (26 minute read). In late 2018, Asher Burke started Ads Inc., a company that placed ads for products purposed to trap customers into a subscription. Using a network of rented Facebook accounts, Ads Inc. was able to create unlimited misleading Facebook ads. They eventually started selling the rented accounts for $800 a login. Users whose accounts were being sold were paid $15-$30 a month. Ads Inc.'s practices violated Facebook's terms of services, but it was difficult to monitor their actions. Their ads were able to avoid Facebook's detection systems through a cloaking strategy that directed ad reviewers to 'safe' pages. Facebook began shutting down some accounts after this activity was revealed. Over the past decade, the Federal Trade Commission has gone after perpetrators who have stolen more than $1.3 billion through subscription trap scams."
"CPU algorithm trains deep neural nets up to 15 times faster than top GPU trainers . Computer scientists from Rice University have created an artificial intelligence software that can train deep neural networks 15 times faster on commodity processors than software that relies on graphic processors. The team built its system by recasting deep neural network training as a search problem that could be solved with hash tables. Companies can spend millions of dollars a week just to train and fine-tune their AI workloads, so the benefits of making commodity CPUs more efficient than specialized hardware cannot be understated."
"Spinning Up (Course). This is a free course by OpenAI (a non-profit AI research lab founded by Elon Musk and Sam Altman) to help beginners learn about deep reinforcement learning. There's a quick crash course on terminology, algorithms, and basic theory, a well-documented repo with code examples, and some code exercises. Pretty short, but looks very well done."
"F1 drivers set to compete in official Virtual Grand Prix series . Formula 1 launched an official Virtual Grand Prix series after a delay of the start of the real-life season. The mini-series began on March 22, in place of the Bahrain Grand Prix. It is available to view on F1's YouTube channel, Twitch, and Facebook account. The virtual races will continue until May. Cars will be run with equal performance, with fixed set-up and reduced damage. Anti-lock brakes and traction control options are available for drivers that are not familiar with the game. The format will follow that of the official F1 esports series."
"Tesla launches initiative to build first solar neighborhood in Austin . Tesla, Brookfield Asset Management, and Dacra recently announced an initiative to bring a large-scale sustainable neighborhood to Austin. The SunHouse at Easton Park will be the first Tesla Solar neighborhood. It will feature solar installations across all housing types and state-of-the-art sustainable features. The neighborhood will be built in phases to allow for ongoing learning and innovation. Residents will be provided with backup storage and may be compensated for returning power to the energy grid."
"Atari is opening eight video game hotels across the U.S. . Atari is in talks to build a series of gaming hotels across the country. The first hotel is set to open in mid-2020. Last year, the games industry pulled in more than $152 billion. A hotel with this focus could be a huge draw for gamers and families. Atari promises state-of-the-art venues and studios where esports and other gaming competitions can take place. There will also be virtual and augmented reality gaming options. The hotels will also have restaurants, movie theaters, gyms, and spaces for business work. Atari did not mention whether classic Atari games will be playable at the hotels."
"Mistakes I’ve Made as an Engineering Manager . This article discusses four mistakes made by Sarah Drasner during her years as an engineering manager at several companies. She discusses how to give feedback, how to cultivate capable staff, communication, and how to be vulnerable with the team."
"Tesla HR to employees: 'Choose not to work, it may impact your unemployment benefits' . Tesla has warned its employees that they could lose unemployment benefits if they choose to stay home due to COVID-19 concerns after being called back to work. Elon Musk reopened Tesla's Fremont plant recently in defiance of local health orders. Musk has threatened to move Tesla's operations out of California and will be filing a lawsuit against Alameda County over the stay-at-home orders. Tesla has not faced any repercussions for opening resuming vehicle production."
"China tests world-first full-function space solar verification tower . A full-link, full-system space solar power ground verification system has been built in Xi'an, China. The project enables research into wireless energy transmission. It recently demonstrated wireless microwave transmission of power across a 55-meter distance. The project eventually aims to develop space-based energy systems. Pictures of the system are available in the article."
"Python Handout (GitHub Repo). Python Handout is an alternative to Jupyter notebooks, which turns python scripts into handouts with Markdown comments and inline figures. It is used as a library inside a normal Python program. Users only need to run a script normally and it will output an HTML file for viewing."
"I'm a driver for Uber and Lyft — here's exactly how much I make in one week on the job (14 minute read). Working as a rideshare driver, your income can vary widely depending on demand and tips. Some days can be busy, with generous customers tipping on every ride. Other days can be more difficult. Customers can sometimes have unreasonable demands, even asking drivers to break laws. Unexpected events can occur, especially with motor vehicles, and sometimes these can cost drivers significant amounts of money and time. One of the main benefits of the job is that it is extremely flexible and drivers can choose when to work."
"Robot Room service At The Axiom Hotel In San Francisco (4 minute video). The Axiom Hotel has a room service robot. It has an interactive screen which has instructions for guests to call it. When summoned, Astro moves to collect the delivery item and then to the elevator. The robot uses the elevator with some help. It moves to the guest's front door, and then there is a cut in the video, after which it shows the guest picking up their item after interacting with the screen. There is plenty of space in the robot to carry items. Once the item is delivered, Astro heads back home."
"AI in the Browser . Websites that are 100 percent AI-driven will soon be a significant force. People have used machine learning in the browser to identify drawings, control smart lights, control video game characters, detect indecent content, and more. A free 5-day mini-course is linked that helps people to understand the basics of in-browser machine learning. Another beginner course for machine learning with TensorFlow.js is also available. It teaches real-world skills in order to properly apply machine learning to anywhere JavaScript can be applied."
"Hundreds of Amazon Workers Are Not Going to Work in Nationwide Protest . Amazon has confirmed at least 75 coronavirus cases at more than half of its facilities. Experts have warned that the number of cases is likely to exponentially increase in the coming days and months as Amazon has failed to implement effective safety measures in its warehouses. More than 300 workers at 50 facilities have pledged to stay at home in the coming days to protest Amazon's handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Amazon has raised pay, implemented new cleaning and safety measures, and offered sick leave for employees who have tested positive for the coronavirus, but workers do not feel safe at its facilities."
"Crowdsec (GitHub Repo). Crowdsec is a modern behavior detection system written in Go. It can detect peers with aggressive behaviors to prevent them from accessing systems. Crowdsec features a fast and easy installation, out-of-the-box detection, easy bouncer deployment, and easy dashboard access. It is currently still in beta."
"Prisma Client Python (GitHub Repo). Prisma Client Python is an auto-generated and fully type-safe database client. It can be used in any Python backend application. Prisma features full type safety and native support for usage with or without async, recursive and pseudo-recursive types, atomic updates, partial type generation, and more. It supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, MongoDB, and SQL Server."
Facebook Groups are being revamped to look like Discord . Meta is testing a new left-aligned sidebar and channels list for Groups.
"Ship better software faster (Sponsor). Ship better software faster . Swarmia integrates with the tools you already use like GitHub, Jira/Linear, and Slack to give you visibility into your engineering workflow and bottlenecks.""In just three months, Swarmia helped us decrease our average cycle time by 48%."" Jeremy Krebs Co-Founder & CTO of MateraStart shipping faster today!"
horcrux (GitHub Repo). horcrux splits up files into encrypted fragments that can later be put back together without a password. Users can files up into as many horcruxes as they want and they will be able to decrypt the file as long as they have three pieces. The horcruxes can be dispersed and stored on various USBs or online locations.
"Uber launches grocery delivery in Latin America, Canada, with US to follow . Uber has launched an app-based grocery service in several Latin American and Canadian cities through its UberEats app. The service was launched in partnership with Cornershop, a Chilean online grocery provider that Uber holds a majority stake in. A US launch is expected later in July, beginning with regions in Miami and Dallas. Uber has seen a 176% increase in grocery-convenience orders since February across its 9,500 active merchants."
"AT&T Jacks Up TV Prices Again After Merger, Despite Promising That Wouldn’t Happen . AT&T will discontinue their $40 per month DirecTV Now streaming video plan and replace it with two new options, a $50 per month and a $70 per month plan. These new options will include an HBO subscription, which was previously a $5 add-on to the old plan. The Department of Justice had previously sued to prevent the merger between AT&T and Time Warner, claiming that it would create price increases, but AT&T repeatedly denied these claims. AT&T has fallen into a lot of debt due to the merger, and the price increases are an attempt to alleviate some of the pressure. Experts say the strategy will not work as they were losing subscribers due to previous price increases already, and the new hikes will only encourage subscribers to use other, cheaper services."
"Did you know you can put a whole game inside of a push notification (Twitter Thread). macOS Big Sur allows developers to customize the appearances of notifications. It is possible to embed a whole game inside of a push notification by following the instructions from the developer article on customizing iOS app notifications, with some small changes. This tweet shows an example where the developer put a playable version of Flappy Bird into a notification."
"UnoCSS (GitHub Repo). UnoCSS is an instant, on-demand Atomic CSS engine inspired by Windi CSS, Tailwind CSS, and Twind. It is fully customizable, fast, and compact, and it features shortcuts, an Attributify Mode, an inspector, CSS scoping, and more. An online playground is available."
"A Sunscreen for Pavement Could Help Keep Cities Cool . Pavement Technology Inc. has created a spray-on treatment for pavement that can lower its temperature, revitalize asphalt, and dissolve car exhaust pollution. The spray is based on titanium oxide, a photocatalyst that absorbs and disperses light and heat. Pavement Technology claims that one mile of sprayed pavement has the same air quality benefits as planting 20 acres of trees. The spray is now being tested in several municipalities in the US."
"Tamagui (GitHub Repo). Tamagui is a universal React design system optimized for native and web. It has a fully-featured styling library with support for cross-browser server-side rendering and a fully-typed, completely extensible API. Examples are available on the main website."
Smart Upscaler (Website). Smart Upscaler can upscale images up to 3000x3000px. It uses artificial intelligence to predict a high-resolution image given a low-resolution image. It is free to use for the first three images. API integration is available for large batches of photos.
"Announcing TensorFlow Quantum: An Open Source Library for Quantum Machine Learning . Machine Learning has shown that it has the potential to solve science's most challenging problems. Quantum computing is set to accelerate the pace of machine learning and make new breakthroughs in science. The University of Waterloo, X, and Volkswagen have released TensorFlow Quantum to provide the tools necessary for bringing quantum computing and machine learning research communities together to control and model natural or artificial quantum systems."
"FLAT SVG DESIGNS (Website). This website contains a collection of SVG icons. Users can customize the design as well as generate a featured image with text. The icons can be downloaded as SVG, PNG, or SVG source."
Front-End Developer Handbook 2019 (GitHub Repo). The Front-End Developer Handbook is a guide for anyone to learn about the practice of front-end development. It was designed for potential and current front-end developers to equip themselves with learning materials and development tools. The handbook can also be used by managers and other people to gain insights into the practice of front-end development.
"Ask HN: Why isn't there a Google competitor emerging? (Hacker News Thread). The internet has changed a lot since Google started offering its search engine service. This thread discusses the internet search industry and why there are no significant competitors to Google Search. Google was successful in the past due to its search algorithm, but information is now centered around social media, which is making it harder to index. A competitor would need a breakthrough algorithm to sort through the noise of the current internet."
"Amazon blocks sellers from using FedEx ground-delivery shipping . Amazon has banned third-party sellers from using FedEx's ground delivery shipping service for Prime orders. This decision affects only a small amount of shippers, but it may result in some small businesses having issues meeting demand during the holiday season. Sellers can still use FedEx's Express shipping service for Prime orders. FedEx's ground and home delivery service can still be used for standard orders. Amazon stated that the ban was temporary and that it was put in place to ensure that FedEx would be able to manage Christmas deliveries. FedEx has recently ended its ground delivery contract with Amazon. Amazon has been focusing on launching its own delivery service. In June, it announced a Delivery Service Partners program which brings Amazon and local delivery services together. Amazon has also been experimenting with drone deliveries."
"Microsoft Challenges U.S. Government’s Sneak and Peek Warrant . Microsoft will pursue an appeal against a decision from a federal judge who ruled that the company was not allowed to inform a large corporate customer that the US government had issued a warrant for its data. Subjects of sneak and peek warrants do not need to be informed of data requests under US law, a practice that Microsoft has disagreed with in the past. Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft have sued the government over sneak and peek warrants. The US government has previously asked Microsoft why it wouldn't use its data to spy on other nations. Microsoft has made it clear it would not use its services and data to spy on users."
"CSS Tricks to Create that Dark Futuristic Web3 Look . This article provides simple styles for developers to add a dark mode web3 aesthetic to their sites. It includes gradient backgrounds, glowing effects, bright and white text over dark backgrounds, semi-transparent backgrounds, and a transition on hover. Many examples of dark mode web3 designs are available."
"This robot can melt and re-form its legs to change how it walks . A 3D-printed robot created by Jianguo Zhao at Colorado State University is able to melt and reshape it’s 4 limbs in order to change the way it moves. A wire inside each of its legs heats up the plastic within 10 seconds and allows it to switch between different leg positions. This improves the robot’s capability with adding to its cost, weight, or complexity. There is a link to a video that shows the robot in action."
"TikTok negotiation 'strangest thing I've ever worked on,' says Microsoft's Satya Nadella . This time last year, Trump's administration threatened to ban TikTok unless it was sold to a US owner. Microsoft was a potential buyer, but TikTok ended up striking a deal with Oracle and Walmart. That deal was scrapped by Biden's administration in February. TikTok now has a billion users."
"The case for a learned sorting algorithm (10 minute read). Machine learning has thoroughly pervaded the web giants and has begun its push into traditional enterprise. This article discusses machine learning in systems software, focusing on the classic computer science problem of sorting. It explores the possibility of using a Learned Sort model to determine the position of an item in a sorted list. Learned Sort appears to be significantly more efficient than other sorting algorithms."
"Apple won’t allow villains to use its products on screen . According to movie director Rian Johnson, Apple has rules against its products being used by villains on-screen. The company takes extra steps to ensure that no bad guys ever use its phones in movies. It is unknown whether Apple approves every instance of iPhone usage in every movie or television show. Apple has always been obsessed with its image, as its products are marketed as status symbols."
"Google used photogrammetry to create a detailed VR tour of Versailles . Google and the Château de Versailles have teamed up to create a VR private tour of Louis XIV's royal residence. The virtual palace has 21 rooms, 387,500 square feet of internal surfaces, and over 100 sculptures, paintings, and other works of art. Google used over 4TB of data and textured 15 billion pixels for the recreation. It is currently only available for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. A smaller online exhibition is available for people without the headsets, featuring over 390 objects, artifacts, and paintings from six of the Palace's most famous rooms."
"Nuclear fusion breakthrough creates ""burning plasma"" for the first time . Scientists at the National Ignition Facility have achieved burning plasma for the first time. Burning plasma is a state where more fusion energy is emitted from fuel than was required to initiate the fusion reaction. While the lifetime of the burning plasma was measured in just milliseconds, it is a key milestone on the way to higher levels of fusion performance. The technology is likely still decades away from being viable."
"Meet ASKA: The Street-Legal Flying Car That Reinvents Urban Living . ASKA is a folding, electric, street-legal vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle that can cruise along city streets or fly through the air. The SUV-sized vehicle can sit up to four people. While flying, it can reach speeds of up to 241 km/h, with a range of 402 km. ASKA can transition between driving and flight modes anywhere there is a space wide enough for it to open its wings and rotor blades. It is available for pre-order now, with the first deliveries expected in 2026. Images of the vehicle are available in the article."
"Kuo: iPhone 15 to Switch From Lightning to USB-C in 2023 . The iPhone 15 lineup will launch in the second half of 2023 and will feature a USB-C port, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Apple has kept the Lightning port on the iPhone, despite most of the industry moving to USB-C. Pressure from the EU has forced Apple to change its stance. Apple may have had plans to keep the Lightning port on the iPhone until it was ready to go entirely port-less. Most of its iPad lineup already features USB-C."
"Scientists unlock secrets of gender within sperm for first time in major breakthrough . Japanese researchers have developed a method for separating sperm bearing 'X' chromosomes from sperm containing 'Y' chromosomes, which allowed them to produce litters of the chosen sex in mice studies. The chemical trigger used in the study causes sperm with the 'X' chromosome to slow down. When the scientists implanted the faster sperm, it produced litters that were 90 percent male, and when the slower sperm was used, it created litters that were 81 percent female. The technique has been used successfully in cattle and pigs. Farmers have been attempting sex skewing in livestock for a while now, but current methods are laborious, expensive, and can damage the sperm. The new technique appears to not affect the health of the sperm. If the technique can be applied to humans, it has the potential for unpredictable and disruptive social consequences."
"First Hyperloop Passenger Capsule Unveiled . Hyperloop Transportation Technologies Inc. unveiled its first passenger capsule, the Quintero One. It's essentially a super futuristic looking train type thing, it's 105 feet long, weighs 5 tons, and has no windows. It is designed to go up to 750 miles per hour."
Jet Engine Powered Trucks Easily Clock Over 350 MPH . Trucks powered by jet engines can routinely cross 350 mph. They can even beat planes after giving them a head start. This article gives a brief history of jet engine powered trucks. It includes several videos of the trucks in action.
"Is SOC 2 a thorn in your side? Make SOC 2 painless (Sponsor). Is SOC 2 a thorn in your side? Make SOC 2 painless . To land enterprise deals, your business needs SOC 2. But getting SOC 2 compliant is complex, time-consuming, and expensive. Uncomplicate SOC 2 with our guide for growth-minded founders. Turn compliance from a pain point into a competitive advantage. Download Now"
"Ask HN: Resources for introverted devs to learn workplace politics? (Hacker News Thread). Being at least somewhat aware of office politics is critical to your career success, especially in larger organizations. If you're an introvert, this is definitely worth a read."
"With real-life games halted, betting world puts action on Esports (10 minute read). Since March, many bettors have switched to betting on esports as traditional sports and casinos have declined. Every significant bookmaker now offers esports. Worldwide esports gambling revenue is expected to hit around $14 billion this year. Sports gambling has been on the rise, with experts predicting that it will be third in the country after the NFL and the NBA in terms of total wagering within the next five to 10 years. Attempts at unifying the world of esports and creating some sort of central authority have met resistance from game publishers, who are reluctant to give the impression that they actively support gambling or that these authorities are required in the first place."
"Bake data privacy into your app from day one by avoiding these common mistakes (Sponsor). Bake data privacy into your app from day one by avoiding these common mistakes . Your business needs to move fast, but not at the expense of data privacy. As you aim to balance speed and security, don’t lose sight of the most common privacy pitfalls and how you can avoid them. Learn more about data privacy and what your company should avoid doing with the free white paper: Avoiding the Five Cardinal Sins of Data Security and Privacy."
"World's 1st floating dairy farm could help cities adapt to climate change . Floating Farm is the world's first floating dairy farm, a three-story structure that employs two farmers and three types of robots. It was built as a response to climate change and populations moving closer to cities. The aim of the project was to build a form of urban farming that was circular, self-sufficient, and sustainable. Cows are able to move freely between the top and middle floors of the structure, feeding on grass clippings, potato peels, and beer broth. The manure they produce is used to fertilize local parks and playing fields and the milk they produce is pasteurized and sold or processed into other products. Floating Farm is able to break even on costs only because it processes its own milk. Cities worldwide are interested in the concept, which can be scaled."
"Two new solar cells break records, including highest efficiency ever . Two new devices have broken three records for solar cell efficiency. The six-junction III-V solar cell had a solar conversion efficiency towards the 50 percent mark when tested in conditions where light was focused to be about 143 times stronger than natural sunlight. A new type of tandem solar cell was able to reach a peak efficiency of 24.16 percent. While the tandem cells were not as efficient as other existing ones, the thinness of the technology means flexible solar modules can be produced."
"How to build a nuclear warning for 10,000 years’ time . The Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP) is a facility deep beneath the desert of New Mexico that contains the US military's most dangerous nuclear waste. It will be full sometime in the next 10 to 20 years, after which the facility will be buried and sealed with concrete and soil. There are multiple warning signs inside and outside of the facility and information about the WIPP will be stored in many archives around the world. The waste will remain lethal longer than Homo sapiens has walked across the surface of the planet. One of the biggest challenges the WIPP faces is telling future people about the danger of the site. Creating 'nuclear culture' that people can pass down through generations to teach others about the dangers of nuclear waste sites could potentially be one way to ensure that future generations stay informed about these places."
"Australia Just Hosted the World’s First Drag Race Between Two Flying Cars . Two teams of flying cars from Alauda Aeronautics recently completed a drag race in Southern Australia. Sporting competition helps accelerate technological progress, and the race organizers hope that its new racing series will help drive technical development and build public acceptance for the new mode of transportation. A remote-piloted EXA racing series is set to kick off next year, and a global piloted flying car racing series will hopefully be held in 2023. A video of the aerial drag race is available in the article."
"Archaeologists May Have Found The World’s Oldest Home . The oldest home in hominin history is the Wonderwerk Cave located in South Africa. The cave shows evidence of continuous occupation over several million years, with signs of the use of fire and precious artifacts found at the site. Its inhabitants were not fully human, and it may have been inhabited by more than one early human ancestor species. The cave was clearly a valued site in the past, and it is still a sacred place for locals today."
"Crypto Mystery: Quadriga's Wallets Are Empty, Putting Fate Of $137 Million In Doubt . Quadriga's CEO, Gerald Cotten, died in late December without leaving the passwords to the wallets that held millions of dollars in cryptocurrencies for the exchange. After an investigation, it was found that the six wallets that held Quadriga's funds were emptied in April 2018, many months before Cotten’s death. Additionally, more than a dozen fake accounts were discovered which were created internally and used to trade on the cryptocurrency exchange. These accounts showed significant activity, with high trade volumes and withdrawals to addresses that were not associated with Quadringa. A full copy of the report from Ernst and Young’s investigation into Quadringa is available."
"Twitter takes on Facebook Groups with invite-only Communities . Twitter has launched Communities, a feature that allows its users to form niche groups around specific interests. Users can tweet directly to other members once they join a Community. Each Community will have its own moderators that can set rules and invite or remove people. Anyone can apply to create their own community. The feature is invite-only for now as Twitter works on ways for people to discover and join Communities they want to be part of. A GIF demoing the feature is available in the article."
"'Biosolar leaf' project targets air pollution on London campus . A new ‘Biosolar leaf’ is able to clean up carbon dioxide and release oxygen to the air more efficiently than normal trees. The invention uses minute plant life on solar panel structures that can be built almost anywhere. It also produces nutritious plant proteins. While other air-processing technologies require high pressures, this technique can clean air even in low-pressure environments. Council members in the UK are excited to be the first to roll out the technology."
"Turkey Restores Wikipedia After More Than 2-Year Ban . The Turkish government has lifted a two-and-a-half-year ban on Wikipedia after the country's top court ruled that blocking it was unconstitutional. Wikipedia refused to remove references to Turkey's relationship with Syrian militants and state-sponsored terrorists in 2017, which resulted in Turkey blocking the website. Free expression is protected in Turkey's constitution. Turkey has tried to block YouTube and Twitter previously, but this was also deemed unconstitutional. The rights of people in Turkey have been under increasing pressure since a failed coup in 2016. Tens of thousands of websites are still blocked, and 47 journalists remain jailed."
Chernobyl Fungus Eats Nuclear Radiation Via Radiosynthesis . A fungus found growing near Chernobyl thrives on nuclear radiation due to radiosynthesis. It uses melanin to convert gamma radiation into chemical energy. NASA scientists grew the fungus inside the ISS and found that it was able to block some incoming radiation. Earth is protected by harmful radiation by its atmosphere and magnetic field. Astronauts don't have this protection and are exposed to radiation levels 20 times higher than on Earth. It may be possible to better protect astronauts and space objects with a layer of this radiation-absorbing fungus.
"Facebook’s TransCoder AI converts code from one programming language into another . Facebook researchers have developed a neural transcompiler that can convert code from one high-level programming language into another, unsupervised. Migrating a codebase takes expertise in both languages, a lot of time, and is often expensive. Transcoder can translate between C++, Java, and Python. It was trained on over 2.8 million open source repositories on GitHub. Many of the mistakes generated by the model were minor."
"TikTok is taking the book industry by storm, and retailers are taking notice . BookTok is a community of users on TikTok who post videos reviewing and recommending books. It grew in popularity through the pandemic as people looked for ways to satisfy their need for emotional connection. BookTok has had a notable impact on the book industry and retailers have taken advantage of its popularity. It has introduced younger audiences to reading and helped new authors find an audience."
Facebook and Google could be forced to tell you how much your data is worth under new US legislation . Companies such as Facebook and Google may soon be forced to inform customers individually on how much profit they gain from customer data. The proposed Designing Accounting Safeguards to Help Broaden Oversight and Regulations on Data Act will require companies to issue a report every 90 days to users on the type of data collected and how much profit was gained from the data. These companies hoard data from users and the data is not always safe and secure. The proposed law will make sure that customers are completely informed when using these companies’ services.
"The Splinternet Is Growing . The internet is becoming increasingly fragmented, as the technology for governments to censor information is becoming more accessible. Many countries are now blocking their citizens from accessing certain information, especially during times of trouble. Previously, the type of censorship tools used in China was expensive and labor intensive, but over time the system has become cheaper and more efficient. China may soon be exporting their ‘Great Firewall’ to other Southeast Asian countries to use. While governments may want to block information in order to control its citizens, a fragmented internet makes it increasingly difficult for tech companies to operate internationally."
"Tinder Will Let You Swipe Around the Globe for Free While Social Distancing . Tinder will allow users to change their location for free until April 30. The feature is usually reserved for paid members, but the company is enabling it in order to make self-quarantining more bearable for its users. Users can change their location through the app's settings. Other dating apps and sites have started implementing virtual and video dating services. Mixer events have now moved to online chat rooms."
Build a video game like a Lego set with this new Unity tool . Lego and Unity have paired up to create a Lego Microgame. The Microgame is free and it lets players create custom game worlds by snapping together virtual bricks. No previous video game programming knowledge is required. Custom mods are available that can add features to the game. A 50-second video from Unity that showcases some of the features of the Lego Microgame is available in the article.
"This Forest School Will Be Built in India With an Infinity Cycling Track on Its Roof . An architecture firm called Nudes has won a competition to build an eco-friendly school in Pune, India. Pune has seen substantial urban growth in the last decade, resulting in worsening air quality. Nudes' design is a vertical garden that cleans and purifies the air around it. It features an infinity cycling track, tennis courts, and a pool. Students will be responsible for nurturing some of the plants. Renders of the design are available in the article."
"DDoSers are using a potent new method to deliver attacks of unthinkable size . A new type of DDoS attack was discovered last August. It involves using fleets of misconfigured servers more than 100,000 strong to flood targets with unthinkable amounts of junk data. Attackers have been using the method to target sites in the banking, travel, gaming, media, and web-hosting industries. The attack is being deployed by nation-states and large organizations to censor restricted content and block sites. More details about the attack and how it is carried out are available in the article."
"Rough.js (GitHub Repo). Rough.js is a small graphics library that creates sketchy, hand-drawn-like images. It defines primitives to draw lines, curves, arcs, polygons, circles, and ellipses. Rough.js also supports drawing SVG paths. Detailed examples of how to draw basic and complex shapes are available."
"Genius said it used morse code to catch Google stealing lyrics . Many websites depend on users viewing ads on their pages to generate revenue. Google has been adding more information into its search results to provide convenient information for users, but this means that the sites where the information comes from lose viewers. Genius, a lyrics website, inserted different types of apostrophes into their lyrics in a pattern that spelled out ‘Red Handed’ in Morse code. Using this method, they found their content displayed in the Google search results, proving that Google was using their data and taking viewers away from their site. Genius found more than 100 examples of theft by Google, who claims that its data comes from licensed partners."
"Amazon HQ2 Deal Stirs New Tensions in New York . Amazon announced in November that it was planning to build a new headquarters in New York. However, recent protests have caused debates on whether the company will continue its plans. Government opposition may halt further development, but the mayor continues to support the project. If Amazon brings its offices to Queens, it could mean creating between 25,000 to 40,000 jobs."
"Designing customized “brains” for robots . Modern robots can move quickly, but computing speeds haven't caught up yet. Gathering environment data and calculating plans takes up a lot of computing power. A team of researchers has developed a system called robomorphic computing, which creates customized hardware designs to best serve a particular robot's computing needs. The custom hardware performs significantly better than off-the-shelf CPU and GPU units. The team is now working on automating the process."
"DoorDash Says It’s Very Sorry You Noticed Its Tip-Skimming Scheme . DoorDash has been under fire for its tipping policies, where customers were essentially tipping the company, not the delivery person. This business model is similar to many restaurants who have tips applied to a portion of their employees' minimum wage. DoorDash has stood by its policy. However, on Tuesday night, the CEO tweeted that DoorDash had 'missed' that customers felt that the policy would make tipping not matter and that the company would be implementing a model that would mean that earnings would increase by the exact amount a customer tips. It is unclear whether the new policy would mean that the minimum guaranteed pay will be adjusted."
"Google is about to have a lot more ads on phones . Google will introduce new types of ads that are designed for more interaction on mobile devices. Searches will now display new gallery ads which will have multiple images for users to swipe through. Gallery ads usually result in 25 percent more interaction than normal text or banner ads. Google’s discover feed will also feature ads in between news stories. These ads are designed to be more noticeable, which makes sense as Google’s ads are provided on a pay-per-click basis. New ads will also be seen on YouTube within the recommended videos section."
"Ask HN: What tech job would let me get away with the least real work possible? (HackerNews Thread). The pandemic has made some realize different priorities in life. Work and building a career is no longer a priority for some. However, everybody needs shelter, calories, and resources, so income is still necessary. In this thread, the original poster asks readers about what remote work is available for developers who want to work as little as possible. The main discussions talk about how to make oneself more valuable at a company, the considerations around budgets when committing to that lifestyle, and how to monetize hobbies."
Hackers release a new jailbreak tool for almost every iPhone . An iPhone hacking team has released a new jailbreak tool for almost every iPhone. The tool uses the same vulnerability that Apple said was under active attack last month. It works on iOS 11 to iOS 14.3. The vulnerability was fixed in iOS 14.4. Jailbreaking makes devices more vulnerable to attacks.
"NBCUniversal officially enters the streaming wars with Peacock launch . Peacock is NBCUniversal's new streaming service. It will be available for all Comcast's Xfinity X1 and Flex customers by the end of April. Non-Comcast subscribers will have access to the service from July 15th. Originally, Comcast and NBCUniversal were going to use the 2020 Summer Olympics as part of a larger launch, but the Olympics have now been delayed. When it launches for all customers in July, there will be a free tier with limited programming, an ad-supported tier that will be free to Comcast customers and $5 per month for everyone else, and a $10 per month ad-free option."
Meta Has Created A New Tool To Animate Your Child’s Drawings Using AI . Animated Drawings is a tool from Meta that can automatically animate drawings of human-like figures. The drawing needs to be clear enough for the software to identify the figure. Animated Drawings can understand the level of abstraction with which children draw. Children draw with proportions that can be difficult for AI to recognize. A short video from Meta showing animations generated by the tool is available in the article.
"It’s time to ban cars from Manhattan (10 minute read). New York's traffic problem seems worse now than it has ever been. Traffic has always been an issue in New York. Many people have tried to solve the city's traffic woes, but none have succeeded. Commercial use of the streets has caused most of the traffic in the past. As the number of residents grew, more people needed to use the same streets. Most residents do not own vehicles but use private transport services. Public transport systems and new roads have done little to alleviate the problem. While there are more plans being put into place to improve the roads, it may be better to create more traffic-free zones and reinvest more into public transport."
"Outcry Over Power Outages, Smog Forces Iran To Act Against Bitcoin Miners . Iranian authorities are blaming bitcoin mining operations for power outages and worsening air pollution. Bitcoin farms use huge amounts of energy to supply their banks of high-powered computers. Iran eased its restrictions on cryptocurrencies in 2019 after facing US economic sanctions. This resulted in bitcoin operations becoming cheaper in Iran than in other countries. Thousands of illegal cryptocurrency farms have popped up around the country. Winter temperatures have added to the problem as the need for home heating rises. Road traffic has increased due to public transport closures, resulting in a visible rise in air pollution. The Iranian government has expanded its crackdowns on illegal cryptocurrency operations due to growing public outcry."
"U.S. SEC halts Telegram's $1.7 billion digital token offering . The Securities and Exchange Commission has received a temporary restraining order against the entities that were selling Grams, Telegram's digital token. Telegram was set to sell 2.9 billion digital tokens, of which 1 billion was to be sold in the US. The SEC claims that the digital tokens were securities offerings, which meant that they were subject to the SEC's offering rules which require firms to file registration and disclosure documents. Telegram was set to launch its tokens on October 31."
"C# Digest (Newsletter). C# Digest is a weekly newsletter with news, libraries, and tutorials about the .NET ecosystem."
"My Second Year as a Solo Developer (12 minute read). After leaving Google as a software developer two years ago, Michael Lynch set out to build his own software business. In the second year, the business was still not profitable, but it had improved significantly. Lynch worked on several projects, with his 'Is It Keto' both bringing in the most revenue and having the highest running costs. During this time, he learned that higher prices could actually bring in more customers, ideas need to be screened and dumped when appropriate, having higher goals can result in bigger wins, and that life is much more enjoyable as a founder."
"MIT is building a ‘one-stop-shop’ for 3D-printing robots . MIT's CSAIL department recently showcased a new project for developing robotics, drones, and other machines in a 'one-stop-shop'. LaserFactory is a system consisting of a software kit and a hardware platform that can create structures and assemble circuitry. It is still in its very early stages of development. A 2-minute video showing LaserFactory in action is available in the article."
"Virgilio (GitHub Repo). Virgilio aims to help others navigate through the wide amount of information available on the internet and provide a clear and complete organic learning path for several tools, fields, skills, and more. Information is concise and hierarchically ordered by level of complexity, and there are hands-on projects to help consolidate the information and theories that are learned. No previous knowledge is required, but confidence in programming and high school level maths will help comprehension and understanding. All resources are free or open source."
"How Reddit’s New Ethereum Feature Could Be Huge for Crypto Adoption . Reddit is working with one of its communities to test a feature based on Ethereum ERC-20 tokens called Community Points. These Community Points are fully owned by users and Reddit has no control over them. The details of the project are still secret. It is possible that this move could significantly increase Ethereum's active user base. However, Ethereum may have issues with long-term scalability, and an order of magnitude spike in Ethereum transactions could bring the blockchain to a standstill. Science &"
"How a 10-second video clip sold for $6.6 million . Last week, a 10-second video by artist Beeple sold for $6.6 million. The sale was made possible through a type of digital asset called non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which authenticates ownership of digital assets using blockchain technology. Each NFT is unique. OpenSea, a marketplace for NFTs, saw monthly sales grow from $8 million in January to $86.3 million in February. The NBA's Top Shot website, which allows users to trade NFTs in the form of video game highlights, has seen nearly $250 million in sales since its launch 5 months ago. NFTs could be the future of digital ownership."
"Amazon bought Facebook’s satellite team to help build its Starlink competitor . Amazon has purchased Facebook's small-satellite division. Facebook was designing and testing ways to advance satellite connectivity as part of an effort to enable the next generation of broadband infrastructure. It had no plans to become a service provider. Amazon plans to launch a constellation of low-Earth-orbit satellites to compete against SpaceX's Starlink. It has permission to launch 3,236 low-Earth-orbit satellites. Amazon expects to launch the satellites in 2023 at the earliest."
"White Castle becomes the first fast food chain to test out the robot fry cook, Flippy, from Miso Robotics . White Castle will start trialing Miso Robotic's Flippy robot to reduce human contact with food, increase the quality of its meals, and to reduce the amount of waste produced in the kitchen. Flippy will be tested in the Chicago area starting September, and if the trial is successful, White Castle plans to bring the robot to kitchens across the country. Miso Robotics usually charges $30,000 to install each system and then another $15,000 per year, but White Castle aims to bring the costs down significantly. White Castle executives have taken pay cuts to retain staff, and there are no plans yet to replace staff with the robot. A 45-second video of Flippy in action is available."
"Scientists Are Cloning the Coronavirus Like Crazy . In late February, a team of scientists published a recipe to grow SARS-CoV-2 in the lab. It allowed labs around the world to have access to the virus so they could develop diagnostic tests, drugs, and vaccines. However, the same technology that is used to fight diseases can be used to make them more deadly or more transmissible. Scientists are concerned about a potential lab-made or lab-leaked viral strain. Virus samples can be obtained through infected tissue, cultures, or synthesis. The published technique is able to engineer SARS-CoV-2 using yeast and synthesized genetic material. While the technology has enabled scientists around the world to quickly obtain coronavirus samples for study, it has a high potential for misuse."
"Peter Thiel to step down from board of Facebook parent Meta . Peter Thiel, an early Facebook investor and board member since 2005, is leaving the company's board. Thiel made his initial fortune as the co-founder of PayPal. He started a Founders Fund, which has backed companies like Stripe, Affirm, and Airbnb. Thiel is still chairman at Palantir Technologies, which he co-founded in 2003. He will continue to serve on Meta's board until the company's 2022 annual stockholder's meeting. Facebook's recent first-quarter forecast sent the company's stock down by 26%, its worst drop on record."
"Google Says That They Have Just Reached Quantum Supremacy . Google has announced that it has reached quantum supremacy. Quantum computing uses the phenomena of quantum mechanics to deliver tremendous computing power. These computers have the potential to easily outpace the world's top supercomputers. Normal computers use bits, which are electrical or optical pulses representing 1s or 0s. Quantum computers use qubits, which are usually subatomic particles such as electrons or photons which are connected in a way that allows for more processing power than using bits. Google's quantum computer completed a calculation in three minutes that would've taken IBM's Summit, the world's most powerful commercial supercomputer, 10,000 years to complete."
Ask HN: How to level up your technical writing? (Hacker News Thread). This thread contains advice and links to courses on how to become a better technical writer.
"Introducing Warp: Fixing Mobile Internet Performance and Security . Last year, Cloudflare launched their 1.1.1.1 service on April 1, aiming to create the fastest, most secure, and most privacy-respecting DNS server on the internet. Today, 1.1.1.1 is now about to become the second largest public DNS service on the internet, with half the latency of Google's servers, while still upholding its values of privacy and security. In November, Cloudflare launched a mobile app for 1.1.1.1 in preparation for today's launch of Warp. Warp is a new service designed for mobile internet and is essentially a VPN that will encrypt all data traffic, rather than just DNS traffic. It also has features that will help mobile users save data and battery. While Cloudflare aimed to launch Warp in its entirety today, there were some issues with the rollout. However, users can still sign up to a waiting list through the 1.1.1.1 app."
"Apple releases iOS 13.1 beta before iOS 13 is even out . Apple has released the iOS 13.1 beta, weeks before its September 10th event where it is expected to announce the iPhone 11 to the world. The early beta release may be due to Apple relieving pressure on their iOS 13 promises by spreading out the development process over the entirety of iOS 13, as well as allowing the company more time to fix bugs in the system. A changelog is available that lists features such as AirPods Audio Sharing, which appeared in previous versions of the iOS 13 beta. This may mean that the feature may be released with iOS 13.1, rather than iOS 13."
"My Mid-Career Job-Hunt: A Data Point for Job-Seeking Devs . Matt Dupree recently wrapped up a job search after around 65 days. During that time, Dupree applied for 16 jobs, attended seven interviews, and received two offers. Many companies required Dupree to complete coding challenges, and he prepared for these interviews through online exercises. The main factor for success in these interviews was preparation. In the end, Dupree received an offer but countered it - resulting in a better salary. A link to a talk on salary negotiation is available in the article."
"Tom Cruise and Elon Musk's SpaceX are making a movie in space, report says . Tom Cruise and SpaceX are working on a project with NASA to shoot an action film in outer space. No studios are involved with the project at this stage. SpaceX is planning its first-ever launch of astronauts to the International Space Station on May 27. Cruise is known for taking risks while making his films and Elon Musk has appeared in numerous movies and TV shows."
"AWS SaaS Boost released as an open source project . AWS SaaS Boost is a tool that helps software developers migrate to a Software-as-a-Service delivery model. It provides core software elements for running SaaS workloads in the cloud, including tenant management, deployment automation, analytics dashboards, billing, and more."
"A Brain Stimulation Experiment Relieved Depression in Nearly All of Its Participants . An unblinded experiment at Stanford University and Palo Alto University showed overwhelmingly positive results in treating patients with chronic depression. The technique used in the experiment involved directing hundreds of intense magnetic pulses to a specific part of the brain for a few minutes per day over six weeks. While the results are promising, the sample size of the study was small and the participants knew the aim of the experiment. The basis of the treatment has already been approved as a therapy for major depression by the FDA."
"AttackSurfaceMapper (GitHub Repo). AttackSurfaceMapper is a reconnaissance tool that combines open-source intelligence tools and active techniques to provide data that can be used to plan attacks. A two-minute video demo is available showing AttackSurfaceMapper at work, as well as the output that it provides."
"NFT makers are trying to build the next Disney (16 minute read). NFTs could change the media industry. People who own NFTs can increase their NFT's value by creating content around it. Content creators will be able to buy into worlds and expand on the property and create a universe. The rights that a buyer gets with the purchase of an NFT depend on the contract that is in the NFT. Some NFTs are essentially just trading cards, while others give more intellectual property rights over characters. This article provides an in-depth look at the NFT scene and how it is changing the media industry. It provides examples of different collections and how the projects handle ownership."
"Google foils Roku’s YouTube TV ban, adds service to the main YouTube app . Roku recently removed the YouTube TV app from its store due to a disagreement with its contract with Google. As a response, Google has embedded the YouTube TV app into the YouTube app. The contract between Google and Roku for the YouTube app does not expire until December. Google has threatened to provide free streaming devices for their YouTube TV customers if Roku refuses to renew its deal under reasonable terms. The dispute is likely due to Google's AV1 video codec, which will require Roku to upgrade to more expensive chips."
"Meta, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Unity and others form Metaverse Standards Forum . Meta, Microsoft, Epic Games, Adobe, Nvidia, Sony, Unity, and other companies have joined together to form the Metaverse Standards Forum, a group that aims to drive open interoperability in the metaverse. The forum is free to join and it will focus on projects like hackathons and open-source tooling. The group sees the upcoming metaverse as an interconnected system that will need standards, norms, and rules for it to operate everywhere. It is led by the Khronos Group, a nonprofit that tried to set a standard for VR APIs in 2016."
Patreon’s building native video hosting for creators to sidestep YouTube . Patreon is building a video hosting solution and native player so that its creators can upload and share videos without leaving the platform. The feature could help creators rely less on YouTube and other services. Patreon's CEO Jack Conte hosts a podcast that focuses on the people who build and fund tools for creators. It is available on all platforms and episodes will be released seasonally.
"Reddit adds a new way to post with launch of ‘Predictions’ feature . Reddit is introducing a new on-platform feature called Predictions that will allow users to make predictions on current events. Subreddit moderators can create Prediction Tournaments, a series of questions that users can predict the answers to. Users will be able to bet on questions using tokens that they receive when they join the Predictions Tournament. There is no monetization model for Predictions and the tokens have no value outside of Predictions Tournaments. Users can compete for high scores on a community leaderboard. The feature will roll out to all safe-for-work communities with at least 10,000 members."
"Starlink’s new Portability feature brings internet to vanlifers . Starlink has launched a new Portability feature that will allow Starlink subscribers to take their terminals anywhere on their home continent that provides active internet coverage. Users will need 60-70W to power the terminals. The Portability service will be offered on a best effort basis, with users at registered addresses receiving priority for network resources. Portability can be added to existing Starlink subscriptions for $25 a month."
"Scientists accidentally discover life 900m under Antarctic ice . Researchers have found sea sponges and several potentially undiscovered species living 900 meters below an Antarctic ice shelf. The creatures were living in complete darkness in temperatures of -2.2 degrees Celsius. They were found by geologists as they were drilling for sediment samples. The drilling site was 260 km away from open water, so it is a mystery where the creatures were obtaining food for survival."
"Jetman Dubai Takeoff (4 minute video). This video shows a man flying with a jetpack. The man launches off a platform from a standing position and slowly floats around the area. He hovers over the sea, with the waves in the water showing the force that the jetpack is using to keep the man hovering midair. The man then flies at high speed away from the camera and then up into the sky. Footage from the jetpack cameras and helmet GoPro are shown. The end of the video shows the man landing after deploying a parachute."
"Elon Musk - Tesla will hold a super fun AI party/hackathon at my house (Twitter Thread). Elon Musk has tweeted that Tesla will be holding an AI party/hackathon at his house in about four weeks. The event appears to be invite-only, and the only requirement for invitees is that they have a deep understanding of AI and the ability to implement practical neural networks. A degree is not necessary. In the thread, Musk mentions that Tesla recruits engineers from anywhere in the world."
"Who to Sue When a Robot Loses Your Fortune . A Hong Kong tycoon is suing the salesman that convinced him to use a supercomputer to handle his trading, a decision which cost him more than $20 million. It is the first known instance of people going to court over investment losses triggered by trading algorithms. While algorithms may be able to make decisions and trade faster than humans, they might not always make the right decisions, or the algorithm might not be suitable for the task. In this case, the tycoon claims that the advertised stop-loss abilities of the trading bot were inappropriate for volatile trading, and this was the cause of the losses. The case opens up the question as to whether humans are to blame when their robots make the wrong calculations, or malfunction in other ways."
"Google's drone delivery service launches in Canberra after being given green light to take to the skies . Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has launched the world’s first commercial air-delivery service in Canberra’s northern suburbs. The company is called ‘Wing’ and it has been trialing the delivery of burritos, coffee, and medication by drone to a suburb in Canberra for the last year. Approval has been granted by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to expand the area that Wing can service. More than 1,000 deliveries were completed in the trial without any safety incidents, even though some residents complained about the noise. Wing will now service five suburbs, delivering goods such as gelato, chocolate, bread, and golf gear."
"Unity’s impressive new ‘Enemies’ short shows off a remarkably realistic digital human . Unity has released a tech demo that demonstrates what its game engine is capable of. 'Enemies' is a 2-minute long video that shows a detailed room and an almost realistic human being, all rendered by the popular game development engine. It shows how Unity can compete with Epic Games' Unreal Engine. The video is available in the article."
"PostgresML (GitHub Repo). PostgresML is an end-to-end machine learning system that can train models and make online predictions using only SQL. It allows anyone with a basic understanding of SQL to build, deploy, and maintain machine learning models in production. PostgresML features a wide range of training models and model and data versioning."
"This AI reads children's emotions as they learn . 4 Little Trees is an AI-powered learning platform created by Find Solution AI, a Hong Kong-based startup. The app's AI identifies students' emotions while they work on tests and homework. Other statistics and performance history is also collected by the platform. The data is used to generate reports on students' strengths, weaknesses, and motivation levels. It is also used to forecast their grades. The app's use of AI to identify emotions has raised some concerns, but the app creators say that the app only records facial muscle data and that it doesn't video students' faces."
"Google wants to make it easier for you to send yourself files . Google recently added a new feature called Self Share that allows users to easily share data between Android and Chrome OS devices. It uses Bluetooth, WebRTS, and peer-to-peer Wi-Fi to send files directly. The feature still needs to go through the Chrome OS Canary developer flag stage before Chrome OS users will see it on their devices."
"Instagram Is Rushing To Roll Out A Memorial Account Feature Because Of COVID-19 Deaths . Instagram has sped up plans for a new account memorialization feature that will add a 'Remembering' banner under a username to signal that the person has died. This feature has been in the pipeline for some time, but the project has been accelerated due to the COVID-19 crisis. Currently, family members can ask for accounts to be memorialized through a form on the Instagram site. The memorialized accounts remain active and unaltered, so users can still see and message the account. Give feedback by replying here or messaging me on Twitter @tldrdan! If you don't want to receive future editions of TLDR, please click here."
"Things Nobody Told Me About Being a Software Engineer . I'm a big fan of these rapid-fire type blog posts (you might want to check out Tyler Cowen's Marginal Revolution if you enjoy them too). This is basically a list of 20 things that Ana Ulin found surprising about being a software engineer, it's especially worth reading if you're just getting into the industry. I definitely agree with ""CSS is the most complex modern programming language"" and ""appropriate use of emojis would become such an important communication skill""."
"Amazon launches Amazon Care, a virtual medical clinic for employees . Amazon has launched a virtual health clinic with in-home follow-ups for Amazon employees and their families in Seattle. The Amazon Care clinic will offer a combination of telemedicine and in-person services. Employees and their families will be able to talk to a doctor or nurse using an app, and a nurse will be dispatched to their home if a follow-up is required. Prescriptions will be available via the app. Amazon will not have knowledge of employees' health conditions."
Artificial Intelligence cheatsheets for Stanford's CS 221 (GitHub Repo). This repository contains notes that sum up all the important information that is covered in Stanford's CS 221 Artificial Intelligence course. It has cheat sheets on each artificial intelligence field and compiles these concepts into a compact form that can be carried anywhere.
"Not-paid (GitHub Repo). Not-paid is a script for web designers to add to their websites just in case clients refuse to pay for work. Users simply set a due date for payment and then add the code to the head tag of the site, and once the due date is over the site will become increasingly opaque until it disappears altogether."
"Google's open sources low-bandwidth Lyra audio codec for data calls . Google has published the code for Lyra, an audio codec that uses machine learning to power voice calls with low bitrates. It can compress raw audio down to 3kbps while retaining quality. Lyra is still in development, so the API and bitstream may change as developers send their feedback."
"New WebKit Features in Safari 15.4 (13 minute read). Safari 15.4 is available now for macOS Monterey 12.3, iPadOS 15.4, and iOS 15.4. It features over 70 additions to WebKit, new web technologies, updates, and fixes. This article covers the changes in detail. A link to the full Safari 15.4 release notes is available."
"Elowan: A Plant-Robot Hybrid (2 minute video). Plants are naturally occurring circuits that can respond to environmental factors. MIT scientists have used this fact to design Elowan, a plant-robot hybrid that uses the plant's natural reaction to stimuli to drive the decision making for a plant-robot hybrid. In this video, scientists have used the plant's natural tendency to move towards light stimuli to navigate a plant-on-wheels towards a light that they turn on."
"For the first time, a small rocket will launch a private spacecraft to the Moon . NASA and Rocket Lab will fly a privately built satellite to a special orbit that is neatly balanced between the gravity of the Earth and the Moon. The mission will test out the parameters of this orbit and verify its stability. NASA intends to assemble a small space station in the orbit. This will be the first interplanetary mission launched by a small liquid-fueled rocket. More details about the mission are available in the article."
"Stranger Things, JavaScript Edition . JavaScript is full of tricks and weirdness, and this article brings up some interesting examples. The article looks at six different scenarios where JavaScript code behaves strangely. It starts each scenario with an example and then explains what is happening that makes the code behave that way."
"Intel's Project Endgame Is an Upcoming Cloud CPU Service . Project Endgame is a new service from Intel that gives users an always-accessible, low latency computing experience powered by Arc GPUs. There is little information about the service, but it seems to be a game-streaming solution. It may also be a cloud streaming service for professional users needing a cloud-based Windows workstation. The service will be available for use later this year."
"Google Maps for CarPlay in iOS 12 is now available . Google Maps is now available for CarPlay in iOS 12, and Google owned traffic service Waze also plans on adding CarPlay support in an upcoming update. Before today, CarPlay had only supported Apple Maps, which if you haven't checked it for a while, continues to be terrible."
"Google is scaling back its weekly all-hands meetings after leaks, Sundar Pichai tells staff . Google will stop holding its weekly town halls, moving its TGIF meetings to just once a month. Low attendance and the lack of focus on product launches and business strategies were two reasons stated for the change. Employees were sharing the conversations held inside TGIF meetings outside of the company, which was affecting the ability of the company to hold candid conversations on important topics. TGIF meetings were previously a place where employees could bring concerns to management and discuss important workplace issues. Google will continue to hold regular Social TGIFs in offices around the world, and other forums and platforms have been provided for employees to communicate with the company. Employees can use these forums to voice their opinions on company decisions."
GPT-3 Sandbox (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a tool to create web demos using the OpenAI GPT-3 API with just a few lines of Python. It automatically creates a web app for testing. An API key from the OpenAI API beta is required to run the code.
"Facebook’s Novi Taps Paxos, Coinbase Ahead of Diem Rollout . Facebook is rolling out its Novi wallet in the US and Guatemala in a pilot program. Users will be able to purchase Paxos Dollar (USDP) using Novi, with Novi depositing its funds with Coinbase. Facebook continues to support its own stablecoin, Diem, and will integrate it into Novi once it receives regulatory approval. Novi and Diem were announced back in June 2019 under different names. The scope of the project has changed since the original announcements due to regulatory backlash."
"China says it has developed a quantum radar that can see stealth aircraft . A quantum radar is like a regular radar except it sends out two split streams of entangled photons instead of a single beam of electromagnetic energy. Due to quantum entanglement, a quantum radar only needs to send one of the entangled beams out, and checking the beam that stays at home will let you know what happened to the beam that was sent out. A Chinese state-owned defense company claims that it has created sucha device. If true, this means they will be able to detect even ""stealth"" aircraft that are invisible to regular radars."
"Researchers one step closer to bomb-sniffing cyborg locusts . Locusts can smell explosives and technology can help us direct them and receive signals from them to determine what they are smelling. Scientists at the McKelvey School of Engineering have developed a biorobotic sensing system that can be implanted into locusts to detect and discriminate between different explosive scents, returning the information within a few hundred milliseconds of exposure. The system can determine how strong a scent is, making it ideal for use in searching for explosives."
"Google Chrome testing RSS-powered 'Follow' button, feed . Follow is a new feature in Google Chrome that displays an RSS reader on the New Tab page. Users will see a Follow button in the overflow menu, which adds sites to the feed. The feature allows users to actively choose the content they want to see, unlike the Discover feature, which chooses content for users. Google hopes the feature will create deeper connections between publishers and readers. Follow is still an experiment, and Google is still deciding whether to graduate it."
"Seed (GitHub Repo). Seed is a Rust front-end framework for creating fast and reliable web apps with an Elm-like architecture. It uses a templating system with a macro syntax that makes linting, formatting, and commenting work like in Rust. Clear and extensive documentation is available."
"Fifty-foot-tall ice spikes might make it hard to land on Europa . Jupiter's moon Europa is about the size of Earth and completely covered in ice. Scientists think that Europa has saltwater oceans, which is exciting because this means that it is a good candidate for finding alien life. However, new computer models based on the cold, dry climate in Chile's Atacama Desert predict that the equator of Europa is covered in jagged ice spikes up to fifty feet tall. Scientists believe that these ice spikes, called penitentes, may appear on Pluto as well."
"Zoom goes down, bringing much of the remote workplace and classroom to grinding halt . Zoom suffered a massive outage on Monday morning. The outage likely affected millions of workers and students. Zoom's service has been restored and the company will continue to monitor the situation."
"'Submarines' small enough to deliver medicine inside human body . Engineers at UNSW have developed micro submarines powered by nanomotors that can deliver drugs to specific sites without external guidance. The micro submarines are able to move along a vehicle axis depending on the pH of the environment it is in. Using these micro submarines, drugs such as stomach cancer drugs can be delivered in more targeted and strong doses, increasing its effectiveness."
"NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Succeeds in Historic First Flight . NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is the first aircraft in history to make a powered, controlled flight on another planet. On Monday, it flew to an altitude of 10 feet, hovered for 30 seconds, and then descended. It logged a total of 39.1 seconds of flight. The airfield where Ingenuity took off has been named the Wright Brothers Field. A video of the flight is available in the article."
"Robocrop: world's first raspberry-picking robot set to work . The world's first raspberry-picking robot had begun trials in the UK as the agriculture industry battles rising labor costs and shortages of seasonal workers. Guided by sensors and 3D cameras, the robot will be able to harvest more than 25,000 raspberries a day. Human workers can only harvest around 15,000 raspberries within an eight-hour shift. The developers of the robot wanted to focus on difficult soft fruits first as the technology can then be tweaked to other fruits and vegetables. Despite new governmental programs to incentivize seasonal workers to come to the UK, Farmers have seen an increasing shortage of workers year after year. Robots will be able to raise productivity while solving the worker shortage issue."
"Tired of Zoom calls? Company offers at-home hologram machines . PORTL Inc is a Los Angeles-based company that has created a phone booth-size device that allows people to talk in real-time with a life-sized hologram of another person. The device can be used to interact with recorded holograms of historical figures or relatives who have passed away. Standing at seven feet tall, five feet wide, and two feet deep, the PORTL device can be plugged into a standard wall outlet. The device starts at $60,000. A slideshow featuring the device is available."
"First Microsoft, then Okta: New ransomware gang posts data from both . The Lapsus$ group claims that it stole data from Microsoft and Okta, a Single-Sign-On provider. It posted images showing proprietary data on its Telegram channel to prove that it gained privileged access to both companies' systems. The group released a 37GB file archive containing source code for Bing, Bing Maps, and Cortana. Okta says that the impact of its data breach is limited, but Lapsus$ claims that it can reset passwords and multifactor authentication for most of Okta's clients."
"Walking around without a protective face mask? (Twitter Video). We live in strange times, and now many villages and cities in China are using drones equipped with speakers to patrol and communicate with civilians during the coronavirus outbreak. This two-minute video shows drone footage with audio of the drone operator telling civilians to wear their face masks and to stay home. The text in the footage claims that the video is from Inner Mongolia. There is some discussion in the thread saying that the video is civilian-made and not from official sources, as civilians have been receiving communications with opposing information."
"Announcing WWDC21 . The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference will be held online from June 7 to 11. There will be announcements, sessions, and labs at no cost. Students are now invited to submit their Swift playgrounds to this year's Swift Student Challenge for a chance to win exclusive WWDC21 outerwear and a customized pin set."
Jetoptera Just Reinvented Flight With 'Bladeless Fans on Steroids' . Jetoptera's J-2000 VTOL aircraft uses a fluidic propulsion system that is similar to the technology that powers bladeless fans. The system uses fluid dynamics to use a small flow of compressed air to suck in much larger flows of ambient air at ludicrous speeds. It can suck up 15 times the volume of air pulled through by the compressor. The design is lighter and uses significantly less fuel compared to small turbojets. Images of the design are available in the article.
"Apple launches Xcode Cloud, Object Capture, Swift concurrency for developers . Apple announced new developer tools at WWDC this week, including Object Capture, Xcode Cloud, in-app events and custom pages, and updates to Swift. Object Capture allows developers to create 3D objects within minutes from 2D photos. Xcode Cloud is a cloud workflow tool that enables developers to scale across the Apple product line to find and fix issues and for easier testing. In-app events and custom pages let developers better target and connect with users. Swift will get concurrency so that apps can take advantage of multi-core processes. It will also receive low-code tools."
Embeddinghub (GitHub Repo). Embeddinghub is a database built for machine learning embeddings. Embeddings are dense numerical representations of real-world objects and relationships. They are used to quantify how similar vectors are to each other and to share learnings across similar items rather than treating them as completely unique categories.
"Personal data of 533 million Facebook users leaks online . Personal data from 533 million Facebook accounts was recently leaked online. The dataset was scraped by exploiting a vulnerability that was fixed in 2019. It contains information such as phone numbers, Facebook IDs, full names, locations, birth dates, email addresses, and more. Portions of the dataset were available for purchase earlier this year through a Telegram bot. The leaked emails have been uploaded to Have I Been Pwned, but the owner of the site is still debating whether to make the leaked phone numbers available."
Got the Big Tech Cloud bill blues? (Sponsor). Got the Big Tech Cloud bill blues? . Vultr's here with the cure! Deploy instances for as low as $2.50 in 60 seconds or less from more than 20 locations around the globe. Get started with $200 credit toward your first 30 days with this TLDR-exclusive offer.
"Spinning Up in Deep RL (Website). Spinning Up in Deep RL is an educational resource by OpenAI for learning about deep reinforcement learning. Reinforcement learning is a machine learning approach for teaching agents how to solve tasks by trial and error. The site includes an overview of reinforcement learning, an essay about how to get into an RL research role, a curated list of papers, and more."
"Here’s everything Apple announced at its iPhone 13 event . Apple has unveiled its latest line of hardware releases at its California Streaming event. The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max will feature a more capable camera system and a new Cinematic mode, as well as ProMotion display technology, a feature that allows the phones to adjust their display refresh rates up to 120Hz. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini will have A15 Bionic chips, bigger batteries, and a redesigned TrueDepth camera array. All phones will go on sale on September 24. Apple also announced a more durable Apple Watch, an iPad mini with USB-C and second-generation Apple Pencil support, a new iPad with upgraded cameras, and software updates."
"How I hijacked the top-level domain of a sovereign state . In late December, the domain name that managed the name servers for the Democratic Republic of Congo expired. If a malicious actor had purchased the domain, they could have passively intercepted all .cd DNS traffic, made domain names out of thin air, launched remote code execution attacks on local networks, or replied to legitimate DNS queries with fake DNS responses. The domain name was purchased by an ethical hacker before anything bad could happen, and the issue has now been fixed."
"""Impossible"" 2D material is light as plastic and stronger than steel . Scientists from MIT have developed a scalable production method that allows polymers to form 2D sheets while keeping their strength intact. Using the method, the team developed a material called 2DPA-1. 2DPA-1 is an extremely thin and lightweight material with a yield strength twice that of steel. It can take six times more force than bulletproof glass and it is completely impermeable to gases and liquids. The material could be used as a protective coating for vehicles and electronic devices and even as construction material."
"A Data-Driven Guide to Whether a Machine Will Be Doing Your Job By 2025 . The World Economic Forum's 'Future of Jobs Report' surveys corporate executives in 35 countries around the world about how they think the workforce will change in the next five years. Its goal is to map the jobs and skills of the future. Unemployment figures were high this year and it doesn't look like it will improve. Automation is on the rise, and most workplaces are accelerating the automation of their processes. While automation will wipe out some jobs, it will generate others. Remote work will likely continue, but leaders remain skeptical about its effect on productivity. Existing inequalities are set to deepen."
Excalidraw (GitHub Repo). Excalidraw is a whiteboard tool that allows you to sketch diagrams that have a hand-drawn feel to them. A web version is available to use. It is built using React and Rough.js.
"First optogenetics-based study of unrestricted social interactions within groups of animals . Optogenetics is a method of controlling neurons with light. A team of researchers from Northwestern University built an ultraminiature, wireless, battery-free, and fully implantable optogenetics device for mice that allowed them to observe multiple animals socially interacting in complex environments. The technology was used to investigate how bonds form and break and how social hierarchies arise in mice. Researchers could wirelessly control the light in real-time with a user interface on a computer."
"Sweden: How to Live in the World's First Cashless Society . Sweden plans to be the world’s first completely cashless society by 2023. Already, many places in Sweden do not accept cash as a form of payment, including Stockholm’s public transport system. Swedish banks issue debit cards to customers ages 7 and over, and it is likely some of the current younger citizens will never see cash used in real life. Cash is currently used in under 1% of transactions in Sweden. Moving to a cashless society means that money is more secure and traceable. Sweden has seen a drop in bank robberies and also a decrease in its drug, counterfeiting, and weapons markets."
"Chinese database details 2.4 million influential people, their kids, addresses, and how to press their buttons . A US academic has uncovered a database used by Shenzhen Zhenhua, a Chinese company known to work with intelligence, military, and security agencies. The database contains information that could be used to conduct influence operations against prominent and influential people outside China. It contains information on influential individuals and institutions across a variety of industries. The data allows Chinese analysts to track key influencers and how news and opinions move through social media platforms. Using the information, China can craft messages to target individuals to manipulate them."
"Software Tools for Hobby-Scale Projects . Computers can be a vehicle for personal enrichment rather than strictly as a tool for business or research. Some noteworthy projects started out as hobby projects, for example, the Linux Kernel. A list of useful tools for hobby projects that are free, easy to learn, and that are focused on ease of use and prototyping speed is provided. The tools include a cloud storage for JSON APIs, a tool to create mobile alerts, cheap VPS hosting, and more."
"Oya (GitHub Repo). Oya allows developers to bootstrap easy to work with, deployable projects. Developers can create their own packs or browse a wide range of available packs from other projects. Confidential data can be stored via Oya secrets using PGP and other encryption methods."
"Infrared Radiation From Our Hands Could Be the Future of Encryption . Chinese engineers have developed a method for using the infrared radiation emitted from the human hand to secure data. The human hand radiates infrared light, and each finger can serve as an independent infrared light source. As fingerprints are unique, they can be used as a non-copyable encryption key. Using human components as IR light sources could provide more flexibility in the way we control engineered systems."
"Amazon in advanced talks about putting HQ2 in Northern Virginia, those close to process say . Amazon is very close to making Crystal City, Virginia, an urban neighborhood south of downtown Washington DC, their second headquarters. Things are far enough along that Amazon has had internal discussions about how quickly it can move employees there and Crystal City's top real estate developer has pulled some buildings off of the leasing market. Amazon says it plans to make $5 billion in capital investments in whatever city it chooses for its second headquarters, and while most cities' offers to entice Amazon to come have been secret, we know Maryland has offered an incentive package worth $8.5 billion and Newark has offered an incentive package worth $7 billion. The ultimate decision is likely to rest with Jeff Bezos, but it really looks like Washington, DC is going to be the site of Amazon's HQ2."
"Silicon Valley entrepreneur Sam Altman wants to scan your eyes in exchange for free cryptocurrency . Worldcoin is a company that wants to expand the reach of cryptocurrencies to the masses. The company is offering free cryptocurrency when people use its orb-shaped devices to scan their irises. The device uses the image to create a unique code that can be used for identification without requiring a big database of biometric data. The platform has more than 100,000 users already and it aims to hit 1 billion users by 2023. Worldcoin could potentially be used as the infrastructure to carry out universal basic income."
"Ford Self-Driving Vans Will Use Legged Robots to Make Deliveries . Ford’s new autonomous delivery vans will carry a two-legged robot that will bring boxes from the curb to the doorstep. The company is aiming to launch a self-driving vehicle service by 2021. Digit is designed to move in a dynamic fashion and can walk over uneven terrain, climb stairs, and carry 20 kilogram packages. It may take a few years of operation before the robot is able to perform completely autonomously. A two minute video is available that shows Digit in action."
"Facebook leak reveals Oculus Quest 2 as a 4K standalone VR headset . Facebook is expected to unveil the Oculus Quest 2 at the Facebook Connect conference later this week. Videos posted briefly on Facebook's Blueprint e-learning platform exposed details about the device. The standalone headset will be more of a spec upgrade to the existing Quest than a new generation. It will play all original Quest games as well as VR games on a Windows PC via Oculus Link. The Quest 2 features a Snapdragon XR2 processor, which will provide a significant performance boost compared to the 835. It will have 6GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. The Quest 2 will be able to display nearly 2K resolution per eye. Official prices have not been announced, but Walmart listed a codenamed Oculus headset at $399 for the 256GB storage option earlier this month."
"Ransomware gang tries to extort Apple hours ahead of Spring Loaded event . Quanta Computer, the biggest laptop manufacturer in the world, was hacked by the REvil crew, who stole large quantities of confidential designs and data from several major brands. REvil attempted to extort Apple with the release of the data after Quanta refused to pay a ransom. The group has threatened to publish new data every day until the ransom has been paid. It hinted that it may leak the data of other companies. The extortion attempt was timed to coincide with Apple's Spring Loaded event for maximum visibility. Apple is investigating the incident."
Coinbase is testing a subscription service that waives trading fees . Coinbase is testing a subscription service where users will be able to trade digital currencies on the platform without a fee for each trade. Spread fees will still apply. The product is still in the early stages of testing. It will include features like additional account protection and prioritized phone support.
"How Chinese Spies Got the N.S.A.’s Hacking Tools, and Used Them for Attacks . Symantec, a leading cybersecurity firm, has unveiled that Chinese intelligence agents had acquired hacking tools developed by the National Security Agency and repurposed them to attack American allies and private companies around the world. An analysis revealed that the agents did not steal the code from the NSA, but instead reverse engineered the tools after capturing an attack on their own systems. Security experts debate whether the US should continue developing sophisticated hacking tools if they can not keep them safe from other parties. Cybersecurity companies work internationally and tend to avoid naming specific governments in their reports, instead opting to use nicknames for government-sponsored hacking groups. It has become common for international groups to steal technology developed by US intelligence agencies, but this is the first time an exploit has been reversed engineered and used to attack others."
"Elon Musk Wants SpaceX to Reach Mars Using Carbon Capture. Here's How It Could Work . SpaceX is starting a program to take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and turn it into rocket fuel. The technology will be important on Mars, as fuel could be created from the planet's CO2-rich atmosphere. Technologies already exist for capturing carbon from the atmosphere, but SpaceX will still need to find a way to do this at scale. If successful, space tourism could change from an environmentally dubious activity into an inherently eco-friendly act."
"Feast Your Eyes Upon the World's First 3D-Printed Steel Bridge . The world's first 3D-printed steel bridge debuted in Amsterdam last month. The almost 40-foot-long bridge was built by Dutch company MX3D for pedestrians and cyclists. Four robots with welding torches were used to 3D-print the structure out of 10,000 pounds of steel. Computer simulations were used to check the bridge's ability to withstand daily foot traffic and damaging weather forces. The bridge is monitored with a system of over a dozen sensors that report data on the bridge's movement, vibration, temperature, strain, and displacement to look for trends that might suggest modifications are in order. A video showing the bridge being installed is available in the article."
"This 22-year-old builds chips in his parents’ garage (11 minute read). In August last year, 22-year-old Sam Zeloof produced a chip with 1,200 transistors using salvaged and homemade equipment. Zeloof created his first chip in high school as a senior in 2018 and was making individual transistors a year before that. While the chips are far underpowered compared to chips from chip makers with multi-million dollar budgets, Zeloof managed to progress his technology faster than the semiconductor industry did in its early days. Zeloof believes that making chipmaking more accessible to inventors would benefit society."
"Can you tell a fake video from a real one? . Artificial intelligence is allowing us to make shockingly believable fake videos. This will make it even harder to tell what is fake news and what is real in the future. This article contains a series of videos of world leaders like Obama, Trump, and Putin, and you have to guess if they're real or fake. The first couple are pretty easy, but the last few are shockingly hard."
Spotify is testing video podcasts with two YouTube stars . Spotify will start testing video podcasts in its app starting with Zane and Heath: Unfiltered. 50 percent of Spotify podcast listeners will be able to see the videos for the show's three most recent episodes. Users will only know that the podcast has video enabled once they start playing the podcast. The video will sync up with audio if the user turns off the screen and it will pause when ads are playing. Spotify will not be translating the videos for a global audience.
"In the deep sea, scientists discover one of the blackest materials ever known . Scientists have discovered 16 species of deep-sea fish that camouflage themselves with skin that reflects less than 0.5 percent of the light that hits it. Their darkness is caused by a distinct arrangement of melanin, a pigment also found in human skin, creating a structural light trap. Capturing these fish has proven difficult due to their low visibility and the depths that they live in. The darkest material known to man is still a material created by engineers from MIT which absorbs more than 99.96 percent of light."
"Google’s foldable phone plans include two devices, Android 12.1 release . Google is rumored to be working on two foldable phones and incorporating foldable functionality into an out-of-cycle update to Android. The phones will be similar to Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold devices. Google may launch the phones before the end of the year. The Android update will add an iPad OS-style taskbar to show frequently used and recently used apps. There is no timeline for its release, but it will probably be released with Google's foldable Pixels."
"Nitric (GitHub Repo). Nitric is a framework for cloud-native and serverless applications. It makes it easy to create smart serverless functions, APIs, or distributed apps that use events or queues. Nitric can read and write large files and securely store, retrieve, and rotate secrets. Apps built with Nitric can be deployed to AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud from the same code base."
"OpenAI has published the text-generating AI it said was too dangerous to share . OpenAI has released the full version of GPT-2, a text-generating AI system. When it was first announced, there were concerns that it could be misused to spread fake news, spam, and disinformation. OpenAI has since released smaller versions of GPT-2, but has seen no strong evidence of misuse. GPT-2 can generate coherent text from minimal prompts, for example, it can create an article from just a headline. Its limitations include having trouble with long-term coherence, for example, sticking to a single subject in a news article. There is an ongoing debate with AI researchers about the ethics of releasing cutting-edge AI tools that can enable malicious actors. OpenAI has created systems that can spot GPT-2's output with around 95 percent accuracy. A link to a web version of GPT-2 is available."
"Razer has created a concept N95 mask with RGB and voice projection . Project Hazel is Razer's new reusable N95 smart respirator. It has a glossy outside shell made of scratch-resistant and transparent plastic, designed to allow for lip-reading. Razer claims that the mask is a surgical N95, but it has yet to receive the necessary certifications. The mask features two active ventilators that filter both air being breathed in, and CO2 that's being exhaled. Microphones and amplifiers will be embedded in the ventilators. Razer also announced a new gaming chair at CES 2021. Concept photos of the mask and chair are available in the article."
"Bizarre 890-Million-Year-Old Fossils May Be Earliest Known Animal Life . Tiny traces of what may be ancient sponges that date back around 890 million years have been discovered in Canada's northern McKenzie Mountains. It will still take a lot of work to confirm whether the rocks are really animal fossils, but it could be evidence that animals emerged before the Neoproterozoic Oxygenation Event that began around 700 million years ago. Scientists have long hypothesized that life had begun before the oxygenation event due to evidence from molecular clock data, but this is the first bit of physical evidence discovered that supports the idea."
U.S. FCC commissioner wants Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores . US FCC commissioner Brendan Carr has asked Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores. The video app is owned by Chinese company ByteDance. Carr claims that TikTok functions as a surveillance tool that harvests extensive amounts of personal and sensitive data from US citizens. TikTok says its data access approval process is overseen by a US-based security team and that data is only accessed on an as-needed basis under strict controls.
"Netflix fights new streaming rivals with Samsung partnership . Samsung announced a deal with Netflix at its Unpacked event last week that will bring special Netflix original show content to its Galaxy smartphones. The bonus content will include behind-the-scenes footage, companion stories, and other bonus content, with most of it filmed with a Samsung Galaxy S20. Netflix will be more deeply integrated with Samsung devices. Users will be able to launch Netflix via Bixby and view recommendations on Samsung Daily. Netflix subscriber growth has stagnated in the US. Most of its competitors already have integrations with mobile devices or partnerships that allow them to distribute their service to millions."
"Delta’s ‘parallel reality’ display sounds like sci-fi, but it’s coming soon (10 minute read). A display created by Misapplied Sciences and partially funded by Delta is able to produce multiple displays at different angles, meaning that multiple people viewing the same screen are able to see different displays. It works by having pixels aim colors at certain angles. Delta has combined the display with AI technology to create a screen that can show individual flight information at airports. Customers will be able to view a special screen which will, to the individual, appear to only show their personal flight information. The display is currently limited in the number of colors it can show, and people need to be a certain distance away from the screen in order to view the display correctly. Delta will be deploying its first parallel-reality display at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport later this year."
"Sheet.Best (Website). Sheet.Best converts Google SpreadSheets into APIs. Users just need to paste the 'share' link from their Sheets document into the site. The API will provide view, edit, and write functions depending on the settings on Google Sheets."
"India has once again shut down the internet to control protesters . India shut down the internet in the state of Assam during protests against a new citizenship rule. The Citizenship Amendment Bill, which creates a pathway for citizenship for minorities in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, was recently approved. Residents in the state of Assam were protesting as they were unhappy about immigration from nearby Bangladesh. Governments are increasingly turning to shutting off internet access as a way to stop protests. In 2016, the United Nations condemned internet shutdowns as a violation of human rights and freedom of expression. There were 196 internet shutdowns worldwide in 2018, with most of the shutdowns occurring in India."
"The Future of Cryptocurrency Is Being Decided in Biden's Infrastructure Bill . The Senate's new infrastructure bill may shape the future of cryptocurrency in the US. The bill promises public spending on major projects and it proposes taxes on crypto brokers to fund the projects. There are two competing amendments, one that exempts miners, hardware manufacturers, and developers, and another that only exempts proof-of-work cryptocurrencies. The definition of brokers in the original bill was so broad that anyone involved in cryptocurrency services would have to report to the IRS information on their customers, which would be impossible for most of the industry. The vote on the rival amendments is expected to take place on Saturday."
"France and Germany agree to block Facebook's Libra . France and Germany have agreed to block Facebook's Libra currency, stating that no private entity can claim monetary power, which is inherent to the sovereignty of nations. Concerns still persist about sovereignty and financial risks in Europe, so introducing a new cryptocurrency should not be allowed."
"Uber reaches tentative settlement with drivers arbitrating over employment status and expense reimbursement . Uber has tentatively agreed to pay out 11 cents per mile driven for Uber to 160,000 drivers in nine states who have been seeking to be classified as employees instead of independent contractors in order to get compensated for expenses like gas and vehicle maintenance. They also complained that Uber wouldn't allow them to take tips (Uber introduced this functionality in June of 2017, collecting $600 million in tips in just one year). The settlement is tentative based on getting enough drivers to sign the agreement."
"The No-Code Generation is arriving . Over the past few years, no-code platforms have become more common, making it easier for users to harness the power of computing in their daily work. Projects that used to take a team of engineers hours to create can now be created in a few clicks through a user interface. These tools still require coding logic and other skills, but a generation of kids have now grown up with toys and games like Roblox and Minecraft, making these skills more prevalent. They also know how to use search engines to find answers to problems they are having. The generation that grew up with these technologies will likely further hone their skills in using them, raising the bar for how technology is used in the workplace."
"Pay attention to WebAssembly (17 minute read). This article discusses WebAssembly and its possible future applications. WebAssembly is an intermediate layer between various programming languages and many different execution environments. It can be used to run code from over 30 different languages on browsers, servers, and even on some cars. WebAssembly is portable, universal, fast, and secure. It can be used to speed up JavaScript, execute code from different languages, create plug-in systems, and more. WebAssembly is the future of containerization. It is much faster, smaller, and more secure compared to Docker while providing better scalability."
"Android’s latest update will let you schedule texts, secure your passwords, and more . Google recently announced new features for Android, including a password checkup tool and a way to schedule texts. Improvements to TalkBack, Maps, Assistant, and Android Auto were also announced. Password Checkup checks user credentials against a list of known compromised passwords and notifies the user if they need to change their passwords. Talkback now has a dozen new multi-finger gestures for interacting with apps and performing common actions, a single menu system, a customizable interface, and more language support. Maps is getting a dark mode."
TikTok tests a dedicated Shop feed that highlights products you can buy now . TikTok is testing a dedicated Shop feed that lets users browse and purchase products. The tab will serve as a hub for products sold in TikTok Shop. TikTok Shop is a feature available in select markets that lets merchants and creators sell products directly on TikTok. The Shop feed will include a search bar and different shopping categories. Screenshots of the Shop feed are available in the article.
"Snopes says nope to Facebook’s money and leaves fact-checking program . Facebook and Snopes had been in talks to work together to create a fact-checking program for the Facebook platform, but Snopes has decided to cancel the partnership. The team decided that fact-checking for only Facebook would be impractical for Snope’s small team. Snopes has instead opted to create a fact-checking API tool that can be used across platforms."
"Apple bans vaping apps from the iOS App Store . 181 vaping-related apps have been removed from the iOS App Store after concerns about the possible health impacts of vaping. Some of the apps allowed users to adjust the temperature and other settings on their vaping devices. Apple is allowing users to continue using apps that they have already downloaded onto their devices. The safety of e-cigarettes is still being debated. Conventional teen smoking has been on the decline for decades, but there has been a rise in e-cigarette use among high school students. Hundreds of people have fallen ill after using vaping devices, but most of these illnesses have been linked to off-brand vaping liquids."
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"Appwrite (GitHub Repo). Appwrite is a set of Docker microservices that serves as an end-to-end backend server for Web, Mobile, Native, or Backend apps. It can be used to easily integrate user authentication methods, databases, storage and file management, Cloud Functions, and more. Appwrite is cross-platform and language agnostic."
Latest success from Google’s AI group: Controlling a fusion reactor . Google's DeepMind AI team has successfully trained its software to control a tokamak. Small reactors like tokamaks use software to monitor the state of the plasma they contain and respond to any changes. Control software tends to be fairly specialized. A rewrite is usually required if scientists want to experiment with different plasma configurations. DeepMind's software can produce different plasma configurations in real hardware. The model could be used to find ways to optimize existing hardware.
"Bingo (GitHub Repo). Bingo is a package manager for golang binaries. It keeps a link between installed binaries and source packages. With Bingo, users can update binaries using the name of the binary, install binaries to any location, control the name of installed binaries, and install multiple versions of the same package."
"CSS Wand (Website). CSS Wand contains CSS code that can be copied and pasted. The code is easily customizable. There are currently 12 CSS effects available, with a small preview of each effect available on the page."
"Apple WWDC 2020: iOS 14, ARM Macs, hardware rumors, and what else to expect (10 minute read). Apple's WWDC will be presented this year in a new digital-only format. iOS 14 is expected to be announced, with a focus on performance and stability rather than on new features. Several home screen improvements, the ability to set third-party apps as the iOS defaults, new apps, and more are also expected in the update. A new feature for the Apple Pencil will automatically convert handwritten notes into standard text. watchOS 7 will add sleep tracking, blood oxygen tracking, the ability to share customized watch faces, a new Infograph Pro watch face, and better parental controls. Details on macOS 10.16 have been kept under wraps, but Apple will likely be announcing the switch to using ARM chips for its Macs. Updates are expected for tvOS, the iMac, and Apple TV. The long-rumored AirTags might finally be announced."
"CRISPR Study Is First to Change DNA in Participants . Researchers from the OHSU Casey Eye Institute have broken new ground in science by altering DNA in a living human. The procedure, based on CRISPR technology, is designed to repair mutations in a gene that causes retinal dystrophy. Abnormal DNA is removed from the cells with the mutation, offering sight to people with a form of previously untreatable blindness. The technique could lead to the development of procedures that can help to correct other genetic disorders."
"How Axie Infinity is turning gaming on its head . Axie Infinity is an NFT-based game made by a Vietnam-based company named Sky Mavis. It allows players to earn meaningful income by playing the game. Players can buy and sell goods in the game using real money. Dedicated players can earn thousands of dollars a month playing the game. There are many steps involved in even starting to play Axie, including paying a $1,500 upfront cost to buy into the game. Some companies are loaning out Axies to other players in exchange for 30 percent of their earnings. Sky Mavis is working on a free-to-play version that will be available within four months."
"Netflix tests cheaper, yearly subscription plan in India . New Netflix subscribers in India will be able to choose to subscribe to the service for three, six, or 12 months at a time for discounts of up to 50 percent. India has previously been used as a testing grounds for new features, with Netflix launching the mobile-only monthly plan in the country earlier this year. Netflix currently offers four plans in India. It is spending about $420 million on content for India. The company's first animated series from India was watched by 27 million households worldwide."
"Uber is expected to buy its Middle Eastern rival Careem . A $3.1 billion dollar deal for Uber to purchase its biggest competitor in the Middle East, Careem, is expected to be made public on March 26. Uber is believed to be filing for its IPO in April, and this move may give investors more reason to participate in the upcoming sale. It is rare for Uber to purchase a competitor rather than back out of a market, and Uber probably won't make more of these kinds of deals unless it gains more from it than just additional passengers."
"Web Developer Roadmap 2018 (Github Repo). This is a really detailed illustrated flowchart for learning to become an expert web developer in 2018, starting from ""Learn HTML"" and going all the way through complex topics like build toolchains, testing frameworks, static typechecking, etc. Definitely worth a look especially for beginning and intermediate programmers."
"The Teslasuit could turn Black Mirror's terrifying 'Playtest' into a reality . Teslasuit is a full body VR suit that has 68 points of contact (this number will be higher when the suit becomes available to consumers). It can simulate sensations like bumping into a wall, touching an object, or the impact of a punch. It will be priced similarly to a video game console, and has both men and women's suits."
"Alexa will help pay for your gas at ExxonMobil pumps . ExxonMobil and Fiserv are developing an Alexa skill that will help users pay for gas at Exxon and Mobil stations across the US. When it is activated, the voice assistant will confirm both the location and pump number. It will then activate the pump and use Amazon Pay to pay for the gas. The skill is scheduled to be released in 2020 at 11,500 stations. A short video is available that demonstrates the process."
"Twitter rolls out Stories, aka ‘Fleets,’ to all users; will also test a Clubhouse rival . Twitter has launched Fleets to its global user base. The feature allows users to post content that disappears after 24 hours. Twitter plans to test an audio-based social networking feature that will allow people to gather for live conversations. The feature is similar to a core feature in Clubhouse, an app that has faced several high-profile incidents of moderation failure, despite still being in a private, invite-only testing phase. Twitter has yet to prove that it can successfully combat online abuse, harassment, and trolling. Standard voice tweets are coming soon to Android."
"Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has a message for you: He doesn't care if you like him . Mark Zuckerberg has announced a change in attitude for Facebook in the future as it focuses on being understood, rather than being liked. The social media giant has been criticized in the past for its attempts to appease people, leading to some positive but shallow sentiment toward the company. Zuckerberg says that Facebook is committed to being more clear about its principles, such as freedom of expression, encryption, and targeted advertising. He believes that in order to be trusted, people need to know what you stand for. While Facebook's values might not always be popular, Zuckerberg believes that Facebook's focus will open these topics up to more discussion. Zuckerberg has been having dinners with political figures from across the spectrum on a lot of different issues. Facebook's revenue rose 25 percent in the fourth quarter, with 1.66 billion daily users."
"Join Chief Measurement Strategist at Google, Neil Hoyne, for a moderated Q&A (Sponsor). Join Chief Measurement Strategist at Google, Neil Hoyne, for a moderated Q&A . We have new and exciting developments in store for you during our upcoming Digital Experience Summit, February 16-17! We're hosting an exclusive, live ""Ask Me Anything"" with Neil Hoyne, Chief Measurement Strategist at Google, author of ""Converted: The Data-Driven Way to Win Customers’ Hearts"". Register today!"
Why DRY is the most over-rated programming principle . Don't Repeat Yourself advises people to consolidate logic into a central place.
"Alphabet’s latest X project is a crop-sniffing plant buggy . Mineral is a computational agriculture project from Alphabet's X lab. It is focused on sustainable food production and farming at large scales using the latest breakthroughs in technology. Over the last few years, Mineral has developed computational agriculture tools that collect and analyze information from plants. One of these tools is a four-wheel rover-like prototype that studies crops, soil, and other environmental factors using cameras, sensors, and other equipment. The data collected is combined with satellite imagery and weather data to create predictive models for how plants will grow. Using this data, Mineral hopes to help farmers optimize the yield from their crops."
"Earthly (GitHub Repo). Earthly is a build automation tool that executes builds in containers, making them self-contained, repeatable, portable, and parallel. It uses the same technology as Docker, but Earthly is designed to be a general-purpose build system. Earthly builds run the same for everyone, making it easier to debug and deploy apps."
"Amazon is opening a hair salon with an AR color bar . Amazon has opened a salon in east London. Customers at the salon can try on virtual hair colors using an augmented reality color bar and shop for products using displays and QR codes. The salon will offer traditional styling with professional stylists from Neville Hair and Beauty. Amazon has also recently opened its first convenience stores in the UK, and it has three Amazon Fresh sites operating across London. It currently has no plans to launch additional salons."
"33 concepts every JavaScript developer should know (Github Repo). Anybody interested in Javascript could get a lot out of this, this project has essentially taken 33 concepts like call stacks, closures, == vs === vs typeof, etc. and curated a few great articles and videos on each subject."
"China gene-edited baby experiment 'may have created unintended mutations' . The gene-editing performed on Chinese twins in order to immunize them against HIV may have had unintended mutations. He Jiankui had targeted the CCR5 gene in twins Lulu and Nana as studies had shown that a mutation in CCR5 was present in people who were naturally immune to HIV. Follow-up studies have shown that the team failed to produce the correct CCR5 variant. CRISPR is an imperfect tool as it can lead to unwanted or off-target edits. Its use in humans remains highly controversial. The parents had trouble seeking fertility treatment as the father was HIV positive, and this may have motivated them to participate in the study. Researchers in the study have made it difficult to identify the family."
"Mozilla says paid subscription service is coming to Firefox . Premium features, such as a VPN service and cloud storage, will soon be available in Firefox for a monthly subscription fee. The subscription service will be available in October, one year after Mozilla first started limited testing on a VPN subscription offering. Mozilla aims to diversify its income sources so that it is less dependent on income from search companies. Existing features will remain free for all users. The free, high-performing, private-by-default Firefox browser will continue to be the core service offering from Mozilla."
Amazing 2021 National & Regional Awards Winners of the Sony World Photography Awards . The World Photography Organization recently announced the 2021 National and Regional Awards winners of the Sony World Photography Awards. The competition is one of the most prestigious opportunities for photographers. Winning images were chosen from 51 countries and regions. The overall winners of the Sony World Photography Awards will be announced on April 15. A gallery of some of this year's entries is available in the article.
"Stand aside, hyperloop: This cross-continental train aims to replace flying . Planes account for 2.5 percent of the world's carbon emissions. Manyone, a strategic design consultancy, has proposed an idea to build a giant train that loops around half the world like a mega subway system. The AeroSlider will be an elevated train line that passes through magnetic loops instead of running on a track. It can potentially run at speeds of up to 500 mph. The loop would run from Africa to Europe to Asia. AeroSlider will be 820 feet long, much larger than the Airbus A380, the largest passenger plane jet ever in service."
"Nuro’s driverless delivery robots will transport medicine to CVS customers in Texas . Nuro is an autonomous vehicle startup founded by two ex-Google engineers that developed a fleet of road-legal delivery robots. The robots will soon be used to transport pharmaceuticals to CVS customers in Houston, Texas. CVS has seen an increased demand for deliveries since the pandemic started. Customers will be able to select an autonomous delivery option when placing prescription orders on the CVS website starting in June. They will need to confirm their identity to unlock their delivery when it arrives."
"SVG Favicon Maker (Website). This site makes it easy to create an SVG favicon from a letter or emoji. Users can customize the font, color, and background, then download the favicon as an SVG or PNG file or copy the HTML code."
"Scientists Captured Footage of Tardigrades Walking Around And It's Adorable . Tardigrades are microscopic extremophiles that can survive exposure to intense temperatures, pressures, and even the vacuum of space. A group of scientists recently recorded high-speed videos of the animals traversing gel substrates. Tardigrades walk similarly to insects 500,000 times their size, suggesting that their gaits have either convergently evolved or that there was an early-branching ancestor that passed on the pattern. The way these animals walk could inspire future engineering concepts. A short clip showing a tardigrade walking is available in the article."
"New EU law could require iMessage and WhatsApp to work with other, smaller platforms . The Digital Markets Act being considered by the EU could require messaging apps to work together if it is passed. The law will require developers of big messaging apps to make their apps interoperable with smaller messaging platforms on request. It is unclear which big apps will be targeted by the law. The new rules include fines of up to 20% of a company's annual global revenue for repeated infringements. If the law passes, the EU Commission will be able to prevent companies from making acquisitions if they systematically break the rules."
"Doctors plan to test a gene therapy that could prevent Alzheimer’s disease . Studies have shown that the APOE gene may be related to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Those with type 4 of the gene are extremely likely to be affected, while those who carry type 2 are at significantly less risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. A gene therapy which floods the brain with the type 2 APOE gene will be tested in humans, and scientists hope that it will slow down or reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s disease in affected patients. While this may not cure existing patients, the study may pave the way for people who carry the type 4 APOE gene to start receiving preventative treatment."
"Scientists find unexpected trove of life forms beneath Antarctic ice shelf . A team of researchers from Germany discovered 77 seafloor-dwelling species beneath an Antarctic ice shelf. Little is known about the environment under Antarctica's floating ice shelves, with previous studies only documenting a few dozen life forms. Some of the fragments of dead animals the researchers collected were up to 5,800 years old, showing how old the ecosystem could be. Many of the discovered animals feed on micro-algae, but plants or algae do not live in the environment, so the animals likely eat algae carried underneath the ice shelf by currents."
"Why Does Spotify Want to Buy Ringer? . Spotify Technology might be looking at acquiring Ringer, a sports and pop-culture startup. Ringer is involved in the podcast business, like the other four startups that Spotify bought in 2019. It was founded by Bill Simmons, who launched the outlet after ESPN fired him as a commentator. The startup already works with Spotify to produce podcast content. Its podcasting business is profitable, which might help provide an instant boost to Spotify's financials. Spotify made a loss of $86 million in 2018, but it turned a profit of about $25 million for the first nine months of 2019."
"pyp (GitHub Repo). pyp allows users to run Python code in the shell. It will automatically import any modules used. pyp can be used to analyze and process data, including dicts and iterables."
"U.S. Eyes Building Nuclear Power Plants on the Moon, Mars . The US Department of Energy has put out a formal request to the private sector for ideas on how to build nuclear power plants that will work on the moon and Mars. The resulting reactor must be able to generate an uninterrupted electricity output of at least 10 kilowatts, cannot weigh more than 7,700 pounds, and must be able to operate mostly autonomously in space for at least 10 years. The reactors will likely need highly enriched uranium. The project aims to have a reactor, flight system, and lander ready by the end of 2026."
"This company is making digital humans to serve the metaverse (12 minute read). Auckland-based tech company Soul Machines makes digital people. Right now, the company mostly makes digital people for customer service and public outreach, but the company wants to eventually fill the metaverse with NPCs that can complete tasks for people as extensions of themselves. Soul's technology can create digital people in real-time, so people can speak to avatars that they feel most comfortable with. While digital people can be useful in areas like customer service, there are still fields, like teaching, where they are unlikely to replace humans. A couple of videos from Soul showing off their technology are available in the article."
"Fertility rate: 'Jaw-dropping' global crash in children being born . Every country could have shrinking populations by the end of the century due to the decline in birth rates around the world. In 1950 women were having an average of 4.7 children and this has nearly halved to 2.4 in 2017. Experts expect the human population to peak around 9.7 billion around 2064, falling back down to 8.8 billion by the end of the century. The falling fertility rate is due to greater access to contraception and more women being in education and work. 23 countries, including Japan, Italy, Thailand, and Spain, are expecting to see their populations more than halve. A decline in population by the end of this century will bring about many social issues, especially when considering a large elderly population. Some countries have already started trying to combat this problem but it is complicated as other social issues are involved. The sub-Saharan African population is expected to triple in size to more than three billion by the end of the century."
"Microsoft remote work study: Average length of workweek has increased 10% during pandemic . A Microsoft study published last week revealed a decrease in cross-company communication and an increase in the length of the average workweek after the shift to remote work. The decrease in collaboration and communication is expected to impact productivity and innovation. While the data showed an increase in the length of the average workweek, this increase doesn't necessarily mean that employees are working more hours within the longer workweek. The researchers warn that it is too early to make long-term policies on remote work."
"This German town replicated itself in VR to keep its tourism alive . Herrenberg, a town in Germany, will soon be available via virtual reality. Tourists will be able to explore the town's historic houses and churches. The town currently uses super-computing and technologies typically deployed in advanced aerospace to visualize city data and citizen's emotional responses inside the digital twin. Citizens can use an app to share feedback on the town. The town will open up the digital copy for tourists to visit so they can explore it digitally before visiting it in person."
"Blind people ‘read’ letters traced on their brains with electricity . Researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston created a technique for tracing visible patterns directly into a person's brain. The system was tested on people who had lost their sight through damage to their eyes or optic nerves but had intact visual cortexes. In the trials, two of the patients could correctly identify more than 80% of the letters presented to them. The same approach can be used to display the outlines of common objects."
"I have one of the most advanced prosthetic arms in the world — and I hate it (15 minute read). Some users of high-end prosthetics find the devices much less useful than the media coverage around the technology would have you think. A majority of upper-limb prostheses users report very negative experiences, with rejection rates as high as 44 percent. The devices are usually heavy and difficult to control. They are also expensive, and most insurance policies will not cover them. Becoming a cyborg is not accessible by many, but right now, it isn't a practical option anyway."
"New FDA Approved Eye Drops Actually Eliminate the Need for Reading Glasses . Vuity is an eye drop that reduces pupil size, allowing people with age-related blurred near vision to see clearly without reading glasses for up to 10 hours. It was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The drops cost about $80 for a 30-day supply and are not covered by medical insurance. There are side effects such as headaches and red eyes. The drops should not be used while driving at night or when performing activities in low-light conditions."
"Tesla Cybertruck prototype shown in detail in new leaked walkaround video . A video of a Tesla Cybertruck prototype has been released. The video, available in the article, gives viewers a close look at the truck from all sides. The prototype has features that won't be in the production version, such as a giant wiper. There are people in the video standing next to the truck, giving viewers a sense of scale. An official update on the Cybertruck program is expected on Wednesday."
Spotify are reportedly working on a new karaoke feature . Spotify is working on a Karaoke Mode that will feature lyrics and adjustable vocal levels for songs. The news comes after Amazon recently announced that its Twitch Sings app will be closing in January. Karaoke mode was discovered by the same reverse engineer that recently uncovered Spotify's plans to host virtual concerts. Spotify routinely conducts tests to improve user experience but not all tests result in products for broader use. A screenshot of the feature is available in the article.
"The Haunting, Beautiful Drone Footage of Cities Under Quarantine . Many people have chosen to stay at home in order to quell the coronavirus outbreak, leaving many cities seeming empty and abandoned. This page features video footage shot from drones showing cities around the world in their current empty state. It features many locations and shows many popular tourist destinations completely empty of people."
"What's your favorite programming language? (Sponsor). What's your favorite programming language? . Take the Developer Nation survey, share your views about the most important coding skills and software tools for 2022, and get a chance to win cool prizes, licenses, gaming accessories, vouchers, and more!"
"Japan researchers develop electric chopsticks to enhance salty taste . Japanese researchers have developed electronic chopsticks that enhance salty tastes. The chopsticks use a weak electrical current to transmit sodium ions from food to enhance the taste of salt by 1.5 times. The chopsticks could help people lower their salt intake. Excess sodium consumption is related to high blood pressure, strokes, and other diseases. The chopsticks could be on the market as early as next year."
"Uber to test delivering food with robots . Uber is launching two test programs to deliver UberEats in greater Los Angeles this month. It will use a combination of four-wheeled robots and self-driving cars, depending on how far the delivery needs to go. Customers will receive instructions in the Uber app on how to retrieve their food. A safety driver will be present for car deliveries and the robots will be monitored remotely. Automated deliveries could make deliveries more affordable in the long term and create markets for more types of services."
"Samsung is reportedly working on a double-folding phone . Samsung is working on adding a double-folding phone to its lineup. The phone will fold into three segments using two hinges. The design is still being finalized, but the screen will likely have a more standard aspect ratio compared to the Z Fold, making it easier for app makers to design for. Samsung might be skipping a new Galaxy Note this year. Chip shortages have affected the entire industry and may cause delays in device releases."
"Microsoft is replacing Edge with its new Chromium browser next week . Microsoft's Edge browser will be upgraded to the Chromium-based version on January 15. Windows 10 users will be automatically transitioned to the new version. The launch date was announced last month, but it wasn't clear if existing users would be pushed to the new version. Enterprise customers will have a choice to stay on the Edge version. The new version will look mostly the same, but it will be able to support all Chrome's extensions. Web developers will no longer have to test for both Edge and Chrome versions of their websites, as they will now share the same rendering engines. Apple was briefly rumored to have considered changing Safari to a Chromium base. Microsoft has customized its version of the Chromium browser to include more privacy features."
"YouTube to Make New Originals Available for Free, Ad-Supported Viewing With 'Single Slate' Strategy . Youtube's new original shows will be freely available in an ad-supported format. Its current original shows like ""Cobra Kai"" and ""Step Up: High Water"" will remain behind the Youtube Premium paywall for now, but will be moved to an ad-supported model by 2020. Youtube Premium is Youtube's Netflix competitor that costs $12/month, I'm editorializing here this isn't in the article, my sense from reading this is that the subscription service isn't doing well so they're pivoting to just making everything free and ad-supported."
"Apple’s new Mac update is out, and iTunes is finally dead . macOS Catalina has been released and can now be downloaded from the Mac App Store or via the software update option in System Preferences. iPads that support the Apple Pencil can now be used as a second display on Mac using Sidecar. iTunes has been replaced by three separate apps, Apple TV, Apple Music, and Podcasts. Apple Arcade is now available on Mac. Catalyst is a feature that lets developers port their iPad apps to Mac. Other new features include new accessibility options to control your Mac by voice, Screen Time controls that can limit how long certain apps can be used, and improved security."
"WireGuard and Two-Factor Authentication (Sponsor). WireGuard and Two-Factor Authentication . Tailscale is the easiest way to use WireGuard with two-factor authentication. Get started in less than 5 minutes, our free plan is free forever. Learn more."
"TDengine (GitHub Repo). TDengine is a big data platform designed for the Internet of Things (IoT), Connected Cars, Industrial IoT, and IT Infrastructure and Application Monitoring. It performs faster for less cost while providing full features without a steep learning curve."
"Android 12 design mockup leak reveals radical visual overhaul, first features . The first Android 12 Developer Preview is expected to roll out this month. Images of the Android 12 design mock-ups have leaked, showing a radical visual overhaul of the operating system. Android 12 has a new in-depth theming system and 'Conversation' widgets. The theming extends to app icons. There are new privacy features that will alert users when the microphone or camera is active. The leaked images are available in the article."
"Razer-designed Linux laptop targets AI developers with deep-learning emphasis . Razer, a company known for gaming PCs and peripherals, and Lambda, a deep-learning infrastructure provider used by the US Department of Defense, have teamed up to release the Tensorbook, a Linux-based laptop designed for deep-learning development. The Tensorbook features a 16GB Nvidia RTX 3080 Max-Q, a 15.6-inch display with a 165 Hz refresh rate, an Intel i7-11800H with eight cores and a base clock speed of 2.3 GHz, 2TB of SSD storage, and 64GB of DDR4-3200 RAM. Pictures of the laptop, which will cost $3,500, are available in the article."
"OpenSpiel: A Framework for Reinforcement Learning in Games (GitHub Repo). OpenSpiel is a collection of environments and algorithms designed for research for general reinforcement learning and search/planning in games. It is able to play a wide range of games and game formats. While OpenSpiel has only been tested on Linux, there should be no issues running the software on Windows or Mac OS platforms. A list of compatible games is available, which includes Backgammon, Chess, and Tic-Tac-Toe."
"A species of beetle mite survived for thousands of years without having sex . The genetic variety produced through sexual reproduction provides a significant evolutionary advantage. Asexual reproduction appears to be exceedingly unfavorable in the long run. Scientists have confirmed, through an analysis of genome data, that a species of mite has reproduced completely asexually for at least thousands of years. The scientists' next step is to find out how the species survived through this method."
"Splash CLI (Github Repo). This is a cool little command line utility that will allow you to change your desktop background to a randomly selected high-resolution photo from Unsplash, just by typing ""splash -c"" into your terminal."
"2.5 billion T. rex inhabited the planet, researchers say . A recent study estimated that 2.5 billion Tyrannosaurus rex lived and died in the roughly 2.4 million years that the species roamed the planet. The species had a population density of around one individual per 40 square miles. Around 20,000 individuals were alive at any given time. The scientists note that the precision of the analysis was low due to uncertainty about the accuracy of the relationship between the animal's body mass and population density."
Ukraine Government Picks Stellar Development Foundation to Help Build National Digital Currency . The Ukrainian government has chosen the Stellar blockchain network as the platform for its central bank digital currency (CBDC). It has been researching the possibility of implementing a CBDC since 2017. The partnership to digitize the hryvnia will officially launch this month. Stellar's consensus mechanism has unique security features that aren't available on other blockchains. The platform was selected by a German bank last month as a means to issue a euro stablecoin.
"Alphabet’s Loon sets a new record for longest stratospheric flight . One of Alphabet's Loon balloons spent 312 days aloft, breaking the previous stratospheric flight record of 223 days. It flew 135,000 miles over the 10 months, launching in Puerto Rico and landing in Mexico. Loon's balloons go through millions of simulated flights before they are even created. Alphabet has fine-tuned the manufacturing process to remove the tiny defects that drastically shortened its earlier flight attempts. Google carefully monitors the data from the balloons during flight to make adjustments and to maximize flight time. Longer-lasting balloons cost less and provide more consistent connectivity for those on the ground."
"GPU.js (GitHub Repo). GPU.js is a JavaScript Acceleration library for General-purpose computing on GPUs (GPGPU) in JavaScript for Web and Node. It automatically transpiles simple JavaScript functions so they run on the GPU. If a GPU is not available, the functions will still run in regular JavaScript. Demos, benchmarks, and documentation are available in the repository."
"Facebook’s underground obituary pages . In Brazil, Facebook groups that feature profiles of dead people have gained popularity, with some groups growing to more than 160,000 users. While these groups may appear macabre, they are complex spaces where people process loss. The posts in these groups usually follow a standard format, with a link of the deceased person’s profile and a description of the person. Brazil has experienced the world's second-deadliest Covid-19 outbreak, and over 200,000 people have died."
Fetch API has landed into Node.js (Hacker News thread). Fetch API is now available in Node.js. Fetch is a modern browser API for making HTTP requests that is promise-based and designed to give better options around CORS and handling responses. Adding Fetch to Node allows easier re-use of the same application code or libraries on frontend and backend. This thread contains replies from a Node core developer answering questions about the new changes.
"World’s First Ever Space Hotel Is Now Taking Reservations . The Voyager Class Space Station is scheduled to open in 2027. It will accommodate up to 280 guests at once, entertaining them with several bars and restaurants, a cinema, a gym, and a spa. Construction will begin in 2026. Guests can already make bookings at the space hotel. A three-and-a-half-day stay will cost $5 million, including travel to get there and back. Guests will have to go through training before their stay."
"Samsung's 10th anniversary Galaxy might be a 6.7-inch, six-camera flagship with 5G . Samsung's Galaxy S10 is expected to be a huge update with 3 regular versions between 5.8 and 6.4 inches, then a superpowered ""Beyond X"" model with a 6.7-inch display, six cameras, and 5G support. The extra cameras give more flexibility in framing and better depth sensing. There will be 2 front-facing cameras and 4 rear cameras on the Beyond X, and the four phones are expected to be announced in February 2019."
"Intel's new neuron-based computer matches brain of a small mammal . Intel's new 'neuromorphic' computing system, Pohoiki Springs, contains 100 million neurons, about the same number of neurons as in the brain of a small mammal. Traditional computer chips can process a large amount of numbers but still cannot perform well with abstract problems, such as spotting the difference between cats and dogs. Pohoiki Springs uses special neuromorphic processors designed for machine learning, a computing technology that has significantly improved performance with abstract problems. The new system will be accessible via the cloud by members of the Intel Neuromorphic Research Community."
frawk (GitHub Repo). frawk is a programming language for writing short programs to process textual data. It features support for structured CSV input data and higher performance compared to other similar tools. Benchmark results and comparisons with other similar languages are available.
"Tech firms face growing resentment toward parent employees during COVID-19 (10 minute read). Some employees who have to look after children while working from home are struggling to make it work. While companies are saying they'd support parents at home with their children, not all managers and co-workers agree. Employees are hiding their childcare issues as they are worried that colleagues won't understand, and many believe their career advancement has suffered because they have to juggle both work and kids at home. Non-parenting peers do not have as much flexibility in their work schedules and may feel like more is expected of them. As the pandemic continues, it is clear that things will not return to normal, so work cultures are forced to change."
"Apple’s iCloud was down for several hours today . In the third major tech outage this week, Apple’s iCloud service was down for several hours today. Between 11 am ET and 3.28 pm, users could not access any of iCloud’s services, including Mail, Backup, or Find My iPhone. Gmail and Google drive also had issues earlier this week, and Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram experienced widespread outages yesterday."
"Technical Writing Courses (Website). This site is a collection of courses and learning resources aimed to improve technical documentation skills for engineers. It also shows what it is like to be a technical writer for Google. The courses are designed for professional software engineers, computer science students, and people in engineering-adjacent roles, such as product managers."
"Apple Developing a Whole New Kind of MacBook Air . Apple is working on a new high-end MacBook Air. It will feature two USB-C ports and a more powerful Apple silicon chip. The new chip will be a direct successor to Apple's M1 chip. It will have more graphics cores and run faster. The new MacBook Air will be available in a range of colors. There are some other physical design changes, but the biggest change will be the loss of its tapered design. The MacBook Air could launch in the second half of this year at the earliest, or in 2022."
"A bug lurking for 12 years gives attackers root on every major Linux distro . Polkit, previously known as PolicyKit, is a Linux tool that provides a mechanism for non-privileged processes to safely interact with privileged processes. The tool has had a memory-corruption vulnerability that can be exploited to escalate privileges to root since 2009. The vulnerability has been reported multiple times, but it was not patched until recently. It is likely that an exploit will become public soon and be used by attackers. Any unpatched multi-user system that allows shell access to users is vulnerable."
"Facebook's Infinite Office is a virtual office space for the WFH crowd . Facebook Connect is introducing a new virtual office experience called Infinite Office. Infinite Office makes the work-from-home experience more immersive, transporting the user to a virtual customizable office space. Using the Passthrough mode, users can toggle between a fully immersive experience or one mixed with the real world. Infinite Office will be rolled out as an experimental release for Quest 2 later this winter. Two short demo videos from Facebook showing Infinite Office and Passthrough mode are available in the article."
portray (GitHub Repo). portray creates documentation websites for Python projects using a Python3 command-line tool. It can automatically find documentation within the Python project directory and generate a website without customization. Developers can fully customize the website if required. The generated website is designed to be easily hosted on GitHub pages.
"Ring Fired Employees for Watching Customer Videos . Ring has fired employees for improperly accessing Ring users' video data. There have been four incidents involving team members accessing Ring video data for reasons not related to their work. Ring promptly investigated each incident after they were made aware of the alleged conduct. The company has also taken steps to limit data access to a smaller number of people. Currently, only three employees can access stored customer videos. Ring has previously granted workers in Ukraine access to some user video for research purposes, but express consent was obtained from the users for the use of the videos. It has recently implemented new security features such as two-factor authentication."
"Nanobots Will Be Flowing Through Your Body by 2030 . Nanobots that can protect your biological system and ensure that you have a good and long life could be working inside you within the next 10 years. DNA robots are already being tested in animals to seek out and destroy cancer cells. Researchers believe that nanobots could soon deliver drugs to humans with a high degree of accuracy, allowing exact dosages where needed and potentially preventing harmful side effects. They could be used to treat and monitor a wide range of medical issues."
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"SpaceX reveals the grand extent of its starport plans in South Texas . SpaceX's proposed plans for its spaceport have been made public as part of the federal review process. The US Army Corps of Engineers is seeking public comments on the changes. A detailed architectural drawing of the site is included in the documents. The facility is compact, with all of the buildings concentrated within a couple dozen acres. The plans provide more evidence that Elon Musk is all in on Texas for the future of SpaceX. A list of the major hardware that will be at the site is in the article."
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"Virtualbox 0-day (Github Repo). So I've never quite seen anything like this, but a Github user (MorteNoir1) has apparently uploaded a 0-day vulnerability that allows attackers to break out of VirtualBox's guest accounts using some weird buffer overflow tricks. There are step by step instructions to reproduce the vulnerability and a demo video at the end. If you're into computer security, you'll probably think this is pretty cool."
"Twitter CEO sets aside $1 billion in Square equity for charity, coronavirus relief . Jack Dorsey, CEO of Square and Twitter, has set aside $1 billion of his Square equity to support relief efforts for COVID-19 and other causes once the pandemic is over. Dorsey will cash the shares over time and fund causes such as Universal Basic Income and girls' health and education. The money can be tracked by anyone through a public Google Doc that is linked in the article."
"3D-Printed Smart Gel Changes Shape When Exposed to Light . Rutgers engineers have created a 3D-printed smart gel that changes shape when exposed to light and a 3D-printed stretchy material that can reveal colors when the light changes. These developments may lead to new military camouflage, soft robotics, and flexible displays. The inventions were modeled after the cephalopods' ability to change the color and texture of their skin for camouflage and communication."
"Vertical farms grow veggies on site at restaurants and grocery stores . Geoponic farming has many of the advantages of hydroponic vertical farms, while still growing its crops in real soil. Vertical Fields is a company that makes container farms that can grow geoponic crops on-site, right next to where they are needed. Each container farm offers a growing space of 400 square feet and yields about 200 pounds of produce per month. The containers can be kept bug free because they are sealed off and automated. Staff tending the farms won't need any special training to work with them. A one-minute video that shows what one of Vertical Farm's container farms is like is available in the article."
"Mutant sheep are being bred in lab to fight lethal child brain disease . Batten disease is a genetic disease where the waste disposal system for cells is affected, causing a loss of vision, impaired cognition, mobility problems, seizures, and early death. It affects between 100 and 150 children in the UK. There are several types of Batten disease, which is inherited from parents that both carry a rare recessive gene mutation. Scientists have used CRISPR-Cas9 to create sheep that have the disease in order to test treatments. Treatments that are successful in a large mammal with a brain that is of similar size and complexity to a human child's brain are more likely to be relevant to humans than treatments only tested in mice, rats, and cell cultures. Several treatments, all of which were developed first using traditional methods, will be tested on around 10 animals."
"Apple secures first states to support digital driver’s licenses, but privacy questions linger . Apple plans to support digital driver's licenses and state IDs in its iOS 15 update expected later this year. So far, only Arizona and Georgia have agreed to accept digital IDs, with six other states expected to follow. The TSA will be the first agency to accept digital IDs, as only a state ID is required for traveling by air within the US. The identity readers that the TSA will use are secure and don't require passengers to hand over or unlock their phones. Apple has been secretive about how it built this technology and what it gets out of it."
Feast your eyes on the first image of the black hole at the center of our Milky Way . There is a supermassive black hole more than four million times the mass of our Sun at the heart of our galaxy. Scientists have produced the first image of the black hole using the international Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). The EHT is a collection of telescopes scattered around the globe that records light in the microwave range of the electromagnetic spectrum from different locations. The images are combined and processed to create a high-resolution image picture. The image of the black hole is available in the article.
"Report Reveals Where New Millionaires Invest 25% of Their Wealth (Sponsor). Report Reveals Where New Millionaires Invest 25% of Their Wealth . Over 997,383 millionaires were minted in 2021—the most ever. What are they doing that you aren’t? They’re investing over 25% of their wealth in alternatives like art.When you realize contemporary art prices outpaced the S&P 500 returns by over 2x since 1995, you can see why. One premier art investing platform makes it ridiculously easy and cost effective to invest just like the ultra rich.Click this special TLDR link for priority access.See Important Reg A disclosures"
Recoil (Website). Recoil is a state management library for React. It provides capabilities that are difficult to achieve with React alone. A 33-minute video is available that explains and demonstrates how Recoil works.
"Netflix's new 'Black Mirror' movie takes interactive storytelling to the next level . Netflix has created their first interactive movie for adults, an episode of their dystopian sci-fi series Black Mirror. To create this choose-your-own-adventure style movie, Netflix built their own script-writing tool that allowed their writers to come up with complex narratives with loops to guide viewers back to the main story if they strayed too far. There are five possible endings, with an average viewing time of about 90 minutes. Netflix plans on having more interactive shows and movies in the future."
"China says it landed a reusable spacecraft after a two-day flight . China successfully landed an experimental reusable spacecraft on September 6th after spending two days in orbit. The details on the mission are secret, but the mission reportedly represented an important breakthrough in China's development of reusable spacecraft. The spacecraft could be a rough counterpart to the US Air Force's X-37B spaceplane. China has previously stated its intention to launch an aircraft-like reusable space vehicle by 2020. The vehicle was deployed using the Long March 2F."
"Israeli scientists say they’ve paved way to turn off the brain’s ‘hunger switch’ . Israeli researchers have identified the precise molecular details of the brain's hunger switch, making it possible to design targeted drugs to suppress appetite without the adverse side effects of current treatments. Pharmaceutical companies have been racing to make drugs to manipulate the switch, but current drugs bind with several receptors, causing undesired side effects. While the research was based on people with a genetic condition affecting the switch, the results could benefit the general population of people struggling with weight loss."
"Flying Car Completes Its First-Ever Inter-City Flight . The AirCar, a flying car that can transition between flying and driving modes, performed a 35-minute international flight on June 28. It transitioned into its driving mode on landing and drove downtown after the flight. The AirCar weighs approximately 2,425 lbs and can lift an extra 440 lbs. It has completed over 40 hours of test flights and it is near production. The creator planned to start selling the vehicle in May, but couldn't as aircraft certification tests were still pending. A 3-minute video showing the AirCar completing its first-ever inter-city flight is available."
"Google admits partners leaked more than 1,000 private conversations with Google Assistant . Google has admitted that a partner has leaked over 1,000 sound recordings of customer conversations to a Belgian news site, VRT. The recordings were supposed to be used to improve the quality of responses from smart devices. While the sound files were anonymized, VRT reported that the recordings contained enough private information to directly identify some of the people talking in them. Google says that this is a direct violation of its data security policies and that it is actively investigating the issue. It is possible to easily delete your Google Assistant voice history."
"OpenAI introduces Jukebox, a new AI model that generates genre-specific music with lyrics . Jukebox is a new generative model by OpenAI that can create music. The model is able to generate lyrics, although the lyrics need to be modified. Jukebox can generate music in different artists’ styles and genres, but the music it generates misses some familiar larger musical structures, such as choruses that repeat. A link to Jukebox’s project page, which contains samples, is available in the article."
Irish-developed kit confirms infection in 15 minutes . An Irish company has developed COVID-19 testing kits that can provide results within 15 minutes. Current testing kits require four hours for results. The new test uses lateral flow technology to detect the coronavirus within a drop of blood. Being able to test patients for the virus quickly is key to combating it.
"Genie (GitHub Repo). Genie is a full-stack web framework for developing modern web applications. It features a powerful router, websockets, templating, plugins, ORM support, and more. Examples of packages and apps made with Genie are available."
"OnePlus Harry Potter smartwatch cashes in on millennial nostalgia . OnePlus will release a limited edition Harry Potter smartwatch in India on October 21. The OnePlus Watch Harry Potter Limited Edition will be sold for around $225. It features many Harry Potter-themed elements, including a leather band with Harry Potter branding and six themed watch faces. A regular version of the watch is available for around $200. Pictures of the themed watch are available in the article."
"A.I. creativity is improving fast. This hilarious GPT3-generated film is proof . 'Solicitors' is a short film by a pair of student filmmakers from Chapman University. The script of the film was almost completely written using AI. GPT-3 can generate text from prompts, and this example shows how creative it can be. While it may produce amazing results, GPT-3 is still only a tool and it is unlikely to replace writers anytime soon. The four-minute film is embedded at the beginning of the article."
"Natural Language Processing for Web Developers . OpenAI, Microsoft, Facebook, Google, and Salesforce all released natural language processing models in 2019. Some examples of applications of this technology include a service that can recommend films, text autocomplete programs, customer support chat, content summarizers, and more. This article discusses examples of different applications of natural language processing and makes recommendations on the architecture and models that should be used for each application."
"Police infiltrate encrypted phones, arrest hundreds in organized crime bust . Police in the UK and EU have arrested 746 suspects after infiltrating an encrypted chat platform where the suspects openly discussed murder and arranged hits, illegal drug purchases, gun sales, and other alleged crimes. 77 guns, two metric tons of drugs, 28 million pills, 55 high-value cars, and more than £54 million in cash was seized in the operation. Encrochat is an encrypted communications platform used widely in the European underground. Infiltrating the platform allowed law enforcement to essentially have an inside person in every top organized crime group. The platform itself was not compromised. Law enforcement installed malware on suspects' devices that allowed them to read messages before they were sent, record and alter lock screen passwords, and more."
"Amazon expands gamification program that encourages warehouse employees to work harder . FC Games is a program that gamifies warehouse work for Amazon workers. Amazon uses the games to help measure and encourage productivity. There are as many as six arcade-style mini-games that are played by completing tasks in the warehouse. The program is completely optional for workers and they can play anonymously. Workers can compete against other workers, even if they work at different warehouses. The rewards earned from playing the games can be turned in for virtual pets."
"Riot Games Releases An Album of Copyright-Free Lo-Fi Music . Riot Games has released a 37-track album called Sessions: VI. The album features copyright-free lo-fi music meant for online creators. It is available via Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube."
"Watch Nanobot Carry Lazy Sperm to Fertilize Living Eggs . A team of scientists from Germany have developed tiny motors that can make sperm swim better, essentially acting as a taxi to an egg. The spermbots consist of a spiraling piece of metal that wraps around a sperm's tail. It is guided to the egg using a magnetic field. The motor slips off the sperm once it reaches its destination. No cells are harmed in the process, but researchers are unsure how the immune system would react to the micromotors. A video of the spermbots in action is available in the article."
"Robots and magnetic soap: scientists rethink oil spill clean-ups . Oil spills can devastate the environment and threaten communities who rely on the sea for their livelihoods. They can take months or years to clean up, and they will continue to occur as long as fossil fuels are being used. Several technologies have been developed to combat oil spills. Researchers have developed a sponge with a coating of magnetic nanostructures and a carbon-based surface that attracts and binds to oil, allowing the sponge to absorb more than 30 times its weight in oil. Magnetic soap, composed of dissolvable iron-rich salts, are also another solution. These soaps respond to magnetic fields and could one day be used for industrial cleaning operations and environmental clean-up procedures. Self-navigating robots can be used to collect oil as clean-up operations can be dangerous."
"US cyberattack reportedly hit Iranian targets . The US reportedly hit Iranian targets with a cyber attack on the same day that airstrikes were called off against Iran. An ‘intelligence group’ that is closely tied to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard was the target of the cyber attack, which was crippling to Iran’s military command and control systems but did not result in any loss of life. Iranian missile systems were also targeted. The attack took several weeks to plan and was meant to be a response to recent attacks on oil tankers and US drone aircraft. Cyber attacks from Iran have become increasingly common. It is unclear what the total impact of the US cyber attack will be, but tensions are likely to increase, especially since Trump plans to impose additional sanctions on Iran."
"India discovers new plant species in Antarctica . Biologists from the Central University of Punjab have discovered a new species of moss in Antarctica. It took the scientists five years to confirm that Bryum Bharatiensis was a completely new species. They named the moss after Bharati, the Hindu goddess of learning. It mainly grows in areas where penguins breed in large numbers, using the nitrogen in the penguin manure as food. The scientists still haven't determined how the moss survives without sunlight in extremely low temperatures."
"Google Lens 'multisearch' lets you ask questions about photos, now in beta on Android and iOS . Google Lens now lets users ask questions about photos. Multisearch allows users to start searches with an image and then add text to modify the search. While the tool can perform many types of searches, its best results are for shopping queries. Google Lens multisearch is now available in beta for users in the US on Android and iOS."
A Wild Experiment Just Got Us Closer to Exploring Extra Dimensions . Scientists from Austria have managed to measure the smallest gravitational field on record. The team demonstrated gravitational coupling between two gold spheres that measured about two millimeters across. A high level of precision was required to conduct the test. The results could lead to the development of a sensor to detect these small forces. Measuring gravity is difficult as it is very easy to overwhelm the minute signal of a gravitational field.
"Samsung imagines how its first AR glasses might look in these leaked concept videos . Samsung recently showed off a basic set of image-projecting goggles at CES 2020. Two new recently published concept videos introduce some of the possibilities of this technology, for example, using them to enter immersive virtual environments. In the videos, a smartwatch is used for navigating the virtual interfaces. Samsung is rumored to be going back to Android for its next smartwatch. The concept videos are available in the article."
"India bans TikTok, dozens of other Chinese apps . The Indian government has banned 59 apps developed by Chinese firms due to concerns that the apps threaten national security. The apps include TikTok, Community and Video Call apps from Xiaomi, two of Alibaba Group's Apps, ES File Explorer, and more. A list of the apps is available in the article. 27 of the banned apps were among the top 1,000 Android apps in India in the last month. The apps have been accused of stealing and transmitting users' data in an unauthorized manner. Google and Apple have not yet removed the apps from their stores, but they have complied with such app removal requests in the past."
How to Freaking Hire Great Developers . This article discusses the coding interview process and suggests better ways to conduct them. Raw coding ability is the most important quality to look for when hiring developers. There are several issues with the typical coding interview that makes it a weak approach for finding good developers. A better approach would be to have a candidate read existing code and explain what it does and how it works. This type of interview will help discover which candidates have committed to extensive and deep practice in coding.
"3D-printed coral reef condos get 2 fins up from fish . Coral reef systems are suffering due to acidification across the globe. Many fish depend on these reefs to provide shelter from predators. A team from the University of Delaware printed 3D models of coral based on 50 iPhone images taken from all angles. When tested, fish showed no preference between real coral and 3D models of coral."
"Alphabet is putting its prototype robots to work cleaning up around Google’s offices . Alphabet's Everyday Robots Project team has released some of its prototype machines onto Google's Bay Area campuses to carry out light custodial tasks. The robots are essentially arms on wheels that feature a multipurpose gripper. They have a head with cameras and sensors, including a spinning LIDAR unit for navigation. Alphabet aims to create robots that can manipulate never-before-seen objects in novel settings. GIFs that show the robots performing some tasks are available in the article."
"The “future of work” is here… so why aren’t more companies remote-first? . While many people want to talk about how remote work is the future, the reality is that most companies still haven’t embraced the idea. The advantages of a remote-first company are many. Employees are generally happier and more productive, the company isn’t restricted to hiring people limited by location and can choose from a wider range of talent across the world, and working from home means employees don’t contribute to traffic or greenhouse gas emissions due to their commute. Statistics show that businesses can save up to $11,000 per employee per year, and employees can save around $4,000 each year, just by working remotely."
"Taylor Swift tracked stalkers with facial recognition tech at her concert . Taylor Swift is now using facial recognition at her concerts to scan crowds to find potential stalkers. She has hundreds of stalkers in a database, data was streamed from the Rose Bowl to a ""command post"" in Nashville to monitor. This is permitted because concerts are technically private events."
"Flu virus with 'pandemic potential' found in China . A new flu strain with the potential to become a pandemic has been identified in pigs in China. The virus is not an immediate problem, but it has all the characteristics of being highly adapted to infect humans and the situation will require close monitoring. G4 EA H1N1 is similar to swine flu. It grows and multiplies in the cells that line the human airways. There is evidence that some people who worked in abattoirs and the swine industry in China have been recently infected. It may be possible to adapt current flu vaccines to protect against it."
New Firefox privacy feature strips URLs of tracking parameters . A new privacy feature in Firefox strips custom URL query parameters from URLs to prevent tracking. The Query Parameter Stripping feature automatically strips various query parameters from clicked links and links pasted into the address bar. It can be enabled by changing Enhanced Tracking Protection to 'Strict' in Firefox Settings. Some sites may not work correctly with the feature turned on.
"Christmas Is Win for Meta: Oculus VR App Is Most Downloaded on Apple Store . Meta's Oculus virtual reality app was the most downloaded application on Apple’s App Store charts over Christmas. While Meta doesn't provide official data on how many Oculus VR headsets it has sold, the app charts provide an insight into the popularity of the device. Meta has declared an investment of at least $10 billion to create a metaverse, but VR technology is still in a very early stage of adoption. The increased sales will help Meta gain data and insight into what their audience wants with a VR experience."
"Leaked pics reveal Google smart debit card to rival Apple’s . Google is developing its own physical and virtual debit cards. The cards will be co-branded with different bank partners, including CITI and Stanford Federal Credit Union. Combined with Google Pay, it will be Google's answer to Apple Pay and the Apple Card. This might mean that Google will become a financial services company and start offering other services that banks usually offer. Google's vast access to data means it could more accurately manage risk than traditional financial institutions."
Solved by Flexbox (GitHub Website). Flexbox gives CSS proper layout mechanisms in order to solve problems that were previously hard or impossible to solve with CSS alone. A showcase of examples is available. Each example details a problem and then shows how Flexbox fixes the issue. Flexbox is supported in every modern browser.
"beautify-github-profile (GitHub Repo). This repository contains resources for building a better GitHub profile. The resources include badges, widgets, icons, and more. Each link to a resource comes with an example or screenshot of what the component looks like."
"Apple has cleared out its Facebook and Instagram pages for iTunes . Apple is rumored to be removing iTunes from its software lineup with its upcoming Mac OS update. iTunes will supposedly be split into different, more specific apps, for each of its functionalities. The Facebook and Instagram pages for iTunes have now been cleared out, with all the pictures, posts, and videos removed from each account. Apple will officially announce the future of iTunes at its Worldwide Developers Conference."
"Zero (GitHub Repo). Zero is a graphics pipeline implemented in JavaScript and rendered to the terminal. It uses JavaScript to replicate the functionality of a GPU, so no GPU is required. Zero is available for Windows, OSX, and Linux terminals."
"Three people with inherited diseases successfully treated with CRISPR . Two people with beta-thalassemia and one with sickle cell disease will no longer need regular blood transfusions after their bone marrow stem cells were gene-edited with CRISPR. The treatment involved killing bone marrow cells with chemotherapy and replacing them with edited cells. While the chemotherapy caused adverse side effects, it appears that the CRISPR gene editing was safe. There were five people in the trial altogether. The patients will need to be monitored for the rest of their lives to observe the long-term effects of the treatment."
"Iran says 12 dead from new virus, rejects higher death toll . The Iranian government says that only 12 people have died from coronavirus in Iran, despite reports of a much higher death toll. Five neighboring countries have reported their first cases of the virus, with all cases linked to travel from Iran. The total official number of infections is 61. Iran’s death toll is significantly higher than in other countries where the virus has become widespread. The World Health Organization says that globally, the virus has only been fatal in 2% of cases. Trust in the Iranian government has been low since a Ukrainian passenger jet was shot down by Iran in early January. The virus has now infected more than 79,000 people globally and caused more than 2,600 deaths."
"Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine docs hacked from European Medicines Agency . The European Medicines Agency (EMA) was hit with a cyber-attack, resulting in the theft of documents related to a Covid-19 vaccine. The EMA is still functional and the attack will not impact the timeline for the approval of the two Covid-19 vaccines it is currently reviewing. There have been a string of attacks and warnings about hacking threats against vaccine-makers and public health bodies in recent months."
"The next big breakthrough in AI will come from hardware, not software . The next big breakthrough in AI will happen through hardware advances. While general architectures allow many types of computations, they are not optimized for specific computation types. Some manufacturers are working on in-memory processing systems to more closely simulate neuronal processing models, but these computations are less general, so there needs to be a large established use case for them to make these chips profitably. Many architectures are still evolving quickly so manufacturers may be reluctant to mass manufacture designs. It will still take some time for the industry to mature."
"The companies that help people vanish . In Japan, 'jouhatsu' are people who disappear and continue to conceal their whereabouts for years. There are companies called 'night moving' services that help people who want to disappear discreetly. In Japan, privacy is fiercely protected, making it easier to disappear. Police will only intervene if there is a crime or an accident. The only option for people to find out what happened to their missing loved ones is by hiring a private detective."
"Driverless Cars Should Spare Young People Over Old in Unavoidable Accidents, Massive Survey Finds . MIT researchers surveyed 2 million people in 233 countries about who a driverless car should kill if it must make a decision (and tragedy is unavoidable). People generally preferred to save humans over animals, young over old, and more people over fewer (in Asia, they preferred to save the old over the young). People generally preferred to save pedestrians instead of passengers (unless they were jaywalkers). There's a list of made up characters that were ranked, the highest priority characters to save were stroller, girl, and boy, while the lowest priority characters were dog, criminal, and cat (criminals are less popular than dogs and more popular than cats)."
"Prospectus On Próspera (50 minute read). Zones for Employment and Economic Development (ZEDEs) are special economic zones inside Honduras that receive help from entities that govern the territories to bring improved human rights and economic growth. Próspera is Honduras' first ZEDE, occupying a 58-acre tract of land. It currently only has three buildings, but it eventually plans to expand to a network of city-sized hubs. People interested in joining the project will need to sign a social contract, pay a fee, and get Honduran residency. Próspera has the lowest tax rate in the world."
Stories Creator (Web Tool). This is a nifty tool by Buffer that makes it really easy to create nice-looking stories for Instagram/Snapchat/etc. No sign up required!
"Meet the robot that will almost certainly steal your data entry job . Ripcord has developed a machine for scanning documents at record-breaking speeds. The machine is able to detect and remove staples, adjust to different document sizes, and make the scanned documents searchable. Using this machine will help many companies remove the need for physical document archives and also help companies work faster. Currently, most companies have to wait for days or weeks to access paper data. Ripcord has received $65 million in funding from investors, and while it may replace some jobs, manual document searching and data entry is usually a task that not many people want to do."
"Ticketmaster admits it hacked rival company before it went out of business . Ticketmaster will pay a $10 million fine after admitting its employees used stolen passwords and other means to hack into a rival company's computers. The employee who provided Ticketmaster with the stolen credentials had also provided Ticketmaster with internal financial documents and information about the flaws in the rival company's systems. They were later promoted to director of client relations and given a raise. In a related case, a former head of Ticketmaster's artist services division pled guilty to conspiring to hack the rival company and engage in wired fraud. Ticketmaster has agreed to maintain a compliance and ethics program to prevent future incidents."
"In Iceland, CO2 sucked from the air is turned to rock . Several firms are working together in Iceland to pull carbon dioxide from the air and turn it into rock. The process involves capturing carbon dioxide, purifying it, dissolving it into fresh water, and then injecting it into basalt rock deep underground under high pressure. It takes large amounts of energy and about two years for the carbon dioxide to petrify. While the process currently only captures a relatively small amount of carbon, the technology is still in its early days."
Elon Musk to Host Next 'SNL' Episode With Musical Guest Miley Cyrus . Elon Musk will host Saturday Night Live when it returns from its spring break on May 8. Miley Cyrus will serve as the musical guest for the episode. Musk is the late-night series' most left-field and controversial choice of guest hosts this season. This will be Cyrus' sixth appearance as a musical guest on the show.
"Python 3.9: Cool New Features for You to Try (28 minute read). Python 3.9 was released on October 5 and as with every new version of Python, it includes new, improved, and deprecated features. A link to the complete list of changes is provided at the beginning of the article. This article is a tutorial that covers some of Python 3.9's new features, including proper time zone support, simple updating of dictionaries, more flexible decorators, a more powerful Python parser, and more."
"Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus are down. Here’s what we know . Facebook and all of its services went down today. Investigations revealed major DNS failures at Facebook. Cloudflare reported that all BGP routes for Facebook had been pulled, making Facebook's DNS and application servers unreachable. Some Facebook employees were unable to enter buildings due to badge access being down from the outage. A Reddit user claiming to be a Facebook employee reported that the problem was likely due to a configuration change that was pushed shortly before the outages began."
SpaceX moves a massive rocket with 33 engines to its launch pad for tests . SpaceX rolled out its Booster 7 prototype of the Super Heavy rocket to its launch site on Thursday. It was lifted using the chopsticks on the launch tower and placed on its launch mount. The booster will go through pressure testing and potentially a static fire test in the coming days or weeks. Elon Musk has been pushing for an orbital launch attempt in July.
Quantum Computing Breakthrough: Scientists Sent the First 'Landline' Message . Researchers at the University of Chicago sent entangled qubit states through a communication cable linking one quantum network node to another. The entire transfer process only took one billionth of a second. This extremely short burst of time was necessary for sending entangled quantum states without losing too much information. The system also amplified qubit entanglement. The study lays down critical groundwork for future quantum communication networks.
"DeepSpeed (GitHub Repo). DeepSpeed is a deep learning optimizing library that makes distributed training easy, efficient, and effective. It can train DL models with over a hundred billion parameters on current-model GPU clusters while achieving over five times the system performance of state-of-the-art technology. DeepSpeed helped produce Turing-NLG, a language model with over 17 billion parameters."
"Facebook launches Business Suite to link messaging apps . Facebook has launched a new app called Facebook Business Suite that allows small businesses to manage their pages and profiles across Facebook, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger. It is the first product Facebook has launched that combines the backend infrastructure for its apps. It will add WhatsApp to the service next year. The Business Suite allows small businesses to post content and ads to Facebook and Instagram at the same time, as well as see the performance of ads across both platforms in one place. It will be integrated with Facebook Shop more closely in the future. The tools are designed for small businesses, but Facebook will make them available for bigger advertisers eventually."
"Elon Musk unveils Tesla Bot, a humanoid robot that uses vehicle AI . Elon Musk unveiled a humanoid robot called the Tesla Bot at the end of Tesla's AI Day presentation last week. The robot will be controlled by Tesla's Full Self-Driving computer. It will be 5-foot-8 tall and weigh 125 pounds. The robot will be designed to help people complete dangerous, repetitive, or boring tasks. It can be easily overpowered or outrun. A prototype of the bot will likely be ready by next year. Slides from the presentation, as well as videos of Musk unveiling and explaining the robot, are available in the article."
"Mysterious port-less laptop is 7 mm thin . The Craob X is a laptop with zero integrated ports. It is 7 mm thin and weighs 1.9 lbs. The laptop uses a wireless charger that attaches magnetically to the laptop's lid. The charger has a headphone jack, SD card reader, and USB-C, USB-A, and Thunderbolt ports. It is unclear whether the charger will send data to the laptop. The laptop will use an Intel 12th-generation Alder Lake mobile CPU, with configurations of up to 32 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 2TB of PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD storage available. No release date has been announced yet. Pictures of the laptop and charger are available in the article."
Google Maps AR Navigation comes to iPhones and Android devices . Google Maps AR Navigation is finally out of testing and will be launching in beta on Android devices and iPhones. Live View will be able to more accurately determine the direction that the phone is facing while also giving more information about the location through an augmented reality interface. Maps will be able to determine the direction that the camera is facing by matching existing image data with the camera feed. The augmented reality overlay will show directional arrows in the camera feed for clearer navigation. The new Maps feature will roll out to Android and iOS devices that support ARCore and ARKit.
"Pixel 4 screen leak shows off large forehead bezel . New photos of Google's Pixel 4 have been leaked, showing that the device will have a large bezel on the top of the phone. The images show that the bezel will cover a variety of sensors and front-facing cameras. It is rumored that the Pixel 4 will come with a radar-based motion sensing technology called Project Soli, which requires more space, explaining the bezel. The Pixel 4 was announced in June after images were leaked onto the internet."
EU wants to build its own DNS infrastructure with built-in filtering capabilities . The EU is building its own recursive DNS service called DNS4EU. It will be available for free to everyone. The service will feature built-in filtering capabilities that will be able to block DNS name resolutions for bad domains. The data for the filters will come from intelligence feeds provided by trusted partners. The filter will also be used to block access to prohibited content. It is unknown whether DNS4EU will be mandatory for all EU or national government organizations.
"CRISPR gene-editing urgently needs an off-switch – now we have one . CRISPR has the potential to fix some of life's biggest problems, from disease to malnutrition. While it has proven to be an extraordinary tool, there have been concerns about what would happen if something was to go wrong. Scientists needed a way to switch off changes if they resulted in undesired effects. Viruses have a mechanism that can already do this, so research is now trying to figure out how to use the mechanism for our own ends."
"Africa's 'first fully solar-powered village' wants to be a model for a renewable future . A town near Morocco's sunny Atlantic coast is Africa's first completely solar-powered village. Id Mjahdi is being pitched as a blueprint for how to power remote villages. Africa currently produces less than one percent of the world's solar energy. Morocco is aiming to increase its use of renewable energy to 52 percent by 2030. The project to outfit Id Mjahdi with solar power has resulted in clean water and more time for the villagers, which means they are able to produce more work and spend more time on education. These mini-grids can be maintained by the villagers, so the project can be scaled and replicated in other villages. There are 800 villages without electricity in Morocco alone, and the World Bank estimates that 650 million people worldwide will still lack access to electricity in 2030."
"Gameboy.Live (GitHub Repo). Gameboy.Live is a Gameboy emulator written in Go that can be run on desktop or telnet. Users can configure Gameboy.Live as a cloud gaming server so that games can be run from anywhere through telnet. There is a GIF demonstrating the telnet version, as well as screenshots for the desktop version."
"Vilnius, Lithuania built a ‘portal’ to another city to help keep people connected . The city of Vilnius, Lithuania has built a portal that connects it to Lubin, Poland, a city about 600 kilometers away. Five years in the making, the portals have large screens and cameras that broadcast live images between the two cities. The portals were created to encourage people to rethink the meaning of unity. Pictures of the portals are available in the article."
"Ask HN: What do top engineers you know do that others don't? (Hacker News Site). Top engineers are generally more autonomous than others. They are able to self-educate, source information, clearly understand the needs of a project and the problems it solves, self-manage, and prioritize tasks. Compared to other engineers, top performers require less direction and management and are able to produce better, higher quality, well-thought-out solutions. Users tend to always find the strangest ways to break a system, and good engineers are able to predict and design around these situations."
"wifi-password (GitHub Repo). wifi-password is a tool for fetching Wi-Fi passwords and generating QR codes for phones to easily connect to a network. It works on macOS, Linux, and Windows."
"U.S. government sides with Apple and Amazon, effectively denying Bloomberg 'spy chip' report
The plot thickens with respect to the story last week where Bloomberg reported that Chinese spies had used tiny microchips to infiltrate over 30 tech companies including Apple and Amazon. Apple and Amazon (as well as the hardware company Supermicro, which was named as the company that spread the infected hardware). The plot thickens with respect to the story last week where Bloomberg reported that Chinese spies had used tiny microchips to infiltrate over 30 tech companies including Apple and Amazon. Apple and Amazon (as well as the hardware company Supermicro, which was named as the company that spread the infected hardware) have all refuted the Bloomberg story. Now, the US department of Homeland Security says there's no reason to doubt Apple, Amazon, and Supermicro's denials. Bloomberg is still sticking with their story."
"This intrepid robot is the Wall-E of the deep sea (10 minute read). The Benthic Rover II is a robot that is designed to prowl the ocean floor to search for clues on how the deep ocean processes carbon. It is serviced and dropped into the water off the coast of Southern California once a year, transmitting its data to a floating glider that travels on the ocean surface near the rover. The rover helped scientists realize that the ocean floor was not sequestering away as much carbon as previously thought. Having more rovers would help scientists further understand what is happening in other areas to form a more complete picture, but the rovers are expensive and difficult to operate and maintain."
"A decade of change from 300 miles above . Using imaging from Maxar, Google, and NASA, this article shows us views from 300 miles above Earth to help us see how our technological advances could put us at risk in the decades to come. This article displays before and after photos of areas to show how things have changed in the last decade. Apple's campus is now the shape of the dial on the original iPods. Thirteen of the largest buildings in the world were completed in Dubai during the past decade. China's influence has grown in the world, especially in the South China Sea. The levels of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere have risen, and three of the five most expensive weather and climate disasters in US history occurred in 2017. California's most destructive fire was the Camp Fire in 2018, burning nearly 14,000 homes and killing 85 people. Our planet's glaciers continue to melt away, losing up to 390 billion tons of ice and snow each year. Fukushima's nuclear plant disaster in 2011 killed one worker and cost nearly $120 billion."
"Facebook Connect: all the news about ‘Meta’ and Mark Zuckerberg’s VR dream . Facebook has rebranded as Meta. The announcement was made during the company's virtual reality labs Connect event. A new high-end headset, fitness-focused accessories, and a VR remake of GTA: San Andreas were also announced at the event. The Oculus name will be replaced with the new company branding. Facebook has changed its iconic sign at HQ to reflect the rebrand."
"Meet Scout . Amazon has begun field testing an autonomous delivery robot called Scout, which rolls along sidewalks at a walking pace. They will be delivering packages to customers in Snohomish County, Washington. It sort of looks like a cooler with wheels (there's a video in the article)."
"Machine learning is making fruits and vegetables more delicious . Many commercial fruit varieties have become less flavorful over time. It is expensive and difficult for breeders to breed plants based on flavor, so other traits receive more attention. A group of scientists analyzed the contents of various fruits and then used machine learning to figure out which chemical combinations create what tastes. This technology could be used to easily test produce for taste, possibly resulting in better tasting food."
"Dementia-preventing nasal spray moves to human trials . A novel nasal spray designed to prevent the neurodegeneration associated with dementia has shown promising results in mouse studies. The spray is a combination of two pre-existing drugs. Mice with neurodegenerative diseases showed improved cognition and less accumulation of toxic proteins in the brain after the spray was intranasally administered five times a week for a month. The combination of drugs was more effective at preventing neurodegeneration than each drug by itself. Human trials will start soon in several countries, including Japan and the US."
Amazon is expanding Amazon Care telehealth service nationally for its employees and other companies . Amazon Care is rolling out for Amazon employees in all 50 states starting this summer. It launched as a pilot program two years ago. The program initially provided virtual urgent care visits. It has since expanded into more of a primary care service. Amazon plans to roll out the virtual care part of the program to other companies nationwide later this year.
"Behold! NASA captures groundbreaking images of Venus’ surface . NASA's Parker Solar Probe has captured images of Venus' surface. Venus' surface is blocked by a thick atmosphere, which makes it hard to take pictures of. However, the surface is very hot and it makes the planet glow a faint red during the night when there is no Sun. The solar probe used the red light to capture images of the surface as it flew past at night. Some of the images are available in the article."
"A Complete Guide to CSS Cascade Layers (31 minute read). Cascade layers are a feature in CSS that allows developers to define explicit contained layers of specificity to have full control over which styles take priority in a project. This guide explains what they are for, why they are used, the current level of support, and how to use them. Additional resources, including documentation, articles, videos, and demos, are available."
"China suspends Tencent from updating existing apps or launching new apps . Tencent Holdings will not be able to update existing apps or launch any new apps as part of a temporary administration guidance measure against the tech giant. China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has ordered app stores and platforms to implement the measure. Tencent is cooperating with authorities, but it is unknown how long the suspension will last. China has been ramping up its legislative efforts to regulate data in the country, introducing increasingly stringent laws and regulations concerning data sovereignty and content censorship."
"Tech salaries are risk premiums . All tech salaries are risk premiums in both directions. When you work at a company, they want to pay you as little as possible, which is fairly common across all industries. Companies will pay more to keep employees from leaving, and employees negotiate salaries to negate the risks of getting fired, going broke, or having to work for a FAANG company. Employees can use their demand with other companies to raise salaries as employers try to reduce the risk of them leaving. Even the hint of a chance of a job opportunity from a FAANG company can usually keep employers on their toes. If all high-paying companies suddenly stopped hiring, the asking salary of many developers with other companies would drop significantly. The success of big tech companies has a huge effect on the salary of all workers in the industry."
Google is making its first in-house smartwatch that could launch in 2022 . Google could be launching its first smartwatch in 2022. The watch will have basic fitness tracking features and will be aimed at competing with the Apple Watch. Google is currently working on Wear OS 3 in a partnership with Samsung and is reportedly working on debuting a Fitbit integration into the OS when the new watch launches. Google purchased Fitbit earlier this year for $2.1 billion. The Pixel hardware group is working on the watch separately from Fitbit.
"Web Tools Weekly (Newsletter). This is a handy weekly roundup of apps, scripts, plugins, and other tools that front end designers will be interested in. It's curated by Louis Lazaris of Impressive Webs."
"Project management has never been easier (Sponsor). Shortcut is project management built for developers. Whether you're a startup that iterates quickly by providing every engineer with a free pallet of Red Bull, or a large org that has strict ship dates to hit, give us a try for free."
"Physicists have created “everlasting bubbles” . In 2017, French physicists created spherical shells made up of plastic microspheres that could store pressurized gas in a tiny volume. These gas marbles could roll around on a solid surface without breaking apart. A recent study tested the longevity of the gas marbles and found that bubbles made from them could last between six and 60 minutes. Adding glycerol to the solution created gas marbles that could last from five weeks to 465 days. A lot of information about bubble science is available in the article."
"American Airlines Confirms Pilot Report Of Bizarre Cylinder-Shaped Object Over New Mexico . On February 21st, pilots of an Airbus A320 flying over New Mexico spotted an unidentified cylindrical-shaped object moving at high-speed. American Airlines has confirmed the report and the FBI is now investigating the incident. The pilot said that the object looked almost like a missile and that it moved really fast over the plane. A 21-second audio clip of the pilot reporting the incident is available in the article."
"humaaans (Design Library). This is a really cool free design library that that lets you mix and match illustrations of people, allowing you to customize their posture, clothing, color and hairstyles. It's built for InVision Studio and Sketch."
"Gmail’s big merger with Google Chat, Meet, and Docs launches for everyone . Google is bringing Google Chat and Gmail's merger with Google Chat, Google Docs, and Google Meet to consumer accounts. The features were rolled out to paid Google Workspace accounts last August. The new Gmail UI has a segmented sidebar with Google apps on it. Users can open Google Docs files inside Gmail through links in Google Chat. Google Hangouts users will be upgraded to Google Chat at some point, after which Hangouts will finally shut down."
"First 'plug and play' brain prosthesis demoed in paralyzed person . Neuroscience researchers have created a brain-controlled interface that can be used by patients without extensive daily training. Current BCI interfaces require users to retrain for every session. The new BCI uses ECoG electrode arrays, which allow long-term, stable recordings of neural activity. It was trained using a machine learning algorithm that matches brain activity to a user's desired movements. Over time, the study participants were able to develop a consistent mental model for controlling the interface. Participants could continue using the interface even after it was reset. After learning how to use the BCI, participants were able to continue using it without retraining and could even go days without practice with little decline in performance."
"Amazon fires three critics of warehouse conditions in pandemic . Three employees who had criticized Amazon for its pandemic response were fired on Tuesday. Amazon claims that the employees were fired for repeated violations of internal policies and for inappropriate language and behavior. The workers criticized Amazon for not doing enough to protect staff from the novel coronavirus. Amazon has updated safety protocols and distributed protective gear in order to protect employees, but many employees feel that it is not enough and high-profile protests have been held at several Amazon warehouses. Science &"
"MIT's Robotic Cheetah Taught Itself How to Run and Set a New Speed Record in the Process . Researchers at MIT CSAIL used artificial intelligence and simulations to train a robot to walk over a variety of terrains. The Mini Cheetah constantly monitors its movements and makes adjustments to its environments. It can make adaptations to compensate for damaged or over-stressed components. The robot can hit a top speed of 3.9 m/s, which is faster than the average human can run. A GIF of the robot running into a padded wall is available in the article."
"ByteDance: TikTok's co-founder to step down as chief executive . Zhang Yiming, the CEO and co-founder of ByteDance, will step down and transition to a new role by the end of the year. He will be succeeded by fellow co-founder Rubo Liang. The change in leadership will take place over the next six months. ByteDance's TikTok has an estimated 700 million active monthly users. Its popularity has caused it to be scrutinized by governments around the world. ByteDance was one of 13 companies targeted with tighter regulations by Chinese authorities last month. China has increased scrutiny over online platforms as they have started to branch out into financial services."
"This human genome does not exist: Researchers taught an AI to generate fake DNA . A team of researchers from Estonia has developed a machine learning system that can generate unique human genome sequences. These fake genomes could play a vital role in the future of DNA research. Generative neural networks have been used in many different domains, producing surprising results in some cases. The artificial genomes are indistinguishable from actual human genomes. While the technology will be used for good in this case, it opens up the possibility of people using it to create highly convincing fake personas."
"Artichoke Ruby (GitHub Repo). Artichoke is a Ruby 2.6.3-compatible implementation of the Ruby programming language written in Rust, aiming to run Ruby source code in the same way that MRI does. It is still a work in progress. Unlike MRI, Artichoke will only support UTF-8 and binary encodings."
"China develops weapon system based on microwave radar tech . A new, non-lethal weapon based on microwave radar technology is being developed by China and is designed to cause pain over distances without any permanent injuries. The Microwave Active Denial System has two modes, a point launch mode where it can focus energy on specific body parts and a sector-sweep mode which can target bigger areas. Tests have shown that the system is highly effective at halting targets without causing injury. The system is portable and can be mounted on top of a vehicle."
"World’s first lab-grown meat facility pumps out 5,000 burgers per day . Future Meat Technologies announced its industrial cultured meat production facility on June 23. The factory, based in Israel, is capable of producing up to 1,100lbs of lab-grown meat every day. It can produce lamb, chicken, and pork products without using genetic modification or animal serum. It is also working on making beef. The facility requires 96 percent less freshwater, 99 percent less land, and produces 80 percent fewer greenhouse emissions than livestock production. Future Meat plans to start selling its products starting next year."
"China Set to Launch First-Ever Spacecraft to the Far Side of the Moon . Early next year, China will launch the Chang'e-4 on the first mission to the dark side of the moon. The lander will explore the new terrain, test whether or not plants can grow in the low-gravity lunar environment, and listen for radio emissions normally blocked by Earth's atmosphere. Previous experiments have found that plants like potatoes and thale-cress can grow in lower gravity than Earth's, but not in gravity as low as the Moon's."
WWDC 2019 Session Notes (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a set of notes regarding Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference 2019. It is usually faster to read through a list than to watch the whole presentation. A link to several interesting articles appears before the list of contents. Each topic also has a link to the relevant part of the WWDC presentation.
"Data-Scientist-Roadmap (GitHub Repo). This repository contains free data science resources. It is split into four parts: roadmap and fundamentals, free online courses, data science projects, and machine learning books."
"DeepMind Achieves Holy Grail: An AI That Can Master Games Like Chess and Go Without Human Help . DeepMind has published a paper on their system AlphaZero, an AI that can crack any game that provides all the relevant decision-making information. This includes games like chess and go, but not multiplayer games like Dota 2 or games with imperfect information like poker. The system is the world's best ever player of chess, Go, and a complex Japanese game called Shogi. Murray Campbell, an IBM researcher who worked on the chess engine Deep Blue which defeated Garry Kasparov, says ""This work has, in effect, closed a multi-decade chapter in AI research."""
"Amazon to hire 100,000 more workers and give raises to current staff to deal with coronavirus demands . Amazon will be hiring an additional 100,000 employees in the US to meet the surge in demand from online shopping due to the coronavirus outbreak. It will also raise pay for employees by $2 an hour in the US, £2 per hour in the UK, and approximately €2 per hour in many EU countries until the end of April. Amazon has experienced product shortages and delivery delays. Some fulfillment center employees have been taking time off work due to the virus. Amazon has launched a $25 million relief fund for grants that are equal or up to two weeks of pay if an employee is diagnosed with COVID-19. Extra precautions such as cleaning and enforcing hygiene standards have been implemented at Amazon's fulfillment centers. Amazon has advised global employees to work from home if they are able to."
"Genius Builds Computer Inside Minecraft That Can Run Its Own Games . A Minecraft player built an 8-bit processor inside the video game over the span of seven months. The Computation Humongous Unconventional Number and Graphics Unit (Chungus 2) is capable of running simple games on a 32x32 screen with its one hertz clock speed and 256 bytes of RAM. The virtual processor would be as tall as a 20-story building if built in real life if each block was a meter in length and height. A video showing a flythrough of the build, as well as a demonstration of its game-playing abilities, is available in the article."
"Google may be secretly gathering millions of personal health records with alleged ‘Project Nightingale’ . Project Nightingale was a project by Google that collected the complete health history of millions of people across 21 states without the patients' or doctors' knowledge. As many as 150 Google employees may have access to the data. Google had partnered with Ascension, a Catholic health care system that operates across 21 states and the District of Columbia. The health provider uploaded patient data to Google's Cloud servers to use a tool that could pull up individual patient pages. The data from the system is being used to design software that tailors individual patient care using machine learning. Google has been focused on health care for a while. It has previously been accused of gaining inappropriate access to hundreds of thousands of health care records through the University of Chicago Medical Center. Ascension has defended its partnership with Google, saying that all work between the companies is compliant to its strict requirements for data handling."
"Matrix: Resurrections trailer is sheer perfection, both fresh and familiar . The trailer for The Matrix: Resurrections has been released. It was first previewed at last month's CinemaCon in Las Vegas. The fourth installment of the franchise was first announced in August 2019. Many past cast members returned for their roles, and there will be a host of new characters. A link to the trailer is available in the article."
Apple will reportedly sell the iPhone as a subscription service . Apple plans to sell iOS devices using a hardware subscription service as part of its push towards subscription services as a whole. The company has increased its emphasis on recurring subscriptions as key revenue streams over the past several years. Its AppleCare and iPhone Upgrade Programs already resemble a hardware subscription in many ways. Details on what the hardware subscription service will entail are not yet available.
"Nine More EU States Commit To Building A Quantum Communication Infrastructure . A quantum communication infrastructure system in Europe will link sensitive public and private communications systems together using emerging quantum technologies. Its aim is to provide the highest levels of security against eavesdropping and wire-tapping. The system will integrate quantum technologies with current communication infrastructures. Quantum computing takes advantage of a phenomenon called quantum entanglement, which allows the computers to process multiple values simultaneously. This makes them infinitely more powerful than current supercomputers. Whoever masters quantum communications technology will be able to communicate in a controlled, concealed way from any other actor. Quantum cryptography secures communication against any eavesdropping. It is better than current methods and is future-proof. Nine more countries have recently joined the effort to establish the quantum communication network across Europe."
"Computers Can't Read Minds Yet, but This Headset Developed by MIT Researchers Is Getting Close . MIT graduate students have created a prototype of a headset that takes input from the neuromuscular activity involved in speech and uses it like Alexa uses voice commands to perform tasks. The headset also includes a bone-conduction audio transmitter to send audio through the back of your head so you can hear responses without having anything over your ears, so you can give commands and receive responses completely silently. Arnav Kapur, one of the students, says ""The experience is like having the entire internet in your head, and a little AI agent, who can do things for you, perched on your shoulder."""
"The Apple Card starts rolling out today . Apple's new credit card will begin a preview roll out today and will become available to all iPhone owners in the US later this month. A random selection of people will be allowed to go through the application process, which involves entering personal details which are sent to Goldman Sachs and TransUnion. Applications are approved or declined in less than a minute. The Apple Card is meant to be broadly accessible to every iPhone user, so the approval requirements will not be as strict as other credit cards. Once the application has been approved, users will be able to use the card immediately from the Apple Wallet app. The physical titanium card can be requested during setup for free, and it can be activated with NFC once it arrives."
"A Facebook engineer abused access to user data to track down a woman who had left their hotel room after they fought on vacation, new book says . A new book has been released that details how Facebook fired 52 employees between January 2014 and August 2015 for exploiting user data for personal means. Most of the employees who were fired were men who took advantage of their data access to find profiles of women they were interested in. Facebook has a zero-tolerance policy for abuse and has fired every employee ever found to be improperly accessing data. An employee was found to have abused access nearly every month, but Facebook still resists limiting internal access to private data."
Grape seed chemical allows mice to live longer by killing aged cells . A chemical isolated from grape seed extract prolongs the lifespans of old mice by 9 percent and also seems to make them fitter. Scientists from China discovered the chemical when finding ways to target senescent cells. These cells increase with age and are linked with various age-related conditions. The treatment kills these cells while leaving younger cells intact. It also helps reduce the size of tumors when used alongside chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is known to accelerate the aging of cells. Future research will test whether the chemical has similar effects in humans.
"'It's going to be a revolution': driverless cars in new London trial . UK tech firm Oxbotica has completed its first demonstration of an autonomous fleet driving in a complex urban environment in London. Ford Mondeos fitted with autonomous technology operated on public roads around the former Olympic Park in Stratford this week. The first passenger trials could start in June 2020. During the demonstration, the cars operated with a safety driver and were prompted by the technology to decide whether to intervene in difficult situations. One of the main focuses in developing autonomous driving technology is security, as there are potential problems around hackers and communications technologies. Oxbotica's driverless cars do not rely on GPS or maps, as they aim to develop technology that can move people and goods anywhere and everywhere."
"Announcing Jetpack Compose Beta! . Jetpack Compose is a UI toolkit designed for building responsive Android apps with less code. It is built to integrate with existing Android apps and Jetpack libraries. Compose is designed to work with Android Views. The beta features coroutines support, accessibility support for talkback, easy-to-use animations, and more. Resources for learning Compose are available in the article."
"A plunge in incoming sunlight may have triggered 'Snowball Earths' . Twice, somewhere around 700 million years ago, nearly the entire planet was covered with snow and ice. The events may have set the stage for the subsequent explosion of life on Earth. MIT scientists say that the Earth can be tipped into a global ice age when the level of solar radiation it receives changes quickly over a short time. This can happen to other habitable planets as well and it could be something to consider when searching for life on other planets."
"Amazon’s Alexa can now act on its own hunches to turn off lights and more . Alexa will now be able to proactively act on Hunches thanks to its latest update. Amazon's device has been able to sense habits and ask about them since 2018, but it had to ask for permission before acting. Users will be able to select the types of Hunches that Alexa can complete on its own. Amazon is also rolling out a security subscription service and an energy dashboard for the Alexa app. A one-minute video from Amazon about proactive Hunches is available in the article."
"Arm’s first new architecture in a decade is designed for security and AI . Arm has announced its first new chip architecture in a decade. The Armv9 protects sensitive data with a secure, hardware-based environment. It uses dynamically created 'Realms' to protect data and code from the rest of the system. The Armv9 uses Scalable Vector Extension 2, which should benefit machine learning and digital signal processing tasks. CPU performance has increased by over 30 percent. All existing software will run on Armv9-based processors without any problems. The first Armv9-based silicon will ship before the end of the year."
"A new generation of nanobots can kill bacteria in your teeth with heat . Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science and startup Theranautilus have developed a set of nano-sized cleaning robots that can clean the hard-to-reach areas deep inside dentinal tubules to kill bacteria. The nanobots are made of silicon dioxide coated with iron and they can be controlled using a low-intensity magnetic field. They are able to reach depths of up to 2,000 micrometers inside dentinal tubules, where they generate heat to flush out bacteria. The nanobots can be retrieved once the operation is done. The technology is almost ready for deployment in a clinical setting."
petite-vue (GitHub Repo). petite-vue is a ~5.8kb alternative distribution of Vue that is optimized for progressive enhancement. It is compatible with the same template syntax and reactivity mental model as standard Vue. A section comparing petite-vue with standard Vue is available.
"How NASA Will Use Robots to Create Rocket Fuel From Martian Soil . To send a single kilogram of fuel to Mars, we have to burn 225 kilograms of fuel here on Earth. It would be much more efficient for missions on Mars if we could somehow make the fuel we need there. This is why NASA is working on RASSOR, a robotic excavator which will dig out large chunks of Mars soil and and pull out all the water. Then it will separate out the hydrogen from the oxygen, and take carbon from the Mars atmosphere (which is 96% carbon dioxide), to make methane (CH4), an easily storable type of fuel. There's a video of RASSOR in action halfway down the page in this article."
OverVue (GitHub Repo). OverVue is a prototyping tool that allows developers to create and visualize a Vue application. The resulting code can be exported as a template for further development. Developers can easily edit components and generate code using a visual interface.
"Introducing Our New Company Brand . Facebook has introduced a new company logo that uses custom typography and capitalization in order to distinguish between the Facebook company and the Facebook app, which will keep its own branding. The company started 15 years ago and now offers a suite of products that help people, businesses, and communities connect. Facebook's products include the Facebook App, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus, Workplace, Portal, and Calibra. In June, it started adding 'from Facebook' within all its apps. The brand change will help the company better communicate its ownership structure to users."
Ask HN: Top three questions for a startup before accepting a job offer? (Hacker News Thread). This Hacker News thread has some good thoughts and insights about how a person should approach their employment with a startup and how these considerations are different from working at a more traditional company.
"Engineers create a programmable fiber . MIT researchers have created a fiber that has digital capabilities. Digital fibers have the potential to uncover patterns in the body for use in physical performance monitoring, medical inference, and early disease detection. The fibers are created by placing silicon microscale digital chips into a preform and then using the preform to create polymer fiber, being careful to control polymer flow to ensure continuous electrical connection between chips. They can be sewn into fabrics, washed at least 10 times without breaking down, and store files for two months without power. The fibers have an AI component that can collect and analyze data from the body."
How to Create a CSS Typewriter Effect for your Website . This article teaches the reader how to create a CSS typewriter effect that reveals text gradually as if it is being typed. Adding typewriter effects can help engage readers and keep them interested in reading further. The effect is best used on small portions of non-critical text. Practical examples of use cases are provided.
"Awesome Product Design (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of bookmarks, resources, and articles for product designers. There are nine categories: research, UI, UX, visual, prototype, accessibility, writing, data, and IoT. Each category is broken down into topics and subtopics. Users can contribute to the collection by submitting a pull request."
"Facebook launches its Bitmoji-like avatars in the US . Facebook has rolled out customizable avatars in the US. The feature was released internationally last year. Avatars allows people to express themselves through a virtual lookalike. They can be used in comments, stories, and in Messenger. Users can customize the avatar's hairstyles, complexions, outfits, and more. The feature can be accessed through the sticker tab in Facebook's comment composer or in Messenger."
"DARPA Is Creating a Travel Adapter That Will Be Implanted in Soldiers' Bodies . DARPA has created an implantable device called the Advanced Acclimation and Protection Tool for Environmental Readiness, or ADAPTER. These devices help the human body adapt for travel by removing jet lag and bacteria that cause traveler's diarrhea. Between 2003 and 2004, 2/5ths of diarrhea cases in soldiers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan required medical attention. Being able to control a soldier's circadian rhythm means halving the time required to re-establish normal sleep after jet lag or shift lag."
"Artificial Photosynthesis Can Produce Food in Complete Darkness . A group of researchers has developed a way to create food without sunlight using artificial photosynthesis. The method involves converting carbon dioxide, electricity, and water into acetate, and then feeding the acetate to food-producing organisms in the dark to grow. It is up to 18% more efficient for some organisms. The method can be used to grow green algae, yeast, fungal mycelium, tomatoes, rice, and green peas. It could be used to grow crops in areas currently unsuitable for agriculture."
"Orchest (GitHub Repo). Orchest is a browser-based IDE for Data Science. Users can visually construct pipelines, run any subset of a pipeline directly or on a schedule, set parameters to try out different modeling ideas, and define custom runtime environments. A GIF preview showing how to create pipelines in Orchest is available in the repository."
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"Microsoft Teams’ Walkie Talkie feature now available to everyone . Walkie-Talkie, a feature that lets Microsoft Teams users turn their mobile and tablet devices into a walkie-talkie that works over cellular data or Wi-Fi, is now available for all users. The feature is designed for frontline workers who deal with customers and run day-to-day operations. Microsoft has teamed up with Zebra Technologies to add a dedicated push-to-talk button on a range of Zebra mobile devices."
"Nasally-Injected Brain Drug Can Help Treat Depression in 20 Minutes . Getting drugs into the brain is challenging due to obstacles like systemic absorption, rapid drug degradation, axonal transportation, and invasive treatments. Japanese researchers have improved a drug known to exhibit therapeutic effects on depression so that it can be administered nasally and be effective within 20 minutes. The results were similar to using more invasive techniques. The breakthrough could have far-reaching implications for neuro-pharmaceutical research, nanobiotechnology, and genetic engineering."
"Alexa, Should We Trust You? (10 minute read). By the end of this year, there will be 100 million smart speakers installed worldwide, with Amazon and Google pushing their speakers so hard that some analysts believe they might be losing money on each unit sold. Some people think that voice assistants are just a change in form factor, that we are just doing things that we would otherwise do with a screen, but the key difference is that we don't just communicate through them, we communicate with them. The author mentions telling her Google Assistant that she ""was lonely"", and the assistant responded ""I wish I had arms so I could give you a hug. But for now, maybe a joke or some music might help."" Voices are much more intimate than screens, and our evolution has not prepared us to fully grasp the idea that the thing that we are talking to is not really human. The advance of voice assistants should worry us a lot more than the advance of something like a smartphone, once they become emotionally savvy, they could wield an incredible amount of power over us."
"AP Taps Chainlink to Provide Untamperable News Data . The Associated Press has announced a partnership with Chainlink Labs to provide news and data secured by blockchain technology. AP will start using Chainlink smart contracts to cryptographically sign data to verify that it comes from the company. Chainlink is a decentralized oracle network built on Ethereum that provides real-world data to smart contracts. AP is a collective of more than 1,300 newspapers and broadcasters. Its governing structure is similar to that of DAOs, despite being founded in 1846."
Water.css (GitHub Repo). Water.css is a way to quickly style up your demo pages or simple websites. Developers can style their pages by adding a line of code in the tag. There are a few options of styling available and developers can build custom themes.
"Google will reportedly use its own chip in the Pixel 6 . Google may debut its first System on a Chip (SoC) in its Pixel phones slated to launch this fall. It has been working with Samsung to develop its Whitechapel chipset, which is reported to be an SoC for phones and Chromebooks. Other phone producers have already made or are appearing to shift to their own chipsets."
"Amazon pauses new grocery signups, hires another 75,000 workers . Amazon is attempting to catch up with demand by hiring 75,000 new part and full-time employees and by limiting new signups to its services. Third-party sellers will be able to resume shipping non-essential items through Amazon’s fulfillment service later this week. Amazon has increased Whole Foods’ online order capacity by more than 60 percent since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, but it still expects that customers will have difficulty finding open delivery slots. Customers are encouraged to shop in-person if they are able to. Employees are not immune to the virus, and tensions within the company are high. Science &"
"K9s (GitHub Repo). K9s is a command-line interface for interacting with Kubernetes clusters. It makes it easy to navigate, observe, and manage applications in the wild. K9 watches Kubernetes for change and offers options for interacting with observed resources. It is available on Linux, macOS, and Windows."
"See how top tech companies automate their privacy (Sponsor). See how top tech companies automate their privacy . From Clubhouse to Robinhood, industry-leading companies use Transcend to automate their privacy requests fulfillment, enforce consent across LDU, GPC and other Do Not Sell signals, and power a living data map. Privacy at the data layer, made easy. Learn more."
"What is a Data Privacy Vault? Why do you need it? (Sponsor). What is a Data Privacy Vault? Why do you need it? . While your company manages a lot of data, only a small amount of it is personally identifiable information (PII) that you must handle carefully to protect customer data privacy. To meet this need, you should isolate PII from your other datasets, while retaining PII usability for key business workflows. But, how? Enter the Data Privacy Vault."
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"Revery (GitHub Repo). Revery is a framework to build native, cross-platform desktop apps. It's meant to be a competitor to Electron for building desktop apps, but with better performance by not requiring an entire browser to be bundled into each app. It comes bundled with React-like/Redux-like libraries so the developer experience looks like it will be pretty great."
"Sheetfu (GitHub Repo). Sheetfu interacts with Google Sheet using a simple, intuitive, and fast API. It can easily get or set cell values, background colors, font colors, or any other cell attributes. Installation instructions and examples are provided."
"Former Hacking Team Members Are Now Spying on the Blockchain for Coinbase . Neutrino, a company that develops technology for law enforcement and financial institutions to investigate and track transactions on the blockchain, was founded by three former employees of Hacking Team. Hacking Team developed and sold software that allowed governments to spy on citizens, and while the founders of Neutrino are no longer in the industry, critics are saying that their past actions should not be taken lightly. Coinbase acquired Neutrino in order to fully control and protect their customers’ data, as requests for blockchain analysis have been increasingly common."
"TikTok launches a music distribution platform, SoundOn . SoundOn is TikTok's new music marketing and distribution platform. It allows artists to upload their music directly to multiple streaming platforms and TikTok. SoundOn will distribute the music for free and pay 100% of royalties to creators on Bytedance-owned platforms. 100% of royalties on other platforms will still be paid for the first year, but payments will drop to 90% after. Artists will retain all rights to their music. The service is now fully available in the US, UK, Brazil, and Indonesia."
"Sony announces the world’s first QD-OLED 4K TV, coming later this year . Sony's new Bravia XR A95K TV will include a QD-OLED panel manufactured by Samsung Display. It will be the world's first consumer TV with a Quantum Dot Organic Light Emitting Diode display. QD-OLED screens emit blue light through quantum dots to convert some of the blues into red and green without the need for a color filter. This results in greater light energy efficiency and vivid color reproduction even at peak brightness levels. Pictures of the TV are available in the article."
"Coronavirus: Are there two strains and is one more deadly? . An analysis of 103 cases of the new coronavirus has revealed that there are two strains of the virus, an L-type and an S-type. Viruses constantly mutate, and there are small changes every time the virus infects a new host. Both are involved in the current global outbreak. The L-type, which is more prevalent and thus probably more aggressive, is likely to have evolved from the S-type. Scientists have not identified differences in the viruses yet other than its infection rates. It is important to know how many strains of the virus exist when developing vaccines, as the vaccines will have to be able to target all strains of the virus. Some scientists say that the changes in the virus have been trivial so far and that there is no evidence that the disease has gotten any worse. It is expected that new strains will evolve as people develop immunity to the old strains."
"Apple’s new M1 Max MacBook Pro may get a virtual turbo button for High Power Mode . The upcoming macOS Monterey will feature a High Power Mode in the new 16-inch M1 Max MacBook Pros. High Power Mode will optimize performance to better support resource-intensive tasks. The feature will not work with any other M1 devices, even though the 14-inch MacBook Pro can use the same chip. It is unknown whether the feature will unlock additional performance or if it is required for the kind of results that Apple has claimed."
How to create technical conceptual diagrams . Conceptual diagrams are a visual way to show how things work. They can help developers gain a better understanding of what they are doing. This article teaches front-end developers and visual learners how to create conceptual diagrams. It uses a JavaScript method as an example to show the basic steps of making a conceptual diagram that will aid in learning.
"Lancet (GitHub Repo). Lancet is a comprehensive, efficient, and reusable go util function library. It features over 140 common go util functions, including utils for type conversions, data encryption and decryption, parsing and formatting date time, and more."
Long-awaited accelerator ready to explore origins of elements . The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University can create rare isotopes of elements. It can potentially produce hundreds of isotopes that have never been synthesized before. FRIB started construction in 2014 and cost $942 million. The facility will hold its official inauguration today. FRIB will allow scientists to discover how many neutrons can be added to a nucleus and how this changes the interactions inside the nucleus.
"Police Use Fitbit Data to Charge 90-Year-Old Man in Stepdaughter's Killing . 90-year-old Anthony Aiello murdered his 67-year-old step-daughter. Unluckily for Anthony, his step-daughter was wearing her Fitbit. The police used Fitbit data to determine her exact time of death as her heart stopped, then used video surveillance from the step-daughter's security system to determine that Anthony's car had been there at the time of her death."
"US Navy bans TikTok from mobile devices saying it's a cybersecurity threat . The US Navy has banned TikTok from government-issued mobile devices. It claims that the short-form video app is a cybersecurity threat, but declined to describe in detail what dangers the app presents. Devices that have the app installed will be blocked from the Navy Marine Corps Intranet. TikTok has been hugely popular but has come under scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers in recent months. ByteDance Technology Co acquired TikTok's owner Musical.ly for $1 billion shortly after its launch in 2017. The sale is currently being investigated by the US government. Naval and Marine personnel are generally allowed to use popular commercial apps, but some specific programs are banned."
Salesforce deal to buy Slack expected to be announced Tuesday after market close . Salesforce is expected to announce its deal to buy Slack after markets close on Tuesday. The deal is expected to be about half cash and half stock. It could be one of the largest deals ever in the software sector. Slack's market cap was more than $24 billion on Monday morning.
"Sonic (GitHub Repo). Sonic is a fast, light-weight, and schema-less search backend. It is able to normalize natural language queries, autocomplete, and provide the most relevant matches for a query. It uses an identifier index rather than a document index, which can be altered and committed to the server while it is running. A live demo on a real website is available to show the speed and capabilities of Sonic."
"New hybrid embryos are the most thorough mixing of humans and mice yet . Scientists have created human-mouse chimera embryos. Human stem cells were added to growing mouse embryos, resulting in mouse embryos with 4 percent human cells. Human-mouse chimeras could be valuable for studying diseases that affect humans more than other animals. There have been attempts at creating other human-animal chimeras but the results have not been as successful. Human cells grow slowly compared to mouse cells, but the human stem cells in the study sped up development to match the pace of their host's cells."
Single Cells Evolve Large Multicellular Forms in Just Two Years (12 minute read). Researchers were able to evolve single-celled yeast into complex multicellular organisms in just a short period of time by growing them in environments that favored clumpy growth. The yeast would evolve to stay together to survive the selection pressure exerted by the scientists. Further experiments revealed that removing the ability for the yeast to use oxygen resulted in massive clusters that could be viewed with the naked eye. The team continues to evolve the yeast to see whether they can develop sophisticated differences in their tissues.
"Could these robots be more realistic? (3 minute video). A company called Engineered Arts is making extremely life-like robots. This is a video showing them off, it's actually pretty incredible, especially how smoothly the robots blink."
"Facebook Banned Me for Life Because I Help People Use It Less . Unfollow Everything was a Chrome extension that helped Facebook users unfollow all their friends and pages on Facebook, resulting in an empty News Feed. The creator of the extension discovered that their Facebook use dramatically decreased after unfollowing everything. Unfollowing people and pages is not the same as unfriending them as you can still see what people are up to if you want to. After a few months, Facebook sent a cease and desist to the developer and deleted their Facebook and Instagram accounts. This experience highlights Facebook's anti-consumer behavior, showing how the platform acts to limit user choices."
"In a first, astronomers detect giant planet orbiting a dead star . WD 1856 is a white dwarf around 80 light-years from Earth that still has a giant planet in its orbit. The planet, WD 1856 b, is seven times larger than its star and completes one full orbit every 1.4 days. It is probably 14 times larger than Jupiter. When stars die, they enter into an expansion phase that usually destroys nearby planets. WD 1856 b could have been drawn in by the expansion or was formed as part of the process. It could be a type of failed star known as a brown dwarf."
"First known gene transfer from plant to insect identified . Bemisia tabaci is a whitefly that acquired a gene from its plant host millions of years ago, allowing it to neutralize a toxin that some plants produce to defend against insects. Early studies suggest that inhibiting the gene could make the whiteflies vulnerable to the toxin and help fight the pest. The whitefly is among the most destructive of plant pests. Examples of organisms acquiring genes from microbial genomes is common, but this is the first example of a direct transfer between plants and insects."
"Magic Leap’s lost work The Last Light gets a surprise release after its developers were laid off . The Last Light is a mixed reality experience that is essentially a 40-minute short film. It had a surprise release this week and is now available as a free download. Produced by Magic Leap, the project was set to premiere at SXSW in March before the festival was canceled. Magic Leap laid off around 1,000 developers in April, including many of the game's developers, and made an announcement that seemed to indicate the company was moving away from content like The Last Light. A download link is available at the end of the article."
"SynapseML (GitHub Repo). SynapseML is an open source library for creating scalable machine learning pipelines. It builds on Apache Spark and SparkML to enable new kinds of machine learning, analytics, and model deployment workflows. SynapseML adds many deep learning and data science tools to the Spark ecosystem that enable highly-scalable predictive and analytical models for a variety of datasources."
Happy Valentine’s Day 2021 from @US_CYBERCOM (Twitter Thread). @US_CYBERCOM tweeted out a link to 12 crypto challenges designed by the information security community as a Valentine's Day present. The puzzles come in a range of image and sound files.
"Bezos says he is now willing to invest in a Moon Lander—here’s why . Jeff Bezos published an open letter to NASA offering to pay more than $2 billion towards the Human Landing System program. NASA already has a $2.9 billion contract with SpaceX for a human lander. The agency had wanted two providers for a lander, but it didn't have the budget for it. Blue Origin had submitted a proposal for the project, but it was rejected for being too expensive. It is up to Congress whether NASA can accept the offer."
"The challenges of teaching software engineering . Graham Lee reflects on the challenges he faced while teaching a four-day course introducing software engineering for the first time. Lee was too comfortable with tools that beginners would find daunting, for example, the command line. He found he needed to be more specific and focus on what needed to be taught. There were many things he felt he didn’t have time to teach, while other topics he felt like he shouldn’t have introduced. Overall, there needs to be a balance between introducing information and demonstrating the value of the information that is taught."
"A solar-powered rocket might be our ticket to interstellar space . The John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory solar simulator is a tool that can shine with the intensity of 20 Suns. Using the solar simulator, researchers were able to demonstrate solar thermal propulsion using helium. The concept still has a long way to go before it can be used on a mission. Solar thermal propulsion could potentially help us reach past the edge of the Solar System. By using the heat of the sun, solar thermal propulsion can power spacecraft more efficiently than chemical rockets. One of the biggest barriers to making this technology a reality is handling the extreme temperatures involved."
"Android Messages update handles Apple iMessage reactions properly . Google Messages on Android can now properly display emoji reactions sent from the iPhone's Messages app. Before the update, Android users would see a separate text message when receiving an emoji reaction. The emojis sometimes appear different on Android. The feature is still rolling out, so it may not appear for all users yet. A screenshot of a chat with emoji reactions on Android is available in the article."
"Bill Gates orders £500m hydrogen-powered superyacht . Bill Gates has ordered the world's first hydrogen-powered superyacht for around $644 million. The Aqua ship will be a 110meter luxury vessel featuring an infinity pool, helipad, spa, and gym. It will be completely powered by liquid hydrogen, which means that it will generate water as a byproduct of the electricity that powers the ship. A diesel back-up will be on the boat as hydrogen refueling stations are scarce. The boat will be able to accommodate 14 guests and 31 crew members. It is unlikely to set sail until 2024. Gates regularly rents superyachts but has not previously owned one. He has a strong interest in alternative fuels and has pledged to donate most of his $118 billion fortune to good causes."
"This Bird Went Extinct and Then Evolved Into Existence Again . The Aldabra white-throated rail is a flightless bird that lives on the Aldabra atoll in the Indian Ocean. It went extinct 136,000 years ago. A recent study has found that the bird has re-evolved itself into existence. Iterative evolution is when the same ancestral lineage produces parallel offshoot species at different points in time. The birds went extinct due to rising sea levels, but the same parent species recolonized the area once it reemerged from the sea. This is the clearest example of iterative evolution in birds."
"Miami Launches 'MiamiCoin' to Make Millions and Fund the Police . Miami has launched its own cryptocurrency called MiamiCoin. Revenue from the coin will be diverted to the city treasury. Mining the coin is less energy-intensive and less difficult than mining Bitcoin or Ethereum. The Miami government will have its own wallet and a portion of the coins mined will end up in that wallet to be used to improve the city. Speculators can purchase the coin on exchanges, which will ideally raise the value of the coin. The project aims to incentivize stakeholders to participate in the city's success."
"Apple’s WWDC Highlights: Death of iTunes and $6,000 Macs . Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference is over, and as expected, iTunes is no longer. It has been split into separate apps that will focus on each of its core functions. New features that demonstrate the iPhone’s focus on privacy were demonstrated at WWDC, showing how the operating system restricts apps from collecting user data. The Apple Watch will have its own store, suggesting that in the future the Apple Watch may be able to function without an iPhone. iPad OS was also announced, with improvements aimed at capturing a larger laptop user market. Users will now be able to multitask the same app in two windows, as well as plug in external hard drives."
"Renders of Google’s gigantic San Jose campus show how it could feel more like a neighborhood . Google has released renderings of its new 'Downtown West' campus in San Jose. The campus will cover 79-acres and contain office spaces, housing, parks, retail spaces, and more. There will be 5,900 residential 'dwelling units', and 7.3 million gross square feet of office space. The article contains a couple of the renderings along with a map of the campus and a link to a 39-minute YouTube video about the plan. Google also intends to build campuses in New York City and Mountain View."
Apple developing new 15-inch MacBook Air that could come in 2023 . Apple is planning new form factors for the MacBook Air and entry-level iPad for 2023. The 2023 MacBook Air will have a variant with a screen size of around 15-inches and the 13.3-inch MacBook Air will have a slightly larger screen. The entry-level iPad will also upgrade to a slightly larger display. Apple considered releasing a 15-inch MacBook Air in 2008 but instead chose to make a smaller 11-inch model.
"Netflix’s Big Wake-Up Call: The Power Clash Behind the Crash . Netflix's recent earning calls revealed lower than expected subscriber growth. Some are blaming the company culture for its troubles. Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of the company, pushed for quantity of content at the expense of quality. Cindy Holland, who played a key role in launching some of the service's originals, fought to increase the quality of shows but was criticized for spending too freely. The company culture changed profoundly after Holland's departure."
"Could the Great Resignation force techies to get career agents? . Free Agency is a startup that provides career representation to mid to C-level candidates across product, engineering, marketing, and design. It helps candidates secure jobs and negotiate salary offers. The company estimates that it has so far set up 4,700 interviews and secured $200,000,000 in negotiated compensation. Candidates are charged 5% to 10% of their first year's salary as a fee. Employers can subscribe to a free service where Free Agency will share up to five candidates per week with them."
"CandyGraph (GitHub Repo). CandyGraph is a 2D plotting library for rendering datasets on the GPU at interactive speeds. It can handle huge datasets, performing all rendering on the GPU, including axes and text. Tutorials and examples are available in the repository."
"Build live video products in minutes (Sponsor). Build live video products in minutes . api.stream is engineered for one purpose – to make it easy to build live streaming tools on world-class architecture. Flexible implementation options with clear documentation – whether adding new features to existing products, automating workflows, or launching an entirely new broadcast suite. As pioneers of cloud-native video, our global architecture has delivered for tech giants including Microsoft, Twitch, and Nvidia. Learn more."
"Ask HN: What Skills to Acquire in 2020? (Hacker News Thread). The most recommended skill to learn is cooking. It is a versatile skill that can help enrich many other parts of a person's life. Knowing how to cook can help you save money, increase overall health, and help with socializing and dating. It is also an enjoyable pastime for many. Building something that you need can be a practical way to learn a new set of skills. Other hobbies, such as photography, have well-documented guides on sites like Reddit and communities that can help you learn skills."
"The app that lets you pay to control another person's life . NewNew is an app that lets its users make decisions for creators. Creators can set up accounts and then make polls for followers, who pay a fee to vote on the outcome. Followers can also pay to ask creators for extra perks. Creators are free to reject bids and refund followers. NewNew boasts some heavyweight investors such as Peter Thiel, Andreessen Horowitz, and Will Smith."
"A Former Facebook VP Thinks Investing in Humans Is the Future of VC (10 minute read). Slow Ventures is a startup that invests in people. It offers creators a deal where the creator gets a large payout upfront to do whatever they want with, and the firm gets 5% of the creator's earnings for 30 years. The firm's plan could help it find the next Jeff Bezos before they get rich. Creators only start paying back investors once they make over a certain amount. Investing directly in humans brings about a host of legal, ethical, and moral questions, but the founders see it as a way to provide people with the money to fund a path to success that doesn't exist today."
SSH Bastion Hosts Explained (Sponsor). SSH bastion hosts are an indispensable part of the modern security stack for infrastructure access. Learn how to keep hackers out of your infrastructure with this quick guide.
"What books changed the way you think about almost everything? (Hacker News Thread). The Original Poster of the thread reflects on how, even though they barely remember any details from the book ‘Freakonomics’, their way of thinking changed completely after reading the book. They ask for more recommendations for books that might have a similar effect. The replies to the thread are full of great recommendations along with quick descriptions of how the recommended books changed the poster’s way of thinking."
"How product placements may soon be added to classic films . The advertising industry is turning to technology that can seamlessly insert computer-generated images, so items can be digitally added to almost any movie or TV show. UK advertising business Mirriad has developed technology that can understand images and introduce new objects that look real to the human eye. It can be used to add or replace objects in videos, so advertisers can add digital product placement to anything, even older media. Example images from Mirriad demonstrating the technology are available in the article."
"eBay Executives Accused of Horrifying Harassment Campaign Against Journalists . Six former eBay directors and employees allegedly sent a box of cockroaches and a package of fly larvae, among other items, to intimidate a pair of journalists who they believe negatively covered the company. CEO Devin Wenig was apparently aware of the campaign and may have helped direct it. The targets were a couple in Massachusetts who ran an e-commerce review website. Threatening messages were sent to the couple using anonymous email accounts, cell phones, and internet connections. Packages containing disturbing items that were sent to the couple were paid for with prepaid debit cards. The company also engaged in other acts of harassment which are listed in the article."
"Rolls-Royce's all-electric airplane smashes record with 387.4 MPH top speed . Rolls-Royce's 'Spirit of Innovation', an old-school tail-dragger airplane powered by an electric motor, has hit a top speed of 387.4 mph, smashing the speed record for electric airplanes. Electric airplanes aren't practical yet as batteries are 50 times less energy-dense than jet fuel, but they could be potentially used for short trips. The battery pack used in Rolls-Royce's plane is the most power-dense propulsion battery pack ever assembled. A picture of the plane is available in the article."
"New domed window to give SpaceX Dragon astronauts knockout view of Earth . As SpaceX's all-civilian Inspiration4 mission isn't visiting the International Space Station, it doesn't need a docking mechanism, allowing SpaceX to install a fishbowl-like viewing window on the Crew Dragon. The cupola will allow the crew of four to see incredible views of Earth from orbit. SpaceX aims to launch Inspiration4 on September 15, with the journey set to last for three days. The mission has been dedicated to raising funds for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Pictures of the cupola are available in the article."
Theia (GitHub Repo). Theia is an extensible platform for developing full-fledged multi-language Cloud & Desktop IDE-like products with state-of-the-art web technologies. It provides a highly flexible architecture and supports VS Code Extension protocol. Guide and examples of common scenarios are provided.
"Microsoft starts testing Edge Chromium browser on Xbox . Alpha Skip-Ahead Xbox testers can now access the new Microsoft Edge on Xbox One or Xbox Series S/X consoles. There is no keyboard or mouse support. A Chromium browser allows more access to the web, and it increases compatibility with web-based services. The Xbox version of Edge supports extensions, vertical tabs, Collections, and most other desktop features."
"Learn-Natural-Language-Processing-Curriculum (GitHub Repo). This repository contains the curriculum from the ‘Learn Natural Language Processing’ video on YouTube by Siraj Raval. The curriculum consists of video lectures, reading assignments, and projects. It is designed to be eight weeks long, assuming two to three hours of study per day. Students should have knowledge in python, statistics, probability, calculus, and linear algebra before beginning the course. Links to resources for prerequisite knowledge are available."
Responsive Snakes! And what they can teach you about CSS . This article takes the 'If a snake was responsive...' web dev meme and uses it to discuss four different CSS implementations. Each implementation produces very different results and would have different real-world applications. The article presents the code for each implementation with a short statement of how the technique can be used in real life. A code sandbox is provided at the end of the article for experimenting with the examples.
"New Windows zero-day with public exploit lets you become an admin . A security researcher has publicly disclosed a new zero-day exploit that gives admin privileges in Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2022. The researcher released the exploit publicly out of frustration over Microsoft's decreasing payouts in their bug bounty program. The payout for a zero-day exploit has dropped from $10,000 to $1,000. Microsoft will likely fix the vulnerability in a future Patch Tuesday update."
"A New CRISPR Tool Flips Genes On and Off Like a Light Switch . CRISPRoff is a new tool that can turn genes off for hundreds of generations of cells. These genes can be reactivated at any time using a complementary tool, CRISPRon. The tools are designed to exploit a natural epigenetic process for switching genes off. Having a reliable tool for epigenetics that lasts generations could change gene editing forever."
"MediaPipe (GitHub Repo). MediaPipe is a framework for building multimodal machine learning pipelines. Using MediaPipe, a machine learning pipeline can be visualized as a graph of modular components. It is mainly used for rapid prototyping of applied machine learning pipelines with inference models and other reusable components."
"Ask HN: What are the “best” codebases that you've encountered? (Hacker News Thread). 'Clean Code' by Robert Martin describes concepts that define a high-quality codebase, but good examples are hard to come by. Many examples given in this thread are developer tools or programs with very specific inputs and outputs, but there are few examples given of consumer applications. Some examples of codebases where the developer carefully commented every line were provided, but it was pointed out that if code is written well, not every line requires a comment. Many consumer applications stop development after shipping, so a high-quality, well-documented codebase is not absolutely necessary."
"Ultimate DevSecOps library (GitHub Repo). This library contains tools, methodologies, and resources for integrating security throughout the entire IT lifecycle. In a DevSecOps Model, security is integrated as early as possible in the lifecycle of software development. This approach minimizes vulnerabilities in production and the costs associated with fixing security flaws."
Netflix’s official Vtuber is part sheep and promotes anime . Netflix unveiled a virtual streamer this week as the host of a weekly show on the company's YouTube channel. N-ko Mei Kurono is a sheep-human lifeform. Virtual YouTubers (Vtubers) are animated hosts who are usually operated by a single human using motion capture software to transform them into a cartoony character on-screen. Netflix is using its Vtuber to promote its anime offerings. It plans to launch 40 anime series in 2021.
"Watch this wooden knife cut effortlessly through juicy, medium-well-done steak . Researchers from the University of Maryland have created wood materials 23 times harder than typical woods. They created a wooden knife and wooden nails using the material and found that the performance of both matched or exceeded that of their steel counterparts. The wooden nails were as sharp as commercial steel nails but with the added bonus of being rust-resistant. All of the main raw materials used to create the hardened wood are abundant and low cost. A short video showing a wooden knife cutting through a steak is available in the article."
"PandaSet (Website). PandaSet is a public large-scale dataset for autonomous driving provided by Hesai & Scale. It features 48,000 camera images, 16,000 LiDAR sweeps, over 100 scenes of 8 seconds each, 28 annotation classes, 37 semantic segmentation labels, and a full sensor suite. The driving scenarios include steep hills, construction sites, dense traffic and pedestrians, and different times of day and lighting conditions. A link to the dataset and interactive samples of the data are available on the site."
swc (GitHub Repo). swc is a super-fast TypeScript/JavaScript compiler. It can consume JavaScript or TypeScript files with new features and emit JavaScript code that can be executed on old browsers. swc supports all published TypeScript versions and all valid ECMAScript as input and supports es3 or higher as output.
"Silicon-based qubits take a big leap forward . To make quantum computing more practical will require many more qubits. Several researchers recently announced three types of high-quality qubits produced in silicon, a highly-scalable technology. The approaches will allow for many qubits to be fitted on a single silicon chip. Silicon qubits have always been error-prone, but the new approaches manage to produce gates with a fidelity rate well above the threshold needed for error correction. This article looks at the new studies and discusses the state of each project."
"Passing your senior engineering coding interview . Senior engineering position interviews have more challenging questions and interviewers expect a higher standard. Leetcode is a good platform for practicing problems as there are a lot of samples to choose from, many of the questions come from real interviews, most problems include multiple solutions and explanations, and the grading scale can help identify which problems to practice for your level. Many interviewers for high-level positions won't ask the hardest questions as these problems usually take too long to describe, the solutions require a lot of code, and the solutions usually require obscure knowledge. A list of recommended questions is available in the article. Developers should be familiar with data structures and identifying dynamic programming scenarios. A recommended study plan is included at the end of the article."
"How we built a $1M ARR open source SaaS (20 minute read). Plausible Analytics is a privacy-friendly alternative to Google Analytics. It is completely independent and self-funded, with four staff and 7,000 paying subscribers. The startup is actively counting stats on more than 50,000 websites without ever paying to advertise. This article discusses how Plausible Analytics started and how it developed into a $1 million annual recurring revenue business."
"Bricks Alive! Scientists Create Living Concrete . A team of researchers at the University of Colorado has developed a kind of concrete that is alive and can reproduce. The minerals in the new concrete are deposited by cyanobacteria, a type of bacteria that can capture energy through photosynthesis. Regular concrete releases a lot of carbon dioxide, but the new concrete is able to absorb the greenhouse gas. The presence of the bacteria gives the concrete a green color, which fades as the material dries. Early attempts at getting the bacteria to create concrete were slow. The scientists discovered that the bacteria could be grown on gelatin, resulting in concrete blocks quickly forming in the shape of whatever mold was used. They remain alive even after a few weeks. A block can be used to spawn more generations of blocks. The bacteria is not picky about the type of sand used, and it can digest waste materials like ground glass or recycled concrete."
"Bose built the first hearing aids that won't require a doctor's visit in the US . Bose's SoundControl wearables are the first FDA-approved hearing aids that can be sold directly to customers. Customers will be able to purchase the wearables without visiting a doctor or obtaining a prescription. The hearing aids have a CustomTune feature that personalizes volume levels, tone, treble, and bass. It also has a Focus feature that allows wearers to concentrate on specific areas. The batteries should last four days with 14 hours of use per day. SoundControl will be available in selected areas on May 18 for $850."
"Tesla appears to defy Bay Area shutdown, plans to operate Fremont factory . A 'shelter in place' order has been issued in the Bay area to force people to stay at home and work from home unless they provide an essential service. Tesla seems to be defying the order at its Fremont factory, with the company issuing a statement to employees telling them that it plans to remain in operation. Employees are being told they can take paid time off if they are ill, but are otherwise expected to work. Tesla had to temporarily shut down its Gigafactory in Shanghai last month in order to slow the growth of the virus, but it managed to start operations again quickly after taking measures to limit the chance of transmission."
"PyTorch Lightning (GitHub Repo). PyTorch Lightning is a lightweight wrapper for Pytorch which allows researchers to focus on the data and training/validation loop logic without having to worry about building and debugging the rest of the machine learning code. You only need to define the Lightning Model and fit with a trainer, and PyTorch Lightning will handle everything else."
"Apple will let Shopify store owners use iMessage customer support . Apple is extending its Business Chat service to all Shopify store owners via iMessage. Business owners will now be better equipped to provide real-time support, especially if they are running their business entirely on mobile. Apple Pay has also been added to the payment options for Shopify. Research shows that many people now use social media to contact businesses."
"Zapping Nuclear Waste in Minutes Is Nobel Winner’s Holy Grail Quest . Gerard Mourou, one of the recipients of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2018, and Toshiki Tajima, a professor from California, are developing a laser that can reduce the lifespan of radioactive waste from thousands of years down to a few minutes. Nuclear energy produces low levels of emissions and is relatively cheap, but it also creates toxic waste that requires special storage due to its radioactive properties and long half-life. There are currently no good solutions for dealing with the waste. Mourou and Tajima's laser will fire high-intensity pulses at atoms to change the composition of the nucleus in a process called transmutation."
"Instacart wants to sell enterprise software to grocery stores . Instacart is now offering software services to grocery stores. Its platform will offer software management services for e-commerce, fulfillment, ads, insights, and other data. Gig work companies generally struggle to make profits. Offering software as a service could create more profits for the company and increase investor confidence."
"Google launches an end-to-end AI platform . Google announced its goal to make AI more accessible by providing pre-built models and easier to use services, while still giving advanced developers tools to create custom models. The new AI Platform will provide data scientists with an end-to-end solution for building, testing, and deploying AI models. AutoML, Google’s tool for automating the training process for machine learning, now has new features that enable picture and video processing, as well as the ability to extract tabular data from Google’s BigQuery database. Google’s other new AI services include document/text extraction, custom virtual assistants, and a data package that targets retail businesses."
"Peloton plans to launch an in-app video game where you pedal to control a rolling wheel . Lanebreak is Peloton's new in-app video game that involves riders changing their cadence and resistance to meet goals and control an on-screen rolling wheel. It isn't available yet, but a members-only beta will be open later this year. The game is similar to the Rainbow Road in Mario Kart. It features three types of challenges and ways to earn points. A screenshot from the game is available in the article."
Human-centred mechanism design with Democratic AI . Deep reinforcement learning can be used to find economic policies that people will vote for.
"Intel’s Stacked Nanosheet Transistors Could Be the Next Step in Moore’s Law . Almost every digital device relies on a pairing of two types of transistors, NMOS and PMOS. To make smaller circuits, the space between these transistors needs to get smaller. Intel has devised a new way to close the gap, stacking the pairs so that one is atop the other. This effectively cut the footprint of a circuit in half, potentially doubling transistor density in future integrated circuits."
"This Secretive Surveillance Company Is Selling Cops Cameras Hidden in Gravestones . Special Services Group (SSG) is a surveillance vendor that works with US government agencies. It is currently marketing to local police departments. The devices it offers include cameras hidden inside items including tombstones, baby car seats, and vacuum cleaners. Surveillance technology is improving, and devices are becoming cheaper, smaller, and more capable all the time. It is unlikely that law enforcement will be the only actors using these types of devices. SSG is an extremely secretive company that does not advertise publicly. It has threatened several media outlets over the publishing of a leaked catalog. The catalog contains many unusual items, including a hidden microphone designed to be worn on a user's teeth and tools for gaining entry into buildings. SSG has relationships with a wide range of US agencies. A link to the catalog is available in the article."
"Get started with Go and InfluxDB for time series data (Sponsor). This technical tutorial will walk you through how to use the InfluxDB Go client library. Get code snippets and follow the steps to create a database connection, then store and query time series data."
"Neural Network Intelligence (GitHub Repo). Neural Network Intelligence (NNI) is a toolkit to help users automate Feature Engineering, Neural Architecture Search, Hyperparameter Tuning, and Model Compression. It was designed so that researchers and data scientists could try different AutoML algorithms and environments for their models. NNI comes with a command-line tool and a WebUI."
"Super Wealthy Fund Mysterious Lab to Unlock Immortality . Altos Labs is a biological reprogramming tech company. It has received major funding from the uber-wealthy, including Jeff Bezos. The company has hired some of the world's top scientists with big salaries and given them free rein on their anti-aging research. There are no hard goals or deadlines for Altos' researchers. The company says that its aim is to understand rejuvenation and to create 'great science'."
"Spotify is acquiring an audiobook company . Spotify has announced plans to acquire Findaway for an undisclosed price. Findaway is an audiobook services and distribution company that operates multiple businesses. The company pairs authors with narrators and allows creators to distribute broadly, making it a powerful platform for creators. The acquisition will make Spotify a commercial bookseller and open up new revenue streams and features for the streaming service."
Meta’s AI Takes an Unsupervised Step Forward . Meta has published a series of papers on a type of self-supervised learning for AI systems.
How We Built Hydrogen: A React Framework for Building Custom Storefronts (12 minute read). Hydrogen is a React framework for building custom storefronts on Shopify. It was built with the best developer experience in mind so that merchants could do away with bulky templates or building things from scratch. This article takes a behind-the-scenes look at how Shopify created Hydrogen and what it was like developing a new framework using experimental technology.
"Fortnite dev launches Epic Games Store that takes just 12% of revenue . Steam, the dominant game store, charges developers 30% of revenue. Epic Games, the studio behind Fortnite, is now launching its own game store, where it will take only a 12% cut, leaving 88% to developers. CEO Time Sweeney says ""As a developer ourselves, we have always wanted a platform with great economics that connects us directly with our players. Thanks to the success of Fortnite, we now have this and are ready to share it with other developers."" While it might be tough to lure away gamers who already have a library of games on Steam, Fortnite has attracted a lot of first-time gamers so Epic could potentially capture that next generation of gamers with this new store."
"Apple is putting iTunes on Samsung TVs . Apple is partnering with Samsung to allow Samsung's 2018 and 2019 TVs to access and play your iTunes movie and TV library directly. The new iTunes Movies and TV Shows app is the first time Apple has allowed third party devices outside of Windows to access iTunes. AirPlay 2 will also allow videos, photos, music, and podcasts to be streamed from Apple devices directly to Samsung TVs."
"Quibi To Shut Down, Ending $2B Streaming Experiment . Quibi is officially shutting down. The process is expected to take several months, with subscribers to be notified about the details soon. About 200 employees will be let go. Quibi developed an original platform fueled with groundbreaking technology and IP in one of the priciest misfires of any entertainment-related startup. The company's marketing strategies were expensive and didn't have much effect. It also faced issues with executive turnover, legal action, and more. The company raised around $1.8 billion in capital and it is estimated that only $350 million is left."
"Google is giving Android on tablets another shot . Google has released a developer preview for Android 12L, a new version of Android designed for larger screens like tablets and foldables. The public version will arrive early next year. Android 12L features a two-column layout for the notification shade and lockscreen on wider screens, a taskbar that simplifies the process of launching things in split-screen mode, an API for developers to make apps aware of hinges, and much more. Screenshots from the preview are available in the article."
Text Blaze (Website). Text Blaze is a Chrome extension that helps boost productivity and consistency with text snippets. Users can save any snippet of text as a shortcut and Text Blaze will replace the snippet text any time it is used in Chrome. Snippets can be shared with anyone.
"Twitter is adding an edit button . Twitter has announced that it will allow Twitter Blue subscribers to edit their tweets in the coming months. The feature has been frequently requested by users, but former CEO Jack Dorsey was reluctant to add it due to the potential for abuse. Elon Musk, after purchasing a 9.2% stake in Twitter, polled his followers on whether the company should add an edit button. The results were strongly in favor of the feature."
"How Close Are We to Self-Driving Cars, Really? . Chris Urmson, the CEO of Aurora, a company that makes self-driving car software for automakers, predicts that the technology will be prevalent within the next 50 years. In this interview, Urmson discusses the barriers to mass adoption of self-driving cars, whether it is possible to test the technology safely in real-world conditions, and why the ideal shape for a self-driving car is a cone. People currently do not view the technology is safe, so demand is low. While existing infrastructure probably doesn’t need any modification, self-driving cars will require cities to develop special maps which indicate where objects such as traffic lights and lanes are. Self-driving software is tested extensively through different stages of realism before the technology is deployed into real-world conditions. A cone is an ideal shape for a self-driving car as passengers would have an increased field-of-vision for safety and entertainment."
"Microsoft analyzed data on its newly remote workforce . In a study across Microsoft's workforce on the effects of remote work, it was found that employees have been communicating more efficiently and working more varied hours. There were more meetings, but meetings were shorter. Managers were impacted the most by the shift to remote work, with significant increases in meeting hours and messages sent. Social meetings increased and it was found that most employees were maintaining existing networks, even expanding them."
"Amazon shifts Lumberyard to open source 3D game engine supported by 20 companies (13 minute read). Amazon has open-sourced its Lumberyard game engine and renamed it the Open 3D Engine. The Linux Foundation will oversee the project. Developers will be able to do anything they want with the code under its permissive Apache 2.0 license. The engine is capable of high-end rendering quality. Using a common game engine might mean better compatibility between games and platforms, bringing us closer to the possibility of an open metaverse. Screenshots of scenes rendered in the Open 3D Engine are available in the article."
"Resources for Staff-plus engineers (Website). This page contains resources for people looking to become Staff or Staff-plus engineers. The resources cover topics such as what a Staff-plus engineer does, becoming a Staff-plus engineer, and engineering strategy. There are books, talks, papers, and other resources available. The most important resource for Staff-plus engineers is their network of peers and mentors."
"London’s Crossrail Is a $21 Billion Test of Virtual Modeling (16 minute read). Crossrail is currently the biggest engineering project in Europe. The network started construction in 2009 and fully opened in 2019. It carries an estimated 200 million passengers every year across its 40 stations. Crossrail was built using many technologies. The entire network was designed in a 3D virtual environment, which is used to help monitor every part of the network. Everything in the system was engineered to reduce energy use, improve safety, and streamline operations. This article details how Crossrail was built and explains some of the technology behind the network."
"SynthWave '84 - VS Code theme (GitHub Repo). SynthWave ‘84 is a Visual Studio Code theme inspired by the music and the cover artwork of modern Synthwave bands like FM-84, Timecop 1983, and The Midnight. It is written in plain CSS. The base theme is installed like any other VS Code theme, but if users want to enable the extra glow feature, a little more work is required. Full instructions are available on the repository."
"Top 5 Things to Ask Your Future Employer Before Accepting an Offer . After passing interviews and receiving a job offer, an employee might still be in the dark about whether the job position is the right move for their career. In order to determine if a company is right for you, it’s best to try to engage with a current employee and ask them about their experience. Inquiring about the company’s open-source engagements, bug-fixing policies, code quality policies, testing and validation procedures, development pipelines, and career development opportunities can provide potential employees with the information they need to decide if a position is right for them. A new job is a commitment that can significantly impact a person’s future opportunities, so it is important to obtain the necessary information in order to make the right career choice."
"McDonald’s will serve Beyond Meat McPlant burgers in select US locations next month . McDonald's will start selling plant-based Beyond Meat burgers in eight locations in the US starting on November 3. The McPlant has been piloted in a number of international locations already. McDonald's plans to broaden the McPlant line to include plant-based versions of chicken, pork, and egg. A list of the locations where the McPlant will be served is available in the article."
"Apple is working on a new iPhone app with workout videos, code-named ‘Seymour’ . Apple will be releasing a new app for the iPhone that will guide users through workout routines on their Apple Watches and iPhones. The app is codenamed 'Seymour' and is the brainchild of Jay Blahnik, a fitness instructor and author that joined Apple in 2013. Seymour will launch with iOS 14 and the next version of the Apple Watch software. Fitness has been a feature of the Apple Watch since its launch, and this move brings Apple into competition with companies like Peloton who offer digital content for fitness classes with a subscription. Apple's health-tracking features are currently free."
List of (Advanced). This repository contains a list of JavaScript questions presented in a multiple choice test format. Users are presented with code and then asked what the output of the code should be. Answers are initially hidden. There are 43 questions listed.
"If Facebook Wants Our Trust, Mark Zuckerberg Must Resign . Facebook will be kicking off their annual F8 developer conference on April 30, and a big chunk of the conference will likely focus on privacy. Mark Zuckerberg has been talking a lot about private communications lately and plans to integrate encryption into all of Facebook’s chat platforms. Facebook has previously been involved in many privacy breaches and slip-ups, some of which are recent or still being resolved. Critics say that Zuckerberg needs to resign before Facebook can be trusted with their privacy policies."
An asteroid mining startup will soon launch on a SpaceX rideshare mission . Astroforge is a Y Combinator startup that is aiming to mine its first asteroid by the end of the decade. The founders claim to have developed a novel method for refining materials in space that requires a high-rated vacuum and zero gravity. Astroforge will target smaller asteroids that likely won't have a gravitational field. It has an agreement with SpaceX for a spot on an upcoming rideshare mission to demonstrate its technology. The space mining market is predicted to grow to $4.2 billion by the end of the decade.
"Intel hires Justin Long to mock Macs in throwback to 2000s “I’m a Mac” ads . Intel has produced a series of ads starring Justin Long, who famously appeared in Apple's 'I'm a Mac' ads in the 2000s. The ads mock Apple's M1 Macs, satirizing Apple's earlier ad campaign. They point to reasons why Intel-based laptops might provide a better experience than Apple's M1 Macs. The ads can be viewed in the article."
"Airglow Under the Milky Way - Earth Timelapse from the International Space Station (1 minute video). Airglow is the faint emission of light by a planetary atmosphere. In this timelapse from the International Space Station, the phenomenon can be seen causing the night sky to never be completely dark. The video features an amazing view of the Milky Way."
"SEO tool Ahrefs invests $60M in building creator-friendly search engine, ‘Yep’ . Ahrefs, a company that crawls more than 8 billion web pages every 24 hours for its SEO toolset, has invested $60 million into building its own search engine called Yep. The engine will rely on the company's own search index and run on its own data centers. It already has more than 1,000 servers spun up storing more than 100 petabytes of data. The company plans to give 90% of its ad revenue to content creators. The search engine will be heavily privacy-forward and it won't create profiles for targeted advertising."
"Scientists 3D Print Living Brain Cells . Scientists have managed to 3D print living, functioning mouse brain cells using a new laser technique. Most of the neurons survived for over two days, making them viable tools for preclinical research. The team hopes that the technique can help improve medical research once it is able to print human neurons. Using 3D-printed human neurons would reduce the number of animals killed while also making research more accurate, as treatments that work on one species don't always perform as well in others."
"Ask HN: What Neural Networks/Deep Learning Books Should I Read? (HackerNews Thread). Most books on neural networks and deep learning present practical examples using code. The original poster of the thread, who is not interested in learning coding frameworks, asks for recommendations of technical, math-heavy introductions with exercises as well as some entertaining pop science-type books that look at the philosophical and cross-disciplinary side of neural networks."
"Impossible Foods Is Now Developing a Plant-Based Alternative to Cow’s Milk . Current milk alternatives just aren't the same, so Impossible Foods is now working on a food replacement that looks, tastes, and behaves like cow's milk. The Impossible Investigator project aims to recruit leading scientists to contribute to the cause. Impossible Foods' milk is made with stable proteins sourced from plants. It properly mixes with other liquids and can be whipped into a foam. There is no timeline for when the milk substitute will be ready to leave Impossible Foods' labs."
"All-new iPad Air and iPad mini deliver dramatic power and capability . Apple today released a new 10.5 inch iPad Air and 7.9 inch iPad mini. Both models now support the 1st-generation Apple Pencil and have an A12 Bionic chip, Gigabit-class LTE, and eSIM technology. iPad Air pricing starts at $499 for the Wi-Fi model and $629 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model, and the new iPad mini starts at $399 for the Wi-Fi model and $529 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The new iPads are available to order starting today and will be available in stores next week."
"Tabler Icons (Website). This site contains 558 fully customizable and free SVG icons. The collection is searchable. Users can customize the size, stroke, and color of the icons."
"x-spreadsheet (GitHub Repo). x-spreadsheet is a javascript plugin that will install a web-based spreadsheet for your site. Users will be able to enjoy a fully functioning spreadsheet app, with an interface similar to the one used in Google Sheets."
"Introducing the new GitHub Issues . GitHub Issues is a new beta feature from GitHub that can be used for managing issues with a team. Users can create issues, break them into tasks, track relationships, add custom fields, and have conversations. GitHub Issues can be used to visualize large projects as spreadsheets or boards. Issues can be managed in browser, terminal, or on any mobile device."
"The former CEO of Google has applied to become a citizen of Cyprus . Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, and his family have won approval to become citizens of Cyprus. It is unclear exactly why the Schmidt family applied for citizenship in the Mediterranean nation. Other billionaires have controversially purchased citizenship in countries such as New Zealand, but it is uncommon for Americans to apply to the Cyprus program. Anti-corruption activists have grown concerned with citizenship purchase programs as it allows criminals to purchase foreign citizenship to escape prosecution in their home countries and to commit further crimes."
"A new Harry Potter–themed cryptocurrency is like a more private version of Bitcoin . A new privacy-focused cryptocurrency has become popular recently, and not only because of its Harry Potter theme. Grin promises to create a cryptocurrency that is both ‘light’ and completely anonymous. Currently, Bitcoin requires over 200GB of data to run a miner and its large energy consumption is a problem. Grin aims to solve these issues. There are a few criticisms for Grin, including its lack of a supply cap."
Airspeeder says it had the first successful test flight for its electric flying racecar . Airspeeder's electric flying race car has completed its first unpiloted test flights in southern Australia. The Alauda Mk3 is an electric vertical takeoff multicopter (eVTOL). It weighs 130 kilograms and can go from zero to 62 mph in 2.8 seconds. The eVTOL can climb up to 500 meters and fly for 10 to 15 minutes on one battery pack. Its removable battery can be replaced in under 20 seconds. A 45-second video showing off the vehicle is available in the article.
"Microsoft says hackers were able to see some of its source code . Microsoft's systems were infiltrated by hackers who could view source code from a number of repositories. The hackers didn't have access to modify any code or systems. Microsoft says the culprit is a very sophisticated nation-state actor. The US government and cybersecurity officials have implicated Russia in the attack. A recent attack on SolarWinds exposed an extensive list of sensitive organizations. Microsoft assumes that adversaries can view its source code, so it doesn't rely on secrecy to keep its products secure."
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"Elon Musk says The Boring Company will launch in China this month . Elon Musk is speaking at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai at the end of this month and will be launching The Boring Company in China during his stay. Last month, The Boring Company raised $120 million from selling stocks, and it has also recently landed an almost $50 million deal to build a 'people mover' tunnel in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas tunnel will consist of a section for normal vehicles and another section for modified Tesla cars. Autonomous driving is much easier to accomplish in a controlled tunnel environment. The Boring Company is waiting for designs for a tunnel between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore to be approved, but the current plans do not meet key national safety standards."
Spriteling (GitHub Repo). Spriteling is a scriptable sprite sheet animation engine built using ES5 compatible JavaScript with no external dependencies and a tiny footprint. It works directly on DOM elements. Developers can create interactive sprites. Tutorials and examples on how to use Spriteling are available.
"Cambridge scientists create world’s first living organism with fully redesigned DNA . A lab-created microbe with fully redesigned DNA was created by scientists in Cambridge. The modified Escherichia coli (E coli) bacteria contained a genetic code that had been trimmed by scientists to remove superfluous information. More than 18,000 edits were made to the genetic code, resulting in a bacteria that was longer and grew more slowly than normal. This research could pave the way to create more virus-resistant organisms. Bacteria such as E coli are used to create medicines such as insulin, and entire production lines are wiped out if a virus is somehow introduced to the environment."
"NASA will review workplace safety at SpaceX and Boeing because Elon Musk smoked marijuana . NASA will be conducting extensive workplace safety reviews at SpaceX and Boeing due to Elon Musk smoking marijuana on Joe Rogan's podcast. NASA's administrator Jim Bridenstine says ""If I see something that’s inappropriate, the key concern to me is what is the culture that led to that inappropriateness and is NASA involved in that."" The reviews are expected to take months and require hundreds of interviews. It's not clear whether or not they will delay flights, as SpaceX is currently scheduled to do an unmanned test launch in January 2019 and a manned mission in June 2019."
"Trojan Horse: A nanoparticle that eats away plaques that cause heart attacks . Scientists from Michigan State University and Stanford University have created a nanoparticle that can eat heart attack-causing plaques. The nanoparticle is named 'Trojan Horse' and it can potentially be a treatment for atherosclerosis, a major cause for heart attack and stroke. Trojan Horse delivers a drug that stimulates plaque cells to engulf and eat cellular debris, removing diseased/dead cells from the plaque center, resulting in decreased plaque size. There are minimal side effects due to the unprecedented selectivity of the nano-drug."
"Google Working On VR Shoes That Let You Walk Forever In Your Living Room . Google has patented the idea to create a pair of shoes that lets you walk forever in place (basically they're like little conveyor belts that always carry you back to wherever you started, so you can ""walk"" without moving anywhere). The point is to allow for more immersive VR experiences, where you can walk around in virtual worlds without having to randomly walk around in the real world."
"A hat that zaps the scalp with electricity helps reverse male balding . Currently, men can treat hair loss using minoxidil, finasteride, or hair transplant surgery, but these treatments do not always work for everyone or can be too expensive or painful. Stimulating the scalp with electric pulses has been shown to restore hair growth. Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a wireless patch that sticks to the scalp and generates electric pulses by harnessing energy from random body movements. The patch is made of materials that produce electricity when they come into contact and separate again. It was successful in growing hair in rats, with faster growth and hair density than using just a minoxidil solution. The team has designed a baseball cap that uses this material and is currently seeking approval to test it in men in a clinical trial."
"Xsolla lays off 150 after an algorithm ruled staff 'unengaged and unproductive' . Xsolla laid off roughly one-third of its workforce after an algorithm employed by the company decided that they were unengaged and unproductive employees. The company had increased its revenue by 80 percent last year, but growth has slowed down in the last six months. Xsolla decided to cut its salary budget using the algorithm, which analyzes employee's work activities. The CEO has blamed reduced productivity on remote work and has defended the use of the algorithm. Xsolla promised to help find new jobs for the laid-off workers."
"Git Explorer (Web Tool). This is a nifty tool that lets you select a few options like ""compare two commits"" and ""output results to a file"" and it will show you the correct git command to do so."
"Facebook to buy 10% stake in telco unit of India's Reliance Industries for $5.7 billion . Facebook is buying a 10% stake in India's Reliance Industries for $5.7 billion. Reliance Industries owns a share of Jio Platforms Ltd, who owns Jio Infocomm, a telecom business. WhatsApp is looking to offer digital payment services in India. The deal will help WhatsApp partner with Reliance's e-commerce marketplace JioMart, a service that connects small businesses to consumers. Reliance had more than $40 billion in debts last September and it aims to pay all debts by March 2021."
"Introducing GitHub Super Linter . The GitHub Super Linter can lint code from any language and report any errors, the location of the error, and details about the error automatically any time a pull request is opened. It is highly customizable and comes with default rule templates. A link to the repository is available."
"Squoosh (Github Repo). This is a newly open sourced image compression tool by the Google Chrome team. There's also a hosted version linked in the repo so you can test it out, the compression ratios are ridiculously good. I unscientifically tested it on a driver's license picture of mine and it compressed a 9MB picture to 500kb without any noticeable distortion (it has a slider that makes it really easy to compare the before and after)."
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"Book Excerpt: Inside Spotify’s Ill-Fated Flirtation With TV and Hardware . A book published by Swedish journalists Sven Carlsson and Jonas Leijonhufvud, 'Spotify Untold', has material from over 70 interviews conducted with former top Spotify executives and investors, record company heads, and competitors. It reveals the story of Spotify's rise from a tiny start-up to the biggest streaming music company in the world. Included in the book are stories about how Spotify considered entering into the streaming video market between 2011 to 2015, Spotify's almost acquisitions of Tidal and SoundCloud, how Microsoft, Google, and Tencent all offered to buy Spotify, and more."
"Physicists discover ""anti-gravity"" in bizarre buoyancy experiment . French physicists have discovered a new kind of buoyancy produced through vibrating a medium. In experiments, the scientists found that highly viscous fluids levitated slightly above the bottom of an inverted air-filled chamber if the chamber was vibrating rapidly. This produced some interesting effects, with the scientists demonstrating that a toy boat could float upside down in a stable state on the underside of the levitating liquid. The discovery could have ripple effects in chemical engineering, where scientists use bubble filled columns as bioreactors."
"Chinese internet users who uploaded coronavirus memories to GitHub have been arrested . The Chinese government is targeting people who were working to prevent digital records of the coronavirus outbreak from being scrubbed by censors. Volunteers behind the project were arrested and some are missing. The project collected and preserved news stories, videos, and articles that were shared on messaging apps like WeChat. One of the journalists associated with the project that had disappeared recently resurfaced. He praised the actions of the police after stating that he had been detained and placed under quarantine for disrupting public order."
"Epic Games begins to show it’s “more than games,” acquires Bandcamp . Epic Games has acquired Bandcamp, an online music-streaming service. The company plans to build a creator marketplace ecosystem for content, technology, games, art, music, and more. This suggests that developers in the future may be able to search through the Unreal asset sales ecosystem to license music for their projects. Bandcamp will remain a standalone marketplace and music community and all existing products and services will continue as normal."
"I Don't Want to be a Founder and I Don't Think You Do Either . There are many downsides to being a founder. You will have to commit to the company and your cofounders, sometimes developing relationships that can be more intense than marriage, with significant financial risks if the relationship fails. While venture capitals might invest money into your company, you are investing years of your life for the possibility of success. Venture capitals win by investing in many startups, hoping that one will be a success. This can result in the startup taking over the founder's sense of self and other issues. There are other pathways to getting whatever you might be looking for when becoming a founder that don't involve dedicating your life to a product."
"PayPal abruptly cuts off Pornhub’s payroll, leaving performers with few payment options . Pornhub has announced that PayPal will no longer support payments to Pornhub performers. Paypal's acceptable use policy forbids certain sexually oriented materials or services. Performers who are part of Pornhub's Model Program will have to update their payment information to use one of the many other payment options available. Other payment options are not guaranteed to be safe. For example, some banks refuse to serve sex workers. PayPal's sudden decision to drop Pornhub means that over a hundred thousand performers have to quickly update their details or risk receiving their payments late."
"With Facial Recognition Technology at 'Crossroads', 90 Groups Urge Amazon, Google, and Microsoft Not to Collude With Big Brother . 90 civil and human rights groups have sent letters to executives at Amazon, Google, and Microsoft to ask them to refuse to sell facial recognition technology to governments around the world. The FBI is already piloting Amazon's Rekognition technology, while Google and Microsoft have been more cautious. ACLU lawyer Nicole Ozer says ""History has clearly taught us that the government will exploit technologies like face surveillance to target communities of color, religious minorities, and immigrants."""
"Exclusive: Tesla's secret batteries aim to rework the math for electric cars and the grid . Tesla plans to introduce a new low-cost, long-life battery in its Model 3 sedan in China later this year. The battery will bring the cost of electric vehicles in line with gasoline models. It is designed to last for a million miles of use. The batteries rely on innovations such as low-cobalt and cobalt-free battery chemistries as well as the use of chemical additives, materials, and coatings. A new high-speed, heavily automated battery manufacturing process will be implemented to reduce labor costs and increase production in massive 'terafactories'. Tesla is working on recycling and recovery of expensive metals as well as 'second life' applications of electric vehicle batteries in grid storage systems."
"A company that makes $600,000 prefab smart homes got so popular in 2020 it had to turn away customers . The Passive House LivingHomes is a line of three environmentally friendly homes by Plant Prefab, a prefab home maker. Plant Prefab's homes have a fresh air system, efficient water heaters, heat recovery ventilators, insulation, and strong windows and doors. Prefab homes have seen increased interest since the start of the pandemic. Plant Prefab had to start turning away business at one point last year due to overwhelming interest. Images and descriptions of Plant Prefab's three homes are available in the article."
"Backstage (GitHub Repo). Backstage is an open platform for building developer portals. It allows engineers to ship code without having to think about their toolset. Tools, services, and features can be added via plugins. This allows the engineering team to add value without other teams having to learn how to use and support new tools."
"How to Create Neon Text With CSS . Neon text can add a futuristic touch to any website. This article explains how to add glowing effects to text using CSS. It also explains how to add flickering, pulsating glow, and other extras to add to the effect. The article discusses how to remove the animation effects to make the text more readable for those with accessibility preferences."
"Facebook Reels rolls out worldwide along with new creative tools and ads . Facebook Reels is now available in over 150 countries. The feature is Meta's response to TikTok and shares similar features. Facebook has introduced more creative tools and ways for creators to monetize their content along with the global rollout. Reels is Facebook's fastest-growing content format. It currently monetizes at a lower rate than other content formats, but Meta believes this will change over time. More details about the features included in the rollout are available in the article."
"Coolify (Website). Coolify is a self-hostable Heroku and Netlify alternative. It can deploy Node.js and static sites just by pushing code to git. Coolify is easy to install and upgrade, and it features one-click database deployment."
"Scientists can now grow wood in a lab without cutting a single tree . Researchers from MIT have developed a technique to produce wood products of any shape or size. The technique involves giving stem cell-like properties to normal plant cells and using a gel-based medium enriched with nutrients and hormones to stimulate the cells into becoming wood. Using this technique, the scientists were able to grow wood at a rate twice that of regular trees. The team was able to 3D print custom-designed structures out of the cells cultured in the gel. The research could eventually lead to the end of deforestation."
"A case against security nihilism . NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware has been used to target journalists and members of various nations' political opposition parties. Deploying the tool is expensive, and fighting attackers with these levels of resources can be difficult. Apple and Google can raise both the cost and risk of exploitation by improving software security. It is impossible to stop all attacks, but making them expensive and difficult will stop countries with fewer resources from launching exploits."
"This 2-Acre Vertical Farm Out-Produces 720 Acre ‘Flat Farms’ . Plenty is a startup in San Francisco that focuses on vertical farming technology. It uses robots and artificial intelligence in its vertical farms to optimize the farming process, with a focus on eliminating plant stress. There are limited areas in the world that can grow fresh fruits and vegetables economically, and all of that land is used up. Vertical farming can be achieved anywhere in the world as it is indoors and the environment can be controlled, producing better fruits and vegetables while using 95% less water and 99% less land. It could give independence to many areas that have to rely on imports for food."
"Undermoon (GitHub Repo). Undermoon is a self-managed Redis clustering system based on Redis Cluster Protocol. It features horizontal scalability, high availability, cluster management, automatic failover for both master and replica, and fast scaling. An explanation of the architecture behind Undermoon is available."
DeepMind develops AI that can forecast the weather . DeepMind and the Met Office have collaborated to develop an AI system capable of forecasting rainfall up to two hours ahead of time. Most weather algorithms can make predictions several days into the future but struggle to make shorter-term forecasts as the algorithms take too long to calculate results. DeepMind's AI system was trained with a machine learning algorithm known as a generative adversarial network. The system outperforms traditional weather forecasting methods and newer machine learning-based approaches.
"Eco-Friendly 3D-Printed Reefs to Rescue Hong Kong's Corals . Marine scientists from the University of Hong Kong have created 3D-printed artificial reef tiles designed to provide a structurally complex foundation for coral attachment and prevent sedimentation. 128 reef tiles were printed and installed at three select sites within Hong Kong's Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park. Bioerosion, coral bleaching, and mass mortality events have put the ecosystem of the area at risk."
"A neural network can help spot Covid-19 in chest x-rays . COVID-Net is a convolutional neural network that is trained to identify signs of COVID-19 in chest x-rays. It is being released as an incomplete solution and the firm that created the system is encouraging others to help make it complete. Other research teams have announced AI tools that can diagnose COVID-19 from x-rays, but none of these tools have been made fully available to the public. While COVID-Net as yet to prove itself, public releases have historically proven to be effective methods of improving software."
"Zoom introduces all-in-one home communications appliance for $599 . Zoom has unveiled the Zoom for Home - DTEN ME, an all-in-one communications appliance. It features a standalone 27-inch screen, three wide-angle cameras, and 8 microphones. The appliance is pre-loaded with Zoom software and a custom interface. It can be linked with a laptop or mobile phone through an ultrasonic pairing. Zoom is now taking pre-orders for the appliance, which costs $599 and works with an existing Zoom license."
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"A terrifying mechanical dog is now stalking a Singapore park to make sure people stay properly distant . Singapore is using a Boston Dynamics Spot robot to patrol park grounds to remind people to keep six feet apart. The robot currently only plays a recorded message about proper pandemic protocol. It is equipped with cameras and has the ability to help authorities keep track of potential crowding. If the current trial is successful, more robots will be rolled out to enforce social distancing measures in public spaces. A 39-second video is available in the article showing the robot on patrol."
"Twitter told its 5,000 employees to work from home because of the coronavirus . Twitter has told its employees around the world to work from home in response to the recent coronavirus outbreak. Facebook has also given its employees permission to work from home if they choose to. Twitter’s US offices will still be open if employees need to come to work in person. The virus has affected the tech industry heavily, with dropping values in stocks, canceled conferences and events, and some employees falling ill. Twitter has already banned non-critical business travel within the company."
"How We Illustrate at GitHub . This blog post explores GitHub's artistic process and how it was used in GitHub's new site design. The team started with the story, which influenced the characters used, color, and other aspects of the design. Git lines were used as a common shape in the designs as the symbol best represents how GitHub works. The mix of art, design, and engineering represents a new way of telling GitHub's brand story. Concept illustrations from the design process are available in the article."
"Scientists Transform Water Into Metallic State, Allowing It to Conduct Electricity . Pure, distilled water doesn't conduct electricity and is almost a perfect insulator. To make pure water conduct electricity, it has to have something in it to make it conductive or it has to be under extreme pressure. Researchers working at BESSY II have produced water with metallic and conductive properties by pouring pure water onto alkali metal alloys. The study shows that it is possible to produce metallic water on Earth. An image of the gold-colored metallic water is available in the article."
"Pizzly (GitHub Repo). Pizzly provides a simple and fast way to integrate an API into an app. It provides developers with a dashboard, an auth service, a proxy, a JS library, and its own API to help with their API integrations. Pizzly supports more than 50 APIs out-of-the-box, including Gmail, GitHub, Google Sheets, Zoom, Trello, Reddit, and more."
"SpaceX Crew Dragon Splashes Down after Historic Test Flight . The Demo-1 test flight for SpaceX’s Crew Dragon was successful, with the capsule landing in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast today at 8:45 am. Crew Dragon’s successful first test flight is the start of a new era in human spaceflight, according to NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. Since 2011, NASA has had to depend on Russian spacecraft to send its astronauts to the ISS at a cost of $80 million per person. The next stage of testing in June will evaluate Crew Dragon’s emergency-escape system, and a fully manned test-flight will come shortly after, possibly as early as July."
"CSS :is . CSS :is is a method for avoiding duplication within CSS selector structures. It can change mindless CSS repetitions into readable, compact, and easily maintainable code. An example is provided in the article."
"Uber CEO tells staff company will cut down on costs, treat hiring as a 'privilege' . Uber is cutting back on spending and will focus on becoming a leaner business. The company will slash spending on marketing and incentives and treat hiring as a privilege. It will be deliberate about when and where to hire staff and be more strict about costs across the board. Uber will focus on achieving profitability on a free cash flow basis."
"Pablo (GitHub Repo). Pablo is a JavaScript library that creates interactive drawings with SVG for modern desktop and mobile browsers. It supports plug-ins and it has no dependencies. Pablo can be used for vector-based art, games, visualizations, and interfaces. Interactive samples are available."
"Airbus to build 'first interplanetary cargo ship' . After the first Martian rock samples are mined by NASA's Perseverance rover, they will be blasted into orbit by a rocket, where an Airbus satellite will grab them and then ship them home. The joint American-European project will cost billions and take over a decade to complete. A physical sample will allow scientists to use tools only found in Earth laboratories for analysis. The Earth Return Orbiter will weigh 6.5 tonnes and launch in 2026. It will use an ion engine powered by immense solar arrays, giving the satellite a wingspan of more than 120ft."
"Fortnite creators are making studios to build ambitious — and branded — worlds . Several companies are now creating unique experiences for Fortnite. Making these Fortnite Creative maps can be very lucrative, with projects ranging between four to six figures. Players are now spending about half of their Fortnite play time in Creative maps. Epic is planning to improve its creative tools and introduce more monetization tools. It plans to release the Unreal Editor for Fortnite later this year."
"Facebook has been charged with housing discrimination by the US government . The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has filed charges against Facebook for housing discrimination due to Facebook’s ad targeting system. Facebook allows advertisers to exclude certain areas and demographics, and the HUD is claiming that limiting a person’s choices for housing or employment digitally amounts to discrimination. The lawsuit came as a surprise to Facebook, as they had been working with the HUD to resolve these issues and had already taken significant steps to prevent ad discrimination. Most of the discriminatory targeting options for real-estate advertisements have been removed already, but the charges seem to be related to Facebook’s automatic ad-targeting algorithms, which uses machine learning to target users."
"Physicists Discover Exotic, New 'Tetraquark' Particle We've Never Seen Before . A new type of particle called a tetraquark has been discovered using data from CERN's Large Hadron Collider. The new particle is made up of four heavy quarks of the same type. It is likely to be the first in a previously undiscovered class of particles. The tetraquark was discovered by combing over the data collected and retained from the Large Hadron Collider's two operational runs."
"Alphabet’s X details Project Amber, a quest for a single biomarker for depression that fell short of its goal . Project Amber is a project from Alphabet X that is now available for the mental health community to help build upon. The project originally aimed to identify a specific biomarker for depression, but it has so far failed to do so. It is currently working on using electroencephalography (EEG) combined with machine learning to find one. Finding a clear biomarker for depression would make it more easily and consistently treatable. So far, the team has found lower EEG activity in response to some activities, but there is not enough data to create a real-world diagnostic tool. The hardware and software is now open-source on GitHub."
"Chicken Story (19 minute read). Club Bing was a rewards program from Microsoft that gave users points for playing online games. The games were all word games, and the points could be traded in for real prizes, such as an Xbox. It was possible to use scripts to play the game automatically, but Microsoft implemented Captcha services to disrupt the cheaters. This article discusses how one of the scripters managed to bypass the blocks that Microsoft implemented."
"Hydrogen (Website). Hydrogen is a React-based framework for building custom storefronts on Shopify. It includes the structure, components, and tools needed to get started so users can spend time on styling and design. Developers can use Hydrogen to get started quickly, optimize performance, and build experiences faster. Screenshots and demos are available."
Sherloq (GitHub Repo). Sherloq is a digital image forensic toolset. It features various algorithms that aid in determining if an image is forged or not. Screenshots showing results from different types of analyses are available.
"Amazon partners with Affirm to roll out first buy now, pay later option on the e-commerce site . Amazon has partnered with Affirm to offer installment payment options. Affirm is one of the best-known installment payment option providers, servicing more than 12,000 merchants. Some Amazon customers in the US will start seeing Affirm's ‘buy now, pay later’ checkout option on Friday, with a broader rollout in the coming months. Purchases of $50 or more will be allowed to be split into smaller, monthly installments. Neither company has said whether these loans will come with interest."
"Studio Ghibli films are coming to Netflix outside North America next month . 21 feature films from Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli will be added to Netflix's library for all regions outside the US, Canada, and Japan starting next month. WarnerMedia obtained the US streaming rights for its upcoming launch of HBO Max. The movies will be subtitled in 28 languages and Netflix will be providing new dubs for up to 20 languages. The release will be staggered over the next few months. It will not include Grave of the Fireflies since Studio Ghibli doesn't hold the publishing rights for the movie."
"Folio (GitHub Repo). Folio is a customizable test framework for building test frameworks. It runs tests in isolation by default, making it fast, reliable, and adaptable. It can leverage TypeScript power with minimal effort, run tests in multiple configurations, annotate tests, generate comprehensive reports, and run multiple test types differently."
"3D Game Shaders For Beginners (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of shading techniques to allow developers to add textures, lighting, shadows, normal maps, glowing objects, ambient occlusion, and more to their 3D games. Each technique is explained in a way that can be applied to whatever stack a developer chooses. Examples are given using the Panda3D game engine and OpenGL Shading Language."
"When Tech Cafeterias Close, the Internet Gets Weird With Food . Facebook's employees were sent to work from home due to the pandemic. This resulted in Doordash blocking Facebook's VPN IP from making orders as too many of its employees were ordering from the IP at the same time. Many tech workers haven't needed to cook in a long time and this is causing a large spike in the use of delivery services. Workers are also sharing memes on social media about their lack of cooking skills. Some tech workers who do have cooking skills have started sharing the meals that they have made online. Overall, it is a strange time to be watching how the tech community continues to be social during this time of social distancing."
"Researchers Build Super Accurate Atomic Clocks That Can Spot Spacetime Deformations . Scientists have created atomic clocks so accurate that they can detect slight perturbations in spacetime caused by gravity. The clocks are in sync with the natural frequency of ytterbium with an error of 1.4 parts in 10^18. To put this in perspective, they will take longer than the current age of the universe (14 billion years) to be off by 1 second. The scientists believe that the clocks can be used to try to detect dark matter, which cannot be seen through telescopes, but can still be detected by their gravity."
"How the Entertainment Industry Solved Piracy, Then Made It Popular Again . For the last few decades, the entertainment industry has been fighting piracy by suing and vilifying potential customers or lobbying for copyright laws like DMCA, rather than offering better, cheaper products. The introduction of streaming services saw a drop in piracy as people had an attractive, legal alternative. As more and more streaming services enter the market, consumers are forced to sort through the many different offerings to find the shows that they want to watch. If consumers want to watch shows that are on different platforms, they have to pay for both. This is causing some consumers to return to piracy. Data suggests that piracy is an invisible competitor and a metric of consumer dissatisfaction."
"Anatomy of an internet shutdown (16 minute read). In late 2018, the people of Sudan started protests which eventually resulted in the country's ruler blocking social media in the country. Eventually, the protests led to violence and a real internet shutdown. Citizens remained at home during the blackout as they had no way of knowing which locations were safe without internet access. One citizen took his cellular provider to court, saying that the lack of internet access was a breach of his service contract, and the court switched mobile internet back on, but only for him. Internet shutdowns are new and a rare occurrence and legal systems have not developed processes to handle these scenarios. Services are also run by people, and some of these people disagreed with the government and helped reconnect citizens as a form of protest. Five days after the blackout began, landline access was restored as the government realized the need for communications. Despite the internet block, the people of Sudan were able to organize the biggest demonstration in the history of Sudan. As a result, the government was removed and the internet was restored."
"Death by black hole: Astronomers spot flare from “spaghettification” of star . A tidal disruption event (TDE) is when a star strays too close to a supermassive black hole and tears apart, forming a rotating ring of matter around the black hole that emits powerful X-rays and visible light. Astronomers have recently recorded a TDE, managing to capture data before dust and debris obscured their view. The nature of the emissions from black holes has been previously debated, and this is the first direct evidence showing the source of the emissions. A 25-second artistic animation of a star being sucked into a black hole is available in the article."
"Scientists reactivate cells from 28,000-year-old woolly mammoth . A team of Japanese and Russian scientists have ‘reawakened’ cells from a 28,000-year-old wooly mammoth nicknamed 'Yuka’. Nucleus-like structures were taken from Yuka and implanted into mouse oocytes, and then these cells were observed using live-cell imaging techniques. Traces of biological activity were observed, and while the cells were not able to divide, scientists were able to induce the cells to undergo spindle assembly, an activity that proceeds cell division. While scientists are still very far away from cloning a woolly mammoth, the study marks a significant step in bringing mammoths back from the dead. There is an 11 second video available showing the cell activity."
"Google Earth is now a 3D time machine . Google Earth just had its biggest update since 2017, with a new 3D time-lapse feature that lets users fly around the virtual globe and view satellite imagery from the past 37 years. Google gathered more than 24 million satellite images from 1984 to 2020 to create Timelapse. It took more than two million processing hours to compile the 20 petabytes of data. Not all places are ready yet. Google is pitching the feature as a teaching tool for climate change."
"This One-Time Neuron Treatment Reversed Parkinson's Disease in Mice . Scientists from the University of California San Diego have developed a method to create neurons. The technique is able to convert astrocytes, the supporting cells in the brain, into neurons, the brain's information processing cells. Using the technique, which is a one-time gene therapy, the researchers were able to permanently reverse Parkinson's symptoms in mice. The mice were cured within three months after a single treatment and remained symptom-free for the rest of their lives."
"E. coli bacteria engineered to eat carbon dioxide . Scientists have created a strain of E.coli that consumes carbon dioxide instead of sugars or other organic molecules. The bacteria could eventually be used to make organic carbon molecules that could be used as biofuels or to produce food. Early attempts to make E.coli consume carbon dioxide were only partially successful, but after cultivating genetically modified bacteria in low-sugar, high carbon dioxide environments, the bacteria eventually evolved a strain that could use carbon dioxide as its sole source of food. It still prefers sugars if given the choice, and it grows much slower than normal E.coli. The switch to making E.coli consume carbon dioxide required changes in 11 genes. Scientists will continue to cultivate the bacteria in order to try to speed up its growth process."
"Hydrogen-soaked crystal lets neural networks expand to match a problem . Neuromorphic computing hardware is special hardware developed to model the behavior of biological neurons. A group of researchers from the US have developed a non-silicon version of the hardware that uses hydrogen and a nickel alloy. Controlling the amount of hydrogen can switch the device among four different states, which is useful for neural-network operations. The resulting hardware can train many types of systems with fewer resources than silicon hardware without losing performance. While the hardware shows significant improvements over silicon systems, it is unlikely that it will be used commercially anytime soon."
"A Breakthrough for A.I. Technology: Passing an 8th-Grade Science Test . Four years ago in San Francisco, more than 700 engineers competed in a competition to build an AI system that could pass an 8th-grade test. $80,000 in prize money was up for grabs. The engineers were unable to match the language and logic capabilities of 8th graders, with only one team being able to score near the 60 percent mark. A new system called Aristo was recently unveiled at the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Seattle with the ability to score over 90 percent on an 8th-grade science test and more than 80 percent on a 12th-grade exam. The Allen Institute was founded in 2013 by Microsoft’s Paul Allen, who has recently passed after a long battle with lymphoma. The exams were all multiple-choice questions, and there were some limits in problem-solving abilities. Researchers are working on being able to create an AI that passes tests for graduate school admission."
"OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely steps down, appoints spokesperson as CEO . OnlyFans founder and CEO Tim Stokely is stepping down. Ami Gan, the company's former head of communications and marketing, will be taking over as CEO. Gan has worked for brands like Red Bull, Quest Nutrition, and a cannabis cafe. She will invest in OFTV and other new tools for creators. OnlyFans was on track to do $2.5 billion in sales this year, but its decision to ban NSFW content - and the swift reversal of that decision - lost the trust of many of its creators."
"Here’s a first look at Microsoft’s xCloud for the web . Microsoft employees are now testing a web version of xCloud ahead of a public preview. xCloud allows Xbox players to access their games through a browser. It is unknown what resolution Microsoft will be streaming games at, but full 4K streaming won't be supported until later this year. Microsoft is planning to bundle the web version of xCloud into the PC version of the Xbox app on Windows 10. A public preview of xCloud via the web is planned for sometime in Spring."
"Here are Tesla’s biggest announcements from Battery Day . Elon Musk made some big announcements at Tesla's Battery Day event. Tesla will manufacture its own 'tabless' batteries designed to improve its vehicles' range and power. The tabless cells will be six times more powerful and increase range by 16 percent compared to current batteries. The Model S Plaid will have a range of 520 miles, get 0-60 mph in under 2 seconds, and have a top speed of 200 mph. It will cost $139,990 and be available in late 2021. Tesla plans to open a new cathode plant in North America that will make cathodes 76 percent cheaper and produce zero wastewater. It will eliminate the use of cobalt in its cathodes. Tesla's end goal is to produce a $25,000 electric car."
"Facebook senior software engineer interview: the only post you’ll need to read . This post aims to prepare you for a job interview at Facebook. The interview process consists of one or two phone interviews and a final on-site interview. The on-site interview consists of a behavioral component, a coding section, and system/product design interviews. Big tech companies are not pedantic on language, but there are many reasons to choose Python. Making a study plan for what to study is important. The article includes the author's study plan. To prepare for system interviews, take a look at any system or service, and ask yourself how you would build it. Practice coding problems to prepare for coding interviews."
Nikola founder charged with securities fraud over allegedly fake truck demo . The New York federal court has charged Nikola founder Trevor Milton with securities fraud. Milton allegedly made a series of false claims about the company while raising more than $500 million in investments. He used a staged video to create a false impression that the Nikola One semi-truck prototype was able to move under its own power when the vehicle was simply rolling downhill. Milton also claimed that the company was producing its own hydrogen fuels at below market rates and that it had many billions of dollars worth of committed truck orders.
"Samsung Galaxy S10 leaks in first real-life image w/ punch hole cutout, slim bezels . The first picture of the Samsung Galaxy S10 has leaked. It looks like the bezels on the top and bottom are smaller than before, and the front facing camera is just a ""hole-punch"" style circle in the upper right hand corner. The phone will also have the ability to wirelessly charge other compatible devices like handsets and watches."
"Nine-year-old kids are launching DDoS attacks against schools . A study by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) revealed that the number of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks launched against school networks and websites more than doubled from 2019 to 2020. Many of the culprits were secondary school children, with the youngest being just nine. The NCA has launched a new initiative to educate kids on the consequences of launching DDoS attacks. Students who search for terms associated with cybercrime will see a page with information about the Computer Misuse Act and some encouragement to use their technical prowess in an ethical career. A video from the campaign by the NCA is available in the article."
"Amazon Basics ripped off accessories, now Amazon is coming for gadgets . A handful of Amazon's new devices announced at its annual fall hardware event this week bear striking similarities to preexisting products. While it is possible that Amazon had created its own designs, the company has a history of copying designs sold on its platform and then undercutting the originals on price. Amazon's platform allows it to collect valuable data that can be used to launch competing products. The company has policies to prevent its employees from using non-public data to determine private label product launches, but there are ways around these rules."
"Amazon to buy MGM Studios for $8.45 billion . Amazon will acquire MGM Studios for $8.45 billion. It will be the second-largest acquisition in Amazon's history after its purchase of Whole Foods in 2017. The deal shows how Amazon is willing to spend deeply to remain competitive in the streaming market. It spent $11 billion on video and music content last year and $7.8 billion in 2019. Amazon's investment in content brings in more Prime subscribers, who then end up spending more with the company. It is looking to start broadcasting sports content starting in 2022."
"Genetic tool could improve monitoring of marine protected areas . Environmental DNA, or eDNA, is DNA that is released by organisms into their environments. eDNA technology has advanced rapidly in the last decade, making it a competitive tool for assessing ecosystem biodiversity. Before eDNA, the only way to tell if marine protected areas were working was for scuba divers to count and identify every fish they saw. eDNA can survey the same species as visual surveys and can reveal additional species that were missed by visual surveys. The method is less expensive than completing visual surveys, with a sample costing around $50. eDNA can't reveal the sex, size, abundance, or behavior of the fish being studied, so visual surveys will still be required."
"Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 3 software detailed in new leak . Samsung's Galaxy Watch 3 will likely feature customizable watch faces and updates to its music, email, and calendar apps. Some watch faces will use a feature called 'informative digital edge' which will display custom details like heart rate or current steps around the edges of the design. Leaked images of the watch are available in the article. The images show a date of July 22nd on the watch faces, suggesting a date for its reveal. Samsung is expected to release two size variants with LTE and Wi-Fi-only options."
"Wasmino = WASM + Arduino . Wasmino is an Arduino core that can compile your Arduino sketch to WebAssembly and run it in a browser. It has only been tested on Windows and Linux, but it will probably work for macOS. A 64-bit system is required due to some of its dependencies. The Arduino IDE is required."
"Shiny (GitHub Repo). This is a cool Javascript library that lets you simulate reflections on mobile websites (there's a gif in this repo that shows the library simulating glare on a credit card as you turn an iPhone). This is pretty sweet, I had no idea this was possible with Javascript."
"WebOps Weekly (Newsletter). This is an awesome resource for anyone interested in devops, it's full of news, tutorials, tools, and podcast recommendations. A lot of really practical stuff in here, like how to manage APIs, when to use GraphQL, and speeding up requests with HPACK headers."
"Grab an easy-to-remember .app or .dev domain, free for the first year with Porkbun (Sponsor). Grab an easy-to-remember .app or .dev domain, free for the first year with Porkbun . Porkbun is a user-friendly domain registrar that prioritizes intuitive UX and timely support. Show off your new app with a .app domain (used by Square's Cash App and Shopify's Shop App) or a new project with a .dev domain (used by projects like Go, React Native, Dart, Flutter, and more!). Get your free domain today."
"Robots learn to sweat to stop overheating . Material scientists have created a robot hand that is designed to sweat when overheated in order to cool down. The three-fingered machine has pressurized reservoirs filled with water inside its fingers which are connected to the surface via ducts made of heat-reactive plastic. When the plastic reaches a certain temperature, the pores open and water is released onto the surface, evaporating and cooling the machine down. Most robots are made of metal, which is good at dispersing heat, but soft robots designed for delicate tasks like medical procedures and packing fruit are made from rubber, which is a good insulator. One of the downsides to sweating is that it reduces friction, which could be an issue for gripping-type robots. There are GIFs in the article showing the sweating robot in action."
WiFi Card (GitHub Repo). WiFi Card makes it easy to print a QR code with Wi-Fi login details. A GIF demo is available.
"Aura Theme (GitHub Repo). Aura Theme is a dark theme designed for completing long-term work without discomfort to the eyes. It is available for Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, CodeSandbox, and a variety of terminals, browsers, and apps. Screenshots and examples are available."
"Palantir to relocate headquarters from Silicon Valley to Colorado . Palantir Technologies is relocating its headquarters to Denver, Colorado from Palo Alto, California. It is unclear how many of Palantir's employees will be affected by the move. Reasons for the move include the increasing intolerance and monoculture of Silicon Valley and the high housing prices in the area. Palantir announced in early July that it had filed confidentially for a public stock offering."
"Self-transforming robot blocks jump, spin, flip, and identify each other . MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) has created self-assembling robotic cubes that can climb over and around one another, leap through the air, and roll across the ground. Using radio signals or infrared to communicate can cause a lot of interference, especially at scale. M-Blocks are able to identify other blocks and faces using a barcode-like system. A fleet of blocks can currently accomplish simple tasks such as forming a line, following arrows, or tracking light. In the future, the blocks may be able to self-assemble into structures such as stairs. M-Blocks use a flywheel for movement and magnets for attachment. The blocks are inexpensive, robust, and can be easily scaled."
"BudgetML (GitHub Repo). BudgetML allows data practitioners to quickly deploy an ML inference service in less than 10 lines of code. It features automatic FastAPI server endpoint generation, fully interactive docs, built-in SSL certificate generation, 99% uptime using cheap preemptible instances, and complete OAuth2 secured endpoints. Using BudgetML results in significant cost savings."
"Yahoo has built a new calendar app called Day, and it’s recruited the co-founder of Sunrise to design it . Day is a new standalone calendar app from Yahoo. It will be designed by the same developer as the popular Sunrise calendaring app that was sold to Microsoft for over $100 million. Day will be built independently with no Yahoo branding or integrations. It will be able to integrate with email and other tools. The service is currently invite-only."
"Jovo (GitHub Repo). Jovo is a cross-platform framework for building conversational and multimodal experiences on the web, Alexa, Google Assistant, Messenger, Instagram, Google Business Messages, mobile apps, and more. It is component-based and extensions are available through a marketplace. Jovo works with many NLU and CMS services."
"How many robots does it take to run a grocery store? (5 minute video). A grocery packing warehouse in the southeast of London is completely run by machines. The facility was custom-built to make the system as efficient as possible. It is the size of seven football fields and houses thousands of machines all controlled by a central artificial intelligence system. The robots move at a top speed of around 14 kilometers an hour, passing within 5 millimeters of each other when they move around. Watch the video to see how each part of the warehouse operates."
"Tesla Cybertruck with updated interior and windshield wiper goes on new outing . A new Tesla Cybertruck prototype has made an appearance at an official event to launch the Tesla Megapack project at Moss Landing, California. The Moss Landing site hosts several major energy storage projects. It was activated a few months ago, but the commissioning ceremony was officially held on Monday. The Cybertruck prototype had a much smaller windshield wiper than the previous prototype. Production for the Cybertruck is now planned to start in 2023. Pictures and a video of the prototype are available in the article."
"A 72-hour live stream is bringing Earth Day online . Earth Day's 50th anniversary is on April 22. Originally, events were planned for the big day, but the movement has now been forced online. Organizers have planned a three-day live-streamed event called Earth Day Live. It aims to draw in millions of people to rally for action on climate change and make it a priority for would-be voters. There will be celebrity cameos, high-profile speakers, musicians, and performers. The event will be broadcast from a website that is linked in the article. Give feedback by replying here or messaging me on Twitter @tldrdan! If you don't want to receive future editions of TLDR, please click here."
"Managing people 🤯 . It is easy to burn out employees as you learn how to manage groups of people. This article contains advice for managers of small teams and startups on how to manage people. It covers topics such as responsibility, leadership, processes, trust, decision layering, and much more."
"AgnosticUI (Website). AgnosticUI is a set of UI primitives that work in React, Vue 3, Svelte, and vanilla JavaScript. The components use clean, semantic, and accessible HTML and decoupled standards-based CSS. They can be customized using CSS custom properties."
"Pricewise (Firefox Extension). Firefox has launched an open beta for Pricewise, their price-tracking browser extension. You can add products to your watch list and it will give you a notification when the price drops. The extension currently works on Amazon, Best Buy, Home Depot, eBay, and Walmart, and Mozilla plans on adding more stores in the future."
Go watch this stunning FPV drone short film inside a bustling bowling alley . A new video by YouTuber jaybyrdfilms shows an astonishing display of camerawork and drone piloting skills. It was shot at Bryant Lake Bowl in Minneapolis with an FPV drone. The video is available in the article.
"A Massive New Gene Editing Project Is Out to Crush Alzheimer’s . The iPSC Neurodegenerative Disease Initiative (iNDI) is a project that aims to stimulate, accelerate, and support research that will lead to the development of improved treatments and preventions for Alzheimer's and other dementias. The plan involves adding more than 100 genes linked to Alzheimer’s and other dementias into stem cells from a wide variety of donors to see which genes contribute to the disorder. It will investigate how the genes activate, what proteins they code for, how those proteins interact, and more. All of the data from the project will be openly shared online for anyone to mine and interpret."
"Microsoft's New Molecular Controller Makes DNA Writing 1,000 Times Faster . DNA storage will help meet humanity's exponential desire for data storage, but it is expensive, at around $3,500 for synthesizing 1 megabit of information. The technology offers incredible storage density at over 1 exabyte per cubic inch and it may have a lower carbon footprint than traditional computer storage. Researchers at Northwestern University recently announced a new method that can write DNA in hours rather than days. The increase of writing throughput will greatly reduce the cost of writing synthetic DNA code and help to enable commercial DNA storage in the future."
"Google announces Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL . The Pixel 4 and Pixel 4XL have been officially announced at an event in New York City. It is now available for preorder and will ship on October 24th. There will be three new colors: white, black, and a limited-edition orange option. The Pixel 4 will have a 5.7-inch display at 1080p and start at $799, and the Pixel 4 XL will have a 6.3-inch Quad HD display and start at $899. Both devices will have a 90Hz max refresh rate, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 processor, and will come in either 64GB or 128GB storage with 6GB RAM. Google has developed its own face unlock system and an interaction method called Motion Sense, which allows the Pixel 4 to be controlled with hand gestures. The camera now has a telephoto portrait lens beside the standard primary rear camera. New software has also been added to improve photography features, and there is a new Recorder app that can transcribe text that can be searched."
"My (somewhat). Nicholas Zakas has been nice enough to publish his own full salary history in order to help other developers see if they're being paid fairly. He's worked at 5 companies including Yahoo and Box, where he made $208,000 as a principal architect in 2014. That's a big jump from the $48,000 he made as a webmaster at Radnet in 2000. He goes into a good amount of detail about each job, nothing in particular is that interesting but the story as a whole is an interesting point of reference to see the full career path of someone who's been in the industry for a lot longer than most of us."
"The struggle of using native emoji on the web (10 minute read). Emoji are released by the Unicode Consortium every year, but operating systems don't always update them in a timely manner. This results in browsers sometimes rendering emojis using an outdated system. This article looks at the problem with displaying emojis on web pages, some possible solutions, and ideas for improving the standard so that developers can reliably use emojis on their sites."
"More data? More problems! (Sponsor). More data? More problems! . Just think for a minute about how much data your company has — whether you're at a startup or Fortune 500, it's probably a huge amount. And while your company manages a lot of data, only a small amount of it is personally identifiable information (PII) that you must handle carefully to protect customer data privacy. To meet this need, you should isolate PII from your other datasets, while retaining PII usability for key business workflows. Download What is a data vault? to learn how."
"Elon Musk's Ultimatum to Tesla: Fight the S.E.C., or I Quit . Last Thursday morning, SEC officials were shocked when Tesla pulled out of a settlement deal for the fraud charges against Elon Musk from his ""funding secured"" tweet, in which he had falsely claimed that he had funding secured to take the company private. Elon had given the board little choice, he had threatened to resign on the spot if the board entered into the settlement. After the stock plunged 14% last Friday, Tesla came crawling back to the SEC, this time with Elon's approval. They came to a less favorable settlement, in which Elon would be forced to step down as Chairman of Tesla, and the company and Elon personally would both pay $20 million a piece. Elon has 45 days to step down, in the meantime Tesla is looking for a new chairman. They haven't made a decision yet, but there are rumors that they are looking at James Murdoch, CEO of 21st Century Fox."
"Audi develops and uses a virtual 3D world for WFH . Audi Spaces is an interactive 3D world that copies the real working environment. Participants can use it to communicate, learn, and work with others using avatars in real-time and in a virtual space. The avatars can make gestures, interact, and talk to each other. It allows for meetings, training sessions, workshops, and other office activities. Screenshots from Audi Spaces are available in the article."
"Google Fi turns 6 and gets a new unlimited plan . Google Fi is celebrating its sixth year by launching a new plan with unlimited calls and texts in the US, plus unlimited data and texting in the US, Canada, and Mexico. The Simply Unlimited plan has free international calls to more than 50 countries, with international data in more than 200 destinations. It includes 100GB of Google One cloud storage."
"About 3% of SpaceX's Starlink satellites may have failed . SpaceX has launched nearly 800 Starlink satellites so far, but 3% have seemingly failed because they are no longer maneuvering in orbit. The failed satellites could be dangerous as they could potentially crash into other spacecraft and generate space debris. With plans to launch 42,000 spacecraft by the end of this decade, the 3% failure rate could eventually mean more than 1,200 dead satellites. SpaceX says the satellites will naturally deorbit and burn up in Earth's atmosphere, but the process can take up to five years."
"New gene-editing tool could fix most harmful DNA mutations . Scientists have developed a new gene-editing tool that is more accurate than CRISPR-Cas9. Prime editing can mend about 89 percent of the 75,000 or so harmful mutations in the human genome that cause diseases. Researchers were able to use prime editing to make 175 different DNA edits to human cells with impressive precision, correcting mutations that cause diseases such as sickle cell anemia and Tay-Sachs disease. The same edits using CRISPR-Cas9 would leave insertions, deletions, and other genetic detritus that could interfere with the functions of the edited cells. More research is required before it can be safely used in humans."
"Reddit officially launches its Community Funds program with a $1 million investment . Reddit is investing $1 million into its Community Funds program. The program provides financial support to help Reddit users bring their ideas for events and projects to life. It has so far funded 13 projects nominated by communities on its platform, including a digital conference for history buffs and a billboard in Times Square. Reddit will start accepting submissions for projects needing up to $50,000 in funding in June."
"Wearing someone else's face: Hyper-realistic masks to go on sale in Japan . A Japanese retailer has produced a hyper-realistic human face mask. They cost 98,000 yen ($950) each. The masks are based on real human faces. The retailer plans to add more faces to the lineup. Pictures of the masks are available in the article."
"Scientists 3D Printed Ears Inside Living Mice Using Light . Scientists were able to use light and bio-ink to print a human ear-like structure under the skin of mice without a single surgical cut. Digital light processing-based 3D bioprinting is a process where cell-containing bio-ink is injected into injured tissue and then stimulated with patterns of light. The light activates the cells in the bio-ink. Depending on the cell type, this technique can be used to repair damaged spinal cords, nerve fibers, or blood vessels. Using near-infrared light, this technique opens up the possibility of performing 3D tissue engineering without the need for surgery, directly inside the patient. It may be possible to create implants without the risk of infection. The technique can also be used to heal severe wounds."
"How close are we to a coronavirus vaccine? All you need to know . In the next months Moderna Inc, Sinovac Biotech, and Oxford-AstraZeneca are expected to begin late-stage trials of their experimental coronavirus vaccines. Moderna's mRNA vaccine was able to stop the virus from replicating in the lab and will be tested on 30,000 volunteers in the US. Sinovac's inactivated vaccine will be tested in Brazil starting July, with 9,000 participants in the late-stage trial. Oxford-AstraZeneca's vaccine will also be testing in Brazil and the team has the capacity to create 100 million doses by the end of the year if the trials prove successful."
IRedis (GitHub Repo). IRedis is a terminal client for Redis with auto-completion and syntax highlighting.
Bumble is opening a restaurant to go along with their dating app . Bumble is opening a cafe and restaurant in New York City called Bumble Brew. The venue will be a cafe during the day and an intimate restaurant and wine bar at night. It will start opening for breakfast on July 24 with plans of expanding its hours later in the summer. The restaurant was inspired by the success of the Bumble Hive pop-up spaces that the company used in 2017. It will feature an Italian-inspired menu. Bumble plans to host events and schedule programming at the establishment.
"SpaceX says 12,000 satellites isn’t enough, so it might launch another 30,000 . SpaceX is requesting permission from the International Telecommunication Union to launch 30,000 more low-Earth orbit satellites to add to its Starlink broadband network. It already has permission to launch 12,000 satellites. The ITU coordinates spectrums to prevent signal interference and spectrum hogging. Starlink will provide gigabit internet speeds with latencies as low as 25ms. As of January 2019, only 8,950 satellites have ever been placed into orbit, with around 5,000 still in space. Only about 1,950 satellites in orbit are still functioning. If SpaceX continues with its plans to launch an additional 30,000 satellites, it would need to provide plans to minimize debris and prevent collisions. SpaceX plans for its satellites to burn up completely during atmospheric re-entry. Starlink could potentially provide full coverage of the populated world by 2020."
"Samsung: Expect 6G in 2028, enabling mobile holograms and digital twins . While 5G is still just starting to roll out, scientists are already working on the next-generation 6G standard. 6G is expected to offer 50 times higher peak data rates than 5G plus support for 10 times more connected devices in a square kilometer. Samsung is preparing for a 6G launch in 2028, two years ahead of the commonly predicted 2030 timeframe. Future technologies are sure to require significant amounts of bandwidth, with some projected requirements already surpassing the 5G network's capabilities."
"PIFuHD (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a PyTorch implementation of ""Multi-Level Pixel-Aligned Implicit Function for High-Resolution 3D Human Digitization"". The code can create high-resolution 3D models of humans from a single image. A Google Collab demo is available, and user-submitted examples are available on Twitter."
"Silero Models (GitHub Repo). Silero Models are pre-trained enterprise-grade speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and text-enhancement models made simple. They provide quality comparable to Google's technology. Benchmark results and examples are available."
"Getting a phone number with 4 consecutive digits . It can be handy to have access to multiple phone numbers. Verizon's My Numbers service allows users to have extra numbers, but the UI is bad and the interface is slow. This article follows a developer's process of figuring out how to access the My Numbers service programmatically in order to automate the search for a number with four consecutive digits. It involves learning how to find out which API endpoints are used and then calling the APIs using Python."
"How an anti ad-blocker works: Reverse-engineering BlockAdBlock (15 minute read). BlockAdBlock is a script that detects ad-blockers and disables website access until the ad-blocker is disabled. By searching through its version history using the Wayback Machine, it is possible to figure out how it was developed and how it works. BlockAdBlock's basic architecture consisted of a bait, a check to see if the ad-blocker blocked the bait, and then a function that created the overlay. Improvements in the code implemented different strategies of detecting ads, such as checking the page to see if target ads had loaded. As BlockAdBlock improved, ad-blockers also improved, creating a need for BlockAdBlock to be more creative in its methods. In the end, it is much harder to block ad-blockers than it is to block ads due to how web technologies work."
"The truth is in the code: Fixing vulnerabilities with Sourcegraph (Sponsor). The truth is in the code: Fixing vulnerabilities with Sourcegraph . Remediate vulnerabilities with confidence knowing you found every instance of affected code and track your remediation initiatives to completion with automated fixes and pull requests. With Sourcegraph, timely resolution is a search away."
"Internships (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a database of mainly 2020 summer tech internships. The information can easily be sorted as a spreadsheet on a website, as a markdown file, as a CSV file, or by adding to Trello. Users are encouraged to contribute to the list and instructions for contributions are provided."
Intel and Samsung’s new demo shows how blisteringly fast a PCIe 5.0 SSD setup will be . Samsung’s new PM1743 PCIe NVMe SSD can hit data speeds over 13GB/s in real world tests. A recent video demo from Intel shows the hard drive working with Intel’s Core i9-12900K CPU to hit speeds more than twice as fast as the PlayStation 5's PCIe Gen 4 SSD. The drive will likely come with a hefty price tag when consumer-grade versions are released. A video showing a speed test of the drive is available in the article.
"Google buys triple-A game dev Typhoon Studio to beef up Stadia . Typhoon Studios has been acquired by Google's Stadia cloud gaming division as part of Google's plan to create exclusive content for the Stadia platform. The game studio is about to release its first game in January 2020. Typhoon Studios has built a team of industry veterans who have experience in building many triple-A games. Stadia was announced in March this year and launched with 22 games in mid-November. More games are being continually added, and Google will launch a broader service with more content in the coming months. In order for Stadia to stand out from competitors, it must produce more exclusive content and exploit features such as its Youtube social video technology."
Crypto social media platform Voice finally launches on EOS . Voice is a new social media platform that rewards its users for quality content. It is based on the EOS blockchain. Users on the platform are rewarded with Voice tokens for posting quality content. Voice's launch was delayed as the company changed CEOs and split off from Block.one to become its own company. The platform is now available to the public to browse. Users who want to publish content will have to register.
"Uber launches rider loyalty Rewards like credits & upgrades 9 cities . Uber is launching a loyalty program called Uber Rewards in 9 cities today before rolling it out to the entire US in the next few months. There are four tiers of rewards (Blue, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond) with Blue you basically just get 1 penny in Uber credits for every dollar you spend on Uber (you earn 2 points for UberX, Uber XL and Uber Select, and 3 points for Uber Black cars). As you get more points you get bumped up tiers, Gold makes it easier for you to cancel trips, Platinum lets you avoid surge pricing and gets priority pickup at airports, and Diamond gives you dedicated 24/7 phone support and complimentary surprise upgrades to Uber Black cars."
"Google Interviewing Process for Software Developer Role in 2020 . The Google interviewing process starts with a screening interview over Hangouts. Initially, the candidate is interviewed for a general fit to the company, after which they can choose from a range of positions at the particular hiring location. There are two remote coding interviews on algo and data structures, an on-site interview with several coding interviews, a system design interview, a company fit interview, and a last stage where senior Google staff decide whether to hire based on the interviewers’ recommendations. Passing all the interviews and getting to the final stages does not guarantee a job."
"Scientists successfully harvest eggs from last two northern white rhinos . Ten eggs were harvested from the last two remaining northern white rhinoceroses, potentially saving the species from extinction. Neither of the white rhinos can carry a baby to term, so the eggs will be fertilized with sperm from a northern white rhino bull and implanted into southern white rhinos. The last male northern white rhino died in 2018. Rhinoceros populations have plummeted due to widespread poaching."
"Facebook is rolling out the new design for its website . Facebook has been working on a redesign since before May last year, when screenshots of the new design appeared on the internet. Users are now being invited to test the new design. The invitations appear to be completely random. Facebook's new design changes the overall look of the site and makes it appear much more modern. It also includes a dark mode. Screenshots of the new design are available. There is no official release schedule for the update."
"Advanced NLP with spaCy: A free online course (GitHub Repo). This repository contains an online course which can also be used as a framework to build other online courses. The course will teach students how to use spaCy to build advanced natural language understanding systems using rule-based and machine learning approaches. It features the use of slides, interactive code exercises, multiple-choice questions, and is completely customizable using Markdown with custom elements."
"Ceev (Web Tool). This is a free resume building web tool. It's super easy to use, and the UI is super clean. Also I'm always a fan of products like this one that let you use them without having to create an account."
"Billions of cockroaches are being farmed in China to tackle food waste . Chinese cities are generating more food waste than they can handle with landfills, so now in the city of Jinan, farms with a billion cockroaches are fed 50 tons of food waste daily through pipes. These cockroaches are then used as pig feed. It's illegal to use food waste directly as pig feed due to African swine fever outbreaks. Thus, the solution is to use cockroaches as an intermediate step. A farmer asked about cockroaches escaping said ""We have a moat filled with water and fish. If the cockroaches escape, they will fall into the moat and the fish will eat them all."" Enjoy your breakfast!"
"The Centralized Internet Is Inevitable (13 minute read). Twitter recently locked several prominent accounts after sharing stories implicating that Joe Biden's son was corrupted. Chinese users noted how similar Twitter's actions were to WeChat's when the Chinese government censors information. This action sets a precedent that may affect the free-flow of information in Western media. Journalism has changed significantly over the decades, as more and more people are given a voice. A centralized internet would mean that information is more controlled, allowing for more direct control by state bureaucracies."
"A new genome reference index could save the genetic diversity of all humans . The Human Pangenome Project aims to gather, organize, and make accessible a representation of all genetic diversity found in people. The data could help reveal information about genetic risk for different diseases and conditions for individuals in the future. A technique called 'long read' sequencing will be used to map full genomes from end to end. Some groups are wary of the effort and have rejected the proposal."
"Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Bezos Announce Divorce on Twitter . After 25 years of marriage, Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos are getting divorced. They've been separated for a long time, but will continue to be ""parents, friends, partners in ventures and projects."" They met before Amazon was started, when they both worked at the hedge fund DE Shaw."
"Apple announces new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Magic Keyboard . Apple has announced a new 13-inch MacBook Pro featuring a Magic Keyboard and optional Intel 10th Gen processors. Starting at $1,299, the base model comes with 256GB of storage and 8GB RAM. It can be upgraded to 32GB of ram and 4TB of storage. The new Macbook Pro is now available to order on Apple's website and will arrive in select stores and retailers later this week."
"Senior Google Scientist Resigns Over ""Forfeiture of Our Values"" in China . Jack Poulson, a senior research scientist working in Google's research and machine intelligence department resigned to protest Project Dragonfly, a search engine Google built which is designed to remove content that China's authoritarian government views as sensitive, such as information about political dissidents, free speech, democracy, human rights, and peaceful protest. Once news of Dragonfly spread through Google, there were protests inside the company, and a petition with 1400 signatures demanded that an ombudsman be appointed to assess the ""moral and ethical issues"" posed by Dragonfly. However, Poulson believes he is one of only 5 employees to quit in protest over Project Dragonfly. He says, ""It’s incredible how little solidarity there is on this. It is my understanding that when you have a serious ethical disagreement with an issue, your proper course of action is to resign."""
"How to Start a New Country . There are many ways to start a new country. The internet provides us with a new way of bringing people together. It is not difficult for millions of people to gather together anymore. If millions of people build a network with a genuine sense of national consciousness, an integrated cryptocurrency, and a plan to crowdfund territory around the world, it would be possible to build a new type of network state."
"Netflix Party Lets You Watch Movies Online With Friends, Mixing AOL Chatroom With Streaming Services . Netflix Party is a Chrome extension that allows people to watch shows together with a chatbox. The host just needs to select a show and then share a link. Anyone with the link can join the chatroom and watch the show together in real-time. The extension uses the host to stream video to those watching, so there is a slight delay in the video."
"Use FusionAuth for Your Side Project - Free Auth (Sponsor). Does your side project need login/registration? Get auth up and running in 5min. SSO, MFA, and more right out of the box. Best part? It's free forever! (unlimited users, no CC or subscription required) Get started today!"
"No Email. No WhatsApp. No Internet. This Is Now Normal Life In Kashmir (18 minute read). On August 5 last year, the Indian government revoked a law that granted Jammu and Kashmir a measure of autonomy, splitting the state into two territories. The government then shut down all communications and arrested thousands of activists and academics in order to quell public opposition to the move. Over the last six months, communications such as landline phones, texting, and some access to government-approved websites has been restored, but the rest of the internet is still off-limits to citizens. People are calling the internet shut down a human rights violation and that it is a move to break the will of the Kashmiri people. The shutdown has caused life in the area to come to a standstill and people are struggling."
"snipli (GitHub Repo). snipli is a command-line interface for sharing code snippets from local files. It can create, delete, and edit gists on GitHub."
"Huawei, the Chinese tech giant embroiled in controversy, just overtook Apple to become the second-largest smartphone maker . Huawei was the only smartphone manufacturer in the top three that saw an increase in shipments in the first quarter of 2019. Despite the accusations of fraud and controversy over the security of its devices, Huawei surpassed Apple as the second largest smartphone maker after Samsung. While Huawei sold more units than Apple, Apple's smartphone revenue was more than double that of Huawei’s. There has been a global decline in smartphone sales as prices have generally increased and people have been upgrading their devices less often."
ISS Photo Explorer (Website). The ISS photo explorer lets you explore the millions of photographs taken from the International Space Station since the year 2000. All images are loaded directly from the NASA Gateway. The latitude/longitude location of each photo is plotted over a map of Earth.
"Amazon jumps into the pharmacy business with online prescription fulfillment, free delivery for Prime members . Amazon Pharmacy has launched in the US. The service will allow customers to order prescription medications for home delivery, with free delivery for Amazon Prime members. Amazon has been trying to enter into the $300 billion pharmacy market for several years, acquiring PillPack in 2018 for its pharmacy software, fulfillment centers, and relationship with health plans. Amazon Pharmacy will accept most forms of insurance and it has tools to verify physician orders to detect fraud. Some personal information will be collected as it is required by law to provide pharmacy care. Amazon will not deliver Schedule II controlled medications and it won't be offering vitamins and supplements through the service. Pharmacy data will be kept separate from other data that Amazon collects."
Procedural GL JS (GitHub Repo). Procedural GL JS is a library for creating 3D maps on the web. It allows developers to embed landscapes into web pages. Procedural GL JS is fast and optimized for mobile devices. A demo is available.
"Sign Up for TLDR's Crypto Newsletter (Signup Form). I am launching a new crypto newsletter on January 10th, 2022 to follow tech and innovation within the blockchain space. Please remember to hit enter after signing up, if you don't see the confirmation screen you haven't been added to the list!"
"The autonomous vehicle world is shrinking — it’s overdue . As the autonomous vehicle industry matures, it is realizing that the cost and effort it will take to reach mass scale will require more cooperation. There have been many mergers, joint ventures, and other cooperative efforts lately, and the industry is likely to continue shrinking. The consolidation is long overdue, with many automakers promising too much for too long but delivering too little. Huge amounts of investment are still required to bring the concept of autonomous vehicles to reality, and investors would have to tolerate zero cash flow until the technology is safe enough to launch."
"Diagram generation tool (Website). The Diagram generation tool allows users to describe diagrams with a simple text language and automatically generate an exportable image. Users do not need to spend time positioning elements, as the layout is re-adjusted automatically. There are seven diagram layout types available."
"The Beer Drinker’s Guide to SAML (20 minute read). Security Assertion Markup Language is a protocol for authenticating web applications, allowing linked apps and organizations to communicate and trust one another's users. The key to SAML is browser redirects. Many single sign-on services rely on SAML to manage user logins. At first, a user is provided with an identity token, which can be used by several parties to verify their access. There are different methods of verifying an identity, and sometimes they might even need several forms of identity, but the concept is the same. Once a user obtains their identity token, they can use it to access various services, all which check for the validity of the identity token. SAML is similar to other authentication protocols like WS-Fed and OAuth, but its main use is for businesses to access services that they pay for."
"Axiom (GitHub Repo). Axiom can set up a cloud hacking box with just a single command. It is designed so hackers can quickly set up multiple instances for short-term use. Users just need to run axiom-init and it will create a new DigitalOcean instance in under two minutes containing reconnaissance tools, an OpenVPN server, and more."
"Airbus' self-flying plane just completed successful taxi, take-off, and landing tests, opening the door for fully autonomous flight . Airbus just completed flight testing for its Autonomous Taxi, Take-off, and Landing project. Over 500 flights were conducted with the new Airbus A350-1000 XWB, with the pilots only lining up the plane with the runway before letting the plane take flight on its own. The program relies heavily on the onboard cameras that are used by pilots to help guide the plane while on the ground. Airbus' success means that fully autonomous flights might soon be possible as autopilot already handles most functions while airborne."
"Another Tesla with Autopilot crashed into a stationary object—the driver is suing . A Tesla Model S owner is suing the company because his Tesla crashed into a Ford Fiesta in the next lane ""suddenly, and without any warning"" at 80mph when he was using the Autopilot feature on October 12th. A Tesla spokesperson said ""It is the driver's responsibility to remain attentive to their surroundings and in control of the vehicle at all times,"" but Tesla's Autopilot home page has a big banner at the top that says ""full self-driving hardware on all cars"". Hudson says that a Tesla sales rep said he only needed to ""occasionally place his hand on the steering wheel and that the vehicle would do everything else"". He is suing Tesla for selling a defective product and deceptive marketing."
"This Conversation Between A Passenger And An Airline Should Absolutely Terrify You . A passenger boarded a flight without having to provide any ticket information or identification, using only a face scan at the gates, and this prompted a conversation on Twitter about how this was possible. It appears that JetBlue Airways is using a system that scans customer’s faces and matches them against a database owned by the Department of Homeland Security. They claim that none of the information is stored on their side. Customers can opt out of the experience, but their photos will still be linked with bookings in the system. People are concerned with the use of facial recognition technology in this way as boarding a flight may eventually become cause for a law enforcement search."
Build Your Own Botnet (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a framework to build and operate a basic botnet. Developers can easily implement custom code and new features without having to write a Remote Administrative Tool or Command & Control server from scratch. The RAT can remotely load code into memory and execute it on the target machine without writing anything to disk. This project should be used for authorized testing or educational purposes only.
"What is Rust and why is it so popular? . Rust has been StackOverflow's most loved language for four years, but many people still don't know what it is. While Rust has its downsides, it solves pain points present in many other languages, providing a solid step forward. Rust's static typing attempts to stay out of a programmer's way while encouraging long-term maintainability. It gives developers control over memory management, resulting in more efficiency for optimized applications. Rust can be used to write extremely low-level code, such as operating system kernels or microcontroller applications. Developers don't need to focus on tiny details, as Rust tries to have as many zero-cost abstractions as possible. Rust gives developers the option to write unsafe code in order to have more control over the application. It also comes with a complete ecosystem that has plenty of libraries, complete with documentation, and a community that has created many extra development tools."
"Apple Releases iOS 12 With Faster Performance, Memoji, Siri Shortcuts, Screen Time, Revamped Maps App, ARKit 2.0, and More . Apple has released iOS 12, which features significant performance improvements over iOS 11 (it is 40% faster for launching apps and up to 70% faster for launching the camera). It has a new Screen Time feature, which tells you exactly how much time you spend on your phone or tablet, and which apps you're spending it on. Unlike iOS 11, it groups notifications together by app instead of sending floods of notifications from any one app. The iBooks, Apple News, Stocks, and Voice Memos apps have all been redesigned, and the Messages app now has Memojis (custom animated Animoji avatars). Maybe the most exciting part is ARKit 2, which will allow developers to build AR experiences that are shared by multiple users."
"Y Combinator announces Launch YC, a way for its portfolio to shout to the public . Launch YC is a platform where people can sort accelerator startups by industry, batch, and launch date. Standing out within a batch is harder than ever. Launch offers startups a way to get in front of early customers and investors. Y Combinator founders currently participating in an accelerator batch can announce via Launch before Demo Day. Launch is currently only for recently-backed YC Companies and product updates from YC Alumni."
"Apple offering engineers $180,000 bonuses to prevent poaching . The employee poaching war between Apple and Meta is heating up, with Apple now offering top engineering talents stock bonuses worth up to $180,000 to prevent them from defecting. Around 10% to 20% of engineers have been approached with the bonuses, which range from $50,000 to $180,000 in restricted stock, set to vest over four years. Meta has recently poached key engineers across several divisions at Apple. Apple has also been hiring talent from other companies."
Things I Learned to Become a Senior Software Engineer (40 minute read). Career development doesn't stop once you become a Senior Software Engineer. It is useful to assess your growth and find ways to continue growing. This article discusses growth from a Senior Software Engineer's perspective and covers both the mental aspects as well as some practical aspects of continual career development.
"Israeli Spy Tech Firm Says It Can Break Into Signal App Previously Considered Safe From Hacking . Cellebrite claims it can break into Signal. The Israeli phone-hacking firm has been criticized widely for selling its products to states with poor human rights records. Its products allow its customers to unlock, access, organize, and process the data of any phone in their possession. It has just updated its products to decode information and data from Signal. Signal employs end-to-end encryption, which prevents snooping of messages between devices, but not when the physical device is in the attacker's possession."
"Amazing Developers On YouTube (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a list of development YouTube channels. The list is split into English and non-English sections. Resources in the English section include tutorial, informational, live coding, software entertainment, competitive programming, interview preparation, up and coming, and retired channels. The non-English sections include Russian, Hindi, Turkish, and Italian channels."
"Apple is reportedly cutting iPhone production by 10% between January and March . For the second time in two months, Apple has cut iPhone production, this time dropping iPhone production by 10% from January to March of 2019. They will now be producing 40-43 million units instead of 47-48 million units as previously planned. Both Apple and Samsung have been hit hard by a slowdown in China's economy, causing both to drop earnings forecasts."
"Dev Tips (Newsletter). Dev Tips is sort of a cool novelty newsletter for programmers, it gives a developer tip once a week in the form of a gif. Usually they're pretty short handy things you never knew you wanted, for example there are a ton of useful functionalities in Chrome's Developer Tools that I've discovered through this."
"Nerve transfer surgery restores hand mobility in tetraplegic patients (3 second video). Doctors performed a series of nerve transfers, sometimes combined with tendon transfers, to attempt to restore mobility in the upper limbs of patients who had recently suffered from cervical spinal cord injury. This video shows a patient moving their arm and picking up a water bottle from a high position and moving it towards their mouth."
"First-ever recording of dying human brain reveals dreaming-like activity . Scientists have recorded the activity of a dying human brain for the first time. A patient was being monitored with an EEG for seizures when they had a heart attack and died. About 15 minutes of brain activity was recorded around the time of death. The recordings showed brain waves involved in processes such as dreaming, meditation, and memory retrieval. The observation indicates that the brain is capable of coordinated activity even after blood stops flowing through it."
"Europe will reportedly launch a major probe into Amazon’s business practices in days . EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager is preparing to launch a formal investigation into Amazon’s use of data from third-party merchants that sell through its platform. Amazon’s market is host to many other businesses, but Amazon also sells its own products on the same market. The investigation will look into whether Amazon is unfairly advantaged by the data it collects from other businesses. During her term, Vestager has fined Google multiple times for a combined total of $9.5 billion for antitrust violations. Vestager’s office is currently planning to fine Qualcomm more than $1 billion for allegedly trying to prevent other chipmakers from doing business with Apple."
"First details leak on Project Iris, Google’s next AR headset . Google is developing a new augmented reality headset that it plans to ship sometime in 2024. Project Iris will be wireless and use external cameras to send an augmented image of the real world to the user. It will use cloud computing to handle graphics processing. The current prototypes resemble a pair of ski goggles. Around 300 employees are working on the project. As with all research and development projects at Google, Project Iris may not result in a mainstream product."
"Harvard system could store data in organic molecules for millennia . Researchers at Harvard have developed a technique to store information within organic molecules, and this technology could potentially be used to store data securely for thousands of years. While DNA can store a lot of information, it is impractical to use as a storage medium. Other molecules can be more easily manipulated and take up less physical space. The researchers used oligopeptides, small molecules made up of amino acids, which were put into an order that could be translated into binary. In the experiments, scientists were able to read and write around 400 kB of text and image data with an accuracy of 99.9 percent. The system also works with other types of molecules and can write information faster than using DNA."
"Scientists Genetically Modify Fungus To Kill Mosquitoes That Spread Malaria . A fungus that has been modified with genes from a spider produces a venom that can quickly kill mosquitos. In lab experiments, the fungus was able to kill off mosquito populations in a confined area within two generations. While some scientists are worried that using genetic engineering to combat mosquitos may have wide-reaching consequences, such as killing off other organisms, lab research has so far shown the fungus to be harmless to other insects, such as bees. Malaria currently infects over 200 million people every year, killing more than 400,000, mostly children in sub-Saharan Africa. Other approaches to combating malaria involve using CRISPR to inject genes into mosquitos that cause them to become infertile."
"Netflix confirms it killed AirPlay support, won’t let you beam shows to Apple TVs anymore . Netflix has suddenly discontinued AirPlay support with little explanation. Apple has partnered with most of the major TV brands to allow AirPlay 2 to send video directly to TVs without an Apple TV, and Netflix claims that it can’t deliver its service due to restrictions in the AirPlay 2 software stopping Netflix from identifying the type of TV it would be displayed on. Netflix denied that this was a business competition play against Apple. They have also recently declined to be part of Apple TV+, preferring to stay a competitor."
"First US Space Force recruitment video wants you to find your purpose off the planet . The US Space Force has posted its first recruitment video on Twitter. The video features rockets, mission control-type rooms, and US Space Force members in spacesuits. Established in 2019, the US Space Force will be operational by mid-2021. Its responsibilities include developing military space professionals, acquiring military space systems, and maturing the military doctrine for space power. There has been an avalanche of applicants. A link to the video is available in the article."
"Visa and Plaid call off $5.3 billion merger after Justice Department objection . Visa and Plaid have terminated plans to merge following antitrust pushback from the Department of Justice. While the companies were confident that they would have succeeded in the antitrust lawsuit, they decided it would have taken too long to fully resolve. The deal was originally announced in January 2020. Visa will continue to work with Plaid."
How to Map Mouse Position in CSS . This article teaches you how to create a click-and-drag effect with pure CSS. Several examples of how to use the techniques taught in the article are available at the end.
"Solar Orbiter’s first images reveal ‘campfires’ on the Sun . Solar Orbiter, ESA and NASA's new Sun-observing mission, has discovered omnipresent miniature solar flares near the surface of the star. The discovery was made with one of the first images received from Solar Orbiter, demonstrating the enormous potential for the mission. Solar Orbiter carries six telescopes to image the Sun and its surroundings and four instruments that monitor the environment around the spacecraft. The images, taken 77 million km away from the Sun, are available in the article."
"Report: Fry’s Electronics going out of business, shutting down all stores . Fry's Electronics will shut down all 30 of its American locations. Employees of the superstore chain reported on Tuesday that they had been fired that day with zero notice. Some employees were tasked with shipping remaining merchandise back to suppliers for their last day of work. Fry's website has begun serving failure notices, but some of its subdomains remain active. The company has deleted its Facebook account and locked its Twitter profile. An official announcement is expected soon."
"DNA seen through the eyes of a coder (23 minute read). DNA is like byte-compiled code for a virtual machine called 'the nucleus'. Each cell in a body carries a full set of DNA code, but only a small amount of genes are expressed. The processes that govern how DNA is read, written, and expressed are complex. This article explains how DNA works using code as an analogy. It discusses biological concepts such as RNA, mutations, and Homeobox genes and compares them with computing concepts like bootstrapping, bugs, and Makefiles."
"Veonim (GitHub Repo). Veonim is a modal IDE built on Neovim and VSCode extensions. It features auto completion, fuzzy searching, hints, error management and debugging tools, references, and more. It is currently in heavy development."
"New Evidence of Age Bias in Hiring, and a Push to Fight It . While businesses are complaining about the shortage of workers, older job seekers are finding that even with the right qualifications for the job, they are being turned away due to their age. Potential employers are able to filter out older job seekers through recruiting platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Proving age discrimination is difficult in court, and recent decisions have made it even harder for job applicants to win. Companies, such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, who have substantial evidence of age disparities in hiring, continue to insist that their hiring practices are merit-based and have nothing to do with age. While individual lawsuits are expensive and difficult to win, union-supported and class-action lawsuits have gained some ground in creating more equality in the job market."
"India’s Going to the Moon, and the Country Is Pumped . India’s plan to send a robotic rover to the south pole of the moon was delayed due to technical issues. Chandrayaan-2 will be the first ever space mission to the moon’s south pole. While India has hundreds of millions of people stuck in poverty, its universities produce some of the best software engineers and scientists in the world, making the country suited to space exploration. In 2008, an Indian space mission discovered water molecules on the moon. Many citizens are filled with a sense of national pride regarding the mission and children are learning about space exploration in special learning programs."
"Apple made a secret iPod for the US government, ex-software engineer claims . A former Apple software engineer claims that the US government approached Apple to make a top-secret version of its fifth-generation iPod. The aim of the project was to build an iPod that could run custom hardware in a way that could not be detected. All communication on the project was done in-person to avoid a paper trail. While it is unknown what exactly was being created, the device was likely a stealth Geiger counter."
"Digital immortality: How your life's data means a version of you could live forever . Hossein Rahnama has a company called Augmented Eternity that wants to use data you've created (chat logs, etc.) to create a digital representation of you so a version of you can live on forever. He's already busy creating a digital avatar for an unnamed financial CEO to live on after he's dead (cough Ray Dalio cough). The article jumps around a lot, but some interesting food for thought: having a digital version of you could actually be really useful even when you're alive (you could get a consultation from the world's best lawyer for pennies), there is the question of how data should be handled after someone dies (should it be governed by the same laws as the corpse of the deceased?), and how do we guard against the enormous power of the dead to influence the living (there is a Black Mirror episode in which a digital avatar created from her deceased husband's data keeps upselling a widow on more and more realistic versions of himself)."
Intel teases new technology to improve iPhone and Apple Watch integration with PCs . Intel's next-generation Evo PCs may have iPhone and Apple Watch integration with iMessage support. iPhone users might be able to access iMessage and data from the Health app on the new platform. Intel is still working with Apple on offering the new features. It seems unlikely that Apple will support unofficial ways to use iMessage on Windows. A video demonstration of the technology by Intel at CES 2022 is available in the article.
"We’ve spotted a planet surviving its dying star – here’s what it tells us about end of our Solar System . Our Sun's transformation into a white dwarf will be a violent process that will destroy an unknown number of planets. The recent discovery of an exoplanet that survived the death of its star may help us predict which planets will survive the death of the Sun. The new exoplanet is similar to Jupiter in both mass and separation. It likely barely survived its star's expansion when it became a red giant. The data suggests that Jupiter, and maybe even Mars, will survive after our Sun dies."
"Andy Jassy officially takes over as Amazon CEO from Jeff Bezos . Jeff Bezos has stepped down as CEO of Amazon and is now the Executive Chair. Andy Jassy is the new CEO. Bezos has served as CEO of Amazon since its founding 27 years ago. Jassy joined the company in 1997 and has led AWS since it was founded in 2003. Bezos will stay engaged in important Amazon initiatives, but he will dedicate more time and energy to other initiatives such as the Day One Fund and Bezos Earth Fund foundations, The Washington Post, and Blue Origin. He will fly to the edge of space on July 20."
Sorrow-stricken mother reunites with deceased daughter in virtual world . A special TV documentary in Korea tells the story of a sorrow-stricken mother and her reunion with her deceased daughter in a virtual world. 'I Met You' aired on February 6 after eight months of production. It is set at the charnel house which the mother visits once a month to remember her daughter. They have a heartfelt conversation and celebrate the daughter's birthday together. The mother said that she appeared in the documentary to help bring comfort to those who had lost family members.
"As internet forums die off, finding community can be harder than ever . Before social networks, message boards were an essential way for people to gather and discuss topics. Many formerly prominent forums are closing down as social media becomes more ubiquitous. Forums were where people used to find their communities, and while Facebook Groups is thriving, there are still many differences. Social media isn't as effective for keeping up with multiple discussions over extended time frames. Moderation was a feature that kept many forums civil, and this is likely what will keep people returning to niche discussion forums."
"Tesla is seeking $167 million in damages from the former employee Elon Musk accused of sabotage . Tesla is suing former employee Martin Tripp for $167 million, saying that he had illegally exported data and made false claims to reporters, materially impacting their stock price. Tripp did a bunch of interviews earlier this year saying that Tesla engaged in poor manufacturing practices, and that it may have used damaged battery modules in Model 3s. In July, he filed a complaint with the SEC alleging that Tesla made ""material omissions and misstatements"" to investors about its manufacturing practices. Elon Musk called him a ""saboteur"" in a company wide email earlier this year."
Open Source SPL that can execute SQL without RDB (Sponsor). SPL provides a syntax equivalent to the SQL92 standard and can perform rich and diverse data calculations. You can directly execute SQL by using TXT/CSV/JSON/XML/XLS/Web Service/MongoDB/Salesforce… as data tables. Learn more.
"Police bust 'world's biggest' video-game-cheat operation . Gaming giant Tencent and the Chinese police worked together to shut down a video-game-cheat operation that made roughly $76 million in revenue from subscription fees. The gang made and sold cheats to popular games to users in hundreds of regions. $46 million in assets were seized, and 10 people were arrested. Large money prizes are at stake in gaming tournaments around the world, so authorities have intensified crackdown efforts in recent years."
"Apple accused of monitoring employee text messages in lawsuit against ex-chip exec . Gerard Williams, a former Apple executive, has accused Apple of illegally obtaining text messages from his iPhone before firing him for breach of contract. Williams had left Apple to head a server chip start-up. Apple claimed that Williams was in breach of contract, saying that an intellectual property agreement prevented him from competing with the company. Williams had apparently recruited numerous Apple engineers away from the company. Apple allegedly collected Williams' text messages between him and other employees in order to build its case against him. Other tech companies have been accused of mismanaging users' data, and Apple has been trying to differentiate itself by focusing on user privacy and security."
"Someone Is Hacking the Hackers . The prominent crime site Maza was hacked earlier this week. It was a long-standing destination for all types of criminal activity. The forum was considered elite and hard to join. The hackers obtained usernames, email addresses, and hashed passwords, and then subsequently dumped the stolen data on the dark web. Two other Russian cybercrime forums were recently hacked. It is impossible to know who the hackers are, but it is possible that the site takedowns were done by law enforcement."
"Amazon’s cashierless tech is coming to Whole Foods next year . Amazon will bring its Just Walk Out technology to two new Whole Foods locations next year. Customers at the new stores will have the choice to pay using a self-checkout, customer service booth, or by having the new technology automatically bill them. The stores will still have comparable numbers of workers to similar-sized stores. Customers will need an Amazon account to use Just Walk Out. The technology will support all of Whole Foods' selection without customers needing to adjust any shopping habits."
"China Lands Spacecraft on Far Side of Moon . China has become the first country to land on the far side of the moon. The Chang'e-4 spacecraft landed in one of the oldest, deepest craters on the Moon, and scientists think that the probe could give us clues about the origin of the moon. It left China 22 days ago. China launched more rockets than any other country for the first time last year with 38 launches, and the Tiangong-2 could be the only space station in orbit if the International Space Station is decommissioned as the Trump administration has proposed ending federal funding for the ISS in 2025."
"FDA authorizes first COVID-19 antiviral pill . The Food and Drug Administration has authorized the first antiviral pill to treat Covid-19. Paxlovid curbs the risk of hospitalization and death in high-risk patients by 89%, but it has to be started within a few days of symptoms showing up. The treatment involves 30 pills taken at home over five days. As the pill targets proteins that help the coronavirus make copies of itself, it will likely remain effective against variants."
"New wearable device turns the body into a battery . Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder have created a wearable device that transforms the human body into a battery. It can be worn like a ring, bracelet, or any other accessory that touches the skin. The device converts body heat into electricity using thermoelectric generators. It generates about 1 volt of energy per square centimeter of skin space, enough to power devices like watches or fitness trackers. The device can heal itself when damaged and it is fully recyclable."
"Google says the built-in microphone it never told Nest users about was 'never supposed to be a secret' . Google has come under fire again with the revelation that its Nest Secure product had a built-in microphone. The microphone has existed in the product since launch but was never listed in the product specifications. Google has apologized for the oversight, saying that they had made a mistake in not announcing the existence of the built-in microphone. It claims the microphone was built into the device for future updates, such as the current Assistant upgrade, and for the possibility of integrating other security features such as detecting broken glass."
"Here’s what Elon Musk just told Twitter employees . Elon Musk addressed Twitter employees on a video call on Thursday. He spoke about his goals for the company, free speech, possible layoffs, his bias towards in-person work, and why he loves Twitter. The majority of reactions on Twitter's Slack messaging board were negative. Many employees are worried about the reduced focus on content moderation, inclusion, and diversity measures."
"Deep Learning Ocean (GitHub Repo). This is a huge set of deep learning resources for all kinds of learners (there are sections for academic papers, courses, blogs, tutorials, and frameworks so you can choose how you want to learn). Especially good for people who like to read academic papers, because there are a ton of them and they seem well organized."
"Uber argues its drivers aren’t core to its business, won’t reclassify them as employees . The Assembly Bill 5 in California uses an 'ABC test' to determine whether independent contractors qualify as employees, and if they do, employers are required to give them the same rights and benefits as employees. Uber has claimed that ride-share drivers aren't doing work that is core to its business, so they don't qualify as employees under the new law. The main business of Uber is to serve as a technology platform for different types of digital marketplaces. Uber is not concerned about an increase in lawsuits due to the new bill. It has partnered with Lyft to lobby to create a new classification for ride-share drivers so that drivers will still get more protections, just not the same ones as normal employees. If Uber was forced to reclassify drivers under AB5, it would likely start rostering drivers, meaning that drivers would have less flexibility on when they can work."
"Woman is first to receive cornea made from ‘reprogrammed’ stem cells . A Japanese woman in her forties is the first in the world to have her cornea repaired using reprogrammed stem cells. The woman had a disease that meant that her cornea could not be repaired naturally. The disease causes blurriness in vision and can lead to blindness. Corneal cells were created from induced pluripotent stem cells and implanted in the patient. Her cornea has remained clear and her vision has improved since the transplant a month ago. Cornea transplants usually require tissue from donors who have died, and the waiting lists are long. The Japanese health ministry has allowed four of these operations for testing, and the scientists are hoping that the procedure will be available in clinics in the next five years."
Apple will delist App Store apps that haven’t been updated recently . Apple plans to remove apps on its App Store that haven't been recently updated. Developers have 30 days to submit an update for approval. The policy is intended to make it easier for customers to find apps that fit their needs. Apps that are removed from the App Store due to this policy will remain fully functional for users who already have the app installed. Google has also announced similar plans.
"Detectron2 (GitHub Repo). Detection2 is Facebook AI Research's software that implements state-of-the-art object detection algorithms. It is a complete rewrite of the previous version. It uses PyTorch, trains much faster, can be used as a library to support different projects on top of it, and it includes features such as panoptic segmentation, densepose, Cascade R-CNN, rotated bounding boxes, and more."
"My experience as a Gazan girl getting into Silicon Valley companies . This post follows the experience of Dalia Awad, a 19-year-old female Computer Engineering student who was offered summer internships at Google and Repl.it. Awad became passionate about programming in high school while building robots for a competition. After completing a coding boot camp on a scholarship, Awad saw a Facebook post about Manara and decided to apply. Manara is a service that connects people in Palestine and the Middle East to positions at global tech companies. The service connected Awad to her potential employers and prepared her for her interviews. Thanks to the preparation from Manara, Awad now is able to choose from offers from two of the most famous tech companies in the world."
"West Virginia will allow “blockchain voting” in the 2020 election. That’s a risky idea. . Military voters from West Virginia stationed overseas will be able to use a mobile app to vote during the 2020 elections. Voatz is an app that uses a private blockchain to guarantee the integrity of votes, but experts are unsure about the security of the system. Some states currently allow military voters to vote via email. West Virginia has already tested the system during the midterms last year and saw a good response rate."
"Scientists Extract and Sequence Million-Year-Old Mammoth DNA . A team of 22 researchers from nine countries has sequenced ancient DNA from the remains of three different mammoth species. The DNA was estimated to be 0.7-1.2 million years old, the oldest that has ever been recovered and sequenced. One of the mammoths was found to belong to an unknown genetic lineage, which was unexpected considering its similarities to another mammoth from the same area. Many of the cold adaptations in woolly mammoths were already present in their ancestors. It may be possible to sequence even older DNA if it can be found and recovered."
"Hydrogen-powered passenger plane completes maiden flight in ‘world first’ . ZeroAvia's six-seater Piper M-class aircraft, a plane that was retrofitted with a device to convert it to using hydrogen fuel, completed its maiden flight this week. While ZeroAvia describes the trip as a world's first, other hydrogen-fuel cell passenger planes already exist. ZeroAvia hopes to start flying passengers on zero-emission flights very soon. Its next step is to carry out a flight of between 250 to 300 nautical miles using hydrogen-fuel cells, which ZeroAvia hopes to complete before the end of 2020."
"Facebook Messenger desktop app launches for Windows and Mac . Facebook has launched a desktop app for Messenger on the Microsoft Store and the Mac App Store. It allows users to message friends and start video calls, and it has a dark mode. A desktop app puts Facebook Messenger into the increasingly important pool of videoconferencing tools. Many people are turning to video chat apps as they practice social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Zoom has recently faced backlash for its privacy and security issues."
"iPhone 12 lineup’s pricing and release dates detailed in new leak . Details about what Apple could announce at its October 13th event have been leaked. Apple will announce four new iPhones: an iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. All four phones will have 5G support, Super Retina XDR displays, and will be able to film in the Dolby Vision HDR standard. More details about each phone are available in the article. Apple will also announce new wireless MagSafe chargers and a $99 HomePod mini. While the source of the leak has a good track record, it is always best to take rumors like this with a pinch of salt."
"Boston Dynamics’ robots are preparing to leave the lab - is the world ready? (11 minute read). Boston Dynamics has been showing off advanced robots for years, gaining a large following for their machines. After decades of developing robots, Boston Dynamics is finally set to launch its first commercial bot later this year, a quadrupedal robot called 'Spot'. Robot development is difficult and requires significant funding, resources, and highly skilled staff. Boston Dynamics' robots are different in that they are legged and able to handle unexpected interference, such as being kicked. Spot will be able to be customized, with the ability to add attachments such as robotic arms, cameras, radios, sensors, and more. It is designed to be able to replace a human in current warehouse working environments. Other companies have also been developing legged robots for different environments."
"Imgur launches Melee, a dedicated gaming section trying to rival Twitch Clips . Twitch's clip feature has been popular amongst streamers, and now Imgur is trying to enter into the action with Melee, its app for gaming content. Melee allows players to share their favorite gaming clips with other users as well as gain an audience. Imgur has millions of daily users. These users may differ slightly from the daily Twitch crowd, allowing streamers to gain a wider audience. Imgur is also allowing Twitch integration for players. Melee is broken down into sections for different games and uses, and users can like, comment, and share clips within the app."
"React Query (GitHub Repo). React Query provides hooks for fetching, catching, and updating asynchronous data in React. It features transport, protocol, and backend agnostic data fetching, parallel and dependent queries, load-more pagination and scroll recovery, and more. Full documentation is provided along with examples."
"Snap launches Story Studio, a standalone video editing app for mobile . Story Studio is a new video editing app from Snap that is designed to give creators more precise editing control over vertical videos and allow them to add elements like text, audio, and AR lenses. Videos can be downloaded and shared without watermarks on any platform. Snap has paid out more than $250 million to 12,000 creators on its Spotlight platform since its launch. Story Studio is only available to iOS users in the US, UK, and Canada."
"Brain Cell DNA Refolds Itself to Aid Memory Recall . Engram cells in the brain activate as we form memories and reactivate as we remember them. Scientists at MIT have recently published a study that tracked the memory-making process at the molecular scale. In the study, mice with a fluorescent marker spliced into their genome to make their cells glow whenever they expressed a gene associated with memory formation were trained to fear a specific noise. The scientists found fine-grained changes in the architecture of the DNA of hippocampal engram cells, making it easier for memory-associated genes to work to strengthen and preserve memories."
"Walmart is buying JoyRun assets to add ‘peer-to-peer’ product delivery . Walmart has acquired select assets from JoyRun, including its talent, technology, platform, and intellectual property. JoyRun's app allows people to find others who are already on their way to a restaurant so they can tag on an order of their own. It has a network of 540 third-party merchant partners and more than 30,000 people have delivered goods with the service since its launch. It is unknown how Walmart plans to use the service, but it is likely to be a gig economy-style approach to delivery. The deal is expected to close in the coming weeks."
"Microsoft will boost Windows on Arm with a new dev kit and Arm-native Visual Studio . Microsoft has announced a mini-desktop computer powered by an unnamed Qualcomm Snapdragon Arm chip with a built-in neural processing unit. Project Volterra will be accompanied by fully Arm-native versions of Visual Studio 2022 and VSCode, Visual C++, Modern .NET 6, the classic .NET framework, Windows Terminal, and both the Windows Subsystem for Linux and Windows Subsystem for Android. It will come with three USB-A ports, a mini DisplayPort, an Ethernet port, and two USB-C ports. Volterra will be available later this year for an undisclosed price."
"Making the web better. With blocks! . Blocks have shown up in almost every blogging tool, web editor, note-taking app, and content management system, but they are almost all proprietary and non-standard. Blocks are often limited to platforms, so developers are either stuck with a specific platform or they have to rewrite blocks they want to use. This article discusses the creation of the Block Protocol, an open standard that will allow any block to be used in any application that follows the protocol. Using Block Protocol will make life easier for app developers and block developers will only need to develop blocks once to have them work on any platform."
"I just lost my wallet on the way home from work (Twitter Thread). After Twitter user Tim Cameron lost his wallet without much identifying information, he was surprised when a good samaritan contacted him via his bank account. The person who found his wallet made four separate transactions of £0.01 each, using the 18-character-limit reference to send Cameron a contact number to reclaim the property. Bank cards in the UK have bank account details printed on them. The thread replies have anecdotes of how other people have used technology creatively to return lost items to their owners."
"Cerebras’ wafer-size chip is 10,000 times faster than a GPU . Cerebras Systems is the maker of the WSE, the world's largest computer chip. It recently announced that its CS-1 system is 10,000 times faster than a graphics processing unit (GPU). This means that AI neural networks that would previously take months to train can now train in minutes. The CS-1 system has 1.2 trillion transistors, much more than Nvidia's largest GPU, which has 54.2 billion transistors. A single chip is 26 inches tall and requires a custom wafer-scale processing engine for power."
"A World Without Work by Daniel Susskind review – should we be delighted or terrified? . Writers have long been imagining a world where machines replace humans, freeing humans up from having to work and the consequences of the switch to an automated world. Many of these imaginings end up in a dystopian world where the majority of humans are doomed to live empty lives of poverty and despair. Daniel Susskind is an economics scholar and a former government policy advisor. His book, 'A World Without Work', paints the picture of the future with predictions borne from reason. Automation has replaced human labor in routine tasks throughout the last couple of centuries without destroying entire occupations. It has even created new types of jobs. However, as technology improves, it seems inevitable that the number of jobs will start to decrease. Different ways of wealth distribution will need to be implemented, as well as ways to distribute the amount of work left. People will need to rethink what a 'meaningful life' actually means, as the importance of work will start to fade away."
ConsoleMe (GitHub Repo). ConsoleMe makes AWS easier for end-users and cloud administrators. It consolidates the management of multiple accounts into a single web interface. ConsoleMe is extensible and there is a basic set of plugins available.
"Scientists Just Observed Warm Matter Emanating From a Black Hole . Warm gas has been observed emitting from an active black hole for the first time. The structures look like the smoke streams seen on Earth during volcanic eruptions. They were observed through the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) frequency radio telescope, the largest of its kind in the world. The activity in the supermassive black hole at the center of every galaxy directly determines the evolution of that galaxy. These expanding heat bubbles have a heavy influence on the intergalactic medium and the rate of star formation."
"Instagram clones TikTok with new short-form ‘Reels’ video feature launching today . Reels is a new feature from Instagram that has rolled out in 50 countries. It focuses on entertaining short-form video just like TikTok. TikTok is currently facing a ban in the US. Reels offers creative tools, with a 15-second limit for each mini clip. Tools include adding audio, AR effects, setting a timer and countdown for recording, video alignment, and speed editing. Reels can be shared publicly or made private to followers. The new feature is still being tested and may change."
"Amazon to close French warehouses until next week after court order . Amazon will close its French warehouses after it received a court order to limit deliveries to essential goods such as food and medical supplies. The warehouses will be closed until at least April 20. During this time, Amazon will reassess the risks of operating during the pandemic and take necessary measures to ensure the safety of its employees. Amazon will use a state partial unemployment scheme to pay its employees during the suspension. Science &"
"IOTstack (GitHub Repo). IOTstack is a Docker stack for getting started on IoT on the Raspberry Pi. There are also some scripts to get a dynamic DNS and a VPN up and running. Docker is a utility to run containers, which are ultra-minimal virtual machines that can run applications so that they don't 'clutter' your device."
"'Collapse OS' Is an Open Source Operating System for the Post-Apocalypse . Collapse OS is an operating system designed to work on Z80 8-bit microprocessors. The Z80 8-bit microprocessor was chosen due to its wide availability, as it is used in desktop computers, cash registers, musical instruments, graphing calculators, and many more electronics. Collapse OS was created for a future where mass-produced electronics no longer exist. In a scenario where electronics systems are no longer common or easily maintained, those who still have access to computer systems would hold an enormous source of political and social power. People who could scavenge electronics and reprogram them would have a huge advantage over those who couldn't. The aim of Collapse OS is to build a system that can run on minimal and improvised machines, interface through improvised devices, edit text files, compile assembler source files for a wide range of processors, read and write from a wide range of storage devices, and replicate itself."
"A Cryptocurrency Millionaire Wants to Build a Utopia in Nevada . Jeffrey Berns is a lawyer turned crypto-millionaire who made hundreds of millions from investing in Ethereum. Now he wants to use that money to create a city run by the blockchain in the middle of the Nevada desert, complete with a high tech park, college, and e-gaming arena. He spent $170 million buying a huge tract of land larger than Reno, and has spent over $300 million in total on the project for offices, planning, and a staff of 70. He's going to give away all of the decision making power to a blockchain run by residents, and 90% of any dividends will go to residents, employees, and future investors. Every resident and employee will have what amounts to an Ethereum address, which they will use to vote on local measures and store their personal data. Construction will begin in 2019. Berns believes that his city will ""either be the biggest thing ever, or the most spectacular crash and burn in the history of mankind. I don't know which one. I believe it's the former, but either way it’s going to be one hell of a ride."""
"How to get promoted . The best way to advance your career might not be what you think. Almost everybody does great work and takes feedback seriously, so what separates those who are successful? This article gives career advice from an opportunist's point of view. It suggests that you ignore objectives and key results, switch projects before the consequences of your decisions manifest, act happy and easy-going, frame bad news positively, and more."
"Square to Create a New Bitcoin Platform for Financial Services . Square is building an open developer platform to make it easier to provide non-custodial, decentralized financial services. Its primary focus will be Bitcoin. The initiative will be open source. It will be different from Square Crypto. Square will establish Twitter and GitHub accounts to provide updates on the project."
"Oxford VR uses virtual reality to treat social anxiety . Oxford VR is a UK-based virtual reality startup that has recently launched a VR-based therapy to help people overcome social anxiety. VR technology has found a place in health care, with major health organizations like the UK's National Health Service already using the technology for social engagement. Around 15 million people in the US are estimated to have social anxiety disorder. With social engagement therapy through VR, people can train to be more confident, feel safe, and overcome trigger situations in safe and controlled environments. The program is automated and doesn't require the presence of a qualified clinician, which means that anyone who can access a VR headset can receive treatment."
"Amazon wants its live audio app to reinvent the radio show . Amazon's Project Mic is a Clubhouse clone that will let anyone record and distribute live radio shows with music. Its ultimate goal is to democratize and reinvent the radio. Clubhouse's success has resulted in many other companies trying to duplicate its features. Project Mic aims to separate itself from the rest by including native support for music through Amazon Music. Rather than competing with other social audio apps, it will be competing with traditional live radio."
"500 Free Computer Science Courses from the World’s Top CS Universities (Website). This page lists the best online courses for studying computer science. There are 500 online courses listed from 50 of the world's best universities for studying computer science. Subjects listed include AI & Machine Learning, Algorithms & Data Structures, Cybersecurity, Software Development, and Quantum Computing."
"The YouTubers Union Is Not Messing Around . The YouTubers Union has joined forces with IG Metall, Europe's largest trade union, and launched FairTube. Due to demands by advertisers, YouTube has demonetized or removed videos from channels due to unclear rules about content. YouTube has been inconsistent with its rules and its communications to content creators. Content creators are now making less money, have less stability, and risk being demonetized for putting out the wrong type of content. FairTube is asking for fairness, transparency, better communication, and for YouTubers to have a say when it comes to decision making. FairTube plans to use Europe's General Data Protection Regulation and establish that the categorizations for creators constitute personal data in order to make YouTube agree to their requests."
Firefox and Chrome are squaring off over ad-blocker extensions . Google is working to cut out a feature commonly used in ad blockers from its most recent extension standard. Web Request is a feature that blocks off domains. Google wants to replace it with a more restrictive API that specifies how certain types of traffic are handled. Ad blocker developers are concerned with the impacts of the change as Chromium is used as the base for many popular browsers. Firefox will continue to support Web Request.
"YouTube no longer allows ‘instructional hacking and phishing’ videos . YouTube updated its list of ‘harmful or dangerous content’ banned from the platform, adding instructional hacking and phishing videos to the list. Other items on the list include ‘extremely dangerous challenges’, ‘violent events’, and ‘eating disorders’. A major channel that creates videos on computer security had its videos removed and was banned from uploading new content. However, the ban was quickly removed and the videos were restored after complaints from the community. An exception to the dangerous content rules exists for videos that are primarily educational, documentaries, scientific, or artistic. These rules are usually enforced by machine learning algorithms, and these algorithms have performed poorly at distinguishing between genuine content and targeted videos in the past."
"OpenAI launches an API to commercialize its research . OpenAI has launched an API that allows access to its natural language processing models. Only qualified customers will be able to access the service, which will be free for the first two months while it is in beta. OpenAI will use the API to fund its research and as a way to discover what requirements are needed to use AI systems in the real world. It will also allow OpenAI to control the use of the technology and prevent misuse. The API can generate text based on keywords, complete code, generate spreadsheet tables, translate natural language to Unix commands, and more."
"Life Has Been Found in a Low-Oxygen, Super-Salty, Sub-Zero Arctic Spring . Scientists have discovered life in the extremely cold and salty waters of the Lost Hammer Spring in the Canadian Arctic. The microbes had adaptations that allowed them to thrive in water with temperatures of around minus five degrees Celsius, less than one part per million of dissolved oxygen, and around 24% salinity. They don't depend on organic material or oxygen to survive. Similar environments may exist on ocean worlds like Jupiter's moon Europa and Saturn's moon Enceladus."
"Rust Crates that do What the Go Standard library Does (13 minute read). Rust's standard library is lacking in comparison to some other programming languages, but the community has built crates to make up for it. This article contains a list of crates that can perform many of the tasks that are built into the standard Go library. It provides examples of how to integrate the crates into your code."
"Vector Logo Zone (Logos). This is a set of 3,000 company logos in SVG format. I actually built the TLDR sponsors page right before I found this, but this would have made it much easier to get a bunch of nice-looking company logos that are all the same size. If you work on commercial sites you might want to bookmark this."
Take a look at this delicious lickable screen to see the future we knew was coming . The TTTV is a device that can print flavors onto a screen. It is designed to let people experience things like far-away world-class restaurants without leaving their homes. The device sprays chemicals onto a rolling plastic sheet in combinations that recreate the desired flavor. It was trained by blending up various foods and using sensors to taste them. The creator of the TTTV believes that they can create a commercial version of the device for $875. A 2-minute video showing the device and its potential applications is available in the article.
"Apple imagines a foldable iPhone with a ‘self-healing’ display . Apple filed a patent in January for a foldable smartphone with a self-healing display that could repair dents or scratches on the screen. The self-healing properties would automatically activate, using heat, light, or electric current to repair a protective layer above the screen when the device is being charged or on a schedule. Other companies, such as Samsung and Motorola, have released foldable phones, but they suffer from issues with the durability of the screens' displays. LG had a device with a self-healing rear cover but it wasn't very effective. There are no indications that Apple will launch a foldable phone with self-healing material anytime soon."
"MoviePass test reactivates accounts if users don't opt out . MoviePass has been sending out emails to customers who had previously cancelled, saying that their subscriptions would be restored unless they opted out of a ""test"". If they don't opt out by October 4th, then the credit card MoviePass has on file will automatically be charged $10 on a monthly basis again. Early responses on Twitter indicate that this is not going to be a popular idea."
"On its second attempt, SpaceX sends Dragon soaring to the ISS . SpaceX delivered its Dragon spacecraft into orbit on the tenth Falcon 9 launch of 2019. Falcon 9 has now been launched 76 times. It will soon become the US booster with the most launch experience, surpassing the Atlas V. Falcon 9's first stage landed safely on a drone ship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. Aside from delivering supplies to the ISS, the Dragon will also fly a thermal demonstration for another unnamed customer. A 30-minute video of the CRS-19 launch is available to view on the page."
"Herd Of Fuzzy Green 'Glacier Mice' Baffles Scientists . Glacier mice are balls of moss that can be found in Alaska, Iceland, Svalbard, and South America. These balls of moss can live for years and they move around in a coordinated, herd-like fashion. They can be composed of different moss species. Researchers are baffled by what makes the moss balls move as they seem to be able to move uphill and against the wind. The moss balls move in a rotating motion. Tiny creatures such as worms and water bears can live inside these moss balls. Pictures are available in the article."
"London HIV patient becomes world's second AIDS cure hope . An HIV-positive man in London is the second person in the world to be cleared of the virus after a bone-marrow transplant from an HIV-resistant donor. The operation was performed three years ago, and highly-sensitive tests conducted recently could not detect any trace of the virus in the patient. While the treatment was successful in this patient, many doctors say that this treatment is not a viable way of treating all patients. Donors with the specific HIV-resistant gene are required, and then these donors have to match with the patients, which reduces the number of viable treatments to a very low number. Scientists are now looking into gene therapies for the potential treatment of the disease."
"Intel selects Ohio for ‘largest silicon manufacturing location on the planet’ . Intel will invest at least $20 billion on a new chip manufacturing site in New Albany, Ohio. The location will host two chip factories and employ at least 3,000 people. Intel expects the site to become the largest silicon manufacturing location on the planet, with plans to expand it to eight fabs. Ohio was chosen for the site as it was a better regulatory fit and building it would not displace any current residents. The site will become operational in 2025."
"TikTok’s launching Twitch-like subscriptions in beta on Thursday . TikTok has announced a program that lets viewers pay to subscribe to specific live streamers they want to support. Live Subscription will give fans access to perks such as a subscriber-only chat, creator-specific emotes, and badges. It will give TikTok creators a predictable monthly income. Users will have to be 18 or over to either offer or purchase a paid subscription. Live Subscription will launch in beta on May 26 on an invite-only basis for creators with over 1,000 followers."
Northrop to build homes on moon orbit under $935 mln NASA contract . Northrop Grumman Corp has acquired a $935 million contract from NASA to develop living quarters for its planned outpost in lunar orbit. The Habitation And Logistics Outpost (HALO) will be a vital component of NASA's lunar Gateway. Gateway will support science investigations and enable surface landings on the moon. Eight countries have signed a pact as part of the Artemis program. NASA is aiming to launch the spacecraft in November 2024.
"Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like? (Hacker News Thread). After spending a lot of time working in FAANG companies, it might be difficult to imagine what the environment is like on the outside. Making a lot of money usually comes at the cost of very high expectations and brutal deadlines. The tools available at FAANG companies are a great help to engineers, and developers might find it difficult to work in 'real world' companies after leaving due to the lack of support. Being previously employed at a FAANG company might help with investors and being hired, but the work itself will still be difficult. Many people who try to leave and work in startups eventually find that the minimal support and validation is not worth it and return to big tech."
"World's first fully electric commercial aircraft takes flight in Canada . magniX, an Australian engineering firm, in a partnership with Harbour Air, a Canadian air-ferry service, has performed the first fully-electric commercial aircraft test flight. The 15-minute flight took place in Vancouver along the Fraser River. Electric flight technology would mean significant cost savings for airlines and zero emissions. Civil aviation is one of the fastest-growing sources of carbon emissions. Electric motors require significantly less upkeep, resulting in savings in maintenance costs. Further tests are still required before Harbour Air will be able to electrify its fleet of more than 40 seaplanes. Current battery power will allow the seaplanes to fly about 160km, which is sufficient for short-haul flights."
"Explorers Wanted: NASA to Hire More Artemis Generation Astronauts . NASA will be accepting applications for the next class of Artemis Generation astronauts between March 2 and 31. The basic requirements to apply include US citizenship, two years of related experience or 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft, and a master's degree in a STEM field or equivalent. Applicants will be required to take an online assessment that could take up to two hours to complete. Successful applicants who complete training could be launched into space in future programs to work aboard the International Space Station and other projects. A link to apply is available."
"Microsoft engineer stole $10 million by selling Xbox gift cards for bitcoin . A Microsoft engineer discovered a flaw in one of Microsoft's payment testing systems and exploited it for over $10 million in profit. The flaw allowed the engineer to generate unlimited Xbox Gift Cards, which he sold in bulk on crypto marketplaces for a discount. He used money laundering sites to hide the trail and started living an increasingly lavish lifestyle. He was caught in July 2019 and was sentenced to 9 years in prison, plus ordered to pay $8.3 million in restitution."
"Learn how to build application with InfluxDB (Sponsor). InfluxDB University offers free training to teach developers the skills to build powerful real-time applications. Live and self-paced courses cover data collection and analysis with InfluxDB, Telegraf, and Flux. Enroll for free today."
"‘Zero-Click’ Hacks Are Growing in Popularity. There’s Practically No Way to Stop Them (11 minute read). Zero-click hacks are being used more frequently by government agencies to spy on activists, journalists, and others. The technology is being sold to governments by a small number of companies and in marketplaces such as Zerodium. It is unknown how many people have been targeted by these attacks and the victims are often unaware. The spread of encryption has made it hard for governments to monitor people's conversations. Sometimes, the only way investigators can get access to encrypted communications is through hacking."
"Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne resigns following ‘deep state’ comments, stock rises (11 minute read). Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne has resigned from the company as of August 22. Shares rose 17 percent after the news was released, finishing up at 8.3 percent at the end of the day. Byrne was involved in the federal government's investigation into the 2016 election, and he was also previously in a romantic relationship with a Russian operative. Overstock's shares fell by more than 30 percent following the revelation that Byrne was involved with the government investigation. Jonathan Johnson, an Overstock board member, will be appointed as interim CEO. A full copy of Byrne's announcement letter is available to read."
"Some AI Systems May Be Impossible to Compute . There are fundamental theoretical limits to how stable and accurate AI systems can be. While there is mathematical proof that stable and accurate neural networks exist for a wide variety of problems, there may be no algorithms that can successfully compute them. There are limitations to what computers can achieve that can not be overcome with more data, computing power, or time. Knowledge about these limits could inspire more research. The limits imply the existence of a classification theory for describing neural networks that can be computed by algorithms."
"LG set to release 'rollable' phone next year . LG Electronics will launch a 'rollable' smartphone in early 2021. The phone will be made using LG's flexible OLED screens, which can be unfurled like a scroll. LG's mobile communications division has seen 20 straight quarterly losses. It aims to make its business profitable by 2021 by expanding its mobile lineup."
"Amazon Introduces Tiny ‘ZenBooths’ for Stressed Out Warehouse Workers . Amazon is introducing tiny booths for its workers to momentarily escape from their jobs. ZenBooths are part of the company's WorkingWell program that it announced on May 17. The program aims to provide physical and mental activities, wellness exercises, and healthy eating support to employees to help them recharge and reenergize. The booths feature plants and a skylight. Employees can use the screen in the booths to navigate through a library of mental health and mindful practices. Amazon workers have tough schedules and notoriously short breaks, so it is unlikely that they will be allocated time to use the booths."
"Graphene veils may hold the secret to conserving priceless works of art . All art establishments are concerned with the degradation of paintings. Harmful factors such as sunlight, moisture, and certain volatile organic compounds can accelerate degradation. Graphene may be the solution to protecting art from exposure to harmful agents. A one-atom-thick sheet of graphene can adhere easily to various substrates and serve as an excellent barrier against oxygen, gases, moisture, and UV light. The graphene sheets can be added to framing glass for artworks with extremely rough surfaces or embossed patterns. The sheets can be removed using a soft rubber eraser."
"Hippy Cross Platform Framework (GitHub Repo). Hippy is a cross-platform development framework that helps developers write apps for iOS, Android, and Web. It was used to develop apps that now serve hundreds of millions of users. Hippy officially supports frameworks like React and Vue. It uses the same APIs for different platforms."
"Amazon's new boxes can be transformed into cat condos and rocket ships . Amazon has introduced a new initiative called 'less packaging, more smiles' that will see the company reduce the materials used for sending out items as well as provide instructions for reusing boxes in fun ways. The new boxes will feature directions on how to use them to build a cat condo, a rocket ship, a robot costume, and more. Amazon plans to start using the packaging this week. The company aims to be net-zero carbon by 2040."
Apple headset remains likely to adopt Micro OLED as Samsung develops 'hologram' competitor . Apple's upcoming headset will likely be a mixed reality headset that will feature Micro OLED displays and a Mac M1-like processor. Samsung is also planning a headset that will use its Exynos chips and an Android operating system. The company has been working with AR/XR technology company DigiLens to develop a prototype. Samsung is deciding on a release date.
Konstellate (GitHub Repo). Konstellate allows users to manage Kubernetes resources and their relationships through a UI. It can easily create complex YAML and export them as Helm charts or Kustomize templates. Resources can be imported or created through templates and linked easily by dragging lines between resources to create relationships.
"DoorDash is testing a feature that lets you return packages to post offices, FedEx, or UPS . DoorDash is testing a feature called 'Return a Package' that allows customers to book a delivery person to return packages to the nearest post office, UPS, or FedEx location. Customers will have to have their packages fully sealed with the prepaid shipping label attached before collection. DoorDash Dashers will be paid the same way for Return a Package returns as they would be for any other marketplace order. Other companies have tested similar services in the past but weren't successful."
"Amazon's Prime Video Cinema hub to corral new theater releases . As everybody goes into lockdown, Hollywood is preparing to release movies to stream on the home market months earlier than planned. Some movies will be released to stream on the same day as their planned theatrical releases. These movies will be released to services such as Amazon, Apple, Fandango, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube. They will be available to rent for 48 hours."
"Microsoft's GitHub account allegedly hacked, 500GB stolen . A hacker claims to have stolen over 500GB of data from Microsoft's private GitHub repositories. The hacker had originally intended to sell the information but has now decided to give it away for free. A small code sample from the hacker showed nothing that seemed significant. Security experts are concerned that there may be some private API keys or passwords accidentally left behind in the repositories. It is unlikely that the leak is real as Microsoft has a rule that its GitHub repositories be made public within 30 days."
Bacteria-sized robots take on microplastics and win by breaking them down . A team of researchers has developed self-propelled microrobots that can break down microplastics. Microplastics are hard to remove and they absorb heavy metals and pollutants that can be harmful if accidentally consumed. The robots use a catalyst that is activated by sunlight to move them towards microparticles to dismantle them. Using only the catalyst to break down the plastic is impractical as it requires processes that can't easily be scaled up. The research could eventually lead to systems that can capture and degrade microplastics in hard-to-reach locations.
"Multi-Agent Hide and Seek (3 minute video). AI-based agents were placed into a simple game of hide-and-seek, and after millions of training rounds, they created six distinct strategies and counterstrategies to play the game. The goal of the exercise was to see if simple rules and multi-agent competition can eventually lead to intelligent behavior. Agents were required to work together to manipulate the environment for a majority of scenarios. The hiders eventually developed solutions, which the seekers then had to overcome, leading to increasingly complex strategies from both teams. These behaviors were not explicitly incentivized and the agents' only goal was to win the game. The agents were trained using reinforcement learning, an algorithm inspired by how animals learn."
"ArchiveBox (GitHub Repo). ArchiveBox is able to save websites in multiple formats in order to capture a website completely. Many websites are complicated and rely on dynamic content, and sites such as Archive.org and Archive.is are not able to capture the original look and format of the sites completely. ArchiveBox will extract a browsable HTML clone, media, screenshots, PDFs, and more from the site so it can be stored locally."
"Grindr Is Owned by a Chinese Firm, and the U.S. Is Trying to Force It to Sell . The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is moving to force a Chinese firm to relinquish control of the dating app Grindr because of national security concerns. The acquisition of Grindr began around three years ago, but recent changes to the scope of national security threats have caused CFIUS to take a closer look at the company. Grindr has been criticized for its sharing of users’ personal information in the past. Several US senators requested the review of the sale, stating that Grindr’s ownership by a Chinese company could put US officials at risk of being blackmailed for their sexual preferences or history."
"Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin relinquish control of Alphabet to CEO Sundar Pichai . Google's co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have relinquished their control of Alphabet to the current Google CEO Sundar Pichai. They will continue to remain Alphabet employees and retain their seats on the board. Pichai has stated that the change will have little to no impact on how Google operates on a daily basis. Both Page and Brin have disappeared from public view since the creation of Alphabet in 2015. Alphabet's stock price has more than doubled since its creation, despite the last four years being the most contentious in Google's history. Google has faced controversy over its involvements with several projects, as well as accusations of anticompetitive practices, sexual harassment, retaliation against workplace activists, and involvement with child exploitation."
"sake (GitHub Repo). sake is a command-line tool for configuring servers. It allows users to define servers and tasks in a config file and then run the tasks on the servers. sake features autocompletion of tasks, servers, and tags and it includes subcommands for logging into servers or docker containers, listing servers or tasks, and creating query tasks and presenting the info in a compact table format."
Gifrun (Website). Create high-quality GIFs without watermarks from almost any video hosting platform. Users can search for videos through YouTube or paste a link to be converted.
"Programming Languages for Enthusiasts (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a catalog of programming languages, environments, and tools. It features cool indie projects."
"Darling (GitHub Repo). Darling is a runtime environment for macOS applications. It can be used to run macOS applications on most 64-bit x86 Linux distributions. It implements a complete Darwin environment and attempts to fully integrate apps into the Linux desktop experience by making them look, feel, and behave just like native Linux apps."
"go-perfbook (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a guide on best practices for writing high-performance Go code. The first section of the guide covers best practice in writing for any language, and the second section focuses on Go-specific techniques. The guide is available in English, Chinese, and Spanish."
"Jina (GitHub Repo). Jina is a fast, cloud-native neural search framework that can build deep learning-powered search apps in minutes. It supports all data types. Demos are available in the repository."
"Modern Node (GitHub Repo). Modern Node is a pre-configured toolkit for modern node modules. Developers can test projects, format all files in a project with prettier-standard, lint files, and format and lint staged changes."
CalDOM (GitHub Repo). CalDOM is a 3kb JavaScript UI library with direct access to native DOM. It can fully access the DOM directly while keeping reactivity. Benchmark results are available.
"The Wall of Technical Debt . Technical debt is used to describe software design choices that turn out to be suboptimal, no longer valid, or just plain wrong. All aspects of development can suffer from technical debt, such as architecture, documentation, tests, and domain models. It can cause problems in the future with maintaining and upgrading code, but it can also help developers quickly build inexpensive tests. Managing technical debt is key to making sure it doesn't affect your business negatively. This may involve making the debt visible, constantly reevaluating decisions, making compromises, and communicating priorities clearly. It's always best to try to convert intangibles into numbers that others can understand."
"Data Eng Weekly (Newsletter). Data Eng Weekly is an excellent newsletter delivered each sunday that keeps you up to date on news and open source libraries related to big data technologies and distributed systems (Hadoop, Spark, Kafka, etc.). If you're a data scientist or do engineering work on data pipelines, definitely take a look at this."
Comcast and Google emerge as top contenders to serve ads on Netflix . Netflix is looking to start pre-roll ads and it is negotiating with entertainment companies to put ads into shows that it doesn't create itself.
"T-Mobile used a 5G-connected robot to give someone a tattoo . T-Mobile demonstrated the use of its 5G network for remote robotic operations by applying a tattoo on someone's arm in the Netherlands using a robot arm controlled by a tattoo artist in another location. The tattoo was drawn in real time, made possible by the low latency of 5G. A video of the event is available in the article. The artist practiced the procedure on vegetables and prosthetic skin samples before performing it on a real person."
"A Bioartificial Pancreas Could Substantially Enhance Type-1 Diabetes Treatment . The convection enhanced microencapsulation device (ceMED) is an implanted device that houses insulin-secreting cells in a protective compartment, protecting them from the body's immune system response. It continually showers the cells in nutrients that improve cell loading capacity, cell survival, glucose sensitivity, and timely insulin secretion. The ceMED can affect blood sugar levels only two days after being implanted. There is still more work before the device is ready for mass production, but the device has the potential to become an autonomous system for managing Type-1 diabetes."
"Spice.ai (GitHub Repo). Spice.ai is a portable runtime for training and using deep learning on time series data. It runs as a container, with applications calling a simple HTTP API. Spice.ai includes a library of components for streaming and processing time series data. A 60-second video demo is available."
"Google's Quantum Processor May Achieve Quantum Supremacy in Months . According to Google, its development of quantum processors is improving at a doubly-exponential rate. We may only be months from the beginning of a practical quantum computing era. Technological developments usually follow Moore’s Law, where technology advances exponentially every couple of years, but as our technological developments get closer to the limits of what the technology is capable of, development has slowed down. Now, with the development of quantum computing, the rate of innovation has increased as the limits have been raised. The development of practical quantum computing will have a major impact on the technological world. For example, most encryption algorithms will become vulnerable to brute force attacks."
"First hands on the new Twitter API . Twitter has released version 2 of its API, promoting its support for bot developers, businesses, academic researchers, students, and makers. The developer portal has been fully rebranded, with a design that is more welcoming for newcomers. It still uses OAuth 1.0a for authentication and is mostly a REST API. Applications have a quota of 500,000 tweets per month. Only six endpoints are currently available, but there are still many features on the roadmap."
"Toyota built an internal combustion engine that sips hydrogen, and it sounds awesome . Toyota recently unveiled a Corolla Hatchback fitted with a hydrogen-sipping internal combustion engine. It features an all-wheel-drive system, and its exhaust makes the same sounds as a tuned gasoline-powered vehicle. The car uses 100-percent hydrogen fuel with no gasoline content. It still emits some noxious gases, but significantly less than a pure gasoline car. The Corolla will be racing in the 2021 Super Taikyu 24 Hour Endurance Series from May 21 to 23."
"US military given more authority to launch preventative cyberattacks . The US military is now pursuing a more offensive cyber strategy, granting the US Cyber Command more authority to target foreign government hackers who target the US. The new ""defend forward"" strategy gives the US military more authority to act on its own, even against computer networks based in friendly countries. While the new strategy does allow the US to wipe out enemy computer networks in friendly countries, it doesn't allow US offensive cyberattacks to target civilian infrastructure, because the US must abide by a UN agreement that prohibits ""damaging civilian critical infrastructure during peacetime."""
"Apple announces the new $399 iPhone SE for 2020 . Apple has revealed the new iPhone SE at a starting price of $399 for a 64GB version. The new phone has the same shape and design as the iPhone 8, an A13 Bionic chip, a 12-megapixel back lens, improved camera software, Qi wireless charging, and more. As the phone is running the same processor that is currently in Apple's most expensive phones, the device is likely to receive software updates for many years to come."
Ask HN: Would you pass an interview for your current position? (Hacker News Thread). The entry requirements for some jobs in regards to programming languages are set too high. The original post asks developers whether they would pass an interview for their current position given the increase in requirements. This thread is full of anecdotes on current software engineering job interview methods and techniques. Some employers use these techniques as they would rather miss out on good candidates than accept bad ones.
"Modern Data Engineer Roadmap - 2020 (GitHub Repo). The Modern Data Engineer Roadmap provides a picture of the modern data engineering landscape and serves as a study guide for aspiring data engineers. It covers computer science fundamentals, programming languages, testing, database fundamentals, and much more. A typical data engineer will master only a subset of the tools listed in the roadmap over several years."
"Google opens its Bay View HQ, the first campus it designed itself . Google has opened its Bay View campus to employees. The campus features a solar panel roof capable of generating almost seven megawatts of energy, up to 40% of the campus' energy needs. It will use nearby wind farms to provide more energy. The campus houses a geothermal installation that will help heat and cool the campus without the use of fossil fuels. Google is transitioning to a hybrid work schedule that will only require employees to work from its offices a few times a week. A video tour of the campus is available in the article."
"Electric nanoparticles can target and kill cancer cells by zapping them . One way to kill cancer cells is to zap them with a current, but the problem is that it's hard to kill cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone. Scientists have figured out a way to attach nanoparticles to cancer cells by coating them with antibodies. Then, they bombard these nanoparticles with ultrasound to generate a current, causing them to zap the cancer cells they are attached to. The researchers have demonstrated this technique on brain tumors grown in a lab, a big step forward in nanomedicine, but there's still a ways to go before it can be done in a real live person."
"Physicists engineer an atom laser that can stay on forever . Atoms can be thought of as waves, so it is possible to build atom lasers containing waves of matter. These atom lasers don’t usually last long. A team of physicists from Amsterdam have built an atom laser that can create a continuous beam for a theoretically indefinite period of time. It works by cooling atoms in several steps through space so that there is a continuous supply of ultracold atoms to replenish the atom laser. If the scientists are able to create a stable output beam of matter, the applications will be limitless."
"A first look at Unreal Engine 5 . Epic has just released its first look at Unreal Engine 5. It is an attempt at achieving photorealism on par with movie CG and real life while still being accessible to development teams of all sizes. A 9-minute demo video is available. Two core new technologies, Nanite and Lumen, will debut in Unreal Engine 5. Nanite allows artists to create as much geometric detail as the eye can see. Lumens is a fully global illumination system that can render diffuse interreflection with infinite bounces and indirect specular reflections in environments at scales ranging from millimeters to kilometers. Artists will be able to move a light inside the Unreal Editor and have it look exactly the same as the game when it is run on console. Unreal Engine 5 will be available in preview in early 2021, with a full release late in 2021. Games developed using Unreal Engine will now have their royalties waived on the first $1 million in-game revenue. The new Unreal Engine license terms are retroactive to January 1, 2020."
"Grown in the Netherlands, Google Tulip communicates with plants . Google has used AI to decode the language of plants and has now made the technology available on Google Home. Plants communicate through their roots and it turns out that tulips are quite chatty. They're also great listeners and give sound advice. Using Neural Machine Translation, Tulipish is now a language that is supported by Google Home's Interpreter Mode."
"Snap To Release New Spectacles With Two Cameras For $350 . Snap is planning on releasing a two-camera, $350 version of its Spectacle glasses by the end of year. The new Spectacles will have a more premium frame made of aluminum and the two cameras will allow Spectacle owners to produce augmented reality and 3D effects in videos. Snap has ordered roughly 24,000 pairs of these new Spectacles. Despite its financial troubles, and the lukewarm reception of the first generation Spectacles, CEO Evan Spiegel still maintains that hardware is an important part of Snap's future, and that in a one or two decades, computing will be ""actually overlaid on the world and not confined to a small screen on your phone."""
"CSS Layout News
This is a newsletter about CSS layouts (flexboxes, grids, modals, and all that good stuff). This is a newsletter about CSS layouts (flexboxes, grids, modals, and all that good stuff). If you often find yourself googling stuff like ""vertical align not working"", you might want to take a look at this. Curated by Rachel Andrew, cofounder of Perch CMS."
Shoelace (Website). Shoelace is a web component library that works with all frameworks and content delivery networks. The components are fully customizable with CSS. Shoelace allows developers to build multiple custom apps with different frameworks that all share the same UI components. Examples are available.
"DuckDuckGo opens its privacy-centric Mac browser to beta testers . DuckDuckGo has revealed a desktop browser that features a tracker blocker, email protection, and a button that closes all tabs and wipes browser data with a single click. The browser's Smarter Encryption feature will help users use HTTPS more often. It can automatically clear cookie consent pop ups while rejecting as much tracking as possible. The browser is currently only available on Mac in an invite-only beta. More information about the browser and instuctions on how to join the beta are available in the article."
"Handsfree.js (GitHub Repo). Handsfree.js allows developers to quickly integrate face, hand, and/or pose tracking to frontend projects. Examples of implementations are available in the repository. A browser extension is available for browsing the web hands-free using face and/or hand gestures."
"Coronavirus Data API (Website). This API gives four options to track the coronavirus: global stats, country stats, full timeline, and country timeline. Data can be queried using AJAX or $.ajax() in jQuery."
Airbnb is giving out $10 million to design OMG! homes . Airbnb's new OMG! Fund will award $10 million in funding to hosts to build 100 of the craziest and most unique property ideas.
"Amazon’s roadmap for Alexa is scarier than anything Facebook or Twitter is doing . Amazon has plans to move Alexa from passive to proactive interactions, which means that rather than waiting and responding to requests, it will start anticipating what the user might want. In order to do this, it will need to access and process a lot of personal user data. Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are trillion-dollar companies due to their ability to collect and use data. Eventually, Amazon will start focusing on building training databases with data from individuals or very small groups. By getting Alexa to start the conversation, Amazon may be able to get even more personalized data from its customers."
"Bandit (GitHub Repo). Bandit is a pure Elixir HTTP server for Plug applications. It can serve HTTP/1.x and HTTP/2 clients over both HTTP and HTTPS. The project prioritizes correctness, clarity, and performance, and seeks to demystify infrastructure code by being approachable and easy to understand. Bandit is still young and not yet ready for production use."
"FAQGURU (GitHub Repo). This is a huge list of common interview questions for basically every programming language (with additional sections for AWS, data structures, and stuff like that). If you're ever planning on interviewing for a new job, you should probably bookmark this."
"Moderna starts human trials of an mRNA-based flu shot . Moderna has started human trials of its mRNA-based seasonal flu vaccine. While mRNA vaccines were largely experimental before the pandemic, they were already considered the future of vaccine development. The high efficacy of the mRNA Covid-19 vaccines was a major endorsement for this type of vaccine. mRNA vaccines are faster to make so they could theoretically be more closely matched with the type of flu spreading each season. Moderna hopes to eventually create a combination vaccine for respiratory infections."
"Galaxy S10, Galaxy Fold launch: 5 phones, smartwatches, new headphones and more . Samsung’s Unpacked event has finally started, unveiling its new Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus (6.1 and 6.4 inch screens, priced at $900 and $1000 respectively), Galaxy Fold (4.6 inch display, 7.3 inch unfolded, starting at $1,980), the Galaxy Smartwatch ($200), and wireless earbuds ($130) have been announced. Samsung’s new Galaxy Home will be available in April. With such a huge launch, the details of each product release are too much for one article, so this page links to other articles detailing each of Samsung’s new releases with their own demo videos etc.."
"Coronavirus: Japan to close all schools to halt spread . Japan will close all of its schools on Monday to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The closure will affect around 13 million students and continue until late March. More cases have been reported outside than inside China for the second day running, and the World Health Organization head has said that the outbreak has now reached a decisive point. Over 80,000 people in 40 countries have now been infected, with nearly 2,800 dead, mostly in China's Hubei province. The first weeks of March will be an extremely critical period for preventing virus transmission. Some patients in China and Japan may be falling ill for a second time with the virus. It is possible the virus is reinfecting patients, but it is also likely that tests have been inaccurate or are detecting the previous infection."
"T-Mobile ‘Put My Life in Danger’ Says Woman Stalked With Black Market Location Data . In 2014, Ruth Johnson received around 20 threatening phone calls from John Edens, a debt collector who was posing as a US Marshal. Eden had obtained exact location data from T-Mobile, allowing him to stalk Johnson at her home and place of work. Johnson had owed payments on a car, and after being harassed, she returned the car to the dealership and moved neighborhoods, wanting to avoid any more trouble. Edens had obtained location data of 14 different T-Mobile numbers using a technique that other people had been successfully using with various providers. Until recently, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon were selling their customers' location data to data brokers, who would then sell the data to bounty hunters. A spokesperson from T-Mobile said that the company has a specialized legal team that reviews each emergency request. Edens was sentenced to one year in prison for impersonating a US officer."
"iPhone Macro: A Big Day for Small Things (12 minute read). Macro photography is a field of photography that focuses on extreme close-ups of things magnified up to 10x. The iPhone 13 Pro features a new camera that can focus on objects less than an inch away. This article explores what the new lens unlocks, some details in its implementation and how it works, and much more. Examples of macro photography and the difference between lens types are available in the article."
"Internet guerrillas: Inside the DIY broadband revolution with NYC Mesh . NYC Mesh is a group run entirely by volunteers to provide affordable and reliable internet to residents in New York City. Customers can pay whatever they like for the service, but NYC Mesh recommends a monthly $20 to $60 donation. The group hopes that their work inspires other groups around the world to stand up to monopolistic ISPs. There has been some pushback from regulators against mesh wireless technology. The tech requires access to high points and locations, so establishing a community-run mesh network in flatter areas would be difficult."
"Microsoft previews free Visual Studio Code for the Web . Visual Studio Code for the Web is a free web-based code editor that can be used to view code and make and commit lightweight changes. While the desktop version is also free and much more capable, the web version is convenient and can be used on more devices. VS Code for the Web can be converted to GitHub Codespaces instances for when a full remote environment is required."
"Most people would rather lose their job to a robot than another human . A study by researchers at the University of Munich in Germany found that people would rather be replaced by robots than other humans. However, they would prefer their co-workers to be replaced by another human rather than a robot. The respondents were also asked about their intensity of emotions when considering employees being replaced by humans and robots, and they generally had stronger negative emotions when considering losing their own jobs to robots. Losing a job to another human may trigger feelings of doubt and make a person question their own abilities, whereas people generally don't feel like they can compete with a robot or a piece of software. Half of the jobs in the US could be done by robots in the next 20 years, with low-skill, low-income jobs at most risk."
"AI-designed protein awakens silenced genes, one by one . Researchers have developed a method to turn on individual dormant genes by combining CRISPR technology with a protein designed by artificial intelligence. The technique disables the chemical switches that silence the genes so that they can be expressed. It will allow researchers to understand the role of individual genes in various stages of development. The approach can control gene activity without permanently changing the genome."
"Ask HN: Can we create a new internet where search engines are irrelevant? (Hacker News Thread). A user asks whether it is possible to build a new internet from the ground up where data is organized in a way that makes search engines obsolete. Search engines exchange search results for our browsing data, which is something the user wants to avoid. According to responses, the main reason that this would be difficult is that while the information can easily be indexed, ranking the information and sorting out the pages that contain quality information is much more difficult, and that is why we rely on search engines. Other search engines already have been created in the past that just showed a list of relevant sites, but these are not as useful as current large search engines such as Google."
"Facebook creates exec team to work on Mark Zuckerberg's vision for a digital universe . Facebook will create a product team to work on the metaverse. The team will be part of Facebook's Reality Labs. Tech companies have started to increasingly discuss building a metaverse as a successor technology to smartphones. The metaverse will use augmented and virtual reality technologies, which is why Facebook has invested heavily in AR and VR. Mark Zuckerberg hopes that Facebook will be viewed as a metaverse company in the future."
"First look at Elon Musk’s personal Tesla Model S with prototype color . Tesla's Gigafactory Berlin in Germany is expected to be completed in 2021. It features the world's most advanced paint shop, producing layers of colors that subtly change with curvature. A picture of Elon Musk's personal Tesla Model S showing off a new prototype color is available in the article. Tesla has reduced color options to streamline its production and simplify service repairs in recent years. Other factories will be upgraded over time as there are issues with retrofitting an operating paint shop."
"Japan’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft is about to fire bullets into an asteroid . Japan aims to land its Hayabusa 2 spacecraft on the Ryugu asteroid on February 22. The mission was supposed to happen last October, however, it was discovered that the surface of the asteroid was covered in much larger gravel than expected. The Hayabusa 2 will fire three bullets into the surface of the planet to create dust in order to collect samples, two upon landing and one later in the year. The spaceship is scheduled to return to Earth with the samples in late 2020."
"Apple's Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the 'data industrial complex' . Without naming any names, Tim Cook warned that our personal data has been ""weaponized against us with military efficiency"" by the ""data-industrial complex"". He explicitly called for federal regulation, saying that Apple would fully support ""comprehensive, federal privacy law."" He argues for a four pronged approach: data minimization (companies should de-personalize or simply not collect personal data wherever possible), transparency (users should know what is being collected), right to access (users should always be able to get a copy of what data a company has on them), and right to security. Cook also addressed the tension between respecting privacy and getting the data needed to improve AI, saying ""For artificial intelligence to be truly smart it must respect human values — including privacy. If we get this wrong, the dangers are profound. We can achieve both great artificial intelligence and great privacy standards. It is not only a possibility — it is a responsibility."""
"Vultr Delivers Kubernetes Without The Costs (Sponsor). Vultr Delivers Kubernetes Without The Costs . Vultr Kubernetes Engine (VKE) has landed, making it easier than ever to provision clusters with a free, fully-managed control plane and worker nodes powered by Vultr Cloud Compute instances conveniently located in any of 24 locations. Try VKE for free today with this $200 code!"
"DevSecCon24 is back for 2022! (Sponsor). DSC24 is the only free, global conference dedicated to DevSecOps. Learn best practices and testing methodologies from the community to bridge the divide between developers, operations, and security. Register now for free!"
"Reddit recovers from hour-long outage amid heavy trading in GameStop . Reddit experienced an hour-long outage on Wednesday afternoon as volatility returned to stocks, including GameStop and AMC. GameStop closed up about 104% on Wednesday. The firm's finance head recently announced that they would step down next month. Reddit's WallStreetBets forum has become famous for its recent hand in triggering a rally in many shorted stocks. GameStop and AMC are the most discussed stocks on the page."
Zoom’s Immersive View could make video calls feel a bit more in-person . Zoom's new Immersive View will make video calls look more like an office meeting by placing meeting attendees in a realistic-looking location. The feature is available for calls with up to 25 participants. Calls with more attendees will show participants in a strip of video thumbnails at the top of the scene. Hosts can resize attendees and move them around.
"Google will start surfacing individual podcast episodes in search results . Individual podcast results will start showing up in search results in Google, and the feature will soon be implemented into Google Assistant as well. Google has been automatically transcribing all the podcast episodes that it finds and has indexed over 2 million shows. It uses certain signals to determine which shows will be displayed first in search results, such as how many people listen to the show or whether the show comes from a publisher with a lot of authority. Podcasts have always lacked discovery tools, but this new functionality may change how people find new shows. Shows may also start changing their formats in order to become more visible to the search engine, similar to how websites compete with search engine optimization."
"construct-js (GitHub Repo). construct-js is a library for creating byte level data structures. It provides an expressive API made up of standard primitives that allow developers to specify and manipulate binary data. construct-js features signed and unsigned fields up to 64 bit, nested structs, string support, different struct alignments, and more."
"OneFuzz (GitHub Repo). OneFuzz is a self-hosted Fuzzing-As-A-Service platform that enables continuous developer-driven fuzzing to proactively harden software before release. Developers can launch fuzz jobs that use thousands of cores using just a single command, which can be baked into CICD."
"Netflix stops paying the 'Apple tax' on its $853M in annual iOS revenue . Netflix, the highest grossing app in the iOS app store with $853 million in annual revenue, will stop allowing users to sign up via in-app purchase to prevent Apple from taking a cut of their revenue (Apple takes 30% of the first year of subscription revenue, then 15% after that). Apple made about $256 million just from charging Netflix app store fees last year. Netflix already stopped allowing in-app subscriptions on Android in 2018. Users will now have to sign up on Netflix's website before using the app to watch content."
"Commit messages guide (GitHub Repo). This repository is a guide for users on how to write commit messages. It goes through what a commit message is, why it is important to write good commit messages, best practices, and tips on how to plan and write good commit histories. The guide is available in five languages."
"Video infrastructure for any dev team: build streaming video in minutes (Sponsor). Easily build on-demand and live video with Mux's API and dev-friendly docs. Plus, with built-in analytics, you can track engagement and performance metrics. Learn more."
"Welcome to the K-12 Surveillance State . Schools are adopting more and more technologies to monitor students in an effort to improve safety. Software programs, such as Gaggle, scan student activity across different platforms including email, computer files, and online assignments. Gaggle claims to have prevented at least 542 suicides. However, these claims are difficult, if not impossible, to prove. Facial recognition technology can be used to recreate a map of movements for students and teachers. Iris scanners have been installed in some playgrounds. The rise in the use of technology could be due to technology vendors taking advantage of school budgets. Constant monitoring of students results in a lot of data that is collected without the student’s consent. As the technology is relatively new, the laws behind data collection and sharing have not caught up yet, so parents need to be vigilant about what systems the schools may be installing to monitor their children with."
"Google Maps takes on Facebook with launch of its own news feed . Google Maps has introduced its own news feed feature. The Community Feed can be found in the Explore tab of the app. It is designed to show the most recent news, updates, and recommendations from trusted local sources. Business owners can post deals, menu updates, and other offers onto the feed using Google My Business. The centralized feed will give businesses increased exposure when they update their information. Users can 'like' posts and follow businesses, but they cannot comment on items in the feed. The feed shows posts based on where you are looking on the map."
"Apple reportedly plans 2022 release for first AR headset, followed by AR glasses in 2023 . Apple's AR headset, codenamed N301, reportedly has AR and VR capabilities and is planned to be released in 2022. The headset will have a focus on gaming, watching video, and virtual meetings. A smaller pair of glasses that are designed to be worn for a longer period of time will be released in 2023. These glasses currently look like high-priced sunglasses with thick frames. Both devices will use a more advanced version of the Face ID camera. Apple and other tech companies are now looking to virtual and augmented reality as the next big tech platforms. Rivals like Facebook, Microsoft, and Google have been heavily investing in AR/VR projects. Google has recently ended its Daydream experiment due to a lack of developer adoption and decreasing usage from customers."
"Apple becomes first U.S. company to reach $3 trillion market cap . Apple hit a market cap of $3 trillion during intraday trading on Monday. It was the first publicly traded US company to hit a $1 trillion market cap in 2018. Apple showed annual growth across all of its product categories in its fourth-quarter earnings. Investors remain bullish, with many predicting more growth in the near future. Apple's peers aren't far behind, with Microsoft worth about $2.5 trillion, Google about $2 trillion, and Amazon around $1.75 trillion."
"We Are Going (YouTube Video). NASA is planning to go to the Moon, to stay, by 2024. They explain how in this 4 minute video. New rockets have been designed to be able to send heavier loads into space, capsules have been redesigned to safely take humans to space and back, surface data that has been captured over the years will be used to plan missions, and an orbiting outpost called Gateway will send capsules to and from the Moon. NASA continues to look past the Moon and will be using similar techniques and ideas to begin planning missions to Mars and beyond."
"TurboTax maker Intuit in $10bn takeover talks with email firm Mailchimp . Intuit is in talks to acquire Mailchimp for $10 billion. Several parties are currently interested in purchasing Mailchimp. Intuit brought in $9.6 billion in revenue last year, with $2.6 billion during the fourth quarter. It acquired Credit Karma for $7.1 billion last year. The talks are still ongoing and discussions could still fall through."
"Longest Giant Stringy Sea Creature Ever Recorded Looks like It Belongs in Outer Space . An Apolemia is a type of siphonophore that looks like a long white string set up in a galaxy-like spiral. Siphonophores are deep-sea predators that are related to jellyfish and coral. They use a curtain of stinging cells to catch prey. Marine Scientists from the Schmidt Ocean Institute filmed footage of a specimen that was estimated to be 47 meters long, which could make it the longest animal recorded to date. The article contains videos and pictures of the creature."
Flying Car Company Boss Completes 'First Ever' Commute in $83K Space-Age Vehicle . The trip was a momentous occasion for the electric vertical take-off and landing sector.
"The Google Pixel 6 Pro may have been leaked in a brief hands-on video . A video of what looks to be a pre-production version of the Pixel 6 Pro has been posted on Twitter. The device looks similar to the dummy units Google has installed in its NYC store, except with a different logo on its back. The logo indicates that the device is an early production test unit. Google is expected to reveal the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro sometime in November. The video is available in the article."
"Grid.js (Website). Grid.js is a HTML table plugin written in TypeScript. It is easy to use, extensible, and open source. Grid.js works with most JavaScript frameworks. An example of the working code is available on the site."
React95 (GitHub Repo). This is a cool project that lets you make React components that look like Windows95 UI components.
This is Sony’s Airpeak drone . Sony unveiled its new Airpeak drone at CES 2021. It is the smallest drone capable of carrying an Alpha camera. The drone was designed for video content creation and professional photography. It has a quadcopter design that features two retractable landing gear extensions. A video that shows off its capabilities as a chase camera is available in the article.
"Virtual Modules for Fun and Profit . Virtual modules are an amazing but underrated feature for JavaScript. Using virtual modules provides internal functionality without the boilerplate weight and without compromising extensibility. This article talks about how virtual modules were used in the development of Fastify DX. Frameworks typically bundle their internals as external npm packages, but Fastify DX packs most of its internals as virtual modules."
"Amazon reportedly planning 3,000 cashier-less Go stores by 2021 . Amazon says that it plans on opening as many as 3,000 of its cashier-less Amazon Go convenience stores by the year 2021. Jeff Bezos envisions Amazon Go stores coming in many different configurations with some serving freshly made meals while others look more like a cashierless 7-Eleven with limited grocery selections and pre-made food options. Amazon reportedly plans on having 10 stores open by the end of the year, 50 locations in major cities by next year, and then an exponential growth in locations in 2020 and 2021, so long as it doesn't hit any roadblocks."
"Front End Interview Handbook (GitHub Website). The Front End Interview Handbook contains a collection of questions that a developer might be asked during a front-end job interview. It is divided into three sections - HTML Questions, CSS Questions, and Javascript Questions. Each section includes linked references."
"The World's First Carbon Concrete Building Is Under Construction . The Cube is the world's first carbon concrete building. Its concrete is reinforced with carbon fibers rather than steel rods, making it four times stronger and lighter than traditional concrete. As carbon fiber doesn't rust, the concrete is more durable over a longer period. It also allows for the same structural strength while using far less material. Carbon concrete can reduce CO2 emissions from construction by up to 50 percent. A video outlining the construction process of The Cube is available in the article."
"After losing $38676+ as an Indie Hacker. I can't do it anymore. I quit. . Not all companies work out. While we hear stories about developers becoming successful after creating a product from home, many more fail. It can sound easy to create something, find 10-20 clients, and then grow a business from there, but the reality can be much harder than that, especially when dealing with anxiety. Many developers will sacrifice a lifestyle or income for their startups, which can add to the losses when they decide to finally give up."
"Julian Assange: Wikileaks co-founder arrested in London . Julian Assange has been arrested in London after seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy. The Ecuadorian government has recently withdrawn asylum for Assange due to his behavior, as it was clear the Assange was still interfering with the affairs of other states. Assange was found guilty of failing to surrender to court in 2012 for charges that have since been dropped and can be sentenced to jail in the UK for up to 12 months. It is still unclear whether he will be extradited to the US, where he could face up to five years in jail for conspiracy to commit computer intrusion."
"MoviePass Changed Some Users’ Passwords on Purpose So They Couldn’t Use the Service . MoviePass, a movie ticket subscription service that was extremely popular in 2018, was built on an unsustainable model and it started having problems when the userbase grew too quickly. Instead of trying to offset costs, CEO Mitch Lowe ordered his employees to change the passwords of heavy-use premium users as they were costing the company too much money. This was done discreetly without the members finding out. Eventually, the company implemented an automatic shutdown system if it surpassed a certain budget on that day. The company is technically still running but it is suspected that many legal hurdles await. Some critics believe that the story behind the rise and fall of MoviePass has what it takes to be made into its own movie."
"Apple’s iPhone 12 seems to have a secret reverse wireless charging feature . Apple's iPhone 12 lineup can wirelessly charge external accessories, according to newly unveiled FCC filings. The phones support Apple's new MagSafe standard for wireless charging, but Apple didn't announce any form of reverse charging features when the phones were revealed. While the reverse wireless charging doesn't appear to work for any current devices, it could be turned on at any time in the future. Apple is rumored to be working on an AirPods revamp, and the coming AirTags accessories would also work well with the feature."
Startup Plans to Launch Nuclear Reactor Into Space for First Time In Decades . Startup Atomos Space is planning to conduct a basic critical test of a low-power fission reactor in orbit. The startup plans to navigate the ambiguous regulations surrounding space nuclear power by using a reactor design that separates the two fuel loads needed to power the system and assembling them in space. This approach ensures the fuel loads do not interact until they are deployed in space even if the launch experiences any kind of malfunction. Atomos Space hopes to launch its initial reactor within four to five years.
"Scientists Catch Jumping Genes Rewiring Genomes . Genes encoding transcription factors have the ability to amplify and silence thousands of other genes. Explanations for transcription factors have largely eluded scientists. Transposons are genetic elements that can copy themselves and insert those copies throughout the genome using a splicing enzyme they make. A recent study found that transposons had fused with other genes nearly 100 times in tetrapods over the past 300 million years, resulting in many genes likely to encode transcription factors. The study explains how these genes form, implicating transposon activity as the cause."
"Neuraxle Pipelines (GitHub Repo). Neuraxle is a Machine Learning library for building neat pipelines. It provides methods to ease research, development, and deployment of ML applications. Neuraxle can help build production-ready code that is compatible with any machine learning library."
"Researchers explore using light to levitate discs in the mesosphere . Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have levitated thin discs in conditions that mimic the atmosphere high above the Earth's surface using laser light. The mesosphere is a part of the atmosphere at approximately 50 to 80 kilometers above the surface, and the ability to send sensors into that range would allow for monitoring airflow and could improve weather predictions. Those altitudes are too thin for airplanes to fly and too thick for satellites and rockets to make long-duration flights. The levitation is caused by heat created as the laser makes contact with the discs. A video explaining the experiment is available in the article."
"SQLFluff (GitHub Repo). SQLFluff is a dialect-flexible and configurable SQL linter. It automatically fixes most linting errors. SQLFluff works with jinja templating and dbt. It is still in beta, so users should expect changes as it continues development."
"Package validator (GitHub Repo). Package validator implements value validations for structs and individual fields based on tags. It features Cross Field and Cross Struct validations by using validation tags or custom validators, the ability to dive into both map keys and values for validation, alias validation tags, customizable i18n aware error messages, and more. Full documentation, benchmark scores, and examples are available."
"Leaked Documents Expose the Secretive Market for Your Web Browsing Data . A subsidiary of the antivirus giant Avast called Jumpshot sold highly sensitive web browsing data to many of the world's biggest companies. Jumpshot says it has data from 100 million devices, which it received from Avast. The data includes Google searches, location lookups and GPS coordinates in Google Maps, and browser history information. Using the data, it is possible to identify individual users and the search terms they used on a wide range of sites, including YouPorn and PornHub. The data doesn't contain users' names, but there is enough specific browsing data to deanonymize certain users. Avast collected the data via a browser plugin designed to warn users of suspicious websites. It claimed to have stopped sending customer data to Jumpshot after the data collection was publicly exposed in 2015, but documents indicate that the data collection is still ongoing through the antivirus software itself. Jumpshot sells a variety of different products based on the data."
Sherlock (GitHub Repo). Sherlock is a program written in Python that is able to search for usernames across social networks. It will find all accounts with the same names and output the details into a text file.
"Scientists connect a human brain and 'rat cyborg' brain together . A Chinese research team has developed a wireless brain-to-brain system that allowed a human to control and move a ‘rat cyborg’ through a maze. Researchers were able to translate signals from an electroencephalogram attached to humans into instructions that stimulated a rat’s brain to move in a certain direction. While scientists have previously been successful in creating other brain-to-brain control systems, this is the first time it has been used to solve a complex navigation task."
"Newly discovered ""nano-chameleon"" is world's smallest known reptile . A newly discovered species of chameleon is now the world's smallest known reptile. It may have the smallest adult males of any vertebrate, at 13.5 mm long. The chameleon was discovered in the northern regions of the island of Madagascar. Micro CT scans were used to make sure that the specimens were adults. The habitat of the new species is likely to be limited to just a few acres, putting it at risk of extinction."
"Abandoned No Longer, Novel Uses for Mines and Quarries . Humans have been digging into the ground for millennia, and when the materials from these quarries are depleted, they often end up abandoned. Quarries are usually located near cities, which makes them ideal spots for redevelopment. This article looks at 12 of the most interesting abandoned quarry redevelopment projects around the world."
"Salesforce is in talks to buy Slack, deal could be announced next week . Slack shares closed almost 38% higher on Wednesday after it was reported that Salesforce was in talks to acquire the company. A deal could be announced as soon as next week. Salesforce has taken advantage of its growth and acquired multiple companies in recent years. The deal is set to be one of the biggest software deals in history. Microsoft had considered buying Slack for up to $8 billion in 2016, but no deal was finalized. Slack had more than 12 million daily active users in October last year."
"Scientists find 'secret molecule' that allows bacteria to exhale electricity . Geobacter, a groundwater-dwelling genus of bacteria, eats organic waste and exhales electrons, generating a tiny electric current in the process. The Geobacter breathes through conductive filaments hundreds of times their size called nanowire. Nanowire is 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair and it is capable of transporting electrons far away from the microbes' bodies. Understanding how the system works could be a crucial step in transforming Geobacter colonies into live batteries."
"Apple brings more than 70 new emoji to iPhone with iOS 12.1 . Here are the 70 new emojis coming to all Apple products in the upcoming iOS, macOS, and watchOS updates. Personally I'm a big fan of the puppy dog eyes and the hilariously giant mosquito."
"How I write backends (GitHub Repo). Federico Pereiro has been developing backends for web applications since late 2012, and this document summarizes how he writes his code. He discusses architecture, tools, development, deployment, maintenance, security, admin, and many other topics. Topics go in-depth with explanations of the what, why, and hows of backend development. Pereiro also makes recommendations for best practices."
"Amazon is testing its Scout delivery robots in Georgia and Tennessee . Amazon's Scout robots are battery-powered bots that can navigate around city streets, dodging objects on the sidewalks, to deliver packages to customers. The robots will start to deliver orders to customers in Atlanta, Georgia, and Franklin, Tennessee soon. Amazon has been testing the robots since last year. The robots will be accompanied by a human and make deliveries Monday through Friday during daylight hours. There won't be any additional cost for Scout deliveries."
"Android 13 deep dive: Every change, thoroughly documented (25 minute read). Google has released the first developer preview of Android 13. The full OS is expected to be released in Q3 2022. There will be 2 Developer Previews and 4 Beta releases before the final release. This article takes a look at all the new features, including the new photo picker, per-app language preferences, and Hub mode. Screenshots and videos of some of the new features are available. More changes are expected in future preview versions."
"The Dark Side of Techno-Utopianism (24 minute read). Prior to the printing press, books were handwritten by scribes and people who could not afford them probably would not have been able to read them, leaving a lot of space for powerful gatekeepers to exploit the common people. Many texts would have been altered while they were copied by scribes. After printed text started being distributed, the gatekeeping powers shifted toward those who printed texts, as they had the power to change the words and meanings of the text printed. The internet introduced the ability to view a wide range of information and platforms to distribute information. Now, anybody could write anything they wanted, whether it was true or not. Companies can moderate their platforms and control the narrative. Some platforms are moderated heavily, while others are almost completely free, allowing users to say whatever they want. Tech companies are starting to recognize the power they possess and some are beginning to push for regulations on what should be allowed on the internet."
"Spotify wants to know where you live and will be checking in . Spotify will start collecting user addresses in an effort to detect fraud and abuse of its Premium Family program. Priced at $15 a month, Spotify's Premium Family plan allows up to six users to share one account, as long as they all live at the same address. In August, Spotify updated its terms and conditions to require location data from Premium Family subscribers. Spotify had tested collecting GPS data from customers previously, but customers complained. Experts are concerned about how Spotify will access and handle location information, as location data can be very sensitive private information. Spotify claims that it only uses location information for verification. The data is encrypted and can be edited by the plan owner as needed. It is unknown how often Spotify will be checking users' locations."
"Scientists Built a Particle Accelerator Smaller Than a Human Hair on a Chip . The world's largest particle accelerator is a structure that extends 17 miles long. Scientists have just developed the world's smallest particle accelerator at 30 microns across, which is about half the width of a human hair. The particle accelerator was designed to be installed on a chip and will open up possibilities in materials science, chemistry, and medicine. It is called a dielectric laser accelerator (DLA), and the technology could lead to cheaper and more compact X-ray machines, radiation machines, industrial scanning equipment, and many other devices. The DLA was designed by a computer. It still needs improvement, and it will be a few more years before the DLA will be practical."
"Amazon Fresh grocery store in Los Angeles opens to the public . Amazon Fresh at Woodland Hills, Los Angeles is now open to the public from 7 AM to 10 PM PT daily. It features Amazon's new Dash Cart, which calculates shopping totals, displays shopping lists, and does other tasks to make the shopping experience more automated. Customers can skip a visit to the cashier if the Dash Cart detects less than two bags of groceries in the cart. When a customer leaves the store, the amount owing is automatically deducted from the credit card they have associated with their Amazon account. Echo Show stations are placed throughout the store to help point customers towards specific products. Customers can pick up same-day Amazon Prime deliveries from the store."
"Largest canyon in the solar system revealed in stunning new images . Valles Marineris is a system of canyons that runs for more than 2,500 miles along the Martian equator. Spanning nearly a quarter of the planet's circumference, it is nearly 10 times as long as the Grand Canyon and three times deeper. It is the single largest canyon in the solar system. Scientists have been taking images of Valles Marineris since 2006 using an incredibly high-resolution camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. It still isn't clear how the canyon formed. Photos of the canyon are available in the article."
"Apple trolled Google with a massive billboard at the world's biggest tech show, which it's not even attending . Google took out an ad on the Vegas monorail system for the CES conference advertising Google Assistant. Apple took out a gigantic ad on the side of a hotel right next to the monorail that says ""What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone"" with a link to Apple's privacy page."
"Instacart’s Gig Workers Are Planning a Massive, Nationwide Strike . Instacart gig workers will refuse to accept orders until Instacart increases their pay by $5 an order, provides free safety gear, and expands paid sick leave to include workers with pre-existing conditions who have been advised by their doctors not to work at this time. The strike will last until Instacart agrees to their terms. Instacart corporate employees have full benefits and do not have to work in the front lines, while the gig workers have no guarantees or protections. Like many other companies that depend on gig workers, Instacart has offered two weeks of paid sick leave if a worker tests positive, but the offer only lasts until April 8, before the worst of the pandemic is set to hit. Many workers live paycheck to paycheck, so this may force workers to work while sick. Instacart plans to hire an additional 300,000 gig workers in the next three months."
"Apple added a secret button to your iPhone, and you may not have even noticed . Apple implemented a feature called Back Tap in the iOS 14 release that adds a new hardware button to the iPhone. Back Tap turns the entire back of the iPhone into a touch-sensitive button that can trigger specific functions. Its settings can be modified inside the Accessibility menu. Back Tap can be integrated with Shortcuts, so it can do almost anything you can imagine."
"Scientists Just Cured the Coronavirus With Inhalable Nanobodies . A new therapy called the Pittsburgh inhalable Nanobody 21 might be able to prevent and treat Covid-19. The treatment involves inhaling a vapor cloud of nanobody-based material. It uses single-domain antibody fragments, which are cheaper to produce than monoclonal antibodies. The treatment has so far only been shown to be effective in hamsters. If successful in humans, it could lead to a massive increase in our ability to rapidly inoculate populations from the virus and its variants."
"GameStop short-sellers lost $1.6 billion in a single day as Reddit traders rebelled against them . GameStop shares have rocketed since January 11, after the company added three new directors to its board. The action drew the attention of retail traders, including members of the popular WallStreetBets subreddit. Some believe that the gains were fueled by a massive short-squeeze, but demand for shorting the stock remains high. The stock is now up more than 500% year-to-date. Analysts have struggled to make sense of the retail-trader phenomenon."
SLS: First view of Nasa's assembled 'megarocket' . The Space Launch System (SLS) is NASA's new spacecraft built for carrying payloads for future missions on the moon. It will carry the Orion crew vehicle towards the moon on its maiden flight later this year. The SLS has a giant core stage that houses propellant tanks and four powerful engines. It also has two 54m-long solid rocket boosters attached on its sides. NASA is aiming to fly humans to the moon using the SLS within the decade. It will be the first time humans have landed on the Moon since 1972. Pictures of the SLS being assembled are available in the article.
"In 2021, the Internet went for TikTok, space, and beyond (16 minute read). TikTok saw more traffic than Google in 2021. This article looks at the most popular domains this year and compares them with 2020's results. It analyzes trends and links them with real-world events. The article focuses mainly on domains that relate to space, e-commerce, social media, streaming, chat, and the metaverse."
"Dropbox is adding folders that will automatically organize for you . Automated Folders is a new feature from Dropbox that can automatically rename files in folders, group items into subfolders, and more. It can be configured with various rules, which are currently predefined, but Dropbox is working on making the system more customizable. Dropbox has also added a new tagging system, a feature called Naming Conventions that can batch rename files, and a Multi-file organization feature that can sort files into subfolders based on how often people make changes to them. The new features are available now for Dropbox for Teams users and will be available for people with individual or family plans soon."
mirrord (GitHub Repo). mirrord mirrors traffic from production environments into development environments. It captures traffic from targeted pods through a privileged pod on the same node. mirrord is both a Visual Studio Code extension and a command-line tool.
"Disney, Microsoft, Nintendo, and 50 more hit by massive source code leak . Source code from more than 50 high-profile companies was leaked onto a public GitLab repository. The code was obtained by scanning third-party sources and misconfigured DevOps applications. Some of the code includes credentials. Leaked source code can have serious impacts as it gives cybercriminals all the information they need to exploit the software. A list of the affected companies is linked in the article."
"This AI Can Tell if You Have Covid-19 Just by Listening to Your Cough, Researchers Say . Researchers at MIT have created a tool using neural networks that can detect subtle changes in a person's cough and identify whether a person has been infected with COVID-19, even if they don't have any other symptoms. In tests, the tool was able to recognize 98.5% of coughs from people with confirmed cases and 100% of coughs from asymptomatic people. Asymptomatic carriers of the virus are less likely to get tested so they are hard to manage during a pandemic. While the researchers warn that the method shouldn't be used as a substitute for getting properly tested for the virus, its use could help improve detection rates."
"Scientists May Have Found a Way to Inject Oxygen Into The Bloodstream Intravenously . Scientists have found a way to inject oxygen directly into the bloodstream. The new technique works by channeling an oxygen-laden liquid through a series of nozzles that get smaller and smaller. The bubbles end up smaller than red blood cells, so they won't block blood vessels. These bubbles are coated with a lipid membrane before being added to blood. The technique was able to lift blood oxygen saturation levels in mice from 15% to over 95% in just a few minutes. The technique is still a proof of concept and has yet to be tested on people."
"A transistor made using two atomically thin materials sets size record . A new record for the smallest transistor gate length has been achieved. The gate was only a single carbon atom across. The design of the whole transistor is easy to make and relatively compact. While the transistor will need more work to improve its performance, the techniques used to create it are significant as they do not require extremely precise positioning of the atomically thin materials."
"Elon Musk Says Tesla Suing California County, Moving Headquarters Out Of State . Elon Musk has announced that Tesla will be suing California county due to the current shelter-in-place orders. He also announced that Tesla will be moving its headquarters and future programs to Texas and Nevada immediately. Tesla had closed its Fremont plant after some resistance in March. Musk has been vocal about his opposition to the pandemic restrictions, saying that the orders were against's people's freedoms and constitutional rights."
"The New York Times removes its articles from Apple News . The New York Times has ended its partnership with Apple News and its articles will no longer appear in the Apple News app. While other services send readers to publishers' websites, Apple News generally keeps readers in the app, meaning that NYT was not able to build a direct relationship with paying readers. The Times prefers a platform where it can control the presentation of its reports, the relationship with its readers, and the business rules."
"No more needles? . Doctors use blood samples to check for biomarkers of disease. These biomarkers are also found in the dense liquid medium that surrounds our cells, but in much smaller quantities. A new ultrabright fluorescence nano label that can detect these biomarkers in low concentrations has allowed scientists to create a microneedle patch that can inform doctors about what's going on inside our bodies, without unnecessary trips to the hospital, and with much less discomfort. The patches only go about 400 microns deep, too shallow to touch the sensory nerves. There will be a lot of applications for this technology, but for now, the scientists are working on determining clinical cut-offs for biomarker levels."
Samsung’s Watch Active 4 leaks in new renders . Renders of Samsung's Galaxy Watch Active 4 have leaked online. It has an edge-to-edge display and two buttons on the right-hand side. The watch is expected to be officially announced during an event on June 28. This will be the first smartwatch from Samsung that uses the new Wear OS. Wear is based on Google Wear and it should mean better battery life and load times. It should also make the watch more accessible for developers. The renders are available in the article.
"OpenAI bot crushes Dota 2 champions, and now anyone can play against it . OpenAI Five played a best-of-three match against OG, the winners of last year’s The International, and won. The bot has been trained by playing millions of games against itself and has learned how to win consistently, albeit with certain limitations. During the competition, the bot was given a few handicaps. There was no communication between the bots, their reaction time was artificially slowed, and hero choice was limited as some hero skills would give the bot more advantages. While the bot knows how to win the game, it doesn’t actually know how to play the game, so it gets confused in novel situations. In the second of the two games played, OpenAI Five defeated OG within 20 minutes."
"Microsoft thinks coronavirus will forever change the way we work and learn . Microsoft has released data on how people are using its Teams app. Video call usage went up by more than 1,000 percent in March. Microsoft engineers are challenged with the task of making sure that Teams' infrastructure has enough capacity for this increase in usage. New features have been prioritized, and Microsoft is working on increasing the number of participants allowed per meeting. Despite coronavirus restrictions lifting in China, Microsoft reports retaining many of its new customers, with a growing number of daily active users still. This indicates that we might start seeing a cultural change in the way we work, and working from home might become normal for many. Give feedback by replying here or messaging me on Twitter @tldrdan! If you don't want to receive future editions of TLDR, please click here."
"Pixel 4 gets automatic robocall screening, improved location accuracy, and more . Google has released a feature drop for Pixel devices, a more substantial update that contains helpful and fun features on top of the normal monthly updates to improve performance and security. Pixel 4's Call Screen feature is now able to detect robocalls and automatically hang up. Duo's camera has been updated so that it auto-frames faces (including automatically adjusting zoom if another person joins in-frame), and a new portrait filter is able to blur the background during calls. Users can also use a version of the new portrait filter in Google Photos. Google Maps has improved accuracy, and the new Google Assistant will be released in the UK, Canada, Ireland, Singapore, and Australia. The new assistant is able to work offline and processes speech at almost zero latency. All new Pixel phones will receive an update to memory management that will allow them to run multiple apps more efficiently at the same time."
"Google traffic misdirected to China & Russia today, resulted in downtime for some services . Google Search, Youtube, and Google Cloud all experienced intermittent downtime for about an hour, due to their traffic being misrouted to locations in China, Russia, and Nigeria. This incident was due to BGP's flawed design, BGP (the protocol that defines how internet packets are routed) was designed to be a chain of trust between well-meaning ISPs and universities that blindly believe the information they receive. However, malicious actors can sometimes take avantage of it to hijack traffic (hackers hijacked Amazon's Route 53 DNS traffic in April to steal a bunch of Bitcoin). All data was encrypted, and Google does not believe that this was the result of a malicious attack, but they are investigating the issue."
"The US has its first case of the new Wuhan coronavirus . A case of the coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, has been reported in a patient in Seattle, Washington. The patient is clinically healthy but under observation. Despite the report, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention believes that the threat to the US remains low. The virus is currently known as 2019-nCoV, and it has killed around six people. Experts are concerned about the virus’s similarities to SARS. Enhanced health screenings have been put in place at some airports for passengers who flew from or through Wuhan. Coronaviruses are common in animals and can evolve into forms that can be passed to and infect humans. The World Health Organization identified a wholesale food market in Wuhan as the possible source of the virus. China has admitted that there has been at least one confirmed case where the virus passed directly from one person to another."
"First meat grown in space lab 248 miles from Earth . Israeli food technology startup Aleph Farms has successfully grown meat in a lab on the International Space Station. Bovine cells were harvested on Earth and sent to space, where they were grown into small-scale muscle tissue using a 3D bioprinter. The technique could potentially be used to provide meat for people living on the space station. In December, Aleph Farms was successful in growing a strip of steak from cells in two weeks, but it admitted that the taste could be improved. One kilogram of natural beef requires 10,000 to 15,000 liters of water to produce. Aleph Farms' technology could potentially ensure food security for the future while preserving our natural resources."
"Ethereum Plans to Cut Its Absurd Energy Consumption by 99 Percent . In 2018, Ethereum mining used roughly as much electricity as Iceland. Ethereum developers, including creator Vitalik Buterin, are creating a new version in 2019 that will be able to complete transactions using just 1% of the energy currently required. The plan is to replace current Proof of Work algorithms where millions of processors simultaneously process the same transactions with Proof of Stake algorithms that randomly select one to do the job. Because Proof of Stake is less energy intensive, they are less costly so transactions should be cheaper as well."
"Company of NASA Stars Building Orbital Space Hotel With Artificial Gravity . The Orbital Assembly Corporation is a large-scale space construction firm that plans to build a habitable space hotel in low-Earth orbit. Investors can now co-own the project at $0.25 per share. The space station will generate artificial gravity by spinning. It will be built in stages, with some assembly in space using robots. The station will have 24 habitation modules and space hotel guests may go on spacewalks. A one hour video from the First Assembly virtual event is available in the article."
"‘I lost my £193,000 inheritance – with one wrong digit on my sort code’ . Peter Teich gave his solicitor the wrong sort code, and as a result, his £193,000 inheritance from his father was transferred to another Barclays customer. In the UK, banks are not required to check names along with account numbers for transfers. The banking industry had promised that it would start checking names from mid-2019, but this has been delayed and will not come into force until the end of March next year. Barclays refused to reverse the transfer as the bank had done nothing wrong with the processing on its end. Teich pursued the case through the court system, paying £46,000 upfront in legal costs. He was able to recover the money. Eventually, after contacting the media, Barclays agreed to refund the legal costs, including interest, with some compensation."
"The first modern pandemic (30 minute read). Bill Gates discusses his views of the COVID-19 situation and how we can accelerate innovations in testing, treatments, vaccines, and policies to limit the spread of the disease and minimize the damage to economies and well-being. He reviews how the disease started and the key facts around the coronavirus, including its infection rates, our response, and information that we still need in order to fight the virus. There are many treatments and vaccines that are currently being studied, but it will take some time before any of these are available. Most countries will move into a semi-normal state within the next two months. However, things will definitely not be the same. Governments will have to find a balance when removing current restrictions."
"Elon Musk living in a prefab house that sells for just $50k . Elon Musk's primary home is a $50,000 prefabricated home manufactured by housing startup Boxabl. Boxabl specializes in easy-to-construct housing modules. Musk's home is roughly 400-square-foot and located near SpaceX's launch facility in Texas. He rents the house from SpaceX. Musk also owns a house in the Bay Area. A short video showing a Boxabl prefab house being set up is available in the article."
"Octopuses Like to Punch Fish, New Research Suggests . Scientists have documented multiple occurrences of octopuses punching fish. It seems that the octopuses primarily do it for practical reasons, such as banishing a fish from a hunting group, but sometimes there appeared to be no immediate benefit to the behavior. Octopus and fish sometimes hunt together, sharing the spoils. Several videos of octopuses punching fish are available in the article."
"Google will start paying some publishers for news articles . Google has announced a new licensing program that will be a part of its upcoming News and Discover service launching later this year. The program will start with publishers from Germany, Australia, and Brazil, with Google planning to add more regions soon. Multiple countries have recently pushed for Google to compensate publishers for the news content it links to. Facebook has recently launched a news tab in the US, paying some participating publishers for their work. The scheme by Facebook was criticized for being too exclusive and not paying publishers enough."
"Neopets launching open beta for a new mobile site . Neopets is launching an open beta for its new mobile site. A link to the game is available in the article. It is still in the very early stages of development. Neopets has launched mobile games before, but the franchise has slowly been fading over the past few years. Viacom bought Neopets in 2005 and later sold it to Jumpstart, an educational games company."
"Controversial 'Chimera' Embryos Made by Scientists Are Part Human, Part Monkey . A study in China successfully created a chimeric combination of monkey and human cells. The study started with 132 macaque embryos injected with 25 human pluripotent stem cells each. After 10 days, 103 of the embryos were alive and still developing. However, by day 19, only three remained alive. The embryos were terminated after 19 days, in line with the experimental parameters. The experiment revealed several communication pathways that could be enhanced to increase the efficiency of chimerism in host species more evolutionarily distant to humans."
New CRISPR-based map ties every human gene to its function . The Perturb-seq map is the first comprehensive functional map of genes that are expressed in human cells. The data is available for any scientist to use. It allows scientists to explore the cellular effects of genes with unknown functions and it will enable all sorts of analyses that scientists haven't even considered yet. The map was made possible through a technique that can follow the impact of turning on or off genes with unprecedented depth. Examples of how researchers are using the map are available in the article.
"Lip Gloss (GitHub Repo). Lip Gloss enables style definitions for terminal layouts, built with TUIs in mind. It uses an expressive, declarative approach to terminal rendering. Lip Gloss supports inline formatting, block-level formatting, aligning text, copying styles, inheritance, and more. Users familiar with CSS will feel at home with Lip Gloss."
"No Ageism in Tech (Website). According to several news sources and personal anecdotes, older tech professionals are finding it increasingly hard to find employment, even though they are well-qualified for many positions. The tech environment appears to attract younger people, and older, more experienced professionals are being left behind. This website provides links to a range of tech companies that are fighting against ageism in tech by offering job roles specifically for older professionals. Job seekers can browse employment listings, and age-friendly employers can list their company and job openings on the website."
Notion (GitHub Repo). Notion is a tool to manage JavaScript packages to ensure that everyone on the project is using an identical development environment. It is operated through the command line and allows packages to be managed by project. Notion’s tool-chain allows developers to enjoy the convenience of installing global packages without having to worry about the dependencies on their machines.
"The Internet Was Built on the Free Labor of Open Source Developers. Is That Sustainable? (15 minute read). Collaborative programming in open source projects has been a cornerstone of software development since the birth of the internet. Many important projects are built completely by volunteers with code that can be reviewed by anyone who wishes to do so. However, while the system of open peer review and community collaboration sounds great in theory, sometimes it does not work out in practice. Vice investigates the world of open source development and its relationship to privately funded code development, highlighting examples of projects such as OpenSSL, which is used by almost everybody on the internet."
"Github Actions (Deployment Tool). Github Actions is a new workflow automation tool currently open for beta signups, you can set triggers based on certain Github events (like push, issue, release) and can run arbitrary serial or parallel actions in response."
"drgn (GitHub Repo). drgn is a programmable debugger that exposes the types and variables in a program for easy, expressive scripting in Python. drgn aims to make scripting as natural as possible to make debugging feel like coding. It was developed for debugging in the Linux kernel but it can also debug userspace programs written in C."
"How the Canadian cannabis company Tilray became worth more than American Airlines . Canadian startup Tilray became the first marijuana company to go public on the Nasdaq in July, and now the company is worth over $20 billion after the US Drug Enforcement Administration signed off on Tilray's plan to import marijuana from Canada to the US for medical research. A large part of the reason for the large spike in valuation is that most of the shares are held by Privateer Holdings, a private equity firm backed by investor Peter Thiel, meaning the publicly traded portion is a relatively small fraction of the total number of shares. Spending on cannabis worldwide is expected to reach $57 billion by 2027 and Tilray is well positioned to be a major player in this market. The stock is extremely volatile, and dropped from $230 to $180 in just one hour Wednesday morning."
"Google's officially done making its own tablets . Google has shut down the development of its tablet devices and has started to reassign its employees to work in other areas. The Pixel Slate was released in 2018 and Google had been working on two smaller-sized tablets. Pixel phones and the Pixelbook won’t be affected by this decision. In fact, a new Pixelbook may be revealed before the end of the year. The Pixel Slate will continue receiving regular software updates until 2024 as promised, and the Chrome OS team will continue to focus on both laptops and tablets."
"WhatsApp now has 2 billion users . Facebook's WhatsApp messaging service now has two billion users worldwide, up from one billion users in 2018. WhatsApp used the milestone to remind people of the importance of encryption in messaging services, a practice that is facing increasing pressure from governments worldwide. CEO Will Cathcart has confirmed that the company has no plans to remove encryption from its messaging service. WhatsApp will provide metadata when it is useful for an investigation, but it believes that the contents of people's private communications should remain private. Facebook plans to make all of its messaging apps interoperable in the future, but the company has had some issues porting features across platforms."
"Twitter launches new API as it tries to make amends with third-party developers . Twitter's API v2 is now live, allowing third-party developers access to many features long absent from their clients. The API was announced last month but its launch was delayed due to the platform being hacked. Twitter offers a basic free tier with limited API calls, an elevated tier that charges users for more calls, and a custom tier that allows for managed accounts. The company expects 80 percent of developers to have their needs met by the basic tier. Twitter wants to encourage developers to create applications using its data and has simplified the onboarding process and provided a new centralized support page."
"Favorite single line of code (Website). This website contains a collection of JavaScript utilities that fit within a single line of code. Categories include arrays, date time, DOM, number, string, and misc. Users are welcome to contribute to the list."
"Building the world's brightest X-ray laser . The Linac Coherent Light Source II (LCLS-II) will be the second world-class X-ray laser at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. It will be capable of firing up to 1 million light pulses per second, with beams 10,000 times brighter than its predecessor. The beams are run through a series of alternating magnets to produce X-rays, which are then used to create molecular movies. LCLS-II will allow scientists to answer questions regarding energy transfer, possibly leading to the improvement of technologies like solar power. A video that shows what it is like inside the more than 2-mile long tunnel that houses LCLS-II is available in the article."
"Sealed Cache of Moon Rocks to Be Opened by NASA . Between 1969 and 1972, the Apollo missions collected 842 pounds of lunar rocks, core samples, pebbles, sand, and dust. While many of these samples have already been studied, some were sealed away until technology had sufficiently improved so they could be more effectively studied. NASA has finally decided, on the year of the 50th anniversary to the Apollo 11 landing, to allow nine teams to study the locked samples. The new studies could start to unravel the mysteries of how the moon evolved, the impact history of the moon, how much water is on the moon, and also determine and improve the effectiveness of sample storage methods."
"U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders supports video game workers unions . Bernie Sanders has tweeted in support of video game worker unions. In the tweet, he specifically names the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Game Workers Unite, two organizations that have been helping game workers work together. Many developers in the video game industry are overworked and subject to a lot of mandatory, sometimes unpaid, overtime. Many stories of unhealthy workplace cultures have recently surfaced, as developers are fired even if their companies are big or make record profits. Sanders’ platform involves tackling many social issues. It is rare for a politician to focus on the video game industry on an issue unrelated to video game violence."
LineClipper (GitHub Repo). LineClipper is a Chrome Extension that optimizes a developer’s flow between the browser and the IDE when executing file retrieval. It copies files paths with their respective line numbers to your clipboard when clicking on specific line numbers on GitHub. Example images are available.
"This is the Osom OV1, a new phone from Essential’s former engineers and designers . Osom has released new details about its upcoming OV1 phone meant to compete with flagships from Apple, Google, and Samsung. The device will have a stainless steel and titanium housing, a ceramic back, Corning Victus cover glass, and a Qualcomm processor. Osom was founded by Essential's employees after the startup went under. The OV1 was scheduled to be fully revealed this week but Osom pushed back the announcement and ship date to upgrade the phone's processors. Many more details about the phone are available in the article."
"Elon Musk picks Berlin for Tesla’s Europe Gigafactory . Tesla's European gigafactory will be built in Berlin, near the new airport. The factory will build batteries, powertrains, and vehicles. Tesla will also create an engineering and design center in Berlin. According to Musk, Berlin has some of the best art in the world, and some of the best cars in the world are made in Germany. Part of the reason that Tesla's gigafactory will be in Germany is due to Germany's outstanding reputation for engineering."
"Watch a real-life invisibility cloak designed for military use . A new Quantum Stealth material developed by Canada's Hyperstealth Biotechnology is able to make anything behind it seem invisible. Hyperstealth Biotechnology manufactures camouflage uniforms for militaries across the globe. The material is paper-thin, doesn't require a power source, and is inexpensive. It bends light around the target, making it seem to disappear. This includes ultraviolet, infrared, or shortwave infrared light. Hyperstealth has released more than 100-minutes of footage describing and demonstrating the material. The video shows the material hiding a scaled-down tank and a small jet. A one-minute video is available in the article demonstrating the use of the material."
A Chinese Satellite Can Allegedly Take High-Res Images of US Cities In Seconds . Beijing-3 is a small and relatively low-cost Chinese satellite that can allegedly take high-resolution images of cities in seconds. The commercial satellite can take images so detailed that they can be used to identify specific military vehicles and weapons. It was able to conduct an in-depth scan of San Francisco Bay within 42 seconds from an altitude of 310 miles at a resolution of 19.6 inches per pixel. The satellite has the potential to monitor up to 500 locations around the world at a rate of up to 100 trips per day using artificial intelligence.
"Microsoft opens its Windows store up to third-party app stores . Microsoft has opened up its app store to allow third-party apps to integrate into the Microsoft Store. Third-party storefront apps will have their own product detail pages so that users can easily find and install them. Amazon and Epic Games will be available on the Microsoft Store over the next few months. Microsoft's more open app policies have resulted in many popular apps being listed in the store. Except for games, developers are allowed to keep 100 percent of revenue from apps if they use alternate payment platforms."
"Netflix is working on a bunch of new reality shows, and you’re invited . Netflix has opened up casting for future programming to anyone over the age of 18 in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, and Ireland. Anyone who is interested and meets the criteria can submit a one-minute video to Netflix's new dedicated reality TV site. Netflix has a range of reality TV shows in the works. Reality TV is cheaper to produce compared to TV series that can cost millions per episode."
"Let companies apply to interview you with salary details upfront (Sponsor). Hired is home to thousands of companies from the fastest growing startups to Fortune 500s that are actively hiring the best and brightest engineers, designers, data scientists, and more. Create a profile and hiring managers can extend interview requests based on desired salary, top skills, and career preferences, you get to see the salary range up front! Sign for free today!"
"I Used to Work for Google. I Am a Conscientious Objector . A former research scientist at Google speaks out against the company’s practices as it complies with China’s demands for increased powers to monitor its citizens’ data. Executives argued that government requests were common for the company and that complying with their legal requirements was the right thing to do. However, compliance with these demands raised questions of whether it was right to use their technology to aid China in infringing on human rights."
"Finnish PM calls for a 4-day-week and 6-hour-day . Sanna Marin is Finland's new prime minister and the youngest female head of government worldwide at 34. The Finnish government is a coalition of five parties, all with female leaders. Marin is calling for shorter work hours, saying that the Finns should have to work for only four days a week, for six hours per day. A five day a week, eight hour per day schedule is currently normal in Finland. A city in Sweden reduced working time to six hours a day in old people's homes and at the municipal hospital in 2015, and it resulted in happier, healthier, and more productive employees. Six-hour workdays are normal in Sweden's tech industry, where the schedule has proven to increase productivity, efficiency, and as a result, profitability."
"Google Stream is what Stadia should have been from the start . Google Stream is a backend cloud gaming technology that Google is pitching to businesses. Instead of putting effort into getting more games on Stadia, Google is getting companies to use Google Stream to release rebranded products. The service could eventually also be used for other applications like 3D modeling. Stadia's biggest problems were its limited game library and Google's lack of commitment to the platform."
"Virgil (GitHub Repo). Virgil is a programming language designed for fast, dependency-free programs. It can produce standalone native executables, WebAssembly modules, and JARs for the JVM. Virgil is a statically-typed language that features classes, functions, tuples, type parameters, and algebraic data types."
"Exclusive: AI Just Controlled a Military Plane for the First Time Ever . On December 15, the US Air Force flew a U-2 spy plane with an AI copilot in California. It is the first time that AI has controlled a US military system. The US military has boosted its digital capabilities significantly in the last three years, building commercially-inspired development teams, coding clouds, and a combat internet that downed a cruise missile. The AI was based on an AI that has previously dominated chess, Go, and video games without prior knowledge of their rules. The software was designed to allow operators to restrict the AI's options. It was given final decision authority for the mission, with no pilot override."
"Uber stopped its own investigators from reporting crimes to the police . Uber's special investigations team has rules which prevent it from escalating issues to law enforcement, filing official police reports, or advising victims of crimes to seek legal counsel. The investigators' main priority is to protect Uber and to make sure that the company is not liable for any crimes committed by its contractors. Neutral language is always to be used when communicating with victims, and investigators are not to specifically ask alleged perpetrators about claims made against them. Uber justifies its actions by maintaining that it is a business, not a unit of law enforcement, and that victims are free to file complaints directly with the police. It has a three-strikes approach to enforcing driver behavior. This approach has allowed some perpetrators to continue to assault victims until their fourth offense."
"Stumble-proof robot adapts to challenging terrain in real time . Researchers from Facebook AI have created a model for robotic locomotion that adapts in real-time to any terrain it encounters. Rapid Motor Adaptation was developed from the idea that humans and animals can change their movement automatically on different surfaces without any real understanding of the external environment. The system was trained entirely in simulation, and the resulting robot was able to walk on sand, mud, and other surface types with a high success rate. The technology can be generalized to train many other types of robots."
"SpaceX successfully launches cargo mission to the International Space Station . On Saturday, SpaceX launched a Dragon cargo capsule to deliver supplies and science experiments to the International Space Station. Two weeks ago, a passenger version of the Dragon spaceship exploded during tests due to a failure in one of the eight SuperDraco engines on the spacecraft. The SuperDraco engines are designed to propel the spaceship away from a dangerous rocket in case of emergencies. As the cargo version of the spacecraft was not fitted with the SuperDraco engines, both SpaceX and NASA were confident in the success of the mission."
"Someone Bought a T. Rex Skeleton for a Record-Breaking $31.8 Million . The remains of a Tyrannosaurus rex were sold at an auction in New York on Tuesday for $31.8 million. Casts of the skeleton, called Stan, have ended up in museums all around the world due to the fossil's exceptional condition. Stan is one of the most complete T.rex fossils in the world, with about 188 bones that represent 70 percent of the full skeleton. At 40 feet in length and 13 feet tall, it is thought that Stan was a male based on its skeletal features. The second-most expensive T.rex skeleton was called Sue. It sold for $8.3 million in 1997. Stan's buyer was anonymous, so it is unknown where it will end up and whether it will remain accessible to the public."
"Scientists Used Over 100,000 MRIs to Map The Human Brain Across Our Entire Lifetime . Researchers have created a database that contains 123,984 magnetic resonance imaging scans taken from 101,457 individuals. The scans were collected from over 100 previous studies and cover every stage of life. They reveal new milestones and confirm developments that have only been previously hypothesized about. The database is designed so that new data can be easily added. A link to the database is available in the article."
"Scientists Bred Healthy Mice Using Artificial Eggs and Ovaries Made From Stem Cells . In vitro gametogenesis (IVG) is a technique that uses stem cells to make sperm and egg cells. Researchers from Kyushu University have successfully created and raised mice using the technique. Eggs made from stem cells are unable to develop naturally outside of an ovary, so the researchers created an artificial ovary, also from stem cells. IVG opens up many possibilities for assisted reproduction. The team is now testing the technique on marmosets. It will still be decades before the technique can be used in humans, if it is even possible."
"Spotify will soon let you mute and block artists . Spotify is rolling out a new feature that lets you mute artists you don't want to hear from. This way, the artist's music will never be played from any library, playlist, or radio station on Spotify. The feature will be in the next iOS app release, no word on when it will come to Android."
"The Secret to a Long, Healthy Life Is in the Genes of the Oldest Humans Alive . Individuals who live for over 100 years rarely suffer from common age-related diseases. The role that genes play in longevity has been disputed for over a century, but studies suggest that 25 to 35 percent of the variability in how long people live is determined by their genes. Scientists will need to study more centenarians to determine which genes are relevant to extending age. These studies could eventually lead to drugs that sever the connection between the genes and proteins that drive aging and its associated diseases."
"Swift AWS Lambda Runtime (GitHub Repo). Swift AWS Lambda Runtime is a library that makes building Lambda functions in Swift simple and safe. It is an implementation of the AWS Lambda Runtime API that uses an embedded asynchronous HTTP Client based on SwiftNIO, fine-tuned for the AWS Runtime. The library features a multi-tier API that can build a range of Lambda functions."
"Cloudflare says it’s time to end CAPTCHA ‘madness’, launches new security key-based replacement . Cloudflare wants to get rid of CAPTCHAs completely by replacing them with a system called Cryptographic Attestation of Personhood. The system uses physical security keys and offers improvements in speed and accessibility. Cloudflare is currently testing the system on a limited basis and it is looking into other authenticators as well. A link to a demo of the new system is available in the article."
Unlayer - Embeddable Email Editor & Page Builder (Sponsor). Unlayer is an easy way to add a drag-n-drop email editor and page builder into your product. With Unlayer your users can create awesome emails and websites with ease without you having to build and support a home-built creative tool. Learn more.
Qwik (GitHub Repo). Qwik is a framework that delivers fast load times with pure HTML and less than 1kb of JavaScript. It can be used to create complex and interactive sites. Several blog posts explaining how Qwik works are available.
"navi (GitHub Repo). navi is an interactive cheatsheet tool for the command line. Users can browse through cheatsheets and execute commands, with prompts for argument values. The project aims to improve terminal usage as a whole by making commands easier to find, run, and share. Users can create custom cheatsheets."
"Mozilla lays off 70 as it waits for new products to generate revenue . Mozilla has released an internal memo that explained that the reason behind its firing of 70 employees today was the slow rollout of the organization's new revenue-generating products. There may be further layoffs as Mozilla reassesses its France and UK operations. Mozilla had around 1,000 employees worldwide in 2018. Earnings from its new subscription products were much lower than expected in 2019. Laid-off employees will receive generous exit packages and outplacement support. Mozilla is dedicating $43 million to its innovation fund in order to develop new products. It is investing in innovation in order to become less reliant on income from search partnerships and to create new revenue channels."
"The world's most unlikely nature reserve: Wildlife is thriving in Chernobyl . 350,000 people were evacuated from Chernobyl 35 years ago after a nuclear disaster. The area may not be fit for humans for another 24,000 years, but endangered animals are thriving in the exclusion zone. Przewalski’s horses were almost extinct in the wild, but there is now a steadily growing population in Chernobyl. A 2-minute video showing the new wildlife around Chernobyl is available in the article."
"Elon Musk’s Boring Company is setting up operations in Austin . The Boring Company has posted several job listings in Austin. It is hiring for positions that indicate that the company plans to set up permanent operations in the city. Austin is also the site of Tesla's $1.1 billion automobile plant. The Boring Company offers tunneling services. It recently entered into an agreement with Las Vegas Convention Center officials to build two 0.8-mile underground tunnels. However, planning files seem to indicate that the system will not be able to move anywhere near the number of people that were originally agreed to."
"Gamedev Tutorial: Trigonometry Basics – Sine & Cosine (10 minute read). Trigonometry is a large part of game math, and a solid understanding of it can go a long way in game development. It is essential for knowing how to define coordinates as points on a circle, which allows developers to program how things move in circles and spirals, as well as different types of motions. Many visual examples of movements and the math to create them are provided in this tutorial."
"Animals ‘shapeshifting’ in response to climate crisis, research finds . Climate change is putting a heap of pressure on animals to adapt. A study of animals from all over the world found that some species have been making changes in physiology that correlate with increasing temperatures over decades. The changes are adaptations to allow animals to cool down more efficiently. More adaptations are expected as temperatures increase. The adaptations are occurring over a far shorter timescale than would have occurred through most of evolutionary time."
"~8yrs ago (Dec’12). In the early days of cloud, Google had some of the smartest people in tech working for it, but they still got a lot wrong. Google missed the market through bad timing, its go-to-market strategy, and the way it productized its technology. While Google had the best tech, it had poor documentation and it didn't have a solutions mindset. This thread follows a Google engineer's experience with the company as it navigated these issues, giving an inside look at how Google Cloud became what it is today."
"Reddit says it wants to build the biggest creator economy on the internet using its own NFT platform . Reddit believes that NFTs will rewrite how we think about digital goods. The company recently posted a job listing looking for a senior engineer to design, build, and ship an NFT platform. There is only one NFT-related job opening at Reddit, but the post suggests that there will be more. Applicants do not have to have a background in crypto or NFTs. A link to the job listing is available in the article."
"Web Skills (GitHub Site). Web Skills contains a visual overview of useful skills to learn as a web developer. It breaks down each topic into its key components and also provides links to begin learning each skill. The main topics include fundamentals, accessibility, web components, architecture, algorithms, databases, and more."
"Elon Musk says Tesla will make ventilators for hospitals if needed . Elon Musk has offered Tesla's help in making ventilators for hospitals in the event of a shortage. The US is likely to have a mechanical ventilator shortage in the coming months as it deals with the COVID-19 outbreak. An estimated 960,000 people will need the roughly 200,000 ventilators currently in the US. While Musk has said he can make the ventilators, he noted that it will take some time to produce. The offer arose from a conversation discussing the partial closure of Tesla's Fremont factory due to shelter-in-place orders. Tesla is allowed to operate with a quarter of its workforce and no cars will be manufactured in the factory."
"Italy imposes draconian rules to stop spread of coronavirus . Italian authorities will start imposing fines on people caught entering or leaving outbreak areas after the third person in the country died of the coronavirus on Sunday. An outbreak in the north of the country has infected 152 people and 11 towns have been in lockdown since Friday night. The roughly 50,000 residents in the towns under lockdown have been told to stay home, and many shops, except chemists, have been closed. Sporting activities and festivities have been canceled. The Milan fashion week will be broadcasted from an empty room."
"Meet Earendel, the most distant star ever detected . The Hubble telescope has revealed a star system from the early universe and the most distant stars ever detected. Officially named WHL0137-LS but nicknamed 'Earendel', the star system is 8.2 billion years older than the Sun. It started shining within just 900 million years of the Big Bang. 12.8 billion years passed before its light reached the Hubble telescope. It took three and a half years to confirm the system's existence after it was first observed. Studying the ancient star system could teach astronomers many things about the history of the universe."
"PocketBase (GitHub Repo). PocketBase is a Go backend consisting of an embedded SQLite database with realtime subscriptions, built-in files and user management, a convenient Admin dashboard UI, and a simple REST-ish API. It can be used as a standalone app or as a framework for building custom app-specific business logic that produces a single portable executable."
"Ask HN: How did your startup change after an exit? (Hacker News Thread). An engineer at a startup that is planning an exit asks others for experiences for how their workplaces changed after other startups either sold via IPOs or changed ownership in other ways. In general, employees saw productivity in the company drop as people focused less on working and more on the potential money coming in. They planned more for their futures and had less urgency in developing products. Some companies had slower transitions, but eventually, they all saw a similar drop in productivity until the sale and transitions were complete and new management was installed."
"Harvard breakthrough shows stem cells can be genetically edited in the body . Scientists at Harvard have successfully demonstrated that the DNA in stem cells can be edited while still in the body. Current procedures to edit stem cells required the cells to be removed from the body, which causes many complications. In the study, the scientists loaded different types of adeno-associated viruses to get CRISPR gene editing systems into different types of skin, blood, and muscle stem cells. To test whether the system worked, they used a ‘reporter’ gene, which made the edited cells glow red. Follow up research also found that the changes to these stem cells were being passed onto new stem cells down the line. This breakthrough could lead to new treatments for genetic diseases, particularly those like muscular dystrophy, which involve tissue regeneration."
UI for Apache Kafka (GitHub Repo). UI for Apache Kafka is a web UI for monitoring and managing Apache Kafka clusters. It makes data flows observable to make it easy to track key metrics and fix issues. UI for Apache Kafka can be easily set up to run locally or in the cloud.
"Privacy Tool 'Cloaks' Faces to Trick Facial Recognition Software . The Fawkes tool was developed to cloak images from facial recognition systems. It does this by making almost imperceptible alterations to images so that they are no longer recognizable to facial recognition software. The images look the same to casual observers, but tests have found that it has a 100% success rate in blocking facial recognition from the most advanced facial recognition services. Users can use the software to corrupt unauthorized models so that they learn the wrong thing about their faces. Images comparing the cloaked faces with the original faces, as well as a link to the Fawkes software, are available in the article."
"Redwood (GitHub Repo). Redwood is an opinionated, full-stack, serverless web application framework that can build and deploy JAMstack applications with ease. It uses React, GraphQL, Prisma, Babel, and Webpack. Redwood features opinionated defaults for formatting, routing with dynamic parameters, automatic page-based code-splitting, boilerplate-less Graph QL API construction, and more."
"Ask HN: Side projects that are making money, but you'd not talk about them? (Hacker News Thread). This Hacker News thread discusses profitable side projects that people haven't talked about openly with others. The top replies include hand tremor canceling software for the mouse, an Adsense blog, an online market for a game, and a 3D first-person creative writing RPG. A link to a thread on the same topic from two years ago is available."
"SEC Officially Files Suit Against Ripple, Alleges XRP Is a Security to This Day . The SEC has filed a lawsuit against San Francisco-based payments company Ripple. It alleges that XRP has always been, and continues to be, an unregistered security. Ripple sold XRP into a market without filing a registration statement with the SEC, which meant that it never provided investors with information that companies are usually required to provide. This resulted in an information vacuum that benefited Ripple and the people with the most control over it. The case names Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and co-founder Chris Larsen individually. Ripple had received legal advice about the matter as early as 2012 but it ignored the advice and elected to distribute XRP without registration."
"Life Advice from NYC Chess Hustlers (13 minute read). New York's Washington Square Park has hosted many chess hustlers for more than 80 years. Some have made up to $1,700 of tax-free money in a day. The hustlers make money by playing against challengers or by giving lessons. This article features interviews with three chess players from the park where they talk about chess, how they make money playing the game, and life."
"Researchers Create Free-Floating Animated Holograms That Bring Us One Step Closer to Star Trek's Holodecks . The Optical Trap Display is a device that uses lasers to create free-floating animated holographic images. It uses an invisible laser to manipulate tiny opaque particles floating in the air and a visible laser to illuminate the particles with color. The display can be observed from any angle, but it is currently very tiny, requiring cameras with macro lenses and microscopes to see the effect in detail. A 4-minute video on the Optical Trap Display is available in the article."
"Dark web dealers voluntarily ban deadly fentanyl . Dark web sites are voluntarily ""delisting"" fentanyl, the first instance of these dark web operators effectively banning a drug. In the past they have banned things like weapons and explosives. It appears to be a commercial decision, as drug deaths lead to increased law enforcement scrutiny. Fentanyl is now causing 29,000 deaths per year, up from 3,000 five years ago."
"Uniqlo replaced 90% of staff at its newly automated warehouse with robots . Uniqlo cut 90% of the workforce in one of its Tokyo warehouses, and replaced them with robots. Now the warehouse operates 24 hours a day. Robots are able to unload trucks, count inventory, and put products in cardboard boxes and label them. There is very little human input needed. Uniqlo plans on spending $887 million to automate all of their warehouses in Japan and abroad."
"Google Photos finally lets you manually tag people in pictures . Users will be able to start manually tagging people in Google Photos. Previously, Photos automatically recognized faces and sorted them, but the system sometimes missed faces and users would not be able to correct the mistakes. Users can only tag faces if the system recognizes a face in the photo. Google automatically scans photos for faces if the 'face grouping' feature is turned on. It doesn't share information between accounts. If users turn off the 'face grouping' feature, the face models that have been generated for the account will be deleted."
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"React NodeGUI (GitHub Repo). React NodeGUI uses JavaScript and CSS-like styling to build high-performance, native, and cross-platform desktop applications. It is powered by React and Qt5. It has a low CPU and memory footprint, complete Node.js API support, and detailed documentation."
"GE’s soft robot bores holes like a giant earthworm . A team at GE Research has designed a robot that can dig holes like an earthworm. It was developed as part of DARPA's Underminer program, a program that was created to foster rapid tunnel digging in military environments. The robot uses artificial muscles that are filled with fluid, allowing it to have a range of movements and the ability to squeeze into tight spaces. It is able to remain autonomous when underground, a key feature as it is difficult to remotely control a robot in certain scenarios. A 42-second video showing the robot moving through several pipes is available."
"Inside Tesla's factory, a medical clinic designed to ignore injured workers (15 minute read). When a Tesla factory worker is injured, medical staff are forbidden from calling 911 without permission. Instead, Tesla's contract doctors often insist that workers be sent in a Lyft, including one worker who partially severed his finger. Stephen Nelson was working on a Model X when the trunk door slammed down on his back. He says ""I couldn't walk, I couldn't sit down. I couldn't even stand up straight,"" but Tesla doctors refused to call him an ambulance, telling him to take a Lyft instead. 911 calls are public records and first responders are required to report severe injuries but Lyft drivers are not. Anna Watson, a former Tesla physician's assistant, says that no matter what injuries a worker came into the clinic with, the staff was instructed to send them back to work full duty. She even had to send one worker back with a broken ankle. Watson herself sent Nelson back to work 4 days after his injury. 8 days after his injury, an outside clinic diagnosed him with ""crushing injury of back,"" contusions and ""intractable"" pain. Workers injuries are often dismissed as being non-work related even if they are, and at one point, there was a blanket policy to turn away temps from receiving any medical treatment at all. Tracy Lee, a temp who developed a repetitive stress injury from lifting car parts by hand after a machine broke and was turned away by Tesla's clinic, says ""I really think that's messed up. Don't discriminate just because we're temps. We're working for you."" Watson, who was fired after raising concerns about worker treatment, says ""You go to Tesla and you think it's going to be this innovative, great, wonderful place to be, like this kind of futuristic company. And I guess it's just kind of disappointing that that's our future, basically, where the worker still doesn't matter."""
"Your CS Degree Won’t Prepare You For Angry Users, Legacy Code, or the Whims of Other Engineers . Many people start their first jobs thinking that they have no idea what they are doing. While a computer science degree may cover many essential technical skills, there will always be real-world knowledge and skills that graduates will need to learn on the job. Dealing with angry customers, other engineers, and old code are usually unexpected challenges for new graduates. The field is also ever evolving, so engineers must continue learning throughout their careers."
"SpaceX loses Falcon 9 booster at sea after successful Starlink launch . A new batch of Starlink satellites was launched on Monday morning, but for the first time in almost four years, the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket that carried the satellites missed its landing on a floating platform at sea. SpaceX has specialized in catching and reusing its rocket stages quickly. The more rockets that SpaceX can recover, the more it can reuse for future flights, which lowers the massive cost of going to space. The last time the lost rocket was used was just 72 days ago, breaking the record for the fastest turnaround held by NASA's space shuttle. It is unclear exactly what happened to the rocket, but it appeared to miss the platform by a fairly wide margin."
Elon Musk will join Twitter's board of directors . Twitter is appointing Elon Musk to its board of directors. Musk will serve as a Class II director with a term that expires at Twitter's 2024 annual shareholder meeting. He is limited to holding a maximum of 14.9% of common stock during his tenure and for 90 days afterward.
"Artificial Photosynthesis Advance: Standalone Device Converts Sunlight, CO2 and Water Into Clean Fuel . A device developed at the University of Cambridge can convert sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into oxygen and formic acid, without requiring any additional components or electricity. Formic acid is a storable fuel that can be either used directly or converted into hydrogen. Artificial photosynthesis is difficult to achieve without producing unwanted by-products. The new technique produces almost no by-products and uses a catalyst that is easy to make and relatively stable."
"Practical AI (Github Repo). This is a cool Github repo by an Apple AI researcher that contains IPython notebooks that walk you through everything you need to know about AI, starting with ""What's a notebook?"" all the way through implementing computer vision algorithms. The repo isn't finished yet, it looks like he's still working on some of the more advanced topics like building recommendation systems, but what he has so far is really awesome and he's been updating it pretty much daily."
"Tech Interview Handbook (GitHub Website). The Tech Interview Handbook is designed to prepare developers for job interviews with practice questions, cheatsheets, and tips. Many engineers have landed jobs with the help of the handbook at organizations such as Google, Amazon, Uber, and Facebook."
"Ask HN: How can I quickly trim my AWS bill? (Hacker News Thread). As a company grows, so does its costs, especially when they involve several GPU-intensive ML models. One strategy to reduce costs by up to 90% is by using spot instances. Companies do not always need to use GPU instances and it is worth experimenting with other systems. Optimizing the model itself can also bring significant cost reductions, even if each change is only slightly more efficient. Alternatively, investing in owning the server equipment itself can lead to huge savings over time."
The next big social platform is…the smartphone’s homescreen . Homescreen-based social networking is becoming more popular. Part of the rise in popularity is due to the release of a widgets platform for the iPhone in 2020. Many of these apps promote sharing authentic content on social media. This article discusses the rise of homescreen-based social networking and it looks at different apps to see why they are becoming so popular.
"A New Factory in France Will Mass-Produce Bugs as Food . A facility in northern France is growing bugs for fish feed, fertilizer, and pet food. Farmed fish are fed smaller fish and crops that are grown on land, which can be costly. Ÿnsect's facilities grow beetle larvae in vertical farms 130 feet high. It aims to produce 20,000 tons of insect protein each year. Ÿnsect is already working with the biggest fish feed company in the world. It plans to start production in 2022."
"COVID-19 vaccine protects monkeys from new coronavirus, Chinese biotech reports . Sinovac Biotech, a privately held Beijing-based company, has developed a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine that has proven to be effective in rhesus macaque monkeys. Human trials of the vaccine began on April 16. The monkeys who received higher doses of the vaccine had the best response, though the lower dosed animals still received benefits from the treatment. The vaccine is an old-fashioned formulation consisting of a chemically inactivated version of the virus. While the results are promising, some scientists are concerned as previous research into coronavirus resistance has suggested that low antibody levels could lead to aberrant immune responses, enhancing the infection. As of April 23, six other vaccines had entered human trials and 77 others were in development."
"Behold the Beefless ‘Impossible Whopper’ . Impossible Foods’ vegetarian patties will soon be available at Burger King, after a trial period at 59 stores in the St Louis area. This will be the largest rollout of the Impossible Foods patty so far, doubling the number of locations where the vegetarian alternative is available. During testing, Burger King's Chief Marketing Officer said that customers and staff were unable to tell the difference between the real and fake meats. Impossible Foods uses a soy extract to produce heme, an ingredient they claim is essential to creating the taste of meat."
"Japan’s virtual YouTubers have millions of real subscribers — and make millions of real dollars (14 minute read). VTubing has grown significantly during the pandemic. Motion capture technology is now affordable and accessible. The technology has evolved to where people can feel like they're interacting with a 'real' anime character. Anime and manga have seen record-breaking profits internationally over the past year and a half. There are agencies that create VTubers, carefully crafting their personas for the most appeal."
"A Bee Cloned Itself Millions of Times Over the Last 30 Years . Female worker South African Cape honeybees can clone themselves, with at least one bee being cloned many millions of times over 30 years. They can clone themselves without experiencing the changes typically seen in reproduction. Clones can sometimes develop into a type of queen, leading to increased levels of dysfunction as the workers lay eggs and do not work for the hive. When a colony dies, the cloning workers spread to the next colony."
"Bashtop (GitHub Repo). Bashtop is a resource monitor written in Bash that shows usage and stats for processor, memory, disks, network, and processes. It has a game inspired menu system with a fast and responsive UI, the ability to filter processes, easy switching between sorting options, an auto scaling graph for network usage, and the ability to send SIGTERM, SIGKILL, and SIGINT to selected processes. Bashtop has theme support."
"Algorithms for Love: Japan Will Soon Launch an AI Dating Service . Japan's population has shrunk every year for the last 13 years. Possible reasons for this could be economic insecurity, women prioritizing careers over raising a family, and strict immigration standards. Young people in Japan seem to have lost interest in marriage, dating, and sex. This has become a concern for the Japanese Government, so it recently announced a 2 billion yen ($19.2 million) artificial intelligence matchmaking initiative. Government-aided matchmaking in Japan is already offered in 25 out of 47 of Japan's prefectures, so it is not a new concept. The Japanese government hopes that using AI will result in more compatible matches."
"Learn your standard library . Many tech interviews will require you to be good at algorithms as tech companies tend to treat algorithm knowledge as a proxy for general problem-solving ability. However, being good in a tech role requires a developer to know their standard libraries well. Having knowledge of standard libraries means developers spend less time recreating code, code is more likely to be correct, the software will be more performant, and the code is likely to be maintained well over years. The number of standard libraries can be large, but spending time to study them is highly beneficial. As an example, if a developer uses standard libraries to code, they will be easily able to transfer their skills directly from company to company as they aren't restricted to the particular style of coding that one company uses. The best way to learn standard libraries is to search for articles, and then actually use the libraries in code."
"Google Is Forcing Me to Dump a Perfectly Good Phone . Google has stopped providing software updates to the Pixel 3, its flagship phone from just three years ago. The company claims that the three years of security and OS updates provided customers with a great experience. Lack of support for older devices has been a problem with Android since it was introduced. The planned obsolescence forces customers to either spend money on a new device or risk running a device without security updates. It also creates electronic waste. The most recent version of iOS can be installed on the iPhone 6s, making iPhones a more sustainable option."
"Samsung Phone Users Perturbed to Find They Can't Delete Facebook . Users are complaining about Samsung's deal with Facebook to have an undeletable Facebook app pre-installed on new Galaxy phones. Facebook claims the disabled version of the app doesn't collect or send data to Facebook. While other apps like Amazon and Youtube also come pre-installed, users are particularly concerned about Facebook, with one user saying ""If I can't delete it, this will be the last Samsung product I ever own."""
"Pentagon Documents Reveal The U.S. Has Planned For A Bitcoin Rebellion . The US Department of Defense had planned for a scenario involving a rebellion that used bitcoin to undermine and evade 'the establishment'. In the scenario, people born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s used cyberattacks to steal money and convert it to bitcoin. The Defense Force also wargamed scenarios involving Islamist militants and anti-capitalist extremists. Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz recently called for the government to freeze the money of demonstrators in an effort to quell political dissent. Bitcoin has received more interest recently due to the coronavirus pandemic, unprecedented levels of government borrowing, and the capacity for its use in censorship resistance."
"Prolonged AWS outage takes down a big chunk of the internet . Amazon Web Services went down for several hours on Wednesday, affecting a large portion of the internet. Services have been fully restored. The issue only affected one of the company's 23 geographic regions."
"Zag (GitHub Repo). Zag is a JavaScript API that implements common component patterns using the state machine methodology. It can be used to build UI components in React, Solid, or Vue without worrying about the logic. Zag can adapt components to multiple frameworks with a focus on accessibility."
"North Korea’s military has stolen more than half a billion dollars in cryptocurrency . State-sponsored hackers in North Korea targeted financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges between 2017 and 2018, stealing around $670 million in total. Cryptocurrencies are an attractive target for North Korea as they can easily bypass sanctions since the digital currencies are hard to trace, can be laundered many times, and are independent of government regulations. A panel of experts informed the UN Security Council about the thefts and urged UN member states to increase information exchange between foreign governments and domestic financial institutions regarding these cyber attacks."
"Samsung unveils Apple Card competitor dubbed 'Samsung Money by SoFi' . Samsung has launched Samsung Money in a partnership with fintech company SoFi. The service will act similar to a bank account or credit union. Samsung Money accounts are FDIC insured for up to $1.5 million. Users will be able to check their balance, pause or restart spending, freeze or unfreeze their card, and change their pin from the Samsung Pay app. Samsung Money will be available to Samsung Galaxy users in the US later this summer."
"Responsively App (GitHub Repo). Responsively App is a modified browser that helps in responsive web development. It can mirror user interactions and displays for multiple devices, allowing developers to view multiple versions of their sites at once. A GIF preview is available."
"Awesome Stacks (GitHub Repo). Awesome Stacks is an open-source list of tech stacks for building different applications and features. Each topic has a description with a list of a few of the key tools and technologies. Some topics also link to a tutorial, starter kit, or boilerplate to help beginners."
"Australia 'records fastest internet speed ever' . Researchers from Monash, Swinburne, and RMIT universities recorded an internet speed of 44.2 terabits per second using a device called a 'micro-comb'. The average UK broadband speed is around 64 megabits per second. Australia ranks around the middle worldwide for internet speeds. The recent pandemic has caused an unprecedented strain on current internet infrastructure. Micro combs can be integrated into existing infrastructure, so they are a potential solution for meeting the demand for more bandwidth."
"Netflix Buys Rights To Stream Chinese Sci-Fi Blockbuster 'The Wandering Earth' . The Wandering Earth is a movie set in the distant future where the Earth is about to be devoured by the Sun. Humans decide to turn Earth into a spaceship in order to escape the solar system and certain destruction. It was released on February 5 and has already grossed more than $600 million globally. The movie, made in China, proves that the Chinese film industry can hold its own, creating a movie that has production quality and appeal on par with its Hollywood counterparts. Netflix has acquired the rights to the film but has not yet announced a date for its release on their platform."
"Quantum technology could make charging electric cars as fast as pumping gas . Despite vast improvements in battery technology, electric vehicles still have to deal with slow battery charging speeds. A team of scientists has demonstrated that quantum batteries employing global operation can achieve quadratic scaling in charging speed. A typical electric vehicle with a 200 cell battery can charge 200 times faster using quantum charging. Quantum charging could find applications in fusion power plants in the future. The technology is still in its infancy and it will be a while before it can be implemented anywhere."
"Google veterans: The company has become 'unrecognizable' . The resignations of Larry Page and Sergey Brin from their roles as CEO and president of Alphabet marked the end of an era. The pair cited changes to Google's all-hands meetings, human resources processes, and transparency from management as reasons for leaving. Current CEO Sundar Pichai has admitted the difficulties in managing more than 100,000 employees. The size of the company has made it hard for things to change, and more employees are starting to leave the company due to the increased bureaucracy."
"Ask HN: Burned Out. What Now? (Hacker News Thread). What should you do when you are experiencing burnout? This thread explores what someone should do when they start showing the symptoms of occupational burnout. It discusses the mental and physical aspects of resolving burnout, as well as how someone should approach the issue with their employers and co-workers. Burnout can take some time to heal and the most important thing to do is rest."
"Space startup Aevum debuts world’s first fully autonomous orbital rocket launching drone . Aevum is a startup with an uncrewed aircraft that can take small payloads out to space. The aircraft doesn't use any groundbreaking technology, and it looks similar to existing jet aircraft. Dubbed Ravn X, the vehicle is 80 feet long with a 60-foot wingspan, with a maximum weight of 55,000 lbs, including the payload. It can get small satellites into orbit in as little as 180 minutes. Using traditional jet fuel, Ravn X can take off and land in virtually any weather on any one-mile stretch of traditional aircraft runway. Aevum already has paying customers, including over $1 billion in US government contracts. Images of the vehicle, as well as a 54-minute presentation by Aevum, are available in the article."
Default Credentials Cheat Sheet (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a list of default credentials. It was created as a tool to assist pentesters. There are 3523 products listed.
OpenBot (GitHub Repo). OpenBot leverages a smartphone's sensing and computation capabilities to create a low-cost robot. The project includes a design for a small electric vehicle that serves as a robot body. OpenBot supports advanced robotics workloads such as person following and real-time autonomous navigation. It is for Android smartphones only.
Driverless robotaxis are now available for public rides in China . AutoX is the first company in China to offer public rides in autonomous vehicles without safety drivers. Customers will need to sign up for the pilot program and use membership credits to book a ride in one of AutoX's modified Chrysler Pacificas. AutoX has stress-tested its vehicles for several months. A 10-minute long video is available that shows the robotaxis' ability to handle real-world conditions.
"Scientists find toolkit to aid repair of damaged DNA . DNA damage over time is responsible for aging, cancer, and some neurological diseases. A new protein called TEX264 is able to combine with other enzymes to find and destroy toxic proteins that bind to DNA and trigger damage. It could potentially be used to repair the DNA damage linked to disorders like cancer and ALS. Scientists also hope to be able to use the protein to repair the purposeful DNA damage caused by chemotherapy. The next step in the research is manipulating the expression and properties of the protein to see if it can reverse the effects of aging and alter the course of diseases like cancer."
"Robot pole dancers to debut at French nightclub . SC-Club, a nightclub in Nantes, France, will soon feature two robot pole dancers wearing high heels with CCTV cameras for their heads as part of its fifth-anniversary celebrations next week. The bots have their metal parts covered with parts obtained from mannequins. Giles Walker, the creator of the robots, came up with the concept a decade ago and has toured and loaned out the robots over the past few years. The dancers at the venue do not feel that their new coworkers pose any threat to their jobs."
"MIT’s robotic nose can detect first sign of disease . When a healthy cell is attacked by a virus, it produces a smelly toxic byproduct. This smell could be a possible early indicator of disease. Dogs have been trained to detect diseases such as Covid-19 and cancer. Training animals to detect smells is expensive and time-consuming, so a team of scientists are creating a digital dog nose that could eventually be built into every smartphone. The Nano-Nose is powered by AI. It is currently being trained to detect prostate cancer in urine samples, but it will be completely scalable to other diseases. The team hopes that the device can be released within the next five years."
"M2cgen (GitHub Repo). M2cgen transpiles trained statistical models into Python, C, or Java. Users can supply M2cgen with a range of models (linear, SVM, tree, random forest, or boosting) and the tool will output code in the chosen language that will represent the trained model. Examples of the generated code are available."
"Instacart is hiring another 250,000 grocery shoppers . Instacart is still seeing a surge in customer demands and has recently announced that it will hire another 250,000 shoppers on top of the 300,000 shoppers it hired last month. Workers have complained that the company hasn't made safety gear available to employees yet. Employees will have to complete a daily wellness check in order to log into the Instacart app. Those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or forced into quarantine will receive up to 14 days of financial assistance. Instacart will continue offering a contactless delivery option and has expanded its Costco pharmacy deliveries nationwide. Customers are now able to order up to two weeks ahead."
"CSS Grid Generator (GitHub Repo). The CSS Grid Generator allows people to use CSS Grid features quickly to generate dynamic layouts. Users set the parameters for the grid, and create divisions by clicking and dragging along the generated grid. Once the user is happy with the design, they can click a button to copy the code to their clipboard. The generator is hosted on a website, but users can choose to download the code and run it on their own servers if required."
"Call for retraction of 400 scientific papers amid fears organs came from Chinese prisoners . An investigation into organ studies from China has resulted in over 400 scientific papers identified as non-compliant with the ethical standards required by medical journals. Organ transplants used in these studies may not have been consented to by the donors. There are large discrepancies in the rate of transplants between official government statistics (10,000 transplants per year) and hospital statistics (60,000-100,000 transplants a year). These discrepancies may be due to organ harvesting from executed prisoners."
"Google Home Hub To Be Launched On October 9; A Smart Speaker with 7-inch Display . Pictures of the Google Home Hub have leaked, it will feature a 7-inch touch screen, a large full-range speaker unit, and a mute toggle. It will be integrated with Google Home, allow voice access to Google Photos, and will have partnerships with over 400 brands to build integrations. The product will be announced on October 9th."
Docuowl (GitHub Repo). Docuowl is a documentation generator. It takes directories of markdown files as input and compiles them into a single HTML file. A demo is available in the repository.
Image Deduplicator (GitHub Repo). Image Deduplicator is a python package that is able to find exact or near duplicates of images in an image collection. It uses a combination of hashing algorithms and convolutional neural networks. An evaluation framework is provided to judge the quality of deduplication for a given dataset.
"How to train a machine to see 3-D in the dark . Researchers at the Australian National University have developed a method to create perfect holograms in near darkness. Optical holograms are used in ID cards to prevent forgery, in real-time imaging of living cells, and many other applications. The new method allows holograms to perform the same tasks in low light. Forming optical holograms using extremely low light usually produces grainy results. The technique uses machine learning to restore the missing information from the holograms. This method could make imaging cells easier as many cells are sensitive to light and are easily damaged."
"Tanker (GitHub Repo). Tanker is an open-source SDK that leverages powerful client-side encryption of any type of data seamlessly, without performance loss. Developers do not need any kind of cryptographic skills. The client SDK automatically handles complex key changes, cryptographic operations, and identity verification through simple, high-level APIs."
Import-HTTP (GitHub Repo). Import-http allows users to import JS modules using HTTP rather than via local node_modules. It is easily used in both Webpack and Rollup module bundlers.
"Jony Ive’s first major design since leaving Apple isn’t what you’d expect . LoveFrom, Jony Ive's design collective, has designed a seal for Terra Carta, an environmental initiative spearheaded by Prince Charles. The seal is different from Ive's designs at Apple, covered in birds, bees, butterflies, and vines. It features a custom typeface that Ive considers to be LoveFrom's first public release. The LoveFrom serif was developed over years and is based on Baskerville. Pictures of the Terra Carta seal are available in the article."
"Israeli Scientists 3D-Print A Tiny, Live Heart Made With Human Tissue . Researchers from Tel Aviv University have successfully created the first fully personalized tissue implant made from a patient’s own biomaterials and cells. This research may eventually lead to the development of technology that can print any kind of organ implant from a single fatty tissue biopsy. The process involves taking fatty tissue from the patient, separating the cells and structures, reprogramming the cells, and then recombining the parts to create a hydrogel that acts as ink for the printer. Using the process, the scientists created a tiny heart that was complete in structure. There are still many obstacles to overcome before the technology will be viable for full human organ transplants, but scientists hope to be able to start animal trials within the next few years."
"What TPMs Do and What Software Engineers Can Learn From Them (12 minute read). Technical Program Managers (TPMs) perform many leadership functions in a company. The exact duties of the role change from company to company, but they usually involve leading large teams and strategy. This article discusses the TPM role, what it entails, how to start working as one, and much more."
"Facebook says it will remove posts purporting to name the Ukraine whistleblower . Facebook will remove any content that claims to name the US official whose whistleblower complaint started the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. This content violates Facebook's policies around coordinating harm. The new policy affects all posts on Facebook, not just ads. An ad that purported to name the whistleblower was viewed several hundred thousand times before it was taken down. Trump has called for the whistleblower to be unmasked. The impeachment inquiry is looking into whether Trump solicited help from Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter."
"Andromeda (GitHub Repo). Andromeda is a tool created for reverse engineering Android applications, written in C/C++. It is still in an early development stage. There is a short demo video showing Andromeda in use."
"Leaked Emails Show Crime App Citizen Is Testing On-Demand Security Force . Citizen is an app where users can report incidents in their neighborhoods to alert other nearby users. The app is planning to add a feature where users can summon private security workers. Citizen has been actively testing the program and users have reported fast response times. Citizen also offers Protect, a service that assigns digital bodyguards to monitor people when they are walking alone. Some experts have criticized Citizen, saying that the app leads people to report incidents that aren't crimes."
Introduction to Git In 16 Minutes . Git is a system that allows developers to track changes to project files over time. It allows developers to record project changes and go back to specific versions of files at any given point. Git can be used to collaborate on team projects. Knowing how to use Git is one of the most important skills for any developer. This article provides a basic introduction on how to use Git and resources for further learning.
"The record for high-temperature superconductivity has been smashed again . Superconductivity is a strange phenomenon where a material has zero electrical resistance when cooled below a critical temperature. Usually this temperature is really low, the best superconductor, hydrogen sulfide, has a cutoff around -80 degrees Celsius. If we had superconductors at room temperature, it would have a huge range of applications like super-fast computers, efficient electric grids, powerful magnets, particle accelarators and more. German scientists have crushed the superconductivity record, observing lanthanum hydride superconducting at -23 degrees Celsius, warmer than the North Pole. Better yet, they used theoretical methods to predict this result, so future theoretical advances could yield further improvements. The team says ""Our study makes a leap forward on the road to the room-temperature superconductivity."""
"PatrickStar (GitHub Repo). Training Pre-Trained NLP Models requires enormous hardware resources, but PatrickStar makes it available to everyone. PTMs are models that are trained with massive data and have learned generic features of the language. PatrickStar makes full use of both CPU and GPU memory to train larger PTMs with fewer GPUs."
"Playing Pictionary against computers could help AI learn common sense . The Allen Institute of Artificial Intelligence (AI2) today released an online Pictionary-style game called Iconary. Iconary is designed as a tool to help computers learn common sense by interpreting pictures that users draw, based on phrases that the computer hasn’t seen before. Users will draw scenes based on a text description, and the algorithm will have to identify what objects are in the picture, figure out how these objects relate to each other, and translate the image into text that humans can understand."
"Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pro is here, and it has a good keyboard . Apple's new 16-inch MacBook Pro has launched at a starting price of $2,399. It has new processors, better speakers, and a larger screen. Apple has gone back to scissor switches for its keyboards. The new MacBook Pro is excluded from Apple's extended keyboard repair program. Apple has redesigned the thermal system in the new laptops. Users can spec their machines up to 64GB of RAM and 8TB of SSD storage. The battery is supposed to be able to handle 11 hours of wireless web. A new 6-speaker sound system uses two force canceling woofers to allow for more bass with less distortion. It uses a three-microphone array that is supposed to have sound on par with USB-powered podcasting mics. Despite the larger screen, the laptop size is almost identical to the 2015 15-inch MacBook Pro. It has only four Thunderbolt 3 ports and a headphone jack."
"NASA engineer's 'helical engine' may violate the laws of physics . An engine designed by David Burns at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama may be able to travel across the stars without any propellant at all. The design uses a change in mass in a key component to create forward acceleration. Burns' current design would require a 200 meter long, 12 meter in diameter engine, requiring 165 megawatts of power to generate 1 newton of thrust. Previous attempts at designing propellant-less engines have failed due to the law of conservation of momentum. Burns says that much of the energy that the accelerator will lose in heat and radiation will be able to be harvested and that momentum can be conserved through the spin of the accelerated ions used in the engine."
"First Fully Automated Indoor Farm Being Built In Ohio . 80 Acres Farms plans to construct an automated indoor farm in a suburb of Cincinnati. The farm will produce leafy greens, microgreens, kale and herbs for retailers such as Whole Foods. The indoor farm will include artificial intelligence, robotics, sensors and other tools to monitor the produce around the clock. The farm will use vertical farming to stack crops vertically on top of one another to save space, and a closed loop hydroponic delivery system to recycle water so it will use 95% less water than traditional farms. Because the environment is fully controlled and light is provided through energy-efficient LED lights, the farm will be able to produce food 365 days a year. This is a proof of concept so humans will be involved on a limited basis, but if it is successful, 80 Acres Farms plans to expand across the country and potentially the world."
Xiaomi's remote wireless charging powers up your phone from across the room . Xiaomi has unveiled a 'true' wireless charger that can recharge devices from several meters away. Mi Air Charge Technology is a 5W charging system that sends millimeter wide waves to devices using the 144 antennas in its base station. Devices receive the waves using a 14-antenna array. Xiaomi says that it will eventually be able to charge multiple devices at once.
"Understand a complex codebase in minutes, not weeks (Sponsor). Understand a complex codebase in minutes, not weeks . Decrease time to first commit with self-serve onboarding, codebase exploration, and knowledge sharing. Improve dev velocity by making it easy to search and find code and context. Learn more."
Project Golden Gate (GitHub Repo). Golden Gate is a framework that enables secure and reliable communication between IoT devices over Bluetooth Low Energy. It allows developers to easily implement functionality using familiar standards even when the underlying operating system or transport doesn't support those.
"Japanese flu drug 'clearly effective' in treating coronavirus, says China . A Japanese drug used to treat new strains of influenza has been shown to be effective in coronavirus patients. Favipiravir has a high degree of safety and is clearly effective in treatment, with those who were treated with the drug turning negative for the virus after a median of four days of becoming positive. X-rays showed a 91% improvement in lung condition after treatment. The drug appeared to be less effective in those with more severe symptoms. Favipiravir was used in 2016 as an emergency aid to counter the Ebola virus outbreak in Guinea. Governmental approval is still needed for full-scale use on COVID-19 patients, but health officials say that the drug could be approved as early as May."
"Responder (Open Source). This is a Python web server framework by Kenneth Reitz (the author of the excellent Python requests library). It comes with a lot of nice stuff out of the box like GraphQL support, SPA support, and built in OpenAPI schema generation."
eBay is selling StubHub to Viagogo for $4.05 billion . Viagogo has agreed to buy StubHub from eBay for $4.05 billion. The sale is pending regulators' approval and customary closing conditions. eBay originally purchased StubHub in 2007 for $310 million. Viagogo founder and CEO Eric Baker was a co-founder of StubHub. Baker claims that the deal is a win-win situation for both customers and vendors. eBay CEO Scott Schenkelsaid has stated that the company believes that the sale of StubHub was a great outcome and that the sale maximized long-term value for eBay shareholders. StubHub and Viagogo has been under regulatory scrutiny in recent years. Both StubHub and Viagogo offices were raided by the UK's competition watchdog officials in 2017 as part of an investigation into suspected breaches of consumer law. The Competition and Markets Authority has since suspended plans for legal action against Viagogo.
handwritten.js (GitHub Repo). handwritten.js converts typed text to realistic handwriting. It takes the path to a text file as input and outputs a pdf. An example of the output is available in the repository.
"cssfx (Website). cssfx allows developers to insert CSS effects by copying the code from the website with a click. The site lists many CSS-based icons and effects, and the code is displayed to be copied when the user clicks on an item. The code is completely open sourced and MIT licensed."
"The Man Behind San Francisco’s Facial Recognition Ban Is Working on More. Way More . Brian Hofer has drafted over 26 privacy laws for cities and counties in California. His work has resulted in many anti-surveillance measures being taken across the state. As technology improves, laws must be made regarding their use, as the potential for abuse is high. Hofer claims that he is not anti-technology, but that he just wants to stop authorities from abusing this technology. He had previously been targeted incorrectly by a number-plate recognition algorithm that ran off an outdated database, resulting in him being temporarily held by the Contra Costa County sheriff’s department."
SpaceX successfully catches both fairing halves for the first time on its latest launch . SpaceX has managed to catch both halves of the fairing used on one of its Falcon 9 rocket launches for the first time. The fairing is the two-piece protective cover that surrounds the cargo on the launch vehicle. SpaceX uses two ships equipped with special nets to catch the pieces as they fall. The company can save as much as $6 million per launch by recovering and reusing the fairing halves. The ships need to be positioned correctly to recover the fairing pieces as they fall to the ground without a guidance system. The fairing recovery system could be adapted to also catch Crew Dragon capsules.
"Indonesia Plans To Move Its Capital Out Of Jakarta, A City That's Sinking . Indonesia has announced plans to move its capital out of Java, Indonesia’s main island. The current capital city, Jakarta, struggles with pollution, traffic gridlock, and is also sinking. The sinking is mostly due to the extraction of groundwater in the city, which has caused change to the ground levels and polluted surface water resources. While the location of the new capital city has not yet been announced, the government has stated that it is looking for a location on the eastern side of Indonesia."
"Brilliant Planet plans cheap, gigaton-scale carbon capture using algae . Brilliant Planet is a company that has a carbon capture and sequestration model that can scale up to billions of tons per year. The method involves pumping seawater into low-cost coastal desert land and then using the pools of seawater to grow algae. It could potentially capture two billion tons of carbon per year, about 5.5% of humanity's annual global carbon emissions. The company is aiming for a cost of around $50-$100 per ton, which is significantly cheaper than other current options."
"Radian announces plans to build one of the holy grails of spaceflight . Radian Aerospace is designing a single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane. The vehicle will be able to take off from a runway, ignite its rocket engines, spend time in orbit, and then return and land on a runway. The current design for the vehicle can take five passengers and carry 5,000 pounds of cargo into orbit. Radian recently closed a $27.5 million round of seed funding. It has already built and tested its first full-scale engine and plans to develop operational capability before the end of the decade."
"Galaxy-Size Bubbles Discovered Towering Over the Milky Way . The North Polar Spur is a radio wave-emitting arc hanging above the galactic plane. Astronomers have suggested different theories on what it is since its discovery in the 1950s, but it has been difficult to confirm due to the lack of depth perception in space. A Japanese astronomer published simulations in 1977 that suggested that the spur was a pair of bubbles above the galaxy disk. Data collected since then suggests that the theory was correct. A map released in 2019 shows gigantic X-ray bubbles created from gas that measures 3 to 4 million degrees Kelvin, expanding outwards at 300 to 400 kilometers per second. Images of these galaxy-sized bubbles are available in the article."
"Hackers backdoor PHP source code after breaching internal git server . The PHP Git server was recently compromised. A hacker added a backdoor to the source code that would allow anyone to execute whatever code they wanted on PHP-powered websites. As a result, the PHP maintainers have now made GitHub the official source for PHP repositories. All PHP source code changes will now be made directly to GitHub. The attackers likely made the changes to brag about their access to the server and were not actually trying to backdoor websites."
"Single-Chip Processors Have Reached Their Limits . Manufacturers are moving to multi-chip designs as the miniaturization of transistors slows down. Multi-chip designs allow manufacturers to increase transistor counts and create designs with better power efficiency and performance. While many manufacturers agree that the technology is here to stay, they are still using their own interconnect designs that are incompatible with each other. Universal Chiplet Interconnection Express is a new open standard that hopes to bring the industry together. It was only recently introduced, but a number of major organizations have not yet joined."
"The World Is Losing Fish to Eat as Oceans Warm, Study Finds . A study published in January found that oceans were warming a lot faster than previously thought. As fish are very climate sensitive, they are moving to cooler waters, resulting in a decrease in fish populations in many areas. Overfishing is happening faster in certain areas as fish populations decline. Fish and seafood make up 17 percent of the animal protein consumed worldwide, and it is important to maintain sustainable levels fishing to prevent a loss of this important food source."
"Top Five Reasons to Re-Evaluate Your Privacy Posture (Sponsor). Top Five Reasons to Re-Evaluate Your Privacy Posture . Every organization has a privacy posture, a set of systems, rules, and principles for how to govern and protect their stakeholders’ (i.e. customers’) sensitive information. Regardless of whether your company has defined its privacy posture, it’s important to periodically review how well your data architecture and processes safeguard sensitive stakeholder data. Learn more about the best practices to improve your company’s privacy posture with this on demand webinar: Top Five Reasons to Re-Evaluate Your Privacy Posture"
"FormKit (Website). FormKit is a form-authoring framework for Vue developers. It makes building high-quality production-ready forms 10 times faster. FormKit features built-in validation, powerful form generation, theming, Tailwind support, and plugins. Interactive examples are available."
"5 Things I’ve Learned in 20 Years of Programming (13 minute read). The demand for programmers has grown dramatically in the last few decades. A programmer with five years of experience has more industry tenure than half of the entire industry. Copying and pasting code is bad practice as it introduces bugs and potentially increases the work required in the future. Less code is better than more code, as each line of code can introduce potential problems. A developer should always try to verify knowledge on their own rather than always relying on senior developers. Test-driven development, while seemingly cumbersome and unnatural, can result in much cleaner and high-quality code. A programmer should always be collecting evidence in order to be able to make technical and business cases for courses of action, as this ensures a good career."
"Dinosaur Unearthed in Argentina Could Be Largest Land Animal Ever . Paleontologists in Argentina have found a skeleton that might have come from a dinosaur that was more than 120 feet long. It may have been the largest land animal ever. The excavation started in 2012 with a hulking set of 24 vertebrae and bits of the pelvis and pectoral girdle. It is likely a type of long-necked, plant-eating dinosaur called a titanosaur. The specimen is around 98 million years old."
"An Introduction to Recurrent Neural Networks for Beginners (16 minute read). Recurrent Neural Networks are a type of neural network that specializes in processing sequences. A common application of RNNs is for Natural Language Processing due to its effectiveness at handling text. RNNs are able to have variable-length sequences as both inputs and outputs, which sets them apart from other fixed-size type networks. The ability to process sequences makes RNNs very useful, for example, in Machine Translation and Sentiment Analysis. This guide builds an RNN to train it to determine whether a given text string is positive or negative."
A Surveillance Firm Reportedly Tracked NSA and CIA Spies as a Product Demo . Virginia data firm Anomaly Six (A6) demonstrated its surveillance capabilities during merger talks with another surveillance startup by tracking mobile phones used by employees of the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency. A6 has embedded tracking software in hundreds of mobile apps to collect data. The company claims to surveil approximately 230 million devices a day.
"Verizon agrees to sell Tumblr to owner of Wordpress . Tumblr will be sold to Automattic Inc, the company that owns Wordpress, an online publishing tool. Verizon is rumored to have sold the blogging site for well below $20 million, with some sources saying that it was sold for under $10 million. Tumblr hosts more than 450 million blogs and was once a major player in the social media space. It was purchased by Yahoo for $1.1 billion in 2013 before Yahoo was acquired by Verizon. Verizon has been trying to sell the website for a while, but the only company that was publicly interested was Pornhub. Tumblr has faced controversy in the past over its lack of monitoring of pornographic content, which Verizon banned last year."
"Microsoft launches Windows Terminal 1.0, unveils GPU support and Linux GUI apps in WSL . Microsoft has released Windows Terminal. It features support for multiple tabs, shortcuts, emojis, custom themes, and more. Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 will now support GPUs and Linux GUI apps. It now has a simplified install experience. WSL 2 will get support for GPU workflows in the second half of the year, allowing developers to enable hardware acceleration for many development scenarios."
"Netflix is launching a daily trivia series called Trivia Quest . Netflix's new interactive series Trivia Quest will launch on April 1. Similar to its other interactive series like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, Trivia Quest will involve viewers in the story by allowing them to make choices. Viewers will answer game questions to help free the friends of the protagonist. A new episode will air every day throughout April, with 24 questions available in a multiple-choice format per episode. A trailer for the show is available in the article."
"Ex-Cons Create ‘Instagram for Prisons,’ and Wardens Are Fine With That . Prisoners face a range of problems when communicating with the outside world. Phone calls can be expensive, with a large variance between local and national call rates. Letters are also reviewed thoroughly, and discarded if suspicious. Several new startups are beginning to provide services that lower the costs of phone calls and are able to send standardized packages for letters. Family and friends can now easily take photos from their devices and send them to their loved ones in prisons. Many prisons are embracing the change."
"Backdoor for Windows, macOS, and Linux went undetected until now . A new backdoor written from scratch for systems running Windows, macOS, or Linux has been uncovered. SysJoker is estimated to have been released in the second half of last year. It remained undetected by virtually all malware scanning engines until recently. Several factors indicate that it was developed by an advanced threat actor with significant resources. SysJoker is likely after specific targets with the goal of espionage and a possibility of a ransomware attack in later stages."
MLGO: A Machine Learning Framework for Compiler Optimization . MLGO is the first industrial-grade general framework for integrating ML techniques systematically in LLVM.
"Introducing Concurrent Mode (Experimental). Concurrent Mode is a set of new experimental features that help React apps stay responsive and adjust to the user's device capabilities and network speed. It is only available in experimental builds and features are subject to change. In Concurrent Mode, React works on several state updates at the same time in order to make the user experience feel faster and smoother."
"The hacker behind a giant cryptocurrency heist is returning stolen funds . The hacker who recently stole $611 million in cryptocurrencies from the decentralized Poly Network finance platform is ready to surrender and has started to return the funds. It is likely that the hacker has been caught and that they are trying to avoid criminal charges. While this was one of the largest thefts in DeFi history, the damage may be limited. It can be difficult to launder or cash out cryptocurrency without leaving a trail of clues, so the incident may discourage future attacks."
"Michelin's New Airless Tires Just Hit Public Streets For the First Time . The Unique Punctureproof TIre System (UPTIS) is an airless tire from Michelin. Michelin has been working on the tire since 2005. The company recently took the tires out in public for the first time, inviting a limited number of people for a test drive. UPTIS has a flexible load-bearing structure made out of glass fiber reinforced plastic. The company plans to eventually make the tires with all organic or recyclable materials. Michelin has not released prices yet. The tires are expected to reach the market by 2024."
"Tesla finally launches base Model 3 for $35,000 with shorter range and new interior . Back in 2006, Elon Musk released a ‘secret masterplan’ to eventually release a Tesla Model 3 for $35,000, and that plan has finally been realized. Consumers will have options to upgrade the battery and interior. The upgraded battery will raise the range of the vehicle to 240 miles, as well as increasing the top speed from 130 mph to 140 mph. A new partial premium interior option has been introduced which includes the upgraded ‘standard range plus’ battery. Vehicles are expected to ship in 2-4 weeks. Firmware updates have also been released which raise range and power in existing models."
"AI deepfakes are now as simple as typing whatever you want your subject to say . Students at Stanford University used a combination of techniques to create software that allows users to edit a text transcript of a video to generate realistic deepfake edits. The software matches the sounds made by the actor in the video with facial expressions, and this information is used to create a 3D model of the lower half of the face. The software then changes the 3D model of the face based on the edited text transcript and then pastes it into the target video. Changes in expression, emotional content, and visual interruptions, such as a hand obstructing a clear view of the face, heavily affect the believability of the deepfakes. The development of this software is an indicator that deepfake technology is becoming increasingly accessible. Deepfakes could significantly impact our ability to trust the media we see. A nine minute video is available that demonstrates and explains the software."
"HeadFi system gives dumb headphones smart functions . HeadFi is a system that features an adapter module that any set of headphones can plug into. It gives all headphones the ability to detect the wearer's heart rate, respond to touch gestures, and identify individual users. The system was 97.2 to 99.5 percent accurate at identifying people by determining the shape of the wearer's ear canal. It has only been tested on hard-wired headphones so far, but HeadFi can easily be adapted for use with wireless models. An image of a HeadFi prototype is available in the article."
"Major Outage Brings Down Discord, Reddit, Amazon And More . A route leak by Verizon caused services which rely on Cloudflare to go down for several hours yesterday. Even though all of Cloudflare’s systems were running normally, traffic wasn’t routed to some parts of its networks. It is unclear whether the route leak was caused through error or malicious intent. Cloudflare has procedures to secure its service from these errors. Discord users were the most vocal about the downtime they experienced, with over 100,000 tweets published regarding the outage. Less than a month ago, another Cloudflare outage brought down YouTube, Snapchat, Spotify, and many other services."
"The We Company, better known as WeWork, files confidentially for IPO . The We Company, formally known as WeWork, is joining the growing list of tech firms that have filed to go public this year. WeWork provided co-working spaces, and the name change represents its widening focus. The We Company includes WeLive, a branch that provides flexible residential offerings, and WeGrow, an educational unit. Between 2017 and 2018, The We Company doubled both its revenue and losses. The exact details of the IPO submission remain confidential."
"Predicting Hard Drive Failure with Machine Learning (24 minute read). What if you could predict when a hard drive would fail? This article explores the possibility of using machine learning to predict hard drive failures. While machine learning can make sense of patterns in data and use that to make predictions, it can't come up with inferences that aren't supported by the data. It's unlikely that using hard drive monitoring stats is enough to accurately predict hard drive failure."
Netflix’s new ‘Play Something’ shuffle feature is here to solve your movie night indecision . Play Something is a new feature for Netflix that automatically suggests new shows and movies. It shows algorithmically curated content based on profile history. The feature has been in testing for months under a variety of names. It is now available for all users.
"Genetic Link to Fear Memories Found Hiding Within Mice's ""Junk DNA"" . Scientists from Australia have found a link between specific genes and the ability to decondition fear in mice. When the expression of the gene was removed in mice, the mice remained fearful of stimulus after training sessions to downregulate their fear. It is still unknown if the same effect will be seen in humans, but many fundamental molecules are conserved across species. The findings could lead to new therapies for PTSD and phobia."
"Uber app redesign includes public transit, combines ride hailing and food delivery . Uber has redesigned its app to combine its ride-hailing and food delivery services, encourage public transportation and scooter use, and to add new safety features. Users will now see a prompt to choose whether to get a ride or to order food when they open the app. A new rewards program for food delivery customers has been introduced with the update. The changes may strengthen Uber's claims that it is a technology platform for different types of digital marketplaces, which means that it may not have to treat its drivers as employees as they perform work outside of Uber's usual course of business."
"Quantum Machine Appears to Defy Universe’s Push for Disorder . Generally, disorder is increased as time goes on, for example, an ice cube placed in hot water will have its ordered crystal formation melt down into disordered water particles. When scientists performed an experiment where they held 51 rubidium atoms in a row with lasers, the basic assumption was that the atoms would become disordered, however, this was not the case. The atoms became disordered for a moment, but quickly reassembled themselves - this would be as if the melted ice reformed back into the original ice cube. The phenomenon has been dubbed ‘quantum many-body scarring’."
"Apple launches vintage repair pilot program to fix aging iPhones, MacBooks and more . Apple is launching a new ""Repair Vintage Apple Products Pilot"" that will repair older Apple products. Currently the program will let you get repairs on the iPhone 5, 2012 Macbook Air, and 2011 iMac. They'll eventually add support for the iPhone 4s, 2012 Macbook Pro, and 2012 Mac Pro. All repairs are contingent on part availability."
"The dispassionate developer . The software development industry has a culture that depends on developers being passionate and self-motivated, and this can be detrimental to workers. Programmers are expected to keep up with the latest technology and development in their own time, and many developers spend a significant amount of their own time and resources to keep their skills relevant so they are employable. Most companies won't pay for skill development, since they don't have to. There is nothing wrong with being a passionate developer, but if you are one, beware of people trying to take advantage of you."
"Go read this report on a fake company that tricked real people into working for it . Madbird is a fake design company led by a social media influencer. It had dozens of real employees around the world, but most of the company consisted of people working there for free in hopes of eventually making money after landing big projects. Madbird listed people who had no association with the company as senior members on its website and filled up its Zoom calls with fake employees. It used a fake address in London as its office. Links to a write-up and a documentary about the story of Madbird are available in the article."
"Introducing the Edge Runtime . The Edge Runtime is a toolkit for developing, testing, and defining runtime web APIs for edge infrastructure. It is designed to help framework authors adopt edge computing. Edge Networks enable developers to run code close to users, making a fast web accessible to everyone. Frameworks built with Edge Runtime will run everywhere Node.js does."
"Elon Musk keeps word on Tesla's ""Romance Mode"" and ""Toilet Humor"" Easter Eggs . Tesla has rolled out its new software update that includes a ""Romance Mode"" where the center display turns into a fireplace (complete with crackling fire sounds) and starts playing Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye. It also has a ""Toilet Humor"" mode, which causes the car to fart at random. There are videos in the article of both of these new Easter Eggs in action."
"DevOpsLinks (Newsletter). DevOpsLinks is a weekly newsletter with curated news, tutorials, and reviews for devops professionals and practitioners. Curated by Aymen El Amri, CEO of Eralabs (a company that helps set up scalable cloud infrastructures)."
"Livebook (GitHub Repo). Livebook is a web app for writing interactive and collaborative code notebooks. Notebooks can be saved and shared. As code is run in a specific order, future Livebook users see the same output. A 30-minute video introduction to Livebook's features is available."
"Reading, Writing, and Online Bots: School Reopenings Stymie Teens' Reseller Gigs . School reopenings have disrupted the business of teenagers who spent the pandemic scalping products for hefty profits. These teens would regularly buy video game consoles and graphics cards with automated bots, making an average of $10,000 to $12,500 a month. Now that they are back in school, their computer use is monitored and restricted. User activity has decreased in online reseller groups since schools reopened in August and September. Bot sellers anticipate that activity will rise again once the holiday shopping season begins."
Observables (GitHub Repo). This library provides a lightweight reactivity API for other UI libraries to be built on top of.
"OnlyFans pushes SFW app on iOS and Android as it tries to shake adult image . OnlyFans has a mobile app called OFTV that features strictly safe-for-work content from many regular OnlyFans creators. The app was launched in January, but the company is only now starting to promoting it. OnlyFans is trying to move beyond adult content and position itself as a neutral platform like Patreon. OFTV is not monetized and the company does not currently plan to charge for access or place advertising on its content. The app currently has more than 800 videos, featuring interviews, dance and cooking lessons, vlogs, more."
"Programmer has two guesses left to access £175m bitcoin wallet . Stefan Thomas, a San Francisco-based programmer, was given 7,000 bitcoins for making a video about cryptocurrencies a decade ago. They were worth $2-$6 each at the time. He stored the bitcoins on an IronKey hard drive, a storage device that only allows its users 10 attempts at entering the right password before it locks the data permanently. Thomas has already entered 8 incorrect guesses. Security professionals have offered help for a percentage of the stash."
"Facebook is planning to rebrand the company with a new name . Facebook is planning to change its company name next week. The rebrand will reflect the company's focus on building the metaverse and will likely position Facebook and its current apps under a parent company. Facebook recently set up a dedicated metaverse team and plans to hire 10,000 more employees to work on the metaverse in Europe. The new company name is a closely guarded secret and not widely known even among the company's senior leadership. Other tech companies, such as Google and Snapchat, have also changed names as their ambitions expanded."
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"Tinder Has Become A News Service About Coronavirus, Which Is Not What God Intended . China has put Wuhan on lockdown and has censored much of the information surrounding the area. Some people have found a creative way to get around the block by using Tinder to contact people within the area. Using one of Tinder's premium features, Passport, users can change their location to Wuhan and start talking to people in the city. Tinder is banned in China, but some users are reporting success in chatting with residents and hearing their stories. Users in Wuhan and around the world are receiving warnings from Tinder to take precautions to contain COVID-19."
"Facebook fends off new anti-monopoly questions after UK email release . The UK Parliament released 250 pages of Facebook documents that it had seized. The documents show that when Twitter's Vine video service tried to make a ""Find Your Friends"" feature, a Facebook exec sent Mark Zuckerberg an email asking if they could just shut off Vine's access. Zuckerberg replied ""Yup, go for it"", instantly killing off Vine's feature. The documents show that Facebook keeps ""a small list of strategic competitors"" and limits their access to Facebook data. ""Any usage beyond that specified is not permitted without Mark level sign off."" Several senators have expressed their concern, and there is increasing pressure for the FTC to take a look at what could be anticompetitive behavior from Facebook."
Here’s everything new in Android 13 Developer Preview 2 . This article looks at all of Android 13 Developer Preview 2's new features and every single change. It lists out the features along with screenshots and short notes. A link to a step-by-step guide on how to install Android 13 DP2 is available.
"Helicopter pilot finds 'strange' monolith in remote part of Utah . State employees counting sheep from a helicopter in a remote part of Utah recently spotted a mysterious structure estimated to be between 10ft and 12ft high and planted in the ground. The mysterious monolith is made from some sort of shiny metal. Images of the monolith, along with pictures of the sheep that were being counted, are available in the article. The exact location of the monolith hasn't been revealed due to fears of amateur explorers getting stuck in the wilderness while attempting to find it."
"polynote (GitHub Repo). Polynote is a notebook environment that supports multiple languages. It currently supports Scala, Python, SQL, and Vega. It features auto-complete, parameter hints, a WYSIWYG editor for composing text cells, and runtime insight. Runtime insight includes features such as showing you what the kernel is doing at any time, a symbol table that shows variables and functions you have defined, and an editor that highlights failures and runtime exceptions."
"Datafuse (GitHub Repo). Datafuse is a real-time data processing and analytics database management system with cloud-native architecture. It was primarily designed to be stable, and it is high-performing and scalable. Benchmark results are available."
"Apple launches big redesign of its online store . The Apple Store went down for just over an hour on Tuesday and came back with a brand-new look. The new design is filled with cards, similar to Apple's Store app for iOS. There are no new products, and the pages for actually buying products are the same as before. Apple is expecting a busy fall, with a range of new products expected to launch soon. Screenshots of the redesigned Apple Store are available."
"Tesla's next Gigafactory is being built in Austin, Texas . Tesla reported its fourth straight profitable quarter in a row with a GAAP net income of $104 million, qualifying it to be listed on the S&P 500 market index. Elon Musk will be able to cash in an additional 1.69 million stock options in five years. Tesla made some severe cuts to preserve its earnings in Q2, resulting in a tough time for employees. Its factories are now back at capacity and Musk has already announced plans to build Tesla's next Gigafactory in Texas."
"Cruise opens driverless robotaxi service to SF public . Cruise is opening up its driverless cars in San Francisco to the public. The rides will be free for now. People who want to sign-up for a ride can do so on Cruise's website, which is linked in the article. Cruise currently operates five of its robotaxis around certain parts of San Francisco between 10 PM and 6 AM. The vehicles are authorized to travel at a top speed of 30 MPH. Cruise plans to expand to more cities soon. A video from Cruise showing its first few riders experiencing the driverless robotaxis is available in the article."
"Apple introduces AirPods Max, the magic of AirPods in a stunning over-ear design . Apple has revealed its over-ear wireless headphones, AirPods Max. AirPods Max feature a custom acoustic design, H1 chips, and advanced software. It comes in five colors and will be shipped from December 15. The H1 chip in each ear allows AirPods Max to deliver a listening experience that includes Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency Mode, and spatial audio. The batteries can last up to 20 hours while playing high-fidelity audio with Active Noise Cancellation and spatial audio enabled. AirPods Max are available to order now for $549."
"OneDev (GitHub Repo). OneDev is an all-in-one DevOps platform that features issue tracking, git management, pull requests, and build farms. It contains tools to make building and deploying projects a breeze. Short GIF demonstrations and explanations of its features are available."
"Facebook is working on a voice assistant to rival Amazon Alexa and Apple Siri . Facebook has been working on a voice assistant since early 2018. The project is lead by the company’s augmented and virtual reality division, which is also responsible for other projects such as the Oculus headsets. According to people familiar with the project, Facebook has been contacting vendors in the smart speaker supply chain, suggesting that the assistant will be used in the company’s Portal video chat smart speakers. The smart speaker market is currently dominated by Amazon and Google, who take up a combined 97% of the market."
"How I Hacked Google App Engine: Anatomy of a Java Bytecode Exploit (2 hour read). Java attempts to run trusted and untrusted code within the same virtual machine, with the only thing separating them being the permission system and visibility modifiers. A bug anywhere in the JVM or standard libraries is liable to become a security vulnerability. This article discusses how a vulnerability was found in the Java version of Google App Engine and how it was developed into an exploit that could run arbitrary code on a Google server."
"The startup that wants to disrupt big internet providers . Underline is a new startup that wants to break up broadband monopolies across the US by building an open access fiber network. Multiple service providers will be able to use the network and offer service to customers, with a residential service starting at $49 per month for a 500 Mbps connection. Underline's first open access fiber network will be built in Colorado Springs. The network will consist of 400 miles of fiber and offer service to 55,000 residences and businesses. Underline has a target list of about 2,500 cities."
"Amazon Investigates Employees Leaking Data for Bribes . Amazon employees in China are offering internal sales metrics and reviewers' email addresses, as well as a service to delete negative reviews and restore banned Amazon accounts. The going rate for deleting a negative review is $300, while you can download the email addresses of customers who write reviews for a lower price. Amazon says that it is investigating the issue."
"CRISPR gene editing in human embryos wreaks chromosomal mayhem . A series of experiments has revealed how large, unwanted changes to the genome can occur when CRISPR-Cas9 is used to modify human embryos. The studies showed that these unwanted changes occurred to target sites, not just in the surrounding areas. These changes are the result of the DNA-repair processes used by gene-editing tools. The results of these studies are likely to inform the ongoing debate over whether scientists should edit human embryos to prevent genetic diseases."
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"Moxie Marlinspike steps down as CEO of Signal . Moxie Marlinspike is stepping down as CEO of Signal, leaving executive chairman Brian Acton to serve as acting CEO until a replacement is found. Signal, founded in 2014, is one of the most trusted apps for encrypted messaging. It has more than 40 million monthly users and it is regularly recommended by security experts. The company is a nonprofit, so it relies on donations and a recently launched sustainer program."
"Japan's AI-Powered Port Stops Ships Colliding Better Than Humans . Fujitsu and the Japan Coast Guard used AI to prevent collisions between cargo ships in the Tokyo Bay area during a trial carried out between December 2019 and March 2020. The Zinrai AI system predicted areas of high risk and fed information to port control authorities, who were then better able to manage ship movement. Using the system, port operators were able to identify possible collisions a full two minutes earlier than when using conventional port management systems."
"‘Micronova’ explosions spotted on distant zombie stars . Scientists have discovered a new type of star explosion called a micronova. Micronovas only occur on white dwarfs around their magnetic poles. Novas occur when a white dwarf sucks up hydrogen from a nearby star, covering itself with a layer of gas that eventually ignites. Micronovas occur when a smaller amount of gas concentrated around a white dwarf's poles ignites, creating a smaller scale explosion that lasts only for about 10 hours. The discovery is still new, so the exact mechanisms of the phenomenon are still unknown."
"igel (GitHub Repo). igel is a machine learning tool that can train, fit, test, and use models without code. It features a GUI and support for most dataset types, all state-of-the-art machine learning models, different data preprocessing methods, and much more. A quick start guide is available in the repository."
"Gridsort (GitHub Repo). Gridsort sorts data by storing it in a simplified binary cube, which offers excellent cache utilization. It is a simplified implementation of cubesort. Benchmarks and visualizations are available."
"Ultimate Coding Resources List (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of the best resources for programming, web development, computer science, and more. Resources include books, courses, coding platforms, algorithm platforms, job sites, and code playgrounds. A quick summary is available for each resource."
"Experienced data scientists, what are the most common issues you see newly graduated students have when they start working for the first time? (Reddit Thread). The most common issue for new data scientists is that they don't question their own results. It is important to validate the results that are generated from machines as the models aren't always correct and they may make the wrong predictions. A good data scientist is critical of their own work and will seek to find out where they might have gone wrong. Newer data scientists should learn how to estimate processing times, follow basic coding practices, learn how to say 'no' especially if the task is impossible, value product knowledge, learn the industry, and learn from others in the industry. If a data scientist is unfamiliar with the business they are working for, the results and predictions they generate may be useless for their company."
"Meta has built a massive new language AI—and it’s giving it away for free . Meta's AI lab has created a new language model similar to GPT-3. The Open Pretrained Transformer will be available to any researcher who wants to study it. It has been audited by Meta to remove some harmful behaviors, but the company believes that researchers should have access to a more complete model as it would be better for science. The move to more transparency in AI research was driven largely by Joelle Pineau, the managing director at Meta AI."
Asahi Linux Is The First Linux Distro To Support Apple Silicon . Asahi Linux for Apple Silicon is the first Linux distribution to offer native support for Apple M1 chips. It is now available in an alpha release targeted at developers and power users. Running the operating system will not require a jailbroken device and it won't affect the security level of any macOS installs on the machine. There are still a number of hardware features that don't work. A video showing a MacBook Air booting up Asahi Linux is available in the article.
"Did Uber Steal Google's Intellectual Property? (20 minute read). Anthony Levandowski, once a top exec in Google's self driving car program left to start his own autonomous truck company called Ottomotto in January 2016. A month later, the company was acquired by Uber for $600 million. Google needed a way to stop the deal, so they fished around Levandowski's old workplace activities. He had downloaded fourteen thousand files, including hardware schematics, transferred them to an external drive. Waymo (Google's new self-driving division) sued Uber in February of 2018 for stealing trade secrets. However, Levandowski's 14000 files weren't as damning as they seemed, the files were so unimportant Google had considered storing them outside of the company's own servers. Levandowski had been unpopular at Google, and was unpopular at Uber as well, he was fired soon after the case started, and Uber stated to the Jury ""Uber regrets ever bringing Anthony Levandowski on board. All Uber has to show for Anthony Levandowski is this lawsuit."" Even worse for Google, if they lost the case, the court might unseal the records and cause all the trade secrets to fall into the public domain. They had to settle for about $250 million in stock. What Google did get is now a fear that any employees that leave Waymo might find themselves the target of a lawsuit. Uber is still working on autonomous cars. Levandowski is considering starting another self-driving truck company."
"SpaceX Landing (45 second Video). Elon Musk tweeted out the video from the camera attached to SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket as it aborted the plan to land on the landing pad and instead stabilized just in time to make a water landing. Evidently, if the rocket is not confident that it can land correctly on the pad it will go for a safer landing over the water like in this video."
"I’m Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. AMA about COVID-19 (Reddit Thread). Over the years, Bill Gates has had the chance to study diseases such as influenza, Ebola, and now, COVID-19, including how epidemics start, how to prevent them, and how to respond to them. Over the next few months, many things will need to change in order to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Schools will have to change how they operate and use online resources. A vaccine is unlikely to be widely available anytime soon but hopefully will come within 18 months. Therapeutic treatments are likely to be available much earlier. Testing needs to be more organized and efficient. The only effective known model of containing the outbreak is social distancing. This strategy will lower the load on hospitals and raise everyone's chances of survival significantly."
"meli (GitHub Repo). meli is an open-source platform for deploying static sites and frontend applications. It features seamless custom domains redirection, automatic HTTPS certificate issuing, an API, webhooks, integrations, and more. A screenshot of the dashboard is available in the repository."
"Google Photos' free unlimited storage ends tomorrow . From June 1, any photos uploaded to Google Photos will count towards the user's storage limit unless the photos come from a Pixel phone. Google One plans are available for additional storage space. Any photos uploaded before June 1 won't count towards the storage cap. 80 percent of users aren't expected to hit their storage caps for another three years. Google has created a tool that finds blurry snapshots, screenshots, and other items to make it easier to delete unwanted photos."
"The IRS Wants Help Hacking Cryptocurrency Hardware Wallets . Cryptocurrency can be stored on small physical drives securely, unconnected to the internet. The IRS is now looking for contractors to come up with solutions to hack into wallets that would be of interest to investigations. While the agency may be in possession of a hardware wallet as part of a case, they may not be able to access it without the suspect's cooperation. The IRS is looking for tools it can reliably use in multiple cases."
Scientists create universal blood-type organs for transplant . The wait for a heart or lung transplant takes an average of four months. Kidneys can take up to five years. Blood types can affect whether organs are accepted by a body's immune system. This can cause some patients to miss out on transplants if they have the wrong blood type. A large group of scientists have converted type-A lungs into type-O lungs using a combination of technologies. The technology also allows surgeons to use lungs that couldn't have been used otherwise due to injury or infection.
"CRISPR is being used to treat a patient with a dangerous blood disease . Beta thalassemia is a genetic disease that leaves the patient dependent on blood transfusions as they are not able to produce hemoglobin normally. A treatment using CRISPR technology will extract bone marrow stem cells from the patient, activate a gene that will produce hemoglobin (fetal hemoglobin), and then reinfuse the cells back into the bloodstream. Theoretically, this will cure the patient with one treatment."
Brex drops tens of thousands of small business customers as Silicon Valley adjusts to new reality . Brex is a Silicon Valley lender to startups. It recently informed tens of thousands of its small business customers that they have until August 15 to withdraw funds from their accounts and find new providers. The lender was unable to service all of its customers well due to a shift in market conditions so it decided to focus on its core customers instead. It will keep clients with secured institutional backing and traditional companies that are midmarket in size.
6 Best Practices for Kubernetes Audit Logging (Sponsor). Running Kubernetes is challenging and complex. Learn how to set up Kubernetes audit logging to troubleshoot your deployment.
"Google reportedly rescinds job offers for thousands of contractors and temporary workers . Google has rescinded more than 2,000 job offers for contractors and temporary employees. The company has been slowing its pace of hiring and investment and will not be onboarding some of the workers it had brought on through contracting agencies. It is continuing to hire in several strategic areas. Half of Google's roughly 300,000 person workforce is made up of contractors and temp workers, who do not enjoy the same benefits and protections as its full-time employees. Google recently told contract workers they would no longer be able to access skills training tools reserved for full-time employees. Some contract workers have had their contracts extended for another 60 days due to the COVID-19 crisis."
"Ask HN: Full-on machine learning for 2020, what are the best resources? (Hacker News Thread). There are many topics to choose from when starting out in machine learning. It can get confusing, and the theory can be quite difficult to learn. Many people suggest that learning using a 'top-down' approach might be best. People can learn how models work and become productive much faster by just diving into the code. Theory can be learned concurrently, or even at your own pace after you've learned the practical parts. Learning theory can help you build higher quality models. There are lists of recommended resources for machine learning in the thread."
"Why “No Code”? . The movement to 'no code' has gained momentum over the last couple of years. No code is an ideal where business logic, and even entire applications, can be written without having the training of a software developer. Software developers can be expensive, and the work that is outputted is usually slow, highly variable, and requires ongoing maintenance. The need for software is clear, but developing it is expensive and risky. While the idea of being able to create software using business logic in plain language form sounds great, there are some fundamental flaws with the concept. Programming languages have been attempting to simplify programming since early in the industry, but the reality is that abstract code is required for many applications. Simple syntax removes a lot of expression and flexibility. Many programs can change 'coding' into a series of configurations, but these programs have very specific applications and are not suitable for general use. They also take away a lot of flexibility with the logic. 'No code' will still have its uses, such as putting together proof-of-concepts for projects, but it is likely that software developers will still be needed for most software development scenarios."
"Google's Daydream is over — the VR platform is dead . Google Daydream was a VR platform that launched back in 2016. The project included the View headset, which was updated only once. Apps have gradually become unavailable on the platform over the years. Google has officially announced that it will no longer support Daydream. Daydream may not work on Android 11, though third-party apps could still work for a while. While some apps on the headset might still work, these apps will no longer be maintained."
"Inside the Longest Atlassian Outage of All Time (17 minute read). Atlassian is currently experiencing its longest outage ever. Almost 400 companies lost access to Atlassian Cloud services starting on April 4. The company estimates that many customers will not be able to access its services for another two weeks. This article discusses the timeline of events, the cause of the outage, the impact of the outage on customers and Atlassian's business, and lessons learned from the outage. The outage was caused by a script that accidentally deleted all customer data for anyone using a plugin that was being retired."
"We Tested OpenPilot, the $1,199 Device That Adds Entry-Level Autonomy to Your Car . OpenPilot's Comma Two is a device that adds basic autonomy to vehicles. It consists of a device that is mounted to the windshield and a vehicle harness that connects to the vehicle to send gas, braking, and steering controls to the vehicle's various computers. The device enhances a car's radar cruise and lane-watch systems to make minor corrections, keeping drivers in their lanes and handling low-stakes highway driving. OpenPilot is supported by a strong community, with active users and staff ready to help solve problems. Videos of the Comma Two on the road are available in the article."
"Thispersondoesnotexist.com is face-generating AI at its creepiest . Nvidia has used a new Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) to create a neural network that can generate an unlimited number of high-quality, realistic faces. A GAN works by having one neural network produce an image, while another neural network tries to see whether the image is real or fake. If the image is deemed to be ‘real’, then the network passes the image, otherwise the generator restarts and tries again. The generator at thispersondoesnotexist.com is a result of both training using the GAN and modifications to the AI architecture by the research team."
"Google plans to kill off third-party cookies in Chrome ‘within 2 years’ . Google will end support for third-party tracking cookies in Chrome within two years in an effort to make web browsing more secure for users. Many ad providers rely on cookies to target and track advertising, so the change is likely to have a large impact on the industry. The move is designed to encourage publishers, advertising companies, and other browser providers to help Google create a new set of privacy-focused, open web standards. Google is looking for ideas on how the web without third-party cookies could work, and will not implement the change until a solution is found that addresses the needs of users, publishers, and advertisers. Anti-tracking features are becoming more common in browsers. This has affected publishers and advertisers, so an alternative to the cookie system is required to preserve the industry."
"Four-Legged Fish Older Than Dinosaurs Rediscovered in Madagascar . Coelacanths were thought to be extinct until one was found off the coast of South Africa in 1938. They are found in undersea canyons at depths of 330 to 1640 miles. Nets used to catch sharks can be set in deep water and are now the biggest threat to the survival of coelacanths in Madagascar. There has been a rise in accidental coelacanth captures, with a large percentage of pregnant females, who only produce 140 live babies throughout their lives. Banning the nets is not possible right now."
"The Milky Way is probably full of dead civilizations . A recent study on our galaxy has concluded that it is likely full of dead civilizations. The study used modern astronomy and statistical modeling to map the emergence and death of intelligent life across the Milky Way. According to the study, intelligent creatures tend towards self-annihilation. Many older civilizations were likely clustered in a band around 13,000 light-years away from the center of the galaxy, where there are the most sunlike stars. Civilizations that exist today are likely young."
"Being An Instagram Influencer Is Hard Work, So This Guy Made A Bot To Do It For Him . Chris Buetti, a data engineer from New York, had the idea of becoming an Instagram influencer in order to receive free meals from restaurants in exchange for shoutouts on his account. However, this was a lot of work and he already had a job, so he built a bot to do the job for him. In the end, Buetti received 10 free meals for his efforts, before he gave the account away. He now works with a startup he co-founded called Social Rise, which helps companies grow their social media followings."
"YC startup Felix wants to replace antibiotics with programmable viruses . As COVID-19 grabs the attention of the world, the war against antibiotic-resistant bacteria wages on. The number of people dying from bacterial infections could grow from 700,000 annually last year to 10 million annually by 2050. Bacteria evolves resistance against antibiotics over time, and this process is accelerated by overuse. Felix, a biotech startup, believes that it can program viruses to target specific sites in bacteria, killing bad bacteria and halting its ability to evolve and become more resistant. The treatment is now in trials. This approach can potentially re-sensitize bacteria to traditional antibiotics."
"SpaceX is launching a NASA spacecraft that will crash into an asteroid . NASA launched its Double Asteroid Redirection Test on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket early this morning. The mission aims to hit the smaller of a pair of two asteroids at a speed of about 15,000 miles per hour with the 610-kilogram spacecraft to see how the impact changes the asteroid's trajectory. It will take 10 months to reach the asteroid, which is not a current threat to the planet. A small cube satellite will be deployed before impact to take photos of the event."
"PySyft (Github Repo). This is an open source Python library for encrypted, privacy preserving deep learning. It's built on top of PyTorch, and decouples private data from model training. There are Jupyter notebooks in the examples/tutorials folder that walk you through federated learning and training models on encrypted, decentralized data sources. Really awesome stuff, it's put out by OpenMined, which is an organization that creates tools for privacy-preserving AI."
"What Will Happen In The 2020s . This article contains predictions on what will happen in the next decade. The climate crisis will likely be to this century what the two world wars were to the previous one. It will require a re-allocation of capital that will result in cleaner energy and efforts to protect the environment. Automation will continue to lower the cost of production and services, and this will change how we work and distribute wealth. China will become the world's dominant superpower while the US becomes more internally focused and isolated. Cryptocurrencies will become the norm, and this will be led by China as the US and Europe will struggle with slow regulatory changes. A decentralized internet will emerge. Much of the world's food production will move to laboratories, with plant-based food diets becoming dominant by the end of the decade. Mass surveillance by governments and corporations will become normal, and new products will emerge for people to protect their privacy. A new generation will start dominating many institutions, meaning age and experience will be less valued by shareholders, voters, and other stakeholders. Progress in genetics will mean we start winning the fight against cancer and other terminal illnesses. Fertility and reproduction will also significantly change. There will be an era of genetic inequality and moral confusion."
"Astonishing AI restoration brings Apollo moon landing films up to speed . A YouTube Channel run by a film restoration specialist in the Netherlands has shared remastered footage from the Apollo moon landing. DutchSteamMachine's videos show scenes from various lunar missions in sharp detail. An AI called Depth-Aware video frame Interpolation (DAIN) was used to stabilize the shaky footage, generate new frames, and increase the framerate. DAIN is free and open-source and is currently in alpha. A couple of the videos are embedded in the article along with a link to DAIN's website."
"This Amplifier Chip for Light Is Faint No More . A new device is able to boost light signals up to 1,000 times."
"Uber sues to overturn New York City’s cap on new ride-hail drivers . In August, New York City imposed a cap on the number of ride-hail drivers that can operate in the city in order to reduce traffic congestion. As a result, new licenses could not be issued to drivers by Uber and other ride-sharing companies for 12 months. Uber has decided to sue the city to overturn the law, as it claims that the law restricts service, growth, and competition in the industry without any proof that it would lower traffic congestion. The ride-sharing company is also concerned that the cap restrictions would be permanent."
ethereum-boilerplate (GitHub Repo). ethereum-boilerplate is a full-stack Ethereum dApp boilerplate that works with any EVM system. It is built on react-moralis and Moralis. The boilerplate features React components and hooks that can be run without a backend provider.
"Google is facing an imminent antitrust investigation from the US Justice Department . Google may soon be facing an antitrust investigation from the US Department of Justice regarding its search business and potentially other aspects of the company’s software and services empire. This follows the investigations by the Federal Trade Commission, who had investigated Google in 2013 for antitrust violations without any results. The European Union has already fined Google billions of dollars for three breaches of antitrust law. Google has gone largely unscathed in the US, but there have been controversies over its practices. It is unclear what the DOJ will focus on in its investigation."
"Chinese Rover Discovers 'Mystery Hut' Cube on Far Side of Moon . Yutu-2, the Chinese rover that landed on the far side of the Moon in 2019, has spotted a cube-shaped object while traversing the Von Kármán crater. An image of the object was captured from 260 feet away, too far for astronomers to figure what it is. The image is available in the article. Yutu-2 will spend the next two to three months traveling closer to it to get a better view. It is likely a boulder dug up by a meteor impact."
Elon Musk Says Autopilot Self-Driving Beta Is Rolling Out Tonight . Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) will be available in a small closed beta test beginning next week. The rollout of FSD will be extremely slow and cautious. FSD is an almost complete rewrite of Autopilot and it is set to be available for Tesla owners via subscription by the end of 2020. Tesla aims to have self-driving taxis in the market on the road sometime next year.
"F8 Refresh: Key announcements from Facebook's developer conference . Facebook's F8 developer conference kicked off on Wednesday with a focus on technologies that enable developers and businesses to build and grow on its platforms. The Messenger API for Instagram is now available to all developers, enabling key automation tools on the platform for the first time. Facebook is also testing ways for people to opt into messaging with businesses. New updates to the WhatsApp Business API and Facebook Business Suite were also announced. A new Multipeer API will help developers make augmented reality effects for group calls. PyTorch is now officially Facebook's default framework for building AI and machine learning models."
"Google brings Halloween to life using augmented reality . Google has updated its augmented reality models on Google search with Halloween-themed options. There is now a dancing skeleton, costumed animals, ghosts, and more. Users can find the feature on their mobile devices by searching 'Halloween' on the Google search app or in the browser and selecting 'Summon up a 3D ghost' at the prompt. Some examples of the models are available in the article."
Rust for Windows (GitHub Repo). This crate lets developers call any Windows API as if they were just using another Rust module. It provides a natural and idiomatic way for Rust developers to call Windows APIs.
Cloud Security Webinar Series: From Frustration to Automation (Sponsor). Cloud Security Webinar Series: From Frustration to Automation . Join our new 3 part webinar series and see how a data-driven approach can prevent zero-day events and provide a 342% ROI!
"Wuhan scientists: What it’s like to be on lockdown . Travel to and from Wuhan has been closed off by Chinese authorities in an attempt to stop the recent virus outbreak from spreading. More than 35 million people were stuck in the city on the eve of the Lunar New Year. The streets of the city are nearly empty, and everyone who ventures outside wears surgical masks. Most people are choosing to stay home to avoid catching the virus. It has affected travel plans and work for many, but people are understanding of the travel ban."
Announcing Spring Native Beta! . The Spring Native beta is now available. It supports compiling Spring applications into native images. Spring applications can now be deployed as a standalone executable without needing a JVM installation.
Traitor (GitHub Repo). Traitor packages methods to exploit local misconfigurations and vulnerabilities in order to gain root access. Users can just run the binary on the target machine and it will exploit most sudo privileges listed in GTFOBins. A GIF demo is available.
"The software industry's greatest sin: hiring . The way that the software industry hires developers is broken and needs to be rebuilt. When a developer is hired, they are usually only tested on their algorithmic and technical abilities and their other personality traits are ignored. Bad developers can still be technically excellent, but being a developer is about more than just writing code. The employees working on a product heavily influence the success of the product."
"Elon Musk to go to trial in December over 'pedo guy' tweet . In 2018, Elon Musk made a statement about a British diver who helped rescue a team of young football players from an underwater cave in Thailand and was sued for defamation. Vernon Unsworth mocked Musk's plans to rescue the players using a mini-submarine, after which Musk responded by calling Unsworth a 'pedo guy' and a 'child rapist'. Musk's lawyers argue that these statements were insults rather than allegations. The case will go to trial in December."
"Scientist Captures First-Ever Footage of a Tortoise Committing Grisly Murder . Scientists have captured footage of a giant tortoise killing and eating a baby bird. It is the first documented observation of a tortoise deliberately attacking and consuming another animal. There are reports of giant tortoises killing other animals, but none have been deliberate acts of hunting. Giant tortoises are almost entirely herbivorous, but a boom in bird populations in the area may have resulted in tortoises adopting bird chicks into their diets. The video is available in the article."
"Just Eat Takeaway confirms it’s gobbling up Grubhub in a $7.3B deal . Just Eat Takeaway, a European company, recently announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Grubhub in the US for $7.3 billion. The two companies served 593 million orders in 2019. They have around 70 million combined active customers globally. Matt Maloney, CEO and founder of GrubHub, will join Just Eat Takeaway's management board and lead the business across North America. Many companies have found it hard to make online food delivery businesses profitable, so businesses are looking to take out rivals to get better economies of scale on operations."
"This tiny Bluetooth chip doesn't need a battery because it harvests energy from the air . A new paper-thin stamp-sized Bluetooth chip is able to operate without a battery by harvesting energy from radio frequencies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular signals, powering a Bluetooth-equipped ARM processor. Because it doesn't need a battery, it can be produced cheaply and mounted on almost anything. The company behind the chip, Wiliot, raised $30 million from investors including Amazon and Samsung. They hope to have a limited release in 2019 and a wide release in 2020."
"Introduction to Apple Silicon (14 minute read). This article explains how open operating systems interoperate with the Apple Silicon Mac boot ecosystem. Topics include storage, boot flow, security modes, and much more. It is intended for developers and maintainers of Linux, BSD, and other OS distributions and boot-related components."
"India successfully shoots down satellite in space: PM Modi . In a project called Mission Shakti, India has successfully tested its Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Missile, which destroyed a low-orbiting satellite on Wednesday. While it is unknown who the satellite belonged to, India has stated that it did not break any international laws or treaties. India is now the fourth country in the world to have achieved this feat, after the US, Russia, and China. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the purpose of Mission Shakti was to strengthen India’s overall security and that the missile system would not be used offensively."
"CloudQuery (GitHub Repo). This is a cool open source point and click tool to turn any website into a serverless API on AWS. There's a gif demonstrating how easy it is to create a serverless API for Hacker News with this tool, pretty nifty."
"Radial Menu (GitHub Repo). Radial Menu is a highly customizable radial menu. It only requires a few lines of code to set up and every part of the menu can be changed, including the rotation, color, style, icons, and size of the buttons."
Mobile Verification Toolkit (GitHub Repo). Mobile Verification Toolkit is a collection of tools that automates the process of gathering forensic traces of potential compromises on Android and iOS devices. It was developed by the Amnesty International Security Lab and released in the context of the Pegasus project. The toolkit is designed for a technical audience and requires a basic understanding of forensic analysis and command-line tools.
"3D Printed Homes Will Be the Teslas of Housing, Says ICON CEO . The US is in the middle of a housing shortage. Not only are there two million fewer homes built than needed every year, but construction quality and materials have also declined significantly. ICON is a company that makes 3D printed homes and structures. It is planning to build a 100-home community in the Austin area this year. The company aims to create the best homes on the market. A video showing off one of ICON's homes is available in the article."
Bulletproof React (GitHub Repo). Bulletproof React is a collection of good practices for building production-ready React applications. The repository contains a guide on how to do things in React with a project structure that scales well. It uses real-world problems in a practical way to help developers write better applications.
"Magical SVG Techniques (14 minute read). SVGs have become popular due to their scalability, flexibility, and how lightweight they are. This article takes a look at SVG techniques such as SVG grids, fractional SVG stars, masks, grainy SVG gradients, and more. It provides links to SVG tools and resources for further learning."
"2020 Developer Survey (Website). In February, StackOverflow surveyed nearly 65,000 developers to find out how they learn and level up, which tools they're using, and what they want. The survey focused on increasing the diversity of respondents and it is important to note that it was conducted before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by WHO. This year, Python fell from second to third most-loved technology, with Rust and TypeScript filling up the first two spots respectively. Site reliability engineer and DevOps specialist are the highest-paid roles. Over 75% of developers work overtime at least occasionally, with 25% working overtime 1-2 days per week or more. More responses and detailed breakdowns of the data are available in the article."
"Looking Through Mojo Vision’s Newest AR Contact Lens . Mojo Vision is a company that makes Augmented Reality contact lenses. Its lenses are still in safety testing and there is still more work to be done before Mojo can apply for US FDA approval to sell to consumers. Their full-color microLED displays can display images in 3D at a resolution of 14,000 pixels per inch. The contacts have a built-in battery and a custom 5Ghz radio. This article features an interview with the senior vice president of Mojo Vision about the company's newest AR contacts. Pictures of the AR contacts are available in the article."
"iOS 16 will reportedly include an always-on display feature for future iPhones . Apple's WWDC 2022 is next week. The company will likely announce many changes to iOS 16, including enhancements to the lock screen and wallpapers with widget-like capabilities. iOS 16 will include support for an always-on display for the next iPhone Pro models. It will also change how the operating system handles multitasking and windowing. Users will be able to resize app windows. There will be new social network-like features in Messages."
"Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes will go on trial next summer . Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and former company president and COO Ramesh Balwani will go on trial for two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and nine counts of wire fraud in August 2020. The pair face 20 years in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. Holmes founded Theranos in 2003, claiming that the company had developed technology that could conduct hundreds of tests on a single drop of blood. The claims turned out to be completely false, and it was discovered that the company had covered up results that proved that the device didn’t work. Theranos’ labs were shut down in 2016 and the company was closed down completely last year."
"OpenAI’s AI-powered robot learned how to solve a Rubik’s cube one-handed . OpenAI's latest milestone has its Dactyl robotic hand solving a Rubik's cube one-handed. Dactyl learned to solve the cube through virtual simulations, and the feat demonstrates the dexterity of its robotic appendages. Videos are available that show Dactyl solving the Rubik's cube. This project demonstrates how a robot can learn to perform a variety of real-world tasks without having to train for long periods of time and without needing to be specifically programmed. Other robots have been able to solve the Rubik's cube at much faster rates, but the Dactyl was able to solve it without having been built for that purpose."
"Samsung updates its Galaxy Book Pro line with 1080p webcams . Samsung has announced the Galaxy Book 2 Pro, Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360, and Galaxy Book 2 360. The Pro models will come in 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch sizes, starting at $1,049.99 for the Pro and $1,249.99 for the Pro 360. The Pro 360 will be a 2-in-1 convertible with a touchscreen and S Pen support. Samsung's Galaxy Tab S8 can be used as a secondary screen alongside the new laptops. The devices will start shipping on April 1. Many more details and photos of the devices are available in the article."
"DigitalOcean Kubernetes (Product). DigitalOcean Kubernetes is now generally available! Basically it's a managed Kubernetes cluster that is easy to set up. It's already integrated with their load balancers and block storage, the pricing is the same as their current Droplets, and manager nodes are free!"
"This ingenious wall could harness enough wind power to cover your electric bill . American designer and entrepreneur Joe Doucet has created a wind turbine wall that can be installed in cities to generate power. The prototype wall is made up of wind turbine generators attached to vertical rods with square panels. It can be scaled up to cover entire buildings. Most wind farms are in the ocean due to their size and the availability of wind, but there are still high winds available in the cities that can be used. A 30-second video of the prototype wall is available in the article."
"SpaceX says Crew Dragon capsule exploded de to exotic titanium fire . A Crew Dragon capsule exploded during a static fire test on April 20. SpaceX is still investigating the issue so there may be other components involved in the blast. However, so far the explosion has been determined to be caused by a fault in the pressure system which caused a high-speed ‘slug’ of nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer to slam into a valve, either causing sparks or igniting the metal around it. It is unclear how long the project will be delayed due to this issue. NASA has published a tentative target of mid-November 2019 for a crewed launch to the ISS."
Markdoc (GitHub Repo). Markdoc is a Markdown-based syntax and toolchain for creating custom documentation sites and experiences. It was created to power Stripe's public docs. Examples are available on Markdoc's website.
"Judge recommends import ban on iPhones after latest Apple vs. Qualcomm verdict . Apple may be forced to stop importing phones containing Intel modems back to the US from China, where they are manufactured, due to an investigation by the International Trade Commission which found that Apple was infringing on two Qualcomm patents related to power management and data download speeds. The ruling is yet to be final and will be reviewed by the full commission. Apple and Qualcomm have been arguing for years, with Apple claiming that Qualcomm’s licensing strategies are anti-competitive and Qualcomm suing Apple for patent infringements. Due to the breakdown between their relationship, Apple has turned to Intel for its modem parts, and may even be looking into building its own modems."
"Additive Animations in CSS . When animations in CSS conflict, only one of them will occur. The Web Animations API allows developers to mix up animation behavior using the composite option. This article discusses how to create composite animations in CSS by adding a little bit of JavaScript."
"Sorbet (GitHub Repo). Sorbet is a fast, powerful type checker for Ruby. It makes it easy to add to existing codebases with gradual types."
"Amazon continues work on mobile home robot as it preps new high-end Echo, says report . Rumors that Amazon was working on a wheeled home robot started in April last year. The project was reportedly named ‘Vesta’ and it is supposed to be a waist-high robot that can navigate with the help of an array of computer vision cameras. It will have Alexa built in and can be summoned with voice commands. Vesta was apparently meant to launch this year but there were issues with mass production. Amazon is also working on a high-end Echo device that will be released next year."
"Could life exist deep underground on Mars? . Scientists may have figured out how to determine if life exists deep beneath the surface of Mars or other rocky objects in the universe. The absence of surface water doesn't mean that life doesn't exist deep inside a planet's subsurface biosphere. Both the Moon and Mars lack an atmosphere where liquid water can exist on the surface, but the warmer and pressurized regions under the surface could sustain life. Extremophilic organisms are capable of growth and reproduction in extreme environments on Earth, which can be similar to environments on other planets. Searching for life will require machinery that doesn't exist on other planets yet, but it may be possible once a base is established on the Moon after the Artemis program in 2024."
"Kickstarter’s staff is unionizing . The staff at Kickstarter announced their intention to unionize today, and if recognized, Kickstarter will be the first major tech company in the US with union representation. Staff are working with the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), an organization that has experience in unionizing companies both domestically and internationally. Union leaders claim the aim of forming the union is to uphold Kickstarter’s values of inclusion, solidarity, transparency, and accountability, which they feel have failed to manifest. A spokesperson for Kickstarter has said that Kickstarter is open to listening to the concerns of its employees."
"Virgin Galactic debuts design of future Mach 3 high-speed aircraft, signs deal with Rolls-Royce . Virgin Galactic has revealed initial designs for its commercial passenger airplane that is designed to fly at speeds above Mach 3. It also announced a partnership with Rolls-Royce, one of the world's leading aircraft engine makers. The plane will be able to fly above 60,000 feet, carrying between nine to 19 people per flight. Images of the design are available in the article."
"Apple expands authorized repairs to ~1,000 Best Buy stores . In the last three years, Apple has expanded its repair coverage to around 800 locations around the US, courtesy of third-party partnerships. Now, up to 1,800 locations will be able to perform certified repairs, as Apple has authorized repairs at around 1,000 Best Buy stores. For Apple, this means that its customers in more rural areas will still receive quality service, and for Best Buy, this will be another endorsement from a large tech company for their services. Samsung has also authorized Galaxy repairs for Best Buy. Apple strives to maintain a high-quality service, and it wants its customers to feel confident in knowing that repairs are being done safely and correctly."
"Cube.js (GitHub Repo). Cube.js is an analytical API platform for building internal business intelligence tools and adding customer-facing analytics to existing applications. It was designed to work with serverless data warehouses and query engines. Cube.js can be used to quickly and easily create semantic API layers, manage access controls, aggregate data, and cache queries for real-time performance."
"Russia registers world's first Covid-19 vaccine for animals . Russia has registered the world's first coronavirus vaccine for animals. Carnivak-Cov is a sorbate inactivated vaccine for carnivorous animals, such as dogs, cats, foxes, and minks. Its effects are estimated to last at least six months. It can prevent further mutations of the virus. Last year, Denmark culled 17 million minks over concerns the animals were spreading a mutated form of the virus. Russia was the first country to approve a coronavirus vaccine in humans, but its early rollout was criticized globally."
"Google fires fifth activist employee in three weeks; complaint filed . A Google security engineer has been fired after using an internal alert system to remind colleagues that they had the right to take collective action against the company. Google posted a list of employee rights in September, which includes the right to organize and discuss various workplace issues without retribution. Kathryn Spiers used an internal tool to trigger a pop-up inside the Chrome browser if an employee visited an internal policy page or website of a firm recently consulted by Google. Google claims that the dismissal was fair as it was a case of an employee misusing an internal security and privacy tool."
"Tesla Full Self-Driving’s cool augmented reality view previewed by noted hacker . A noted Tesla hacker-owner has revealed that an augmented reality view exists within Tesla's Full Self-Driving beta. AR view enables Tesla owners to see what their car sees in real-time. There are references to other interesting features in the FSD beta, but Tesla hasn't revealed exactly what these features do. If the FSD beta goes well, it will likely roll out to more users before the end of the year."
"Elon Musk orders hiring freeze, warns of job cuts in latest leaked email . Elon Musk has directed executives to pause all hiring for Tesla and prepare for job cuts. Musk recently told employees to quit if they didn't want to return to work in the office. 10% of Tesla's workforce will be cut. The company and its subsidiaries currently employ 99,290 people across its factories and facilities around the world."
"Harlem (GitHub Repo). Harlem is an extensible state manager for Vue 3. It features extensions and plugins, a simple and functional API for creating, reading, and mutating state, and more. An interactive demo that shows some of the core features of Harlem is available."
"Giant leaf for mankind? China germinates first seed on moon . A small cotton plant has germinated inside China's lunar lander. Lead researcher Xie Genxin says ""This is the first time humans have done biological growth experiments on the lunar surface."" Growing plants on the moon will be crucial for long-term space missions. The plant is growing inside a ""mini lunar biosphere"", an 18cm bucket with air, water, and soil. The other plants in the bucket, mustard and potato seeds, haven't sprouted yet."
"Cloudflare Registrar (Early Access Signup). Cloudflare is launching its own domain registrar. The great thing about this is that they aren't charging anything above the ICANN registration fees, meaning these domains are as cheap as you'll ever find (for example a .com domain is just $8.03/year using this service). You can sign up for early access through this link."
"Brains are the last frontier of privacy . Several startups and a major tech company are now developing brain-computer interfaces, with some rudimentary versions already popping up in online stores. The concern for these devices is that they are able to read thoughts, which might open up the possibility of discrimination based on what goes on inside a person's head. Devices can already recognize basic emotional states, unspoken words, and imagined movements. The technology has been applied to the area of prosthetics, allowing people to regain control of their limbs. Companies are aiming to create devices that allow typing with thoughts or even merging with AI. These devices will generate huge amounts of neural data, which is potentially one of the most sensitive forms of personal information. This data could be exploited for marketing and has the potential to be used against people who show particular brain patterns, for example, it can be used to tell whether a person had propensities for addiction, depression, or neurological disease."
"Starlink-for-vehicles plan has ruggedized terminal for extreme heat and cold . SpaceX's Starlink terminals for moving vehicles will be ruggedized to withstand harsh environments. The vehicle terminals will operate with higher gain and lower transmit power compared to standard Starlink terminals. They will communicate with satellites above a minimum elevation angle of 25 degrees. The terminals will be designed for aircraft, ships, large trucks, and RVs. SpaceX currently has about 90,000 users in 12 countries. Some users have been having trouble getting a line-of-sight connection in areas with tall trees or other obstacles due to the low elevation angle of the satellites."
"How Blockchains Work . Blockchains are a type of ledger. Miners make calculations and add messages to the blockchain over time. The messages are hashed to protect the ordering and contents of messages. These hash ledgers are tamper-resistant as the contents of later entries depend on the contents of earlier entries. Bitcoin uses a distributed system with no owner. Instead of a central authority, many miners compete to write a new message to the blockchain, each with their own copy of the ledger."
"This is how the world ends: will we soon see category 6 hurricanes? . Up until now, there hasn't been a need for more than 5 categories on the hurricane scale. However, due to climate change there is anywhere from 5% to 8% more water vapor in the atmosphere than there was a generation ago, and scientists are beginning to think there is a need for a 6th category, for storms with winds that exceed 200 miles per hour on a sustained basis. Jeff Masters, one of the most respected meteorologists in America, says ""A 'black swan' hurricane – a storm so extreme and wholly unprecedented that no one could have expected it – hit the Lesser Antilles Islands in October 1780. Deservedly called The Great Hurricane of 1780, no Atlantic hurricane in history has matched its death toll of 22,000."" He believes that another ""black swan"" hurricane is not only possible, but almost certain to occur more than once. Researchers believe that the Persian Gulf region has a particularly high risk for such a superstorm, while Cairns, Australia, and Tampa, Florida are also likely landing spots."
"China is exporting the Great Firewall as internet freedom declines around the world . China's Great Firewall has been shockingly effective as they've repeatedly cracked down on attempts to undermine the firewall through VPNs and the dark web. A report by Freedom House says that internet freedom has declined for the eight consecutive year, and now more countries are embracing the Chinese model of internet censorship. Now President Xi Jinping is working with foreign governments directly to help them build their own firewalls. Xi Jinping advocates for a doctrine of cyber sovereignty, meaning each country should have control of the internet within its own borders. 57 countries have now bought telecom infrastructure, AI surveillance tools, or attended or hosted trainings by Chinese censors."
"Spotify creates ‘Alone With Me’ AI experience with The Weeknd . Spotify has released an AI experience called 'Alone With Me' that allows users to interact with a life-like version of The Weeknd. A link to the experience is available in the article. Users will have to connect their Spotify accounts and it works best if they have a strong listening history of The Weeknd on the service. The Weeknd will talk about highlights from the user's listening data, including things like the most listened to Weeknd song, when the user first started listening to The Weeknd, and more. Spotify has also released an experience centered around Billie Eilish where fans can write a letter to their future selves."
"Spotify launches its live audio app and Clubhouse rival, Spotify Greenroom . Spotify Greenroom is now available on iOS and Android in 135 markets around the world. Greenroom is an app that allows users to join or host live audio rooms. It features a live text chat that the host can turn on or off at any time. Hosts can save sessions and edit them to become podcasts. The app is based on Locker Room, a sports-focused audio app that Spotify acquired in March. Live audio sessions will be recorded by Spotify as part of a moderation process. There are plans for monetization options for creators in the future."
"Helping autonomous vehicles see around corners . A team of engineers at MIT have developed a system called ShadowCam that can sense changes in shadows to determine if there is a moving object coming around the corner. The system can be used in autonomous cars to quickly avoid potential collisions. ShadowCam was able to detect approaching vehicles and stop faster than traditional LiDAR systems by more than half a second. It has only been tested in indoor settings where speeds are limited and lighting conditions are consistent. ShadowCam works by detecting changes in light intensity over time, which may indicate object movement. Early versions of ShadowCam required the use of simplified QR codes for the camera to determine its location, but later versions used Direct Sparse Odometry, a technique that is able to plot features of an environment on a 3D point cloud."
"SpaceX Starship event live: Every major announcement from Elon Musk's update . Elon Musk just updated the world on all things SpaceX Starship on a livestream from the Starbase facility in Texas. During the presentation, Musk talked about Starship's future plans and the current state of SpaceX's technology. SpaceX is expecting FAA approval in March. It is confident that Starship will reach orbit by the end of the year. This page contains all the details from the presentation."
"One of the World's Tiniest Nuclear Plants Is Coming to Idaho . Oklo is planning to build an experimental nuclear reactor in Idaho that will generate power through nuclear waste. It could potentially power about 1,000 homes and run autonomously for 20 years. Nuclear power would be a large step towards reducing the planet's greenhouse gas levels to pre-industrial levels. The small nuclear reactor will be safer, generate power through waste, use a lot less fuel, and produce less toxic waste. Oklo plans to open the reactor between 2022 and 2025."
"Snapchat launches Mario Party-style multiplayer games platform . Snapchat today launched their new in-app gaming platform, Snap Games, featuring five multiplayer games that were exclusively built for the platform. Snap secretly acquired Australian gaming development company PrettyGreat in late 2017, which brought in the talent required to develop Snap Games. The platform will be monetized by showing users optional ads in return for in-game bonuses. There is a video by Snapchat available in the article with a quick demonstration of the game."
"NASA Is Sending an Atomic Clock Into Deep Space . SpaceX plans to launch its Falcon Heavy Rocket for the third time on June 22 at the Kennedy Space Center. Included in the cargo for this flight is the Deep Space Atomic Clock, a toaster-sized device designed to make future space missions easier and less expensive. Atomic clocks are used by satellites to help pinpoint exact locations, both in Earth and Space, due to their ability to accurately measure the travel time of radio signals. Using the exact times it takes for radio signals to be sent and received, calculations can be made about the location of an object or device. The DSAC’s mercury ion-based design allows it to tell time more accurately than existing atomic clocks and its location in space will allow spaceships to receive data faster."
"Scientists Found Creatures So Inactive They Expanded Our Idea of Life Itself . A team of scientists have discovered life forms deep underneath the surface of the ocean that survive on an energy budget about 50 quintillion times smaller than that of an average human. Despite the energy-limiting environments that these microbes are found in, the microbes are still abundant, feeding on organic material that falls to the seafloor. The microbes exist in a kind of suspended animation that may span millions of years. If microbes existed on Mars, they could have had similar abilities. So far, the oldest sediments tested date back 2.6 million years, but the scientists hope to recover samples from 50 to 100 million years ago."
"GitHub Actions by Example (Website). This site contains examples of how to use GitHub Actions, a CI/CD service provided by GitHub. Each example contains code and comments explaining the code. Topics include event triggers, actions, environment variables, parallel jobs, context expressions, and more."
"IoT for Beginners - A Curriculum (GitHub Repo). IoT for Beginners is a 12-week, 24-lesson curriculum about IoT basics. Each lesson includes a sketchnote, quizzes, readings, assignments, and more. The course is project-based, and students will have built several IoT systems by the end of the series."
"Square Inc. Co-Founder Tristan O’Tierney Dies at 35 . Tristan O’Tierney, co-founder of Square Inc passed away on February 23 after experiencing kidney failure and cardiac arrest, most likely related to his addictions. There is no official public diagnosis. O’Tierney, a former engineer at Yahoo and Apple, was hired to develop Square’s original mobile payment app in 2009, where he stayed until 2013. O’Tierney publicly announced in 2017 that he was struggling with addiction."
"Difftastic (GitHub Repo). Difftastic is a diff tool that understands syntax. It supports nesting, alignment, line wrapping, and a large list of languages. Difftastic uses a line-oriented diff for unrecognized extensions. Examples are available."
RealtimeApp (GitHub Repo). RealtimeApp allows developers to deploy a Full-Stack Realtime App in seconds using Serverless Components. A serverless stack such as RealtimeApp should be considered for software that needs to be delivered with low overhead. Developers only need to provide front and back-end code to deploy their software.
"EXCLUSIVE: This Is How the U.S. Military’s Massive Facial Recognition System Works . The US military has been building a massive database with millions of images of faces, irises, fingerprints, and DNA data over the last 15 years. There are at least 7.4 million identities in the Automated Biometric Information System, including the identities of suspected terrorists and allied soldiers training with the US forces. The Defense Forensics and Biometrics Agency is tasked with overseeing the database. This information was used thousands of times in the first half of 2019 to identify non-US citizens on the battlefield. It is linked to the FBI's biometric database, so the US military can search against the biometric data of US citizens as well. This network will ultimately amount to a global surveillance system. The US military has invested over $345 million in biometric database technology in the last 10 years. Much about the system is still unknown, including its accuracy rate at identifying individuals correctly."
"Crime-tracking app Citizen now includes a premium-priced safety help line . Crime-tracking app Citizen is launching its own emergency response service for $19.99 per month. Citizen Protect will give users access to Protect Agents through video, audio, or text. The agent's job is to talk subscribers through unsafe situations and to help them navigate to a safe place if necessary. They can alert authorities on the caller's behalf, as well as create public Citizen incident alerts (with the subscriber's consent) to inform other users nearby. iOS users have access to a Protect Mode that connects to an agent when it detects a distress signal."
"How futuristic floating wind turbines might ride the waves . Floating wind farms hold a lot of potential, but they have so far been too costly to deploy at a commercial scale. GE has received a $3 million award from the US Department of Energy to support a two-year project to solve some of the technical challenges of deploying floating wind farms. It has partnered with Glosten to develop advanced turbine controls that can automatically adjust to catch strong gales without tipping over. The turbines will allow the wind farms to maximize their power output, making them more profitable."
"Air-Gap Attack Turns Memory Modules into Wi-Fi Radios . A new proof-of-concept attack turns SDRAM buses into Wi-Fi radios that leak data. The clock speed of memory modules is typically around the frequency of 2.4 GHz or its harmonics, so they can generate electromagnetic emissions around standard Wi-Fi frequency bands. It is not a quick attack, with a top speed of only 100 bps and a range of 69 inches, and it would also be difficult to install on target systems without physical access. A video demonstrating the attack is available in the article."
"Microsoft Extends Low-Code Push with Power Fx Programming Language . Power Fx is a low-code programming language that is general-purpose, strongly typed, declarative, and functional. It helps users create canvas-based apps and it works with products such as the Power Platform and Power Apps. Power Fx is based on Excel-like formulas for working with data in spreadsheets. Microsoft will be extending Power Fx as a singular consistent language offering for the entire Power Platform. Links to resources for learning Power Fx are available in the article."
"This Electric Tiny Car Can Be Rented for the Price of an Electric Scooter . Recently, electric scooters, bikes, skateboards, and other one or two-wheeled self-balancing boards have emerged as alternative forms of transportation. Cars are often inefficient, getting stuck in traffic, not to mention the high costs of storage and upkeep for an often dormant, depreciating asset. Citroën has unveiled an 8-foot mini electric car with an 8-horsepower motor and a top speed of 27.9 miles per hour. It is technically classed as a quadricycle under French law, so anyone over 14 can drive one without a license. Its travel range is 43 miles, and it takes three hours to charge. The vehicle is only $6,700, or customers can choose to lease it for $5.67 a week after a $3,000 down payment. Ami will roll out in France in June, and it will be available later in Italy, Portugal, Belgium, and Germany."
"New study finds 20% of people have a genetic mutation that provides resilience to the cold . One in five people lacks a protein in their fast-twitch muscle fibers, which results in those individuals having better resilience to the cold. Those who lack the protein are better at keeping warm and at enduring a tougher climate. When warming up after cold-water immersion, people who lack the protein increase the activation of slow-twitch fibers rather than fast-twitch fibers. People who lack the protein rarely succeed in sports that require strength and explosiveness, but they tend to have a greater capacity for endurance sports."
"Plaiceholder (GitHub Repo). Plaiceholder is a suite of Node.js functions for creating low-quality image placeholders. It can generate images in CSS, SVG, Base64, and Blurhash. A basic demo is available."
Tasting Coca-Cola’s first “gamer” flavor—and the history of game-and-soda tie-ins (12 minute read). Coca-Cola has released a gamer flavor called Coca-Cola Byte. The drink launch was paired with a Fortnite 'creator island' zone made by an advertising agency. It has a fruity flavor similar to Coca-Cola's Creations line of limited-time sodas launched earlier this year. This article discusses the new drink and Coca-Cola's history with games and game advertising.
"India Shut Down Kashmir’s Internet Access. Now, ‘We Cannot Do Anything.’ . Jammu and Kashmir, an area where 12.5 million people live, is being claimed by both India and Pakistan. The tensions have now brought everyday transactions, family communications, online entertainment, and the flow of money and information to a halt. Internet and phone services have been unavailable for over 11 days, causing activity in the region to stop. Pharmacies are unable to restock supplies, vital supplies are running low in shops, cash is becoming scarce, and doctors are unable to communicate with patients. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promoted the rapid adoption of the internet in the country, the country is also the world leader in shutting down the internet. Last year, India blocked the internet 134 times, compared with 12 shutdowns in Pakistan. Many businesses are suffering and people are unable to continue with their lives. It is unknown how long the shutdown will continue, and it is rumored that the continued tensions have escalated to violence in some areas."
"Tailwind CSS: From Side-Project Byproduct to Multi-Million Dollar Business (11 minute read). In 2015, Adam Wathan had an idea for a site where companies could share interesting links with their team and then outsiders could subscribe to see what teams were reading. Digest was born, and while the project was sidelined, the files from the project were used in many of Wathan's other projects. As Wathan worked on other things, he noticed that there was a need for a CSS framework that prioritized utilities rather than components. Eventually, Wathan decided to open-source his framework, which became Tailwind. Tailwind is a utility-first CSS framework for rapidly building custom designs. It was released in February 2020 and has almost generated $2m in revenue with 10 million total installs."
"Apple is reportedly working on a foldable iPhone for 2023 . Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that Apple plans to launch an 8-inch foldable iPhone by 2023. The phone will use QHD+ flexible OLEDs from Samsung Display, DDI display controllers from Samsung Foundry, and silver nanowire tech supplied by TPK. Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, and Honor are expected to launch new foldable phones in late 2021 or early 2022. Apple may drop the project if foldable phones don't become popular."
"Google Cloud Print follows Reader and Inbox to the trash heap after 2020 . Google Cloud Print will be shutting down at the end of 2020. It launched in 2010 as a way to make printers more accessible for Chrome OS, but Google believes that its services are no longer needed. Cloud Print never made it out of beta. Native printer support on Chrome OS has been improved, but Cloud Print is still used by many to link their devices to their printers. Google has been known to kill some of its projects after a few years."
stream-unzip (GitHub Repo). stream-unzip unzips files from a ZIP archive without loading anything into memory. It uses headers and footers in ZIP files to determine the beginning and end of files.
"The GPU shortage is over . This article looks at GPU prices in different markets, the factors that are affecting these prices, and whether it is worth buying a GPU in the current market. Graphics cards have been difficult to obtain for almost two years. They are now back on shelves, and reseller prices have hit MSRP. One of the reasons for the price drop is that the chips on these GPUs are now two years old. Many crypto miners are selling their used cards due to the crash."
"China hacked HPE, IBM and then attacked clients (2 minute). Hackers from China's Ministry of State Security breached the networks of Hewlett Packard and IBM, then used that access to hack clients of both firms. This was part of a widespread Chinese cyber attack that spanned 12 countries and began in 2014. Two Chinese nationals have been detained and indicted."
Stories for Visual Studio Code (GitHub Repo). Stories allows developers to share code snippets with each other. It is available for download via the VSCode Marketplace. A seven-minute video is available that demonstrates the features of the plugin and the story behind its development.
"Tesla will open controversial FSD beta software to owners with a good driving record . The latest beta version of Tesla's Full Self-Driving will become more widely available starting September 24. Owners who have paid for FSD will be offered access to the beta. Drivers who want to participate in the beta will need to give Tesla's insurance calculator access to their driving behavior data. The new update enables automated driving on highways and city streets. It is a Level 2 driver assistance system, so drivers are still required to pay attention and have control of the vehicle at all times."
"Deepnote (Website). Deepnote is a place where data scientists can share their Notebooks with anybody. A Deepnote project contains code and data and it all runs in one environment. Projects can contain multiple notebooks, but they share resources. Deepnote allows people to work together on data science projects in real-time and in one place. It is built for the browser, with all its processing done on powerful machines in the cloud."
"YouTuber uses neural networks to upscale 1896 short film to 4K 60 fps . A YouTuber was able to use a neural network to upscale a very old, low-resolution, black and white video from 1896. The result was a clear 4K video that played at 60 frames per second. AI has been a hot topic in recent years, with the technology being applied to create technology such as autonomous cars. Denis Shiryaev used a mix of neural networks from Gigapixel AI and a technique called depth-aware video frame interpolation to improve the quality of the old video. The Gigapixel AI was trained to 'fill in' information in an image to upscale it and improve its quality. It is possible that the AI could introduce erroneous details, and it is much slower than conventional techniques. The network can be trained to colorize images and add in various missing patterns in objects like floors, windows, and vegetation. Some data scientists are attempting to create neural networks that can draw and paint. AI is getting so big that large tech companies are all racing to buy or invest in every new and obscure startup in the field."
"A novel medical method makes tissue transparent, substantially simplifying research . Scientists from Scripps Research have devised a way to make tissues transparent by using water-based hydrogels, allowing them to image large body parts or even entire animals. The technique results in high transparency, protein retention, and compatibility with direct fluorescent imaging and immunostaining in cleared mammalian bodies. It has been used to image SARS-CoV-2-infected cells in the whole chests of mice. The technique could help scientists better understand many diseases."
"FairMOT (GitHub Repo). While there has been remarkable progress on object detection and re-identification in recent years, little attention has been focused on accomplishing the two tasks in a single network to improve the inference speed. Initial attempts ended up with degraded results. This project aims to explain the reasons behind earlier failures and to present a baseline to address these issues. 🎁"
Need a New Tooth? Drug Discovered to Regenerate Lost Teeth . Japanese scientists have discovered a monoclonal antibody that can stimulate tooth growth in mice suffering from a congenital condition called tooth agenesis. The fundamental molecules for tooth growth also modulate the growth of multiple organs and tissues very early in development. Suppressing the Uterine Sensitization Associated Gene-1 (USAG-1) benefits tooth growth. The scientists discovered a monoclonal antibody that disrupts the interaction of USAG-1 and another molecule involved in tooth growth. A single administration of the antibody was enough to generate a whole tooth.
"Nintendo Switch Online is getting an ‘expansion pack’ with N64 and Genesis games . The Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack will let Nintendo Switch Online members play Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games. There is no info on pricing, but it will launch in late October. The company will be releasing Switch versions of the Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis controllers. A list of the games playable at launch is available in the article."
"The NGINX Handbook (Website). NGINX was released in 2004. It currently holds 35.3% of the market with a total of 419.6 million sites. There are a lot of existing codebases for NGINX, but a developer shouldn't just blindly copy and paste code. This book provides an introduction to NGINX and teaches the reader how to configure NGINX as a web server, proxy server, and load balancer from scratch."
OpenDrop: an Open Source AirDrop Implementation (GitHub Repo). OpenDrop is a command-line tool for sharing files between devices directly over Wi-Fi. It is protocol-compatible with Apple AirDrop. OpenDrop is currently only capable of sending to Apple devices that are discoverable by everybody. Contacts only mode is not possible as it requires Apple-signed certificates.
"Sponge Genes Hint at the Origins of Neurons and Other Cells . A new study reveals how around 26,000 genes are expressed in the freshwater sponge Spongilla. The study offers important hints about how cell types evolved and may help settle the long debate on whether neurons evolved just once or many times. Many multifunctional cells in sponges express modules of genes usually associated with specialized cells in more complex vertebrates. The study has spawned many fascinating hypotheses that scientists are now testing."
"Jack Dorsey’s Square, Inc. is buying a majority stake in Jay-Z’s streaming service Tidal . Square is acquiring Tidal for $297 million in cash and stock. Tidal will operate independently alongside Square's other ventures. Square will use Tidal to help find new ways for artists to support their work. The company has given sellers of all sizes business and wants to do the same for artists. Tidal has struggled to compete against Spotify, and it has been behind on payments to rights holders since 2020. Jay-Z will join Square's board of directors as part of the deal."
"U.S. companies put record number of robots to work in 2018 . Robot automation is becoming the answer to lowering production costs as import restrictions and production costs rise. In 2018, robot shipments rose by 16% and certain sectors, such as food and semiconductors, increased their orders for machines by over 50%. Automation is moving beyond large manufacturers and warehouses, as smaller companies are embracing the use of machines to replace traditional workers."
"Meet Mars 2020, NASA’s rover for finding life on Mars . The Mars 2020 rover will look for traces of life in a 3.5 billion-year-old river delta on the red planet. It is currently in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's clean room, which has strictly controlled temperature, humidity, and operating procedures to minimize airborne dust, particulates, and biological contamination that could interfere with electronics and Martian experiments. People must go through a meticulous cleaning and preparation routine in order to access the room. Keeping the Mars 2020 rover clean has been a unique challenge for JPL, and it is important as the focus of the mission is on astrobiology. The rover will launch from Cape Canaveral during a July/August window for a planned landing on February 8, 2021. Its mission will run for one Mars year and cover an area of 12 miles."
"HTML Sanitizer API . Cleaning user input before it is used again is typically done with code or libraries, but it can also be done in the browser. The HTML Sanitizer API allows developers to take untrusted HTML input and sanitize it for safe insertion into a document's DOM. It is not a W3C Standard nor is it on the W3C Standards Track. A link to the draft report published by the Web Platform Incubator Community Group is available."
"Startup Says It’s About to Start Selling Lab-Grown Tiger Steaks to Restaurants . Primeval Foods plans to cultivate and sell a range of exotic meats, including zebra, lion, elephant, and tiger. The lab-grown meat company uses small samples of tissues from healthy wild animals to create its meat. The animals are not killed in the process. Primeval Foods will preview its meats at a couple of Michelin-starred restaurants in London. Other startups, like Orbillion Bio, are also trying to create more novel types of lab-grown meats."
"Uber Drivers Plan Strike to Kick Off 2019’s Most-Hyped IPO . Uber drivers dissatisfied with shrinking pay, no benefits, and a lack of transparency have formed online groups and have planned a 12 hour long strike that will occur on May 8. The strike will occur in seven cities across the US. Drivers have four basic demands: increased pay, basic benefits, decision-making transparency, and a greater voice for drivers. Uber’s IPO is set to be one of the biggest in history with a valuation that can be potentially over $120 billion. Despite its high valuation, the Uber is still incredibly unprofitable, with drivers being the biggest cost for the company."
"Twitter is launching a Tor service for more secure and private tweeting . Twitter has launched a Tor version of its site. Tor is a privacy-protecting and censorship-evading network. Tor sites, also known as 'onion' sites, can only be accessed while using Tor Browser or a similar tool. Twitter’s onion site will provide more layers of protection over accessing the ordinary website through Tor. Creating a Tor service will help fix functionality issues for Tor users, who are frequently incorrectly flagged as botnets. A link to Twitter's Tor service is available in the article."
"Hungry? - Lunch on us during the DX Summit virtual conference (Sponsor). Hungry? - Lunch on us during the DX Summit virtual conference . As a TLDR subscriber, you're invited to the most influential technology and marketing event of the year! Register for free today and master new skills and network with the world’s most successful digital experience leaders. Join us on May 18 at 11am ET for our great lineup of speakers - including leaders from Google, HP, and Ribo AI as we discuss NextGen Customer Service Excellence through data and journey orchestration.Register today for this digital CX conference to receive a free Uber Eats voucher to use toward lunch delivery of your choice."
"Google is planning a new Silicon Valley campus with hardware hub, plans show . Google is planning to build another Silicon Valley campus, dubbed 'Midpoint', with a center partly devoted to hardware. The company spent more than $389 million on land in north San Jose in 2018 and has recently filed a detailed preliminary proposal for the space. Midpoint will feature five office buildings connected via a pedestrian bridge over a road. It will accommodate up to 3,500 employees and will only require landscaping and construction updates rather than totally new development. The campus will have areas for outdoor gatherings and transit services for employees. The leaked plans are available in the article."
"Raspberry Pi announces the Pico W, a $6 microcontroller equipped with Wi-Fi . Raspberry Pi has announced the Pico W, Pico H, and Pico WH. The Pico W is a version of the Pico with a wireless antenna. Its wireless chip is capable of Bluetooth, but Bluetooth is not currently enabled. The Pico H and Pico WH are versions of the Pico and Pico W with pre-attached pinheaders and debug connectors. The Pico W and H are available now and the Pico WH will be available in August. More details about the hardware are available in the article."
"Google and Microsoft agree to start suing each other again . Google and Microsoft have agreed to stop the non-aggression pact that was signed five years ago. The pact allowed the companies to set aside their numerous lawsuits and resolve their conflicts behind closed doors. The companies recently disagreed over fair pay in ad tech, and they are escalating the issue by unraveling the pact. By undoing the pact, the companies are opening themselves up to additional antitrust scrutiny."
"Farmers Are Creating Circular Gardens in the Sahara Desert. Here’s Why . The Great Green Wall project was launched in 2007 to help prevent desertification in Africa. Overall, the program has only managed to plant four percent of the pledged 100 million hectares due to issues with planting trees in the desert and a lack of funding. Senegalese farmers have started to build circular gardens with plants and trees that produce fruits and medicines as part of the project. The circular pattern allows roots to grow inwards, trapping liquids and bacteria and enhancing water retention and composting. The gardens were a response to the pandemic, as Senegal had to close its borders and many villages were dependent on foreign food and medicines."
"A Hacker Group Has Been Framing People for Crimes They Didn't Commit . A hacker group that researchers have dubbed 'ModifiedElephant' has been planting evidence to frame human rights activists, defenders, academics, and lawyers throughout India. The group is largely focused on spying, but it sometimes intervenes to frame its targets for crimes. They use common hacking tools and techniques to access victims' computers, for example, phishing emails loaded with malicious documents. While the group's actions sharply align with Indian state interests, their identity is still unknown."
Linux version of RansomEXX ransomware discovered . RansomEXX is a new ransomware strain that has been used to target governments and businesses since June. It is being used by ransomware groups to target organizations that can't afford to stay down while they recover their systems. A Linux version of the ransomware has surfaced that targets core infrastructure rather than workstations. Linux ransomware has not been popular in the past due to its reliance on spam as an infection method. Newer generations of ransomware are more targeted so it is likely that the number of Linux ransomware strains will increase. Companies are advised to apply security patches to gateway devices and make sure they are configured properly.
"Huge space hotel promises fake gravity and 'supersized basketball' . Space hotels will soon become a reality, with NASA opening up the International Space Station to tourists in 2020, the opening of the Aurora Station planned for 2022, and the Gateway Foundation recently announcing the Von Braun Rotating Space Station, a space-based cruise ship which can accommodate 100 guests and three times as many crew members. The foundation aims to have the facility open by 2027. A 12-day stay on board the Aurora Station will cost $9.5 million including transportation. Prices for the Von Braun Station have not yet been determined. Seven people have paid Russia more than $20 million each to spend time on the ISS. The Von Braun Station will have artificial gravity, meaning that guests will be able to move about normally. There are safety concerns, as space debris could potentially damage spacecraft."
"How a Month without Computers Changed Me (10 minute read). This progammer decided to take a month off from using all computing devices. He literally went out and bought a watch, a camera, a map, a compass, and a notepad. He was initially scared of being bored, but he found it was actually pretty easy to be entertained taking pictures, reading books, and travelling a bit. He came to the conclusion that digital technologies haven't changed the world, they've created a parallel world. He believes that the reason we are nervous and never have enough time is because we are now living two lives in these two separate worlds. He noticed that he felt his ""personality dissolving"" a bit, because in the analog world, he only had access to things that were popular (popular music, popular books, etc.) There is a long tail of hobbies and interests that the internet helps facilitate. He also lost a bit of motivation because seeing other people achieve great things always motivated him. He also gained an appreciation for social networks, people dismiss Facebook and Twitter as not being ""real communications"" but it really does help keep in touch with people across long distances. He thinks that month long breaks are too much, but if you want to try this, you can get a lot out of taking 2 weeks away from computers!"
"Instagram and WhatsApp will add ‘from Facebook’ to their names . Instagram and WhatsApp will start displaying 'from Facebook' in their app names, similar to Facebook's own Workplace app and the Oculus app. The aim of the change is to make it clearer that these services are part of Facebook. The separation between the apps and Facebook have benefitted the apps in the past, with Instagram and WhatsApp usage increasing as Facebook's popularity dropped. Facebook is currently under antitrust scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission, which is investigating whether Facebook's acquisitions were made with the goal of squashing the competition."
"Tesla's Autopilot Can Be Tricked in Just a Split Second Through This Method . Researchers have found a way to trick Tesla's autopilot. This was achieved by flashing split-second 'phantom' images of speed limits or stop signs. The images only need to appear for 0.42 seconds for Tesla's autopilot to respond to them, which means that the drivers wouldn't even know what had happened. It is possible to hack into billboards to affect Tesla vehicles without leaving any traces. While autopilot wasn't designed for Teslas to drive entirely autonomously, people have been using it without paying attention to the road. This inattention from drivers has resulted in accidents. A 2-minute video demonstrating the hack is available in the article."
"Sidewalk-traveling robots are here, aiming to deliver restaurant meals on the cheap, while being cute . Kiwibot is a company that makes semi-autonomous vehicles that deliver food. Food delivery is an expensive business, with both customers and merchants paying a high cost for the service. Kiwibot's robots can work more efficiently than a driver while keeping fees under $3. The robots can deliver meals up to a mile and a half away in 30 minutes or less. They are tracked in real-time and have cameras on all sides. Each robot can work for nine hours, with a four-hour recharge time. The main concern with using the robots is that they may be tampered with during deliveries."
"Apple Watch blood sugar sensor 'coming in Series 7' . The next Apple Watch will have a blood sugar sensor, according to reports. More than 10% of Americans have type 1 diabetes, with an estimated over 26 million undiagnosed cases in the country. Adding a blood sugar sensor would play a valuable role in prompting formal testing, diagnosis, and treatment. Non-invasive blood sugar detection can be achieved using infrared sensors. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 will likely have the same feature when it is released later this year."
"How the U.S. Military Buys Location Data from Ordinary Apps (11 minute read). The US military is buying movement data harvested from innocuous-seeming apps. Examples of these apps include a Muslim prayer and Quran app, a Craigslist app, and an app for following storms. X-Mode is a company that obtains data directly from apps and then sells it to contractors like the military. It encourages app developers to incorporate its SDK into their apps in exchange for a fee based on how many users the app has. Some app developers did not know who was purchasing their users' location data. While the data is anonymized, it could easily be deanonymized. Other state actors have the same access to purchase the same data."
"Twitter to expand into long-form content with upcoming Twitter Notes feature . Twitter is preparing to launch Twitter Notes, a feature that supports the direct publishing of long-form content. The feature will allow users to create articles using rich formatting and uploaded media. It is currently in testing with select users. Twitter Notes is expected to launch in the coming weeks."
"For the first time in years, someone is building a web browser from scratch . Ekioh is a UK-based company that is developing its own browser from scratch. Flow will be built from a blank slate, with its own rendering engine. The project aims to make web-based apps run smoothly on cheap microcomputers. Building a new browser from scratch is usually not worth it as it is complicated and there are open-source options. If Flow succeeds, it will open up the door for cheaper gadgets to browse the web."
"Remotion (GitHub Repo). Remotion is a suite of libraries for creating videos programmatically using React. With Remotion, you can render whatever you want with your favorite web technologies, using programming to create new effects. Three example videos are available. The source code for the example videos is provided."
"Innovative edge-finding AR eyepiece lets firefighters see through smoke . During a fire, firefighters have to deal with incredibly physically tough scenarios which severely limit their mental and physical capabilities. It is difficult to see due to the smoke, hard to think as it is an extremely stressful situation, and communication is interrupted and distorted by the loud and dynamic environment. A new smart helmet device called C-Thru has a head-up display which fits over one eye. It provides an augmented reality feed from an onboard thermal camera that can show outlines of objects and people. The device uses artificial intelligence image recognition to detect shapes. A wearable device would be much more effective than the current hand-held thermal cameras used by firefighters. The headsets also provide firefighters with a better communication system, and the feed from the cameras can be shared between headsets. Demonstration footage showing the C-Thru being used is available."
"Amazon is reportedly planning to release an Amazon-branded TV as soon as October . Amazon is planning to release Amazon-branded TVs as soon as October in the US. The TVs will be designed and manufactured by third parties, but Amazon plans to eventually design its own. There will be a range of screen sizes available, and the TVs will have Alexa installed. Amazon already sells devices for TVs, but the move to selling actual TVs could indicate that the company is ready to take on TV manufacturers more directly."
"Mega-storms the size of England on the rise in North Africa . Huge megastorms the size of England are creating powerful winds and torrential rain in parts of Africa near the Sahara up to 16km tall. They are increasing in number due to climate change, as the Sahara warms more quickly than neighboring areas, the temperature difference widens causing megastorms to form. During wet season there are storms every day. The region is also plagued by poverty, irregular migration, smuggling and terrorist groups."
"Ask HN: Which tech stack is the most fun? (Hacker News thread). The developer experience can affect how much you enjoy your job. In this thread, the original poster asks what tech stacks are currently most enjoyable for developers to work with. The thread has plenty of recommendations for tech stacks for all areas of development, as well as advice on how to set up projects so that they are more enjoyable to work with, regardless of the language or stack used."
"A single memory is stored across many connected brain regions . Scientists from MIT have discovered evidence that the mammalian brain stores single memories across a widely distributed, functionally connected complex spanning many brain regions. Storing memories across many regions could make them more efficient and resilient. It could allow brains to remember events even if a few regions are impaired. The findings imply that targeting memory cells in undamaged regions of the brain could restore memory function in some cases of memory impairment."
Google lowers Play Store fees for subscriptions and music streaming apps . Google has announced that more categories of apps will be eligible to pay significantly less than the usual 30 percent fee. Subscription-based apps will now pay a 15 percent fee. Ebooks and on-demand music streaming services are now eligible for fees as low as 10 percent. Google will determine at their discretion which music streaming apps will be eligible for lower fees. The new fee structure may encourage developers to switch over from one-time payments to subscriptions.
"Xiaomi unveils a ridiculous see-through TV . Xiaomi's Mi TV Lux OLED Transparent Edition is a TV that looks like a piece of glass when it is turned off. The 55-inch TV will cost 49,999 yuan and will go on sale in China on August 16th. It is unlikely that the TV will be sold outside of Asia. Images of the device are available in the article."
"SpaceX plans its first commercial spacewalk for this year . The Polaris Program is an initiative that will include up to three crewed SpaceX flights. The first mission, Polaris Dawn, is planned for Q4 2022 and should include the first commercial spacewalk. Polaris Dawn will aim for the highest-ever Earth orbit, conduct health research, and test laser-based Starlink communication. Inspiration4 leader Jared Isaacman will return as mission commander. There are still many details to work out and delays are likely."
"Camels Originated in North America, Probably Roamed Hollywood . A 15-million-year-old camel fossil was unearthed during a road construction project in San Diego, California, revealing that the animals roamed North America well before they spread to South America and the rest of the world. The North American camels lived alongside mammoths, mastodons, ground sloths, the short-faced bear, and sabertooth cats until around 12,000 to 10,000 years ago, when the first indigenous people arrived in the area. There are now three living species of camel, with most camel populations being domesticated except for some feral populations in Australia, India, and Kazakhstan. Other camel facts, including their history of use in war, different products made from them, and more, are available in the article."
"Here’s how Amazon employees get health care through a new app — a glimpse of the future of medicine . Amazon's new Amazon Care app is designed to help its Seattle-area employees get more convenient and affordable health care. Some companies are moving into primary care in order to tackle rising health care costs, hoping that early detection can prevent costly emergency visits. Amazon has partnered with a medical group called Oasis Medical for the project. Health information gained from the program won't be sold. Employees who are eligible for Amazon Care are able to consult with physicians directly in-app. If an employee requires in-person care, a practitioner will be dispatched, and an in-app map will show their location and estimated arrival time. The program has been received well by employees."
"Ask HN: Those who moved careers from the West to China, what's your experience? (HackerNews Thread). A user asks for experiences of people who have moved to China for work, as there has been an increase in Chinese companies hiring from Silicon Valley. Replies mainly warn about the extra hours and the potential impact on family life, as the work culture in China is quite different to the West. An interesting point was raised that Chinese nationals who had existing US jobs should avoid returning to China until they had obtained their Green cards. Some experiences were negative, especially for those who were not ethnically Chinese. Those who were ethnically Chinese reported that the ‘bamboo ceiling’ they had experienced in Western companies no longer existed for them and they had more successful careers."
"New neurons for life? Old people can still make fresh brain cells, study finds . A study has confirmed that new neurons are still being made well past adolescence, and suggested that older studies that had claimed otherwise were flawed in their methodology. Older studies had tried to detect the presence of a protein, doublecortin (DCX), in the brain months, or even years after the brain matter was preserved - long after the DCX had deteriorated. The new study examined freshly preserved samples and found a large amount of evidence of newly developed cells. There was about a 30% decrease in the presence of newly developed cells from the youngest to the oldest donor samples, whose ages ranged from 43 to 87. Some scientists remain skeptical of the results, claiming that detected DCX levels were not sufficient evidence for newly developed cells, but the scientists in the study say they used very strict criteria when identifying new cells."
"Microsoft’s new Windows File Recovery tool lets you retrieve deleted documents . Microsoft has released a command-line app for recovering files from NTFS, FAT, exFAT, and ReFS file systems. Windows File Recovery can be used on local hard drives, USB drives, and SD cards. It should be used as soon as possible on deleted files before they are overwritten. Another feature called Previous Versions in Windows 10 allows users to recover documents if they have the File History setting enabled."
"Ohm (GitHub Repo). Ohm is a toolkit for building parsers, interpreters, and compilers. The Ohm language is used to describe syntax and the Ohm Library provides a JavaScript interface for creating parsers, interpreters, and more from Ohm grammars. Examples of projects built using Ohm are available."
"Elon Musk recommends real assets (Sponsor). Elon Musk recommends real assets . With inflation on the way, Elon gave his Twitter followers one piece of advice: invest in real assets. What happened next? An NYC startup's traffic spiked. It had unlocked one of the greatest real assets you’ll find: artwork. No wonder over 380,000 people signed up. Follow his advice and invest in real assets today with Masterworks. Learn more."
"Samsung’s official Galaxy S21, 21 Plus, and 21 Ultra teasers have leaked, and the camera squircle is gone . The Samsung Galaxy S21, S21 Plus, and S21 Ultra are expected to arrive in January. Three brief teaser videos from Samsung have leaked, previewing the new phones' designs. The videos show a new camera bump with three cameras on the S21 and S21 Plus and five cameras on the S21 Ultra. It appears that the S21 Ultra has a curved screen, instead of the flat panels on the S21 and S21 Plus. All three phones will support 5G. The leaked clips are available in the article."
"Airbyte (GitHub Repo). Airbyte is a new open-source standard for syncing data from applications, APIs, and databases to warehouses. It features a full-grade scheduler, real-time monitoring, easy extensibility, and more."
"Apple highlights best photos shot on iPhone around the world . The Shot on iPhone Challenge allowed photographers from around the world to share their best photos that utilized the world’s most popular camera. The best shots came from a range of models, from the iPhone 7 to the iPhone Xs Max. The 10 best will be showcased across billboards, Apple retail stores, and online. View the article for the top 10 photos and a short comment from the artist or judges for each artwork."
"Dev Fonts (Website). This site provides a library of fonts for coding. It has a live preview for all fonts with code samples. Users can change themes and language for the preview, and easily compare fonts."
"Scientists Discover 'Significant' Water Hidden In Martian Grand Canyon . A significant amount of water has been found in Mars' Valles Marineris canyon system. It is hidden beneath the surface, but not too deep underground. The reservoir could be easily exploitable for future explorers. It was discovered by the Trace Gas Orbiter, the first stage of the joint ESA-Roscosmos mission ExoMars, using an instrument that maps the hydrogen content of Martian soil. It is unknown what form the water may take, but researchers speculate that it is likely ice."
"Google unveils ‘Immersive Stream for Games,’ its service that lets companies use Stadia’s tech . Google has unveiled a B2B offering for its Stadia tech called 'Immersive Stream for Games'. The service allows companies to use Stadia's underlying platform technology to deliver games directly to players. Immersive Stream for Games will allow companies to run game trials, offer subscription bundles, or run entire storefronts. Stadia is receiving new game discovery features and game trials. Google will make its toolkit to port Windows games to Stadia more widely available to developers later this year."
"How to SSH Properly (13 minute read). SSH is the de facto tool for *nix server administration. It is secure and there is a lot of support to make it easy to use. There are different levels of security in SSH. Using SSH certificates is more secure than using a password or SSH keys, and they can be configured with just a few extra steps. A bastion host is a server which is specifically designed to be the only gateway for access to your infrastructure. Using SSH certificates, bastion hosts, and 2-factor authentication, you can easily improve the security of your SSH infrastructure while giving users the flexibility to keep using the tools that they're familiar with."
"What we can learn from “_why”, the long lost open source developer . _why was a prolific member of the Ruby community in the 00s. He mixed his art into programming and his programming into art and was everywhere online until he disappeared in August 2009. While his work has been maintained by others, it's not clear how much of his original code remains. This article tells the story of _why and the impact he had on the programming world."
"Satellite Imagery for Everyone (13 minute read). Access to high-resolution satellite images has increased significantly and the cost of sending satellites into orbit continues to drop. Advances in artificial intelligence make it easier to extract information from satellite data and businesses are already taking advantage of this. This article talks about how to access this data and use it. It covers topics such as the different types of Earth-observation satellites, how satellites work with orbits, how satellites capture image data, and which sites to visit to find data."
"Apple, Google, and Amazon are teaming up to develop an open-source smart home standard . Apple, Google, and Amazon have formed a group called Project Connected Home over IP. The group aims to develop an open-source smart home standard to ensure that any supported smart home device will work with any voice assistant. For developers, this means that product development will be simplified and costs will be reduced. The new standard will work alongside existing connectivity protocols. While not all devices will connect directly to the internet, the new standard will be based on Internet Protocol as it is ideal for sending messages between devices securely and privately. The group will initially focus on physical safety devices before moving onto other consumer and commercial devices."
"AutoX launches its RoboTaxi service in Shanghai, competing with Didi’s pilot program . AutoX has publicly launched its self-driving taxi service in Shanghai. RoboTaxi will start with a fleet of 100 vehicles in the Jiading District. Customers can book rides through AutoNavi or Letzgo. AutoX is the third company to hold a permit for driverless robotaxis in California. Didi, China's largest ride-hailing platform, launched its own robotaxi pilot program in Shanghai at the end of June. it plans to deploy more than one million autonomous vehicles by 2030."
Inertia (Website). Inertia leverages existing server-side frameworks to create fully client-side rendered single-page apps. It allows developers to build a fully JavaScript-based single-page app without needing to build an API. A demo app is available.
"Meena is Google’s attempt at making true conversational AI . Conversational AI is a term for AI that can interpret human words, speak to people, or carry out tasks or computations with natural language. The best-known AI assistants today are not exactly conversational. Google has revealed Meena, a conversational neural network with 2.6 billion parameters that can handle multiturn dialogue. Google developed a Sensibleness and Specificity Average metric to measure the ability of a conversational agent to maintain responses in a conversation that make sense and are specific. Humans rank around 86 percent on the SSA, and Meena scores around 79 percent. Google claims that Meena is the best AI agent built for conversation and available online today."
"Sourcetrail (GitHub Repo). Sourcetrail is an open-source cross-platform source explorer that helps developers become productive with unfamiliar source code. It indexes code and gathers data about its structure, then it provides a simple interface that allows developers to search code, display the structure of the source code, and view the source locations of currently selected code snippets. It supports C, C++, Java, and Python. Sourcetrail can be connected to many popular IDEs."
"Walmart Grocery is expanding its $98 per year ‘Delivery Unlimited’ subscription across the US . Walmart aims to service 50 percent of the US with its Delivery Unlimited membership program by the end of the year. Customers can choose to either pay an annual fee of $98 or a monthly fee of $12.95 for unlimited delivery. Walmart charges the same prices online as it does in its stores, unlike some other grocery delivery services. It offers a grocery pickup service for free, employing more than 45,000 personal shoppers in its stores to fulfill its online orders. Instead of using its own delivery professionals or independent contractors, Walmart partners with other delivery providers, including Postmates and DoorDash. Customers will be able to see if the delivery service is available to them by visiting the Walmart Grocery website."
"We have a winner in the world’s first quantum chess tournament . Quantum chess is a version of regular chess that incorporates the quantum concepts of superposition, entanglement, and interference. The game teaches players to develop an intuitive sense of the rules governing the quantum realm. There are multiple boards in which pieces exist in quantum chess, with a single board representing all the boards at the same time. As well as regular chess moves, players can perform 'quantum moves', moves in which pieces occupy more than one square simultaneously. A 12-minute video starring Steven Hawking and Paul Rudd playing a game of quantum chess is available in the article."
"Another New Tesla Semi Prototype Spotted in California . A new Tesla Semi truck prototype has been spotted in Truckee, CA. The engineering has been completed on the truck and some production models are scheduled for late 2021. There are some differences on the back of the cab on this prototype compared to other previously seen versions of the vehicle. It could be the first of several new prototypes. Images of the Semi are available in the article."
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"Government Scientists Recover Hypothesized Crystal From Deep Within Earth . A team of researchers has found a new mineral about 900 kilometers below the Earth's surface. Davemaoite is made of calcium, silicon, and oxygen. Its existence has been long hypothesized, but the mineral requires extreme pressures to exist, so it is difficult to find. The discovered sample was found inside a diamond, which kept it from changing structure as it traveled to the Earth's outer layers. Davemaoite is estimated to make up five to seven percent of the Earth's lower mantle and likely plays an important role in the overall heat levels of the Earth's interior."
"Python For Feature Film (16 minute read). Python has become integral to the movie-making process over the last few years, with rarely an animated feature or visual effects film that hasn't had Python play a large part in getting it to the screen. It is used to make sure data flows between each department as well as for custom toolsets for artists. This article explains the Film Production Pipeline and how Python is used in every part of the Pipeline. It includes many behind-the-scenes videos showing how movie creators create movies."
"Hacker News Books (Curation Tool). This tool organizes the top books mentioned on Hacker News each week, archives old lists, and has a newsletter where you can receive a book list every Thursday."
"A geomagnetic storm may have effectively destroyed 40 SpaceX Starlink satellites . 40 of the 49 Starlink satellites launched on February 3 will be destroyed due to a geomagnetic storm that caused up to 50% higher drag than during previous launches. Starlink tried to save the satellites by flying them edge-on to reduce drag but it was unsuccessful. The satellites will burn up in Earth's atmosphere. Starlink has now launched over 2,000 satellites and plans to launch up to 12,000. A statement from Starlink explaining the incident is available in the article."
"At least $611 million stolen in massive cross-chain hack . Poly Network, a protocol for swapping tokens across multiple blockchains, has been hacked for $611 million. The assets stolen include Ethereum tokens, Binance Smart Chain tokens, and USDC. Tether has blacklisted the USDT on Ethereum that was stolen in the attack so they can no longer be moved. Binance is unable to control coins on its Smart Chain, but the exchange is working with security partners to proactively help. The root cause of the hack was likely a cryptography issue."
"This self-driving startup built a “car without wheels” for remote driving . Voyage is a startup that plans to offer a taxi service in The Villages, a large retirement community in Florida. Its vehicles have a speed of up to 25 miles per hour and they are remotely operated using a special Telessist Pod. The Telessist pod was created to mirror the experience of driving a real car as closely as possible for the remote operators. Voyage's cars feature multiple cellular connections and a system called Remote Drive Assist in case the cars lose their wireless connections. They also feature a high-tech emergency braking system called Shield that is powered by lidar."
Twitch is reportedly blocked in China . Last month Twitch was the third most popular free app in China's App Store as users downloaded the app to watch the Asian Games (a video game tournament). Now residents in China are finding that Twitch is no longer accessible and that the Twitch app has been removed from the country's App Store. It appears that the app has been banned.
"Audible comes to the Apple Watch . Audible is coming to Apple Watch on watchOS 5, users can use the watch to play/pause, jump forward/back, set a sleep timer, skip, and control narration speed. Audible also has fitness programs that guide you through meditation, 5K runs and indoor cycling. Audible costs $15 a month, the app is free for no additional charge."
Refactor (GitHub Repo). Refactor is an AST-based source code refactoring framework. It uses a script rather than regex to replace patterns. Refactor is designed for small projects. CST-based solutions are recommended for full program transformations.
"pack - Buildpack CLI (GitHub Repo). pack is a command-line interface that makes it easy to use, develop, and package buildpacks for distribution and application maintenance. It is a CLI implementation of the Platform Interface Specification for Cloud Native Buildpacks."
"Hotkey (GitHub Repo). This is a cool javascript library that lets you easily create hotkeys. For example, you can do something like Home, to make ""h"" a hotkey that will take your user to your home page."
"Revoking job offers is an increasingly common cost-cutting strategy . Tech companies like Coinbase, Redfin, and Twitter have started to rescind job offers after record levels of hiring over the past two years. The practice of rescinding offers was last seen widely during the financial crisis. More leaders are seeing it as a feasible strategy, as it is better than laying off employees, despite the reputational risks. The phenomenon has so far been mostly restricted to extremely well-paid tech jobs for highly in-demand workers."
"This is the first truly great Amazon Alexa and Google Home hack . Two designers have hacked together an open source hardware design called Project Alias that you can build yourself using a Raspberry Pi. It acts as a layer between your smart speaker and your home, so that you can use a custom wake word to turn on Project Alias which will then turn on your smart speaker. If you don't use the Project Alias wake word, then Project Alias uses white noise to disrupt your smart speaker's microphone so it can't hear anything, ensuring your privacy."
Mastercard launches tech that lets you pay with your face or hand in stores . Mastercard is launching a program for retailers to offer biometric payment methods. Customers will be able to authenticate their payments through facial recognition or fingerprint scanning at checkout instead of using their cards. The system has already been tested in five grocery stores in Brazil. Mastercard plans to roll out the system globally later this year. The biometric tools are part of Mastercard's plans for the metaverse.
"SpaceX's Starship will be ready for 1st orbital flight in July, Elon Musk says . SpaceX's Starship is gearing up for its first orbital test flight next month. The company plans to have a second Starship ready to fly in August. SpaceX is preparing for the flights by building and testing Raptor engines. Starship will have six Raptors and its Super Heavy booster will have 33. The company still needs to secure a launch license from the FAA before it will be able to launch Starship."
"Stadia lets you play people's screenshots, and it feels kinda like the future . Stadia's State Share is a feature that allows users to share links to screenshots or video clips of their games which other players can click on to play on the captured level. Some games that feature procedural generation use this feature to allow others to share the same experience. Players have been using the feature creatively to help each other. Only a few games support the feature at the moment."
"Scientists grow cells on a robot skeleton . Scientists from the University of Oxford and robotics firm Devanthro grew cells on a robot skeleton in an experiment designed to create more flexible lab-grown cells. The researchers used the robot skeleton to recreate the cells' natural growing environment as accurately as possible. The cells were grown over two weeks, during which they were 'exercised' every day. While the experiment showed that it was possible to grow cells in this way, the scientists could not tell whether the technique produced cells better than those grown in a static environment."
Spider uses film of air to hide underwater for over half an hour . Scientists at Binghamton University have observed a land-living spider fleeing from humans by going underwater and remaining there for over 30 minutes. The spider was enveloped in a layer of air held in place by its hydrophobic hairs. It is unclear if the spider was using the air to breathe. The air kept the spider's respiratory openings away from water and may have helped to minimize thermal loss to the water that it was submerged in.
"The Most Famous Paradox in Physics Nears Its End (25 minute read). Theoretical physicists can now say with confidence that information can escape a black hole. While most physicists have long assumed this, a new set of calculations has confirmed it. In the new theory, information gets out through the workings of ordinary gravity with a single layer of quantum physics. Einstein's general theory of relativity states that the gravity of a black hole is so intense that nothing can escape it, but scientists have found that additional semiclassical effects become dominant when black holes get extremely old, transforming the black hole into an open system where information can spill out."
"Apple Is Planning 3-D Cameras for New iPhones in AR Push . Apple is rumored to launch iPhones with more powerful 3D cameras in 2020. Current cameras have a 3D range of about 25-50 centimeters, while the new cameras will work up to 15 feet from the device. This may be a prelude to Apple releasing their own Augmented Reality (AR) headset device."
"Galaxy S21 Ultra's camera comes with 100x zoom. Here's what photos look like . The Samsung S21 Ultra's camera can achieve a huge 30x zoom. It has four lenses on the back: a standard zoom, an ultrawide lens, a 3x optical zoom, and a 10x optical zoom. The main camera has a 108-megapixel resolution. This article contains a gallery of images shot with the S21 Ultra. While the results at 30x aren't great, the shots taken at 10x optical zoom look good enough to share. The phone was able to take shots that would've been impossible on rival flagship phones."
"Ship 10x faster (Sponsor). Ship 10x faster . Swarmia gives you visibility into your software development process, so you can speed up software delivery without compromising culture or quality.""In just three months, Swarmia helped us decrease our average cycle time by 48%. As we keep growing, these insights will become increasingly important.""- Jeremy Krebs Co-Founder & CTO of MateraStart shipping faster today!"
"Culture shock: how loss of animals’ shared knowledge threatens their survival . Many animals have been found to learn socially and create cultures. Culture is learned from other individuals, making groups behave in similar ways. Animal cultures are disappearing along with their habitats and numbers. Newer generations are having trouble surviving without the knowledge passed down from their elders. Conservation efforts are now more aware of the importance of animal cultures and are finding ways to introduce behaviors that will help animals survive across generations."
The US military is getting serious about nuclear thermal propulsion . Nuclear propulsion has long been theorized as the fastest practical means of getting around the Solar System. A nuclear thermal engine would theoretically heat a propellant which in turn would expand through a rocket nozzle and provide thrust. No such engine has ever been successfully developed. DARPA has recently announced that it plans to have a flyable nuclear thermal propulsion system ready for a demonstration in 2025. The development of these types of engines is now possible with recent new technologies such as the ability to manufacture refractory metals and advancements in supercomputing.
Dyson has been secretly building robots . Dyson revealed secret robot prototypes at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Philadelphia. The prototypes included a robot arm with soft graspers and vacuum attachments. Dyson has been refitting an aircraft hanger in England for its robotics research. It has hired 250 robotics engineers and has plans to hire 700 more in the next five years. Dyson's goal is to create the UK's largest and most advanced robotics center and to bring the technology into homes by the end of the decade.
"Genius sues Google over allegedly stolen song lyrics . Genius is suing Google for $50 million in damages, accusing the company of knowingly copying song lyrics and displaying them in search results. Google will sometimes display song lyrics that are provided by partners. Genius says that some of these lyrics were stolen off its website. A clever watermarking scheme was used by Genius to mark the content that it owned. The site used alternating straight and curved apostrophes to prove that Google was copying its content. Genius alleges that Google has been copying its lyrics for many years. Both Genius and Google hold licenses from music publishers to print song lyrics. Web scraping is not illegal, and since both parties have licenses to display the content, it might not be illegal for Google to display the copied lyrics."
"Apple kills the non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro, discounts the Air . Apple has updated the MacBook Pro, with the 13-inch base model sporting an 8th generation quad-core Intel chip, and all models now featuring the Touch Bar and Touch ID. The 12-inch MacBook has been removed from the product lineup, and the MacBook Air has had a slight update to its display and a new $1,099 price tag. No other updates were made to the MacBook Air. The MacBook Pro now starts at $1,299 with a 128GB SSD, or $1,499 with a 256GB SSD."
"The Price of Oil Futures Dropped Below Zero for the First Time Ever. Here's Why . Oil futures recently dropped below zero for the first time ever. The move shows how oversupplied the US oil market has become with the country grinding to a halt as shutdowns extend. Oil prices have plunged since the beginning of the year. Demand has dropped but producers around the world are continuing to pump. Traders are running out of storage. It is possible that producers may soon have to pay to have crude oil taken off their hands. Banks are increasingly reluctant to give commodity traders credit as lenders grow more fearful over the risk of default. Give feedback by replying here or messaging me on Twitter @tldrdan! If you don't want to receive future editions of TLDR, please click here."
"New grad vs senior dev . When first starting out as a new developer, you might find existing code that is significantly more inefficient than what you have been taught to use. A new meme pokes fun at new graduates screaming at senior developers for using nested for loops. Eric Lippert reminisces to when he was a CS summer intern and he complained to Tim Paterson, the creator of QDOS which later became MS-DOS, about code that Lippert thought was inefficient. Paterson was patient in his answer to Lippert's complaint, showing why the chosen method was the most efficient method for its purpose and teaching Lippert a lesson about practicality in coding."
"Go Developer Roadmap (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a roadmap for people who are looking to become a Go developer in 2019. It gives a general landscape of how one should learn the language and answers the question of ‘what’s next’ if developers are stuck after learning certain skills. The roadmap categorizes skills according to importance, so developers can focus on just the core skills or delve deeper into topics if they wish."
Y Combinator Resources for Developers (Website). Y Combinator has built many resources that have been helpful for developers over the years. This page lists all the tools and resources with a description and year of release.
"Quips is an AI to help ALS patients speak with their own voice . Motor Neuron Disease eventually takes away its victim's ability to speak, but a new AI-based tool developed by Rolls-Royce may help patients speak again. Rolls Royce worked with the Motor Neuron Disease Association, Intel, Microsoft, and other companies to develop Quips. Quips uses artificial intelligence in combination with voice banking to learn the unique way a user speaks. Users record clips of their speech to create a synthetic version of their voice. Quip is able to listen to conversations in real-time and suggest responses. Its responses include the same accents and colloquialisms that its users use. The system is context-aware and will switch conversation modes depending on its environment. It is unknown when Quips will be available to the public."
"Peloton to halt production of its Bikes, treadmills as demand wanes . Peloton is temporarily halting production of its connected fitness products due to a lack of customer demand. It has halted production of Bike+ and will pause Bike, Tread, and Tread+ production later this year. The company overestimated demand and now has excess inventory sitting in warehouses and cargo ships. It will start charging customers up to $350 in delivery and setup fees for its Bike and Tread machines at the end of this month. Peloton has lost $40 billion in market cap over the past year."
"Scientists Gene-Edited Tomatoes to Make Them Grow Like Grapes . Tomato plants take up a lot of space. Scientists have modified cherry tomatoes so they grow in tighter bunches and take up less space. CRISPR gene-editing technology was used to tweak three key genes within the plant's DNA. Two of the genes control when the plant stops growing and starts flowering and fruiting. The third gene controls the length of the plant's stems. One of the other benefits of the modified tomato plans is that they only take 40 days to grow. Creating new crops using this method could help feed more people using a reduced carbon footprint. NASA has been working to grow plants in space, as well as on the Moon and Mars. Martian soil is challenging to cultivate as it contains compounds that are harmful to humans."
"YouTube TV raises monthly price to $50, but adds Discovery channels . As of today, YouTube TV will now have Discovery’s lineup of networks. The cost of a subscription has also risen to $50 a month. Existing customers will not see a price increase in their subscriptions until May 13th. The extra channels will be added to every subscription automatically and there are no plans to create different subscription tiers to choose from. YouTube claims that Discovery’s channels were a frequent request by customers and that the addition of these channels, and the subsequent price increase, would be accepted by most customers."
Python MQTT Tutorial: Store IoT Metrics with a Time Series Database (Sponsor). Learn how to create a smart sensor using Python that transmits measurements using MQTT to store them in InfluxDB. You’ll also learn about the InfluxDB ecosystem that provides the database and UI tools that can visualize and query your data. Learn more.
"Elephants are evolving to be tuskless after decades of poaching pressure . Poachers have been hunting elephants for tusks for decades. Originally less than 4% of female elephants were born without tusks, but due to evolutionary pressure from poachers, 98% of female elephants in Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa are born without tusks. Males need tusks because they use them to fight over females. Tusks are still useful for females to strip bark from trees, so these new tuskless females may have to compensate by expanding their range to make up for their lack of foraging ability."
"We Chat, They Watch: How International Users Unwittingly Build up WeChat’s Chinese Censorship Apparatus (32 minute read). WeChat communications among non-China-registered accounts are monitored for content that is politically sensitive in China. This includes documents, images, and chat messages. It was previously thought that monitoring was reserved only for China-registered accounts. Content that is deemed politically sensitive is used to train WeChat's Chinese political censorship system. It is unknown whether other Chinese companies use customer data in similar ways."
"An app can be a home-cooked meal . After losing an app that his family used all the time, Robin decided to develop his own replacement. He broke down the core actions of the app and then spent a week redeveloping the app that his family loved to use. This sort of programming is the equivalent to home cooking. The analogy works as it emphasizes the difference in needs between home cooking and a restaurant operation."
Uber can now track your flight so a ride home is ready when you land . Uber customers can now book rides up to 30 days in advance. Uber Black and Uber Black SUV customers will also have the option of putting their flight information into the app to automatically adjust reservations if flights are early or delayed. Drivers will wait up to 60 minutes for no additional cost. Uber Reserve is available at more than 20 airports across the US. A list of the airports where Uber Reserve operates is available in the article.
"Amazon to ban Visa credit cards in the UK in battle over payment fees . Amazon will stop accepting payments from Visa credit cards issued in the UK from January 19. Visa debit cards and credit cards from other companies will still be accepted. The change is part of an ongoing battle between Amazon and credit card companies over interchange fees. In the EU, interchange fees are capped at 0.3%, but since the UK has left the EU the fee has increased to 1.5%. It is not clear why Visa is being targeted as MasterCard made an identical increase before Visa."
"Screen time: how much is too much? . In a large scale experiment based on three large data sets from the US and the UK, researchers examined the effect of digital-technology use on well-being. The effect was so small, explaining at most 0.4% of variation in well-being that it was about as negative as regularly eating potatoes. While this study relies on associations rather than potential causal relationships, it does suggest that warnings against excessive screen time are unwarranted. Thank God."
"Microsoft planning second next-gen Xbox that’s cheaper and less powerful . Microsoft will launch two next-generation Xbox consoles for the 2020 holiday season. A cheaper, less powerful Xbox codenamed 'Lockhart' and flagship console called 'Anaconda' will replace the Xbox One S and Xbox One X. Anaconda will be able to generate 10 teraflops of graphical power. Lockhart will not have a disc drive and will display graphics at 1440p instead of 4k. Both consoles will feature an SSD drive. Prices have not yet been announced, but it is likely that Microsoft will offer a subscription service bundle."
"Instagram Chief Adam Mosseri's SF Home Got Swatted . Facebook's head of Instagram Adam Mosseri had both his homes swatted in November. These retaliatory attacks are spawned by anonymous trolls on dark-web forums. Authorities in New York City and San Francisco received multiple reports that people were being held hostage inside Mosseri's homes, resulting in hours-long standoffs at both locations, twice. Similar attacks involving other tech executives have happened around the Bay Area and Seattle in the last couple of years. Seattle has launched a registry for potential swatting victims. People who have signed up for the registry will receive a phone call by the police if they are reported to be involved in hostage situations or something similar. There are currently no federal laws against swatting, and attacks can be launched anonymously without much fear of getting caught. A swatting incident in 2017 left a 28-year-old man dead after he was shot by a policeman."
"Scientists Discover Psychedelic-Like Drug That Doesn't Cause Hallucinations . Scientists have discovered a psychedelic-like drug that can produce rapid, long-lasting antidepressant effects in mice without causing hallucinations. It acts on the same serotonin receptors in the brain as antipsychotic drugs and psychedelics. The drug produces antidepressant-like effects within 30 minutes, and its benefits last over a week. Far more research is required before the drug can be tested in humans, but this research could lead to safe and practical treatments at home."
Set Your Day to Music with Productivity Playlists from Setapp (Sponsor). Set Your Day to Music with Productivity Playlists from Setapp . A playlist to help you focus. A playlist to inspire creativity. A playlist to hold your daily standup meeting to. Leading productivity service Setapp curated playlists for a perfect workday. Listen to this freshly released collection of playlists on Spotify now to make your day more productive!
"Jeff Bezos to open first nonprofit preschool in Washington as part of $2 billion Day One Fund . Jeff Bezos' first nonprofit preschool will be based in Des Moines, Washington, and will open for in-person classes on October 19. The school will follow coronavirus safety measures outlined by state officials and the CDC. Enrollment is currently underway. Bezos will be opening a network of nonprofit preschools which will be overseen by his philanthropic Day One Fund. It is unknown how many schools Bezos plans to open. The schools will be built in low-income communities and will offer underserved children access to free programs. Bezos launched the Day One Fund in 2018 with a $2 billion commitment. Its goal was to launch preschools and to help homeless families."
"Hacking Neural Networks: A Short Introduction (GitHub Repo). This repository contains short introductions on methods of finding vulnerabilities in neural networks and exploiting them. There are nine exercises covering topics such as backdooring, neural overflow, malware injection, and GPU attacks."
"'This is the farming of the future': the rise of hydroponic food labs . A technically advanced indoor vertical farm is growing a range of crops inside the basement of a former sugar factor in Liverpool. Farm Urban was founded in 2014, growing salads and leafy greens all year round in vertically stacked foam-filled beds without natural sunlight and soil. Traditional methods of agriculture are no longer sustainable, and a complete overhaul of food production methods is required. Other alternative farming ventures have failed in the past. These alternative food production schemes face real financial challenges. Costs must be closely monitored in order to manage the business. Farm Urban has a plan to make sure their business is viable. Its strategy is to start small and increase production as demand increases."
"PayPal might buy Pinterest . PayPal has made an offer to acquire Pinterest for $45 billion. It plans to finance the purchase mostly in stock. Acquiring Pinterest will help PayPal gain a foothold in the growing social commerce space. The social network is a safe purchase as it has avoided many of the problems that other social networks have faced. PayPal has spent much of the past year expanding outside of its usual business, investing in cryptocurrency trading and in the buy-now-pay-later space."
"Google’s personalized audio news feature, Your News Update, comes to Google Podcasts . Google has published its Your News Update feature to Google Podcasts. The feature has been available for Google Assistant since last year. It customizes news content to listeners' likes and interests and creates a personalized playlist of audio news. The personalization uses data that the user has explicitly provided Google and its products. Users can subscribe to Your News Update within the Explore tab in the Google Podcasts App."
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Bird flu: Russia detects first case of H5N8 bird flu in humans . Seven workers at a poultry plant in Russia were infected with a bird flu strain in December. All seven people are now feeling well and adequate measures were taken to stop the spread of infection. There was no sign of transmission between humans. This is the first report of the H5N8 strain being passed on.
"Andrew Yang unveils plans to campaign remotely using a 3D hologram . Democratic candidate Andrew Yang plans to use a 3D hologram in his campaign for the presidency. The use of technology will highlight his message that times have changed and that the way we do things also needs to change. Yang has proposed to introduce universal basic income if he is successful in his candidacy. The hologram will play a pre-recorded speech, after which Yang will take questions live. Elizabeth Warren is another Democratic presidential candidate who is focused on technology, and she plans to break up large tech companies in order to generate competition."
"Meta’s sci-fi haptic glove prototype lets you feel VR objects using air pockets . Meta has revealed a pair of haptic gloves that lets people feel objects in virtual reality. The glove is lined with inflatable plastic pads, also known as actuators. It acts as a VR controller, with sensors that capture how the wearer's fingers are bending. A control system adjusts the level of inflation in the actuators, creating pressure on different parts of the wearer's hand. Pictures of the gloves are available in the article."
"Five Ideas a Day (Newsletter). There's this service called five ideas a day, which sends out five startup ideas a day. This is a signup link for their newsletter which contains a roundup of the week's best ideas. If you're ever looking for good side project/startup ideas, this is a great starting point!"
"Hi, Robot: Japan's android pets ease virus isolation . Robots that have pet-like characters have seen huge demand in Japan as people seek solace during isolation. A range of robots are available that can chat to their owners and perform other functions, like acting as an answering machine. The robots do not come cheap, with some models going for over $2,500. Images of a few companion robots are available in the article."
GPS III SV01 Mission (Livestream). This is the Youtube live stream for SpaceX's launch of the US Air Force's first GPS III space vehicle. The launch will start at 9:11 AM EST (3 hours and 11 minutes after you receive this email)!
"Hayabusa2 Rover Video (15 second Twitter video). The Japanese probes that landed on an asteroid earlier this week have sent back their first video. I'm not really sure what all the fuss is about, it's just 15 seconds of looking at grainy rock footage, but people on Twitter seem very excited about this, so here it is!"
"The strange, sketchy emails a browser extension developer receives . Chrome extensions can be exploited in many ways, as can be seen in the numerous malware-ridden extensions that have spread over the past year. Up to 3 million devices were infected by malware identified in Chrome and Edge extensions in December 2020. Chrome updates extensions as soon as they pass the automated review, so any extension can suddenly become a Trojan horse. Extension developers are being contacted by companies to either sell their extensions or insert code into their extensions for payment. Examples of these requests are available in the article."
"Quickwit (GitHub Repo). Quickwit is a distributed search engine designed to index big datasets. It was built for cost-efficiency and high reliability. Quickwit features a simple CLI, local and remote indexes, stateless instances, full-text search, native support for time partitioning, and more. Tutorials on how to use Quickwit are available."
Inside the subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters . r/LossPrevention is a subreddit where members discuss shoplifting prevention to battle crime.
'Squeezed' light might produce breakthroughs in nano-sized electronics . Nanoscale devices can be difficult to study and improve as they're too small to reflect enough light to be viewed clearly. Researchers from UC Riverside have built a device that squeezes tungsten lamp light into a 6-nanometer spot at the end of a silver nanowire to produce color imaging at an unprecedented level. The system records changes in beam shape and color as the nanowire's tip passes over objects. It is able to create color photos of carbon nanotubes. The technology could play an important role in developing more uniform nanomaterials and help improve other areas of research where this level of resolution hasn't been available.
"A novel lithium-air battery could pave the way for electric passenger planes . Researchers from Japan's National Institute for Materials Science have developed a lithium-air battery with nearly double the energy density of the battery used in a Tesla Model 3. The battery can be charged and discharged at room temperature, making it suitable for use in mobile phones, electric cars, and electric passenger planes. Lithium-air batteries are difficult to manufacture as a considerable fraction of the batteries are comprised of heavy inactive components that do not directly participate in the battery process. The technology has now reached a level where it could make regional electric passenger aircraft feasible."
"Large chunks of a Chinese rocket missed New York City by about 15 minutes . China launched its Long March 5B rocket last week. The rocket has no second stage and so its large core stage fell back to the Earth after it separated from its payload. It is the largest vehicle to make an uncontrolled reentry into Earth's atmosphere since 1991. Some of the components of the rocket engine likely survived. China has previously shown a disregard for debris from its rocket launches. If the rocket had reentered the atmosphere 15 to 20 minutes earlier, it is possible the rocket's debris could have rained down on New York City."
"Elon Musk Will Send Your Photo Into Space If You Can Convince a Friend to Buy a Tesla . Tesla has a new referral program, where if you convince a friend to buy a Tesla, they will blast a laser-etched photo of your choice into space, presumably on a SpaceX rocket. If you refer a second friend, you can get a wall connector with Elon Musk's signature, or a children-sized drivable Model S. There are even better perks all the way up to five referrals, where you get a week with a Tesla Electric Semi truck for free."
Twitter adopts ‘poison pill’ plan to shield itself from Elon Musk takeover . Twitter's board has unanimously approved a plan to allow existing shareholders to buy stocks at a substantial discount in order to prevent Elon Musk's hostile takeover attempt. The 'poison pill' tactic will go into effect if a shareholder acquires more than 15% of the company without approval by the board before April 2023. Other parties have expressed interest in buying Twitter. Musk is facing legal action over his Twitter purchase for failing to disclose the buy before the required deadline to do so. He is also facing a number of investigations by the SEC for other investment activities.
"xh (GitHub Repo). xh is a tool for sending HTTP requests. It supports HTTPS, sending data as JSON or as form fields, downloads, authentication, proxies, and more. A GIF example is available in the repository."
"Elon Musk to unveil Neuralink progress with real-time neuron demonstration this week . Neuralink has scheduled an event for August 28th to update the public on its progress. Elon Musk tweeted about the event at the end of July, hinting that there would be a live demonstration of neuron activity at the event. Neuralink's long-term goal is to gain human symbiosis with artificial intelligence. The project involves connecting electrodes throughout the brain and reading its neuron signals, analyzing the signals, and eventually attempting to copy or direct them. This technology could help people with neurological impairments restore function."
"Amazon is acquiring home Wi-Fi start-up Eero . Amazon has announced plans to acquire Eero, a company that develops internet routers. Smart home devices have been a focus for Amazon, with its recent acquisition of Ring, a video doorbell maker, and Amazon’s own Echo smart speaker device. Eero devices currently cost $199 and are able to reach a range of 1,500 feet with a single device. Booster devices are available at $149 to extend the range."
"Apple just paid a record $25 million to buy a Sundance movie . Apple paid roughly $25 million for a movie at the Sundance Film Festival, the largest deal ever at the event. The purchase was made after a bidding war with Amazon. Children of Deaf Adults could prove to be a critical success. While Apple TV+ has won awards, it has so far been shut out of some of the biggest prizes, including the Golden Globes and Oscars. A major award could help Apple TV+ compete in the market."
"Spotify Is Now the Single Biggest Podcasting Platform . Spotify has more podcast listeners than Apple. Apple is still the market leader in streaming audio when combining both music and podcast listener numbers. Spotify's growth indicates that the company's investments in the podcast space are paying off. Podcast listening has grown considerably, and Spotify's focus on growing its podcast platform has resulted in improved user retention. Spotify plans to continue the growth of its podcast user base and aims for podcasts to account for around 20 percent of total streaming on its platform. It will start looking for ideas for monetizing its podcast platform in 2020."
"Amazon reportedly considering mall space for fulfillment centers . Amazon and Simon Property Group have discussed the possibility of converting the Group's mall spaces into fulfillment centers. The discussions started before the pandemic as the brick-and-mortar retail market was already being affected by the growth of the e-commerce industry. Mall stalwarts like Lord & Taylor, JCPenney, and Nieman Marcus have recently filed for bankruptcy. Simon is looking to fill empty retail spaces as tenants are unable to continue operating. Having fulfillment center warehouses closer to residential areas would speed up delivery times, but it is unclear how the arrangement would work. According to its second-quarter earnings report, Amazon doubled its net profit year over year to $5.2 billion."
"Tesla wants to make every home a distributed power plant . Elon Musk thinks that a distributed electricity grid system provides a better path to net-zero emissions. Previous research suggests that the US could reach a zero-carbon grid by more than doubling its transmission capacity. The setup Musk suggests is riddled with bureaucratic and logistical challenges. Tesla updated its website last week to require customers to purchase a solar and energy storage system together, rather than as separate items."
"Ryan Kaji, 9, earns $29.5m as this year's highest-paid YouTuber . Ryan Kaji, a nine-year-old boy who makes unboxing and review videos on YouTube, has held onto the title of highest-paid YouTuber for the third year running. Kaji made $29.5 million from his YouTube channel and a further estimated $200 million from branded toys and clothing. His family runs nine YouTube channels, with Ryan's World being the most popular with 41.7 million subscribers. Kaji and his family are facing the threat of a US FTC investigation over allegations that their videos' sponsors were not properly disclosed. The top ten biggest-earning YouTube stars earned a total of $211 million this year. A list of the top ten YouTube earners is available at the end of the article."
"Apple's AirPods Pro, services deliver a record holiday for the iPhone maker . Apple has reported an all-time record quarter for revenues and earnings. It credited its services, wearables, and its newest iPhones for the performance. There are now over 1.6 billion Apple devices actively used around the world. Apple had warned investors that its first-quarter revenue for 2019 would be weaker than expected due to lower demand from China. Since then, Apple stock has more than doubled. Apple no longer publishes unit sales for its devices, but it is estimated that iPhone revenue was worth $55.96 billion and AirPods sales were worth about $6 billion. Services were worth around $12.7 billion to the tech giant. While Apple did not publish Apple TV Plus subscriber numbers, Tim Cook has noted that the service was off to a rousing start. Apple sold around $10 billion worth of wearables in the quarter. The recent coronavirus outbreak has caused Apple and other retailers to close their stores, affecting potential earnings for this quarter."
"Samsung’s leaked Galaxy Chromebook 2 is oranger than ever . Images of Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Chromebook 2 have leaked, showing off a bright orange coloring in an otherwise similar-looking design. There are minor adjustments to the port layout and keyboard. Details about the internal specs have yet to be released. One of the leaked images is available in the article."
"Leaked Renders Claim to Show Third-Generation AirPods Design . A set of renders claiming to showcase the design of the next generation of AirPods has been leaked from a supplier. They appear to have a shorter stem and a smaller charging case. The images were shared by an account on Twitter that has shared accurate information in the past. Apple is planning to hold an event on March 23 that will headline AirTags, new iPad models, and possibly the new AirPods. The leaked renders are available in the article."
"Researchers Successfully Store ‘Data’ Inside DNA of Living Bacteria . Researchers from Columbia University have successfully stored DNA inside of living bacteria by using CRISPR. The team recently encoded 72 bits of data into a population of bacteria cells, establishing a direct digital-to-biological data storage framework. DNA-encoded data lasts longer in living organisms and the information can even be passed onto the following generations."
"Apple plans to build its own financial infrastructure for payments and lending . Apple is planning to build its own in-house technology and infrastructure for financial services. Financial services are a rapidly growing part of Apple's overall product strategy. Developing these services will help Apple create more consistent recurring revenue from customers. Apple is working on payment processing, risk assessment for lending, fraud analysis, credit checks, and additional customer-service functions. The company is preparing to release a pay later feature and hardware subscription bundle to which these new plans will likely apply."
Flowrift Space (GitHub Repo). Flowrift is a collection of beautifully designed Tailwind CSS UI blocks. It features a responsive preview and code view. Users can easily copy and share blocks. This repository links to Flowrift's site and development pages.
Watch: Drone crashes into erupting Icelandic volcano (1 minute video). A YouTuber trying to film a close-up of the Fagradalsfjall volcano lost their drone when it crashed into a lava spew. The volcano has been erupting since March. It has become a tourist attraction. The video shows the moment when the drone crashes into the lava.
"Robinhood says a hacker who tried to extort the company got access to data for 7 million customers . Personal data for more than 7 million Robinhood customers was accessed during a data breach on November 3. The attacker attempted to extort the company after the attack was contained. No social security, bank account, or debit card numbers appear to have been exposed and the affected customers didn't lose any funds in the incident. The attacker obtained a list of emails for around 5 million people. Around 310 people had additional personal information exposed, and about 10 customers had more extensive account details revealed. The company is in the process of notifying those who have been affected."
".NET MAUI (GitHub Repo). .NET Multi-platform App UI (MAUI) is a multi-platform native UI that can be deployed to multiple devices across mobile and desktop using a single codebase. It is an evolution of the Xamarin.Forms toolkit, so developers familiar with Xamarin.Forms will hit the ground running with .NET MAUI."
"YouTube is about to pull its apps from Roku, and the fight is going all the way to Congress . Roku customers will no longer be allowed to download the YouTube or YouTube TV apps to their devices after December 9. Customers who already have the apps installed will still be able to use those apps normally. Roku claims that Google is using its dominant market power to force unfavorable terms on a competitor. Google had demanded special access to data from Roku customers as a condition for allowing its apps to be installed on the devices. A variety of bills have been introduced to prevent digital platforms from abusing their power."
"Google’s ARCore Depth API is now available for developers to make realistic AR experiences . ARCore Depth API improves immersion for devices with a single camera, using Google's depth-from-motion algorithms to generate a depth map from a single RGB camera. It is now ready for a public launch for developers on Android and Unity. One of its key features is the ability to accurately place digital objects behind real-world objects. Depth-API also enables realistic physics, interaction with real-world surfaces, environmental transversal, and more. It has been used extensively by Snap for its products, as well as in several AR games. A 47-second introductory video to ARCore Depth API is available at the end of the article."
"Wuhan Kids Give Bad Ratings to Homework-Assigning App to Remove It from App Store . Children in Wuhan might be currently under quarantine, but they still have schoolwork to complete. An app called DingTalk allowed students to sign in and join classes for online lessons, with teachers setting homework within the app. The kids worked out that if they gave the app enough one-star reviews, it would get removed from the App Store. Tens and thousands of reviews flooded in and the app's rating dropped from 4.9 to 1.4 overnight. DingTalk pleaded for mercy on social media. It is unclear whether the app has been permanently removed or whether the students succeeded in getting time off school."
Researcher Arrested for Allegedly Teaching North Korea About Ethereum . A cryptocurrency researcher was arrested for allegedly violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by giving a presentation on Ethereum in North Korea. Virgil Griffith allegedly attended a blockchain conference in North Korea and presented on how blockchain technology could benefit the country. Griffith also participated in a discussion on how cryptocurrencies could be used to evade economic sanctions. He claims that his presentation only contained basic concepts that can be looked up online. The complaint against Griffith alleges that he received his North Korean visa on a separate document other than his US passport in order to avoid creating physical proof that he traveled to the DPRK. The Ethereum Foundation describes Griffith's travel to North Korea as a personal matter and that the Foundation was not represented in any capacity in the events outlined by the Justice Department's filing.
"AI traffic light system could make traffic jams a distant memory . Researchers have developed an AI system that reads live camera footage and adopts traffic lights to keep traffic flowing and reduce congestion. The researchers used deep reinforcement learning to create the system, rewarding it when cars go through a junction and giving it negative feedback when cars have to wait or there is a jam. It was trained through simulations and significantly outperformed all other methods when tested. The program can be set up to view any traffic junction and can learn autonomously. The researchers hope to begin testing their system on real roads this year."
"New patent-free COVID vaccine developed as “gift to the world” . The Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine are offering their new Covid-19 vaccine patent-free to vaccine manufacturers worldwide. Corbevax is based on a traditional protein-based technology and trials have shown it to be safe and effective. It contains coronavirus spike proteins grown from genetically engineered yeast. The vaccine can be easily manufactured anywhere in the world, giving low- and middle-income countries a better chance against the delta variant."
"Crypto Cities (17 minute read). There has been a growth of interest from local governments in engaging with tech and crypto communities over the last year as crypto becomes more mainstream. Some cities are trying to create coins, NFTs, and DAOs. The blockchain could make some existing processes, such as registries, lotteries, and voting, more trusted and transparent. This article looks at city crypto projects and explores how the blockchain can be used for different forms of governance."
"Google Fined $1.7 Billion by E.U. for Unfair Advertising Rules . The EU has fined Google 1.5 billion Euros for disproportionately displaying their ads over competitor's ads when companies used Google’s search bar on their websites. These ads undercut competitors and the EU claimed that the restrictive clauses in Google's contracts only existed to keep rivals out of the market. Google stopped the practice in 2016 but had been displaying the ads since 2006. This fine is just one of many that the EU has given to Google and other tech companies, and it highlights the need for governments to look deeper into regulations in the tech sector as the effectiveness of the fines is unclear."
"How the United Arab Emirates Launched a Mars Probe in Six Years . The United Arab Emirates launched its first interplanetary orbiter, Hope, to Mars in July. It took over six years for the UAE Space Agency to launch the Mars-bound spacecraft, which is expected to arrive in February. Hope will remain in orbit and study the Martian weather system and how it varies across the planet. The mission is part of a wider effort within the UAE to engage the nation's younger generations in STEM fields."
"Amazon launches business selling automated checkout to retailers . Amazon will start selling the technology behind its cashier-less convenience stores to other retailers. Just Walk Out Technology reflects Amazon's strategy of building out internal capabilities and then turning its technologies into lucrative services that others can buy. Unlike Amazon Go stores, customers will have to insert a credit card into a gated turnstile to enter stores. Items picked up by the customer will be automatically added to a virtual shopping cart, and the customer's credit card is billed when the customer leaves the store. It is unknown who will own the shopper data that will be collected. There is no fixed business model or pricing at the moment."
"Airbnb's new $1 billion investment comes at lower valuation . Private equity firms Silver Lake and Sixth Street Partners have recently invested $1 billion into Airbnb Inc. The firms received warrants that can be exercised at an $18 billion valuation, which is below the $26 billion that Airbnb valued itself at in early March. Silver Lake is targeting a value of $40 to $50 billion to hit its return target. Airbnb's cash reserves are now around $4 billion."
"Google buys NYC campus for $2.1 B, one of biggest office deals in history . Google has purchased a 1.3 million-square-foot waterfront building in New York City. The company had signed an agreement to lease the Hudson Square office building in 2018. The lease terms included an option to buy the building. Google currently has 12,000 employees in New York and plans to add at least 2,000 more. The company recently rolled out an internal pay calculator to determine salary cuts for employees who choose to continue to work from home. Employees who choose remote work will have their pay adjusted according to their distance from Google's offices."
"The Rise of the Robot Reporter . Artificial intelligence is being used to generate content for news websites. The technology, which was first used in financial reporting, is being used to quickly generate articles which can then be edited and published by human reporters. The tool allows journalists to focus on more substantive work rather than having to worry about reporting on statistics and numbers. AI may also help journalists by identifying patterns and anomalies in data for further investigation."
"EU’s Parliament Signs Off on Disastrous Internet Law: What Happens Next? . The European Parliament has approved their new copyright law in its entirety, in a controversial move that seems to go directly against common sense. Under the directive, any copyright owner can demand that an internet service remove their material from its servers, which means service providers will have to either stop serving the EU or increase their content filtering capabilities. There is still time for the decision to be reversed, as EU directives need to be written into law by each country individually, and other avenues are still available for the directive to be vetoed."
"A New Clip From NASA's Juno Probe Lets You 'Listen' to Jupiter's Moon . A 50-second audio track generated from NASA's Juno mission to Jupiter as it flew past Ganymede, one of Jupiter's moons, was recently made available by the Southwest Research Institute. Juno carries an instrument that can tune into electric and magnetic radio waves, which researchers recorded and transformed into an audio track. Last year, researchers discovered that the clouds of Jupiter could, in theory, support life. The audio of Juno's Ganymede flyby is available in the article."
"Epic gives in to Google and releases Fortnite on the Play Store . Epic Games has finally released Fortnite in the official Android Play Store, 18 months after releasing the game as third-party software. Google displays a warning for third-party software outside of the Play Store, marking it as potential malware, which put Fortnite at a disadvantage according to Epic. Releasing the game through the Play Store means that Epic will now have to pay Google a 30% cut for all in-app purchases made through the platform. Epic has long protested App Store and Play Store platform fees."
"Podman (GitHub Repo). Podman is a tool for managing OCI containers and pods. It supports multiple container image formats, with full management of those images and the container lifecycle. Podman can run containers and pods without root or other elevated privileges. It currently only supports running containers on Linux."
"AMP Has Irreparably Damaged Publishers' Trust in Google-led Initiatives . FLoC is a controversial initiative by Google to create a privacy sandbox for users so that ads can be targeted without the surveillance business model currently used today. Many major tech organizations and privacy advocates are skeptical of the project due to AMP, an older initiative by Google that resulted in an antitrust lawsuit that is still ongoing. Google throttled the load time of non-AMP ads and didn't rank non-AMP sites, resulting in losses for many publishers. More details about the case are available in the article."
Ask HN: How do I learn real-world COBOL? (Hacker News Thread). COBOL is a specialized niche and COBOL devs get paid accordingly.
"Ozone: The Earth's protective shield is repairing . Good news folks, the hole in the Ozone layer is closing! The Northern Hemisphere could be fully fixed by the 2030s and Antarctica by the 2060s. At the worst point in the late 90s, 10% of the upper Ozone had disappeared, but since 2000, it's been growing again at a rate of about 3% per decade. The Montreal Protocol, in which 180 countries agreed to phase out use of the chlorofluorocarbons that had been destroying the Ozone, seems to be working."
"Using Wi-Fi to ""see"" behind closed doors is easier than anyone thought . Wifi fills the world with a constant background field of radio signals. Researchers have now figured out how to use this to track the locations of people inside their own homes from the outside using just a smartphone. First they locate the Wifi transmitter by measuring the change in the signal strength as they walk around outside the target building or room. Once they know that, they can use the fact that the Wifi signal should be constant unless disturbed by movement from people inside a home, and each movement changes the signal in slightly different ways to track the people inside the home. These researchers can tell when you are typing, opening a door, or walking around from outside your home using just their Nexus 6 phone. If there are two Wifi transmitters in your home, the accuracy increases from 92.6% to over 99%."
"Ask HN: Important nonobvious startup/business lessons you've learned? (Hacker News Thread). Running a startup can be hard as many people don't know what they are doing wrong. This thread contains observations and lessons from founders and business owners that were not immediately obvious. The replies to the thread discuss the importance of sales, starting non-technical businesses and improving the tech, how to manage assets and expenses during tough times, and more."
"Uber Lays Off More Than 180 Postmates Employees, Including CEO Bastian Lehmann . Uber has laid off 185 employees from its Postmates division, including most of the executive team, totaling about 15% of Postmates' workforce. Rival companies are gaining market share in the food delivery business. DoorDash went public in December and has recently acquired food delivery startup Caviar. Just Eat acquired Grubhub in 2020 for more than $7 billion. Uber closed down 2.65% on Friday."
"CSIRO scientists discover how to grow colored cotton, removing need for harmful chemical dyes . Researchers at CSIRO have added genes to cotton to make it produce its own colors. The resulting product should one day lead to wrinkle-free, naturally dyed, stretchy cotton that outperforms synthetic fabrics. It will still be a few months before a full flowering cotton plant will be produced, but the results so far are promising. Producing naturally colored cotton will mean that the industry can stop using harmful chemical dyes and synthetic fibers that can't be recycled."
Notifire (GitHub Repo). Notifire is a single API for all messaging providers. It can easily manage notifications over multiple channels. Notifire is equipped with a templating engine for advanced layouts and designs and built-in protection for missing variables. Its goal is to simplify notifications and provide developers with tools to create meaningful communication between the system and its users.
"Huawei: ARM memo tells staff to stop working with China’s tech giant . UK chip designer ARM has instructed its employees to stop working with Huawei in order to comply with US trade laws. ARM chips contain ‘US origin technology’, and as a consequence, the company is affected by the new trade ban against the Chinese tech giant. Huawei can continue to manufacture existing chips, but will not be able to receive assistance from ARM when developing components in the future. It is unclear whether ARM is acting on their own interpretation of the new laws or whether they had received direct advice from the Commerce Department."
"Russian Scientists Are Probing Prehistoric Viruses Emerging From Siberian Permafrost . A Russian state laboratory is researching prehistoric viruses by analyzing the remains of animals recovered from melted permafrost. The project aims to identify paleo viruses and research virus evolution. Research has already been conducted on the recovered animals but it focused on bacteria. The Arctic is warming up twice as fast as the global average, releasing carbon stored in the melting permafrost."
"Ask HN: How to find work while homeless? (Hacker News Thread). Finding a job while homeless in Europe can be a tough ordeal as it is almost impossible without an address. There are charitable organizations that will provide a residence and an address as well as assist with government help. While churches used to be a place to get help, that is no longer the case in many areas. Trying to find a job when homeless is tough, and it is best to fix the main problem first."
"Rules of thumb for a 1x developer (22 minute read). A 10x developer is a developer who is thought to be as productive as 10 others in their field. Not all developers can produce that level of work consistently. This article discusses general rules of thumb for developers that help to build some structure and consistency in their work. These rules allow everything to run smoothly and with less effort. The 20 rules discussed cover productivity and learning, programming languages, technology choices, testing, DevOps, security, design, and project management."
"WeWork pulls IPO filing . WeWork will withdraw its S-1 filing and postpone its initial public offering. SoftBank, one of WeWork's biggest backers, had valued WeWork at around $47 billion after the release of its S-1. This caused investors to voice skepticism about WeWork's business. Public investors have since valued the company at as low as $10 billion. WeWork's new CEOs have started to cut costs at the company by selling assets, putting up side businesses up for sale, and considering the layoffs of roughly 5,000 workers. These actions are aimed at preparing the company for its IPO, which will be still be held, but at an unknown date."
"First autonomous X-ray-analyzing AI is cleared in the EU . Oxipit has received regulatory clearance in the EU for its artificial intelligence tool that can read chest X-rays without oversight from a radiologist. ChestLink scans chest X-rays and sends scans with potential problems to radiologists for review. The EU certification only signals that the tool meets safety standards. Oxipit plans to obtain FDA clearance in the US, which will require the company to prove its effectiveness as well."
"New NYC Mayor Eric Adams Wants the City to Have Its Own Cryptocurrency . New York's new mayor Eric Adams wants to transform the city into one hospitable to cryptocurrency. Adams used Miami as an example of a city doing well after trying to become a blockchain paradise, despite recent evidence that the project has run into numerous legal and practical roadblocks. While it is not clear what Adams intends to do, it may mean challenging the state's requirements for entities who want to carry out cryptocurrency-related transactions to obtain a Bitlicense."
"Anonymous chat app Yik Yak is back from the dead . Yik Yak, an anonymous messaging app that was shut down in 2017, is back in the iOS App Store for people in the US. The app lets people connect with others anonymously within a five-mile radius. It doesn't allow users to post personal information or engage in antisocial behaviors. There were previous reports of widespread bullying and harassment on the app, which the developers seemed to be aware of. Square bought some of the app's intellectual property after it shut down in 2017, but it is not yet clear who is behind the new version."
"faasd (GitHub Repo). faasd is a lightweight faas engine that can run on a single host with very modest requirements. It uses the same core components and ecosystem as OpenFaaS and works with multiple architectures out of the box. faasd is designed to be set up and left alone, without requiring the same maintenance burden as a Kubernetes cluster."
"YouTube went down around the world, but it’s now fixed . YouTube experienced a worldwide outage for about an hour today. Videos stopped playing during the outage, but the service has since recovered. The outage affected other services that use the YouTube infrastructure. DownDetector recorded more than 280,000 user reports in less than an hour, and numerous users on Twitter reported the outage."
"Amazon workers in Minnesota walk out as Prime Day orders roll in . Amazon fulfillment center workers in Minnesota staged a protest for 6 hours during the period that overlaps morning and evening shifts on Prime day. Over 2,000 Amazon employees in Germany also participated in a strike over wages and bargaining power for employees, but Amazon says that the protests won’t affect operations or deliveries. Prime day is one of the biggest sales days for Amazon and is estimated to generate $5.8 billion in sales globally this year. The protestors at Minnesota say that Amazon does not acknowledge their religious practices. While the protestors are claiming that they are underpaid, Amazon says that they had already improved wages and working conditions and that protestors should focus on improving the national minimum wage rather than targeting Amazon."
MalwareSourceCode (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of malware source code for a variety of platforms in an array of different programming languages. Malware samples are available for download.
"Facebook's activist shareholders are making another dramatic bid to oust Mark Zuckerberg and abolish the firm's share structure . Facebook will hold its annual shareholder meeting on May 30 and has confirmed the investor proposals that will be voted on during the event. There are eight proposals to be voted on, including one that makes the case for Mark Zuckerberg to be removed as chairman and replaced with an independent executive. Zuckerberg has more than 50% of the voting power at Facebook, so changes are unlikely, but that is why shareholders are submitting the proposal in the first place."
"Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Spaces try to make it easier to get apps ready for augmented reality . Qualcomm revealed its Snapdragon Spaces XR Developer Platform at the Augmented World Expo. Snapdragon Spaces features hardware-agnostic APIs that software developers can use to develop on many different types of platforms, from AR glasses to full headsets. Lenovo’s ThinkReality A3 glasses will be the first to commercialize Snapdragon Spaces. Snapdragon Spaces is now available for select developers, with general availability coming Spring 2022."
"Exclusive: This is Google’s Android TV dongle, remote, and new UI . Google is preparing to launch an Android TV dongle in the summer. The device is currently code-named 'Sabrina'. It will come with a dedicated remote and will likely be sold under the 'Google Nest' branding. Google is planning to revamp the Android TV UI and may rebrand Android TV to Google TV. Pricing and availability have yet to be announced. Images of the device and a marketing video are available in the article."
Uber and Lyft just scored a huge federal transportation contract . Uber and Lyft have been awarded a five-year $810 million transportation contract by the US government to provide transportation for federal employees and their families. It is unclear how the contract will be split between the companies. The deal involves a 2-4 percent discount and a fee waiver for data and reporting.
"TikTok is rolling out longer videos to everyone . TikTok will increase the maximum length of its videos to three minutes. It has been testing the new limit since December with select users, particularly in categories like cooking. TikTok has not said how the longer clips will affect its recommendation algorithm."
Justice Department reportedly authorized to investigate Apple under antitrust rules . The US Department of Justice has been given the green light to investigate Apple for potential antitrust violations. Google is also currently under scrutiny by the DOJ for antitrust violations in its advertising and search businesses. The Federal Trade Commission has also recently been authorized to investigate Facebook and Amazon. Apple is currently facing investigation in the European Union over its music streaming service. It will have to face an antitrust lawsuit brought on by iPhone app buyers. Apple is one of the companies that Senator Elizabeth Warren says should be broken up as they own both the products and the platform that the products are sold on.
"The FDA just approved the first prescription video game . EndeavorRX is the first video game ever that can legally be marketed and prescribed as medicine in the US. The FDA recently authorized the game to prescribe the game after clinical trials showed that it was effective in treating ADHD. One-third of children who played the game showed significantly fewer indications of attention-deficit after playing the game for 25 minutes a day, five days a week for four weeks. While the study was conducted by doctors who work for the game developer, this alternative type of treatment is another example of how video games can be used in medicine."
"Elon Musk mocks SEC as 'Shortseller Enrichment Commission' days after settling fraud charges . Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted ""the Shortseller Enrichment Commission is doing incredible work"" mocking the SEC. It is worth noting that the settlement earlier this week between the SEC and Tesla for fraud charges has not actually been approved, a federal judge has ordered the two parties to justify the agreement as ""fair and reasonable"". This could get really awkward if the deal isn't approved and the two parties have to renegotiate."
"Awesome MLOps (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a list of curated references for machine learning operations. Sections include books, papers, articles, software engineering, machine learning, ethics, and more."
"Microsoft’s next Xbox is Xbox Series X, coming holiday 2020 . The Xbox Series X has been officially revealed by Microsoft at the Game Awards. It is designed to be used in both vertical and horizontal orientations. The Xbox Series X will deliver four times the processing power of the Xbox One X. It has a custom-designed CPU based on AMD's Zen 2 and Radeon RDNA architecture. The console will support 8K gaming, frame rates of up to 120 fps, ray tracing, and variable refresh rate. Microsoft has not officially talked about its GPU performance, but it could be capable of 12 teraflops. A new controller was revealed that is slightly smaller with a new Share button. The Xbox Series X will include an Auto Low Latency Mode and Dynamic Latency Input, which will make the console the most responsive console ever."
"Samsung’s 5G Galaxy Z Flip may have been fully revealed in these latest leaks . A leaked video of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G handset suggests that the device might be revealed at Samsung's upcoming August 5th Galaxy Unpacked event. The device appears visually similar to the Galaxy Z Flip clamshell but with a faster processor and 5G. A new 'mystic bronze' color will be available. The video, which shows the phone from practically every angle, is available in the article."
"Ory Keto (GitHub Repo). Ory Keto is an open-source implementation of Zanzibar, Google's consistent global authorization system. Zanzibar is a global system for storing and evaluating access control lists. It provides a uniform data model and configuration language for expressing a wide range of access control policies from hundreds of client services at Google. Ory Keto currently implements the basic API contracts for managing and checking relations with HTTP and gRPC APIs."
"With Android privacy sandbox, Google wants to ditch ad tracking but keep the ads . Google has announced the start of a multi-year process to overhaul ad tracking on Android phones. Each Android device is currently assigned a unique advertising ID that is used to build user profiles for ad targeting. Google will phase out advertising IDs and use Privacy Sandbox, a method that will limit the sharing of user data with third parties and operate without cross-app identifiers. The company is working with app developers to finalize details on how Privacy Sandbox will work."
"Ultrashort laser pulses shred superbugs without harming human cells . Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis have shown that ultrashort pulses of laser light can kill bacteria and viruses without harming human cells. While antibiotics have been one of the most important inventions of the 20th century, bacteria develop resistances to them, so it is important to find other methods for killing bacteria that they can't evolve resistance to. The lasers work by exciting protein structures inside viruses and bacteria, causing some of the molecular bonds to break and kill the microbe. The technology can be used to disinfect biological products in vitro, and it could be used in the future to treat bloodstream infections by putting patients on dialysis and passing the blood through a laser treatment device."
"Yes, I can connect to a DB in CSS . A recent viral tweet making a joke about recruiters with unreasonable expectations inspired a developer to write CSS code that connects to a database. This article details how the developer built the app with code and examples. The project only works in Chrome, but it will work with any SQLite database provided."
"instant.page (GitHub Repo). instant.page allows web developers to preload pages for users once it detects that a link is about to be clicked. Whenever a user's mouse hovers over a link for 65ms on desktop or 90ms on mobile, it begins to download data for the next page. This creates an effect where the next page appears to load instantly."
"Sustainable Iron Powder to Brew Beer, a World First Technology . A group consisting of researchers, a brewery, and the Metal Power consortium have developed the world's first installation to brew beer using iron powder. Beer brewed in heat-intensive power plants have a particular taste, and this new installation can brew beer without any CO2 emissions. Burning iron fuel only produces rust, which can be sustainably converted back into iron powder. Power plants and heavy industries are estimated to be responsible for 40% of CO2 emissions around the world. The researchers are hoping to convert coal-fired power plants into sustainable iron fuel plants by 2030."
Go 1.18 arrives with much-anticipated generics . Go 1.18 is now generally available as a production release. It features support for generic code using parameterized types. Generics provide building blocks to share code and make it easier to build programs. A list of the changes in Go 1.18 is available in the article.
"Netflix Reportedly Hiring Executive For Expansion Into Video Games . Netflix is looking to do more with interactive entertainment after the success it found with Bandersnatch. The company has approached several veteran game industry executives to help with its expansion into video games. It is considering a bundle game service similar to Apple's online subscription. The Stranger Things game wasn't exceptionally successful, but future games from Netflix might fare better with a gaming executive on board."
"Microsoft is building a Chromium-powered web browser that will replace Edge on Windows 10 . It looks like Microsoft is throwing in the towel on the Edge browser and it's rendering engine EdgeHTML and is now building a new browser based on Chromium, the open source rendering engine that powers Google's Chrome browser. This new browser, code named Anaheim, will eventually replace Edge as the default on Windows 10."
Bootstrap Icons Vue (GitHub Repo). This package provides bootstrap icons as Vue components. Each icon is 1em in width and height. A link to the full list of icons is available.
"A Casino Gets Hacked Through a Fish-Tank Thermometer . A few years ago, hackers used a fish-tank thermometer to access a North American casino's network and steal its high-roller database. Analysts predict there will be as many as 31 billion IoT connected devices worldwide by 2025. Smart devices can be invaluable for a business, but these devices need to be secure. The current state of the industry is creating an enormous opportunity for hackers. Business owners should bring in IT experts regularly to assess network security."
How to eat TensorFlow2 in 30 days (GitHub Repo). How to eat TensorFlow2 in 30 days is a book designed to reduce the difficulty of learning Tensorflow for students and researchers. It presents the information found in the official documents of TensorFlow in a simple manner. Basic knowledge of machine/deep learning and experience with modeling using Keras or Tensorflow is recommended before reading this book.
"Spooky Action Could Help Boost Quantum Machine Learning . A quantum phenomenon known as entanglement might help remove a major roadblock to implementing quantum machine learning. The 'no free lunch' theorem suggests that machine learning algorithms are limited by the amount of data available. This could eliminate the edge quantum computing has over classical computing as the amount of training data that a quantum computer needs would increase exponentially as systems grow larger. A team of scientists has discovered that entangling extra qubits can help the quantum machine-learning circuit interact with many quantum states in the training data at the same time, resulting in a performance boost and bypassing the 'no free lunch' issue."
"Microsoft’s new ‘Planetary Computer’ project will use global environmental data to support sustainability . Microsoft's Planetary Computer is an endeavor that uses aggregate global environmental data to better understand the challenges faced in planetary health and to provide answers about how to plan for sustainability. The computer will complete tasks such as providing searchable satellite imagery, global species habitat information, and more. This is an evolution of Microsoft's AI for Earth program that was launched in 2017."
"‘Way Too Late’: Inside Amazon’s Biggest Outbreak . An Amazon warehouse in Pennsylvania has become Amazon's biggest COVID-19 hot spot, with more than 100 workers testing positive for the virus. Amazon had told workers about new cases as they were reported, but it stopped reporting specific numbers after the total reached about 60. It is estimated that at least 900 of Amazon's 400,000 blue-collar workers have contracted the disease. Amazon has received a massive amount of orders since the pandemic started and has increased hiring to keep up with demand. Safety protocols exist but the company doesn't appear to be following guidelines. Workers have complained about insufficient safety measures in Amazon's warehouses."
"Carbon dating, the archaeological workhorse, is getting a major reboot . Radiocarbon dating is about to be recalibrated using new data from around the world. The last calibration update was in 2013. This new update will extend the time frame for radiocarbon dating back to 55,000 years ago. The amount of carbon-14, the natural radioactive carbon used in carbon dating, varies over time and location. As a result, conversion tables are used to match up calendar dates with radiocarbon dates in different regions. The update will mean many objects and events will be more accurately dated, giving us a clearer view of our planet's history."
SpaceX’s Third Starship Prototype Collapsed Last Night . SpaceX's SN3 prototype experienced a structural failure while undergoing the same cryptogenic proof test that killed the previous two Starship prototypes. The test involves filling the vehicle's fuel tanks to capacity with cooled gasses. Elon Musk has stated that these failures are expected during the tests and that they provide vital information to use in the designs of future prototypes. The next prototype has already begun construction at Boca Chica.
"Chipotle to open its first digital-only restaurant as online orders soar . Chipotle Mexican Grill will open its first digital-only restaurant on Saturday. The location will only service online orders and will not include a dining room or an area for ordering. All orders will have to be made on Chipotle's app, website, or on third-party delivery platforms. The restaurant will be able to accommodate large catering orders. Chipotle reported that its digital sales more than tripled in the third quarter and they predict that this year's digital orders could more than double last year's total."
"These 3D-printed homes can be built for less than $4,000 in just 24 hours . New Start, an SF-based housing non-profit, and ICON, a construction-technology company that designs 3D printers, partnered to create the first permitted, 3D printed home in America. Printing the 350-square-foot house cost about $10,000 and took just 48 hours. They believe they can make a 600 to 800 square foot home in just 24 hours for $4,000 or less because this house was built with the printer running at only about 25% capacity. There are pictures of the house in the article, it actually looks very livable and cozy. The test run took place in Austin, Texas, but the team plans to build their first string of homes next year in El Salvador, a country whose rough terrain and frequent floods have made housing construction difficult."
"Coinbase dives deeper into banking by letting users deposit paychecks into their accounts . Coinbase users will soon be able to use a direct deposit service to deposit any percentage of their paycheck into the platform. The service can hold the money in dollars or convert it to cryptocurrency for no fee. Other popular finance apps already allow for direct deposit. Coinbase recently canceled plans for a high-interest lending product due to legal threats by the SEC. The SEC has called for more crypto oversight, arguing that most digital assets traded need to register with the agency."
"Ask HN: Advice for finding an entry-level remote job? (Hacker News Thread). Looking for remote-based work when you are first starting out can be confusing. As with all job searching, it's important to use tailored resumes. For entry-level work, customer service and support roles are in demand. Technical writing and software QA are also fields that regularly hire remotely. There can be many different paths to getting remote work online, and this thread is full of anecdotes of how other people gained employment online."
"Turborepo (Website). Turborepo is a high-performance build system for JavaScript and TypeScript codebases. It features incremental builds, content-aware hashing, remote caching, parallel execution, task pipelines, and more. Turborepo allows developers to scale their monorepos without having to tweak configs, write scripts, or deal with other plumbing issues."
"Amazon will let merchants sell goods with Prime benefits on their own sites . Amazon Merchants who ship products using Amazon's warehouse and delivery services will soon be able to add 'Buy With Prime' buttons to their websites, allowing Prime subscribers to make purchases directly from the site. Merchants will be charged various fees for adding the option to their sites, but there won't be fixed subscription fees or long-term contracts. Customers using the feature will retain the benefits of Amazon's subscription service and receive free shipping, next-day delivery, and free returns."
"Up (Github Repo). Up is an open source commandline tool that lets you write Linux pipes and preview the results in real time. This makes it a lot easier to write scripts using grep, awk, wc, etc. by providing instant scrollable feedback."
"South Korea plans to launch 6G trials in 2026 . The South Korean government has confirmed plans that it will test its 6G network in 2026. It plans to make the service commercially available as soon as 2028. The project will cost approximately $169 million over five years. 6G is expected to provide speeds roughly five times faster than 5G, at around 1Tbps."
"AI-based traffic management gets green light . A California-based company called NoTraffic is rolling out smart traffic lights in Phoenix at a few key intersections to improve traffic flow and reduce vehicle and pedestrian delays. NoTraffic claims up to a 40% reduction in vehicle delay time once its system has been deployed. One feature of the traffic grid management system is that it can give first-responders a clear path through busy commuter corridors. NoTraffic's system tracks road assets and calculates the most optimal configuration for an intersection, taking into account safety considerations like vehicles' blind spots."
"Belarus Turned Off the Internet. Its Citizens Hot-Wired It . Belarus, Europe's last dictatorship, went almost entirely offline for 72 hours in early August and then again for an hour on August 26. The outages were used to disrupt communications across the protesting nation. Encrypted chat app Telegram has been used widely to disseminate information and organize protests in the country. The protests began after the country's leader claimed to have won an election by a landslide victory. While the government claimed the internet went down due to DDoS attacks on government infrastructure, investigations found that the internet went down via a method called Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) instead. Telegram was able to function as DPI attacks target domains and Telegram uses IP addresses."
"‘Jumping gene’ may have erased tails in humans and other apes—and boosted our risk of birth defects . A graduate student from New York University has found a gene that may be the reason humans and other great apes are missing tails. The gene is a short DNA insertion called an Alu element. Alu sequences can move around the genome and are sometimes called jumping genes or transposable elements. They can have complex effects on how proteins are expressed, making them a huge driver of evolutionary variation. Mice that had been genetically modified to have the gene had a mix of tail lengths, from none to nearly normal, suggesting that other genes must be working together to eliminate all tail development in apes."
"Watch a harpoon successfully spear a piece of space junk . A video is shown where a satellite panel is successfully harpooned by the RemoveDEBRIS satellite, created by a team at the University of Surrey. There is over 7,600 tons of space debris orbiting the planet, and the goal of the RemoveDEBRIS project is to collect the space junk and then at the end of the project, self-destruct by burning itself up in Earth’s atmosphere. Previous tests had the satellite successfully launch a net to capture another junk satellite."
"Inside the World’s Most Exclusive (and Strange). The Alternative Propulsion Energy Conference (APEC) places scientists and engineers from various organizations together with fringe theorists and garage hobbyists with the goal of understanding gravity. It brings people together from diverse backgrounds to discuss how to reverse the effects of gravity. Open discussion on how to reverse gravity has drifted to the outer fringes of pseudoscience, and many researchers refuse to discuss the topic due to the risk to their reputations. This article takes a look at how APEC started and covers some of the topics discussed at the conference."
"Find a job through Hired (Sponsor). Hired is home to thousands of companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500s that are actively hiring the best and brightest developers, data scientists, mobile engineers, and more. Here’s how it works: once you create a profile, hiring managers can extend interview requests based on desired salary, top skills, and career preferences. Sign up today - it’s completely free for job-seekers!"
"Water On The Moon: NASA Confirms Water Molecules On Our Neighbor's Sunny Surface . NASA has confirmed the presence of water on the moon's sunlit surface. This breakthrough suggests that there is likely water distributed across more parts of the lunar surface than previously thought. It is still unknown whether there is enough water to be used as a resource. NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, a modified Boeing 747, made the discovery using a special infrared camera. The next step in the research is to determine how the water formed and why it persists despite the moon's thin atmosphere."
"A New Humanoid Robot Has the Most Advanced and Realistic Facial Expressions Yet . Ameca is a humanoid robot that can display human-like expressions. The robot was developed by UK-based company Engineered Arts initially as a platform for testing robotic technologies. It can be rented out by other companies to test or demonstrate artificial intelligence or machine learning technologies. It can't walk yet, but its modular architecture will allow for upgrades in the future. A video showing the robot displaying a range of expressions is available in the article."
"Twelve Million Phones, One Dataset, Zero Privacy (20 minute read). Every moment, companies are tracking the movements of millions of mobile phones and storing them in gigantic data files. One of these files holds more than 50 billion location pings from more than 12 million Americans over several months between 2016 and 2017. People who have access to this data can see every place that an individual has been. The dataset discussed in the article is just a small sample of what is collected. This kind of precise, always-on human tracking gives governments and corporations huge amounts of power, and it is perfectly legal to collect and sell all this information. The data is only policed through internal company policies and the decency of individual employees. People are placing blind faith in companies who claim that the data they collect is secure and only shared with vetted partners. Even if companies are acting with the highest moral standards, data can be stolen."
"The #NobelPrize committee couldn't reach Paul Milgrom to share the news that he won, so his fellow winner and neighbor Robert Wilson knocked on his door in the middle of the night (Twitter Thread). Paul Milgrom, winner of this year's Nobel prize for economics, was uncontactable, so Robert Wilson, fellow winner and neighbor, knocked on his door to give him the news directly at 2:15 in the morning. Milgrom's wife, who was in Stockholm, received a notification on her phone from their security-camera, and she got to watch Wilson tell Milgrom that he had won the Nobel Prize live. The one-minute video is available in the original tweet."
"China wants to build an open source ecosystem to rival GitHub . Open source code has been essential for China's rapidly growing tech sector. GitHub has been a large part of this growth, but its future in China is uncertain. Many fear that the Chinese government might ban the site for hosting censored information, or that US regulators could ban the company from doing business with Chinese firms. The Chinese government has championed Gitee, a domestic alternative, and Chinese firms have created the OpenAtom Foundation, an organization analogous to The Linux Foundation. While the Chinese government supports open-source development, it has objections to the free and open exchange of information, which could damage these efforts."
"First Look at Tesla Full Self-Driving Beta and it looks just insane . Tesla's Full Self-Driving Beta software update has gone live, and some owners who are testing it have been sharing videos. Several of the videos are in the article. The new update delivers a virtually feature-complete self-driving system. Drivers are still required to constantly monitor the vehicle or risk accidents. Only a limited number of Tesla owners have received the early access program, though more people will receive it in the coming weeks. The system is expected to improve as more people use it."
"Pet Cloning Becomes More Popular As Instagrammers Begin Replicating Deceased Pets . ViaGen Pets is a Texas-based company that can clone pets. It famously cloned Barbara Streisand's dog in 2018. The company can clone dogs for $50,000, cats for $35,000, and horses for an initial payment of $45,000. Cloned animals will have the exact same DNA profile as the original animal, but they will still develop their own temperaments and personalities. The process can take years and result in extra clones. Instagram users have been cloning their dead pets, bringing more attention to the practice."
"Get started building your personal website (GitHub Repo). You can easily build a website to showcase your work as a software developer with this GitHub repository. There are simple instructions available, and once set up, users will be able to create a webpage (hosted on GitHub) that displays the owner’s profile information. While there is a simple template available, the webpage can be customized to suit the developer’s portfolio and tastes."
"Lyft's Shared Saver rides save you money if you're willing to walk more . Lyft has launched a new Shared Saver option which will help the ride-hailing company reach its goal of having 50% of fares as shared rides by 2020. In mid-2018, 35% of Lyft’s rides were shared. The Shared Saver service will have lower pricing and is not affected by surge rates, however, users will have to walk to a designated pick-up spot and be dropped off in a location that is within walking distance to their chosen destination. Users will be notified of their drop-off locations in advanced in order to help plan their trips."
"Microsoft Teams overtakes Slack with 13 million daily users . Microsoft has revealed the number of users it has on its Slack competitor, Microsoft Teams. More than 13 million people are using Microsoft Teams daily, and there are more than 19 million weekly users. Slack recently revealed that it had 10 million daily users. Microsoft bundles Teams with its Office 365 subscription and Slack is a separate paid service, so Microsoft has an advantage for certain types of businesses. New Teams features will soon be released including priority notifications, cross-channel posting, channel moderation, and announcements."
Novel hydrogels can safely remove graffiti from vandalized street art . A team of Italian scientists has created a hydrogel that can remove paints from other paints of similar chemical composition. It can be used to repair street art that has been vandalized. The hydrogel is in the form of a thin foil sheet that can be cut into whatever shape is required. It adheres easily to vertical surfaces and will make over-paint soften enough to wipe off after just a few minutes. The gel can be tuned to work on a variety of surfaces.
"Uber will start putting ads on top of some of its vehicles . Uber has partnered with Adomni, an ad-tech company that will start placing ads on Uber vehicles from April 1. Around 1,000 vehicles will feature rooftop ads during the initial rollout. Uber's car-top ad displays will respond to both location and time of day. Drivers in Phoenix, Dallas, and Atlanta will receive $300 to install the roof displays and an additional $100 per week if they drive more than 20 hours. It is unknown how permanent the displays will be and whether they could potentially damage the vehicle. Lyft has recently acquired Halo cars, a startup that specializes in installing rooftop ads on cars."
"A top designer wants to build an air-purifying Tesla rival that you can sleep and eat in . Chinese auto firm IM Motors hired a London-based studio to design its new electric vehicle. The firm had no experience designing cars, although it was behind the futuristic designs of Google's new buildings in Mountain View and London. The vehicle design features double sliding doors, adjustable seats that can be turned into beds, and a battery-powered air purifier that will help clean the air around the vehicle. Its interior is being envisioned as an extension of the home. Pictures of the design are available in the article."
Exclusive: Apple testing new external display with a dedicated A13 chip and Neural Engine . Apple is developing a new display under the codename J327. The display will have a dedicated A13 chip and Neural Engine. Neural Engine will accelerate machine learning tasks. The display using its own CPU/GPU will help Macs deliver high-resolution graphics without using the resources of the computer's internal chip. The launch plans for the display are unknown.
"China unveils prototype maglev train with max speed of 373 mph . A new maglev train that can reach speeds of up to 600 km per hour is currently being tested in China and is expected to reach production stage in 2021. The train will be able to transport people from Beijing to Shanghai in just three and a half hours, compared to the current four and a half hour flight. Maglev trains move on a magnetically powered cushion of air, rather than using wheels that are in contact with a track. China and Japan currently have operational maglev trains, some of which can travel faster than the new design."
"Everything You Need to Know About Superstar CRISPR Prime Editing . CRISPR was created from a bacterial defense system and has been the only gene-editing tool for many years. It is cheap and effective, and it revived the entire field of gene therapy. A new technique has been discovered that may be able to correct nearly 90 percent of all disease-causing genetic variations. Prime editing is a search-and-replace editor for the human genome. It can change individual DNA letters, delete letters, or insert blocks of new letters into the genome, with little damage to the DNA strand. Early experiments with cultured cells have been extremely promising. CRISPR has issues with accuracy and it damages genes during editing. Prime editing is much more gentle with DNA as it is much more accurate, and this results in more control over the type of edits that can be made. It will still need rigorous testing before it becomes widely accepted."
"Bring speed and scale to your security environment (Sponsor). In Datadog's Cloud free SIEM product brief, learn how to detect and analyze security threats and deploy turnkey detection rules to protect your environment from outside attacks. Download the brief."
"eBay launches Instant Selling, a new trade-in service for smartphones . eBay's new Instant Selling program lets users list their device info and images on eBay, then immediately get a voucher to purchase a new device from eBay and a shipping label to send their phone to eBay. eBay claims that its trade in prices will be up to 40% higher than the average trade in prices in other retailers. Currently the program is only available for Samsung Galaxies S7 and newer and iPhones 6s and newer on AT&T, Verizon, or unlocked. In November, the service will expand to Sprint, T-Mobile, Google Pixels, and some LG products."
"Facebook asks for public input about its plans for a content oversight board . Facebook is taking the next step in creating its external oversight board by accepting public feedback on the draft charter that was released in January. The external oversight board will overview Facebook's more controversial content policy decisions, and the charter describes how the content review board will function. Public feedback will be received through a questionnaire with a free-form portion. Facebook will accept submissions for the next six weeks and will release summarized results in June."
"OctoSQL (GitHub Repo). OctoSQL is a query engine that can write standard SQL queries on data stored in multiple databases, NoSQL databases, and files in various formats. If a data source doesn’t support a given operation, OctoSQL will execute it in memory. O(n) client tools and large analysis system deployment is unnecessary as everything is contained in a single binary."
"Apple will let more independent repair shops buy ‘genuine’ iPhone parts . More independent repair shops will be able to buy genuine iPhone parts and tools under Apple's new repair rules. Repair technicians will be able to purchase parts after undergoing a free Apple training course. Only parts and tools for the most common out-of-warranty iPhone repairs will be available, so customers will still have to go to an authorized service provider for more complicated repairs. The costs of the parts have not yet been disclosed. However, leaked documents show a battery cost of $16-$33 and a screen that costs more than Apple's screen repair service. These parts come with a guarantee of quality but may result in higher repair costs as independent stores can set their own prices. More devices are now being locked down by manufacturers, with Apple being particularly aggressive by making their devices require specific tools or authorized parts. Apple has lobbied against right to repair bills in the past, and while it is starting to open up its repair system, it is still positioning itself to be the center of control and profit."
"The Online Library and Learning Platform for Professional Developers (Sponsor). Packt's Spring Sale is on and for a limited period, all eBooks and Videos are only $10. Our Products are available as PDF, ePub, and MP4 files for you to download and keep forever. All the practical content you need - by developers for developers. Learn more."
"The Story Behind Nike's Amazing 3-D Air Max Billboard in Japan . Nike and creative collective CEKAI recently created a 3D advertisement on a billboard in Japan promoting Nike Air Max Day. This article features an interview with Nike Japan discussing the project, how the ad was created, and Nike Air Max Day. A video of the ad is available in the article."
"Harvard Scientists Pinpoint ‘Ground Zero’ of Aging in Mouse Embryo Study . Scientists from Harvard have pinpointed the time when the age of a mouse embryo cell resets. DNA builds up small chemical and structural alterations as an organism ages, even in sperm and egg cells. This led scientists to conclude that there must be some kind of rejuvenation event to reset the offspring's cells. The scientists now hope to discover the actual mechanism behind the process and whether it can be induced in normal adult cells to rejuvenate them."
"Founders of South African Bitcoin exchange disappear after $3.6 billion 'hack' . Two brothers associated with one of South Africa's largest cryptocurrency exchanges have disappeared. The exchange claimed that it was the victim of a hack in April. It asked investors at the time to not report the incident to the authorities. A group involved with the exchange hired a law firm to investigate the incident. The law firm was able to trace the stolen money, but not the missing brothers. South Africa’s Finance Sector Conduct Authority isn't able to launch an investigation as cryptocurrency is not legally considered a financial product in the country."
"South Korean researchers create chameleon-like artificial ""skin"" . South Korean researchers have developed an artificial skin-like material that can quickly adjust its hues like a chameleon to match its surroundings. The skin is made with a special ink that changes color based on temperature. It is controlled by stacked multilayer silver nanowire heaters. The researchers used a robot with color-detecting sensors to demonstrate how the technology can be used for camouflage. The skin is thinner than human hair and has the potential to be further developed into wearable devices, clothing, and displays."
"Tesla Model 3’s “boat mode” videos are frightening and amazing at the same time . Tesla China's Model 3s are able to wade through water. China experiences dozens of hurricanes or typhoons every year, so floods are common. Many videos of the Model 3's 'Boat Mode' have come out in the last few days. The footage shows the vehicles traveling through deep floodwaters with no issues. Videos are available in the article."
"What interesting bugs have you fixed recently? (Lobste.rs Thread). Some bugs can be hard to figure out, especially because the problem might not be where you think it should be. Many things can go wrong during testing, for example, developers might forget to swap out testing and production data sets. Small bugs in the early stages of processing may cause bigger problems down the line. Users might also provide inputs that developers never expected. Software engineering and other kinds of engineering follow similar troubleshooting processes. One needs to reproduce the problem, isolate every possible thing that can go wrong, check each issue one by one, and sometimes, get a little lucky."
"DeepMind says its new AI coding engine is as good as an average human programmer . AlphaCode is an AI system by DeepMind that can write computer programs at a competitive level. The research on AlphaCode is still in its early stages, but it was able to achieve a rank that placed it within the top 54% of human coders when tested against challenges on a competitive coding platform. While the challenges were not representative of the real-world challenges that developers face, AlphaCode's abilities could lead to tools that could make programming more accessible. AI coding systems are still far from ready to take over the work of human programmers as the code they produce is often buggy and can contain copyrighted material due to the way they are trained."
"Snapchat’s Gender-Swap and Baby Filters Doubled App Downloads . Snapchat has recently released two sets of filters, one that makes users look like toddlers, and one that makes users appear as members of the opposite sex. The release of the filters resulted in an estimated 41.5 million downloads for the app worldwide in May, more than twice the amount of downloads that Snapchat received in the previous month. It is unclear how many of these downloads are new users rather than just returning old users. Snapchat has been struggling to retain its user base for several years, and it appears that the new filters have attracted more long-term users. Stock prices have risen significantly for Snapchat since its 2017 redesign disaster."
"Awesome Flutter (GitHub Repo). This repository contains 98 tips and tricks for Flutter. The list includes widgets, plugins, code, and examples."
"5 ways to prevent code injection in JavaScript and Node.js (Sponsor). Code injection is a specific form of broad injection attacks, in which an attacker can send JavaScript or Node.js code that is interpreted by the browser or the Node.js runtime. Check out this comprehensive guide on how to prevent code injection."
"Spiders are much smarter than you think (16 minute read). Behaviors that could be described as 'cognitive' as opposed to automatic responses are likely fairly common among spiders. Jumping spiders with tiny brains that could literally fit on the head of a pin display capabilities that would easily be seen as signs of intelligence in larger animals. They have sharp vision, which allows them to see things from afar and make decisions before approaching them. Spiders can play mind games and make plans when hunting each other, assess risk, and count."
Can't afford an Xbox Series X? You won't need one when the Xbox Streaming Stick launches . Microsoft plans to release an Xbox Streaming Stick sometime in the next 12 months. The device will allow gamers to stream Xbox Game Pass titles to a TV without having to buy a console. Samsung has partnered with Microsoft to create a bespoke Xbox Cloud Gaming app for Samsung TVs. Microsoft's Xbox Everywhere project aims to expand the reach of the company's gaming portfolio and extend its Xbox Cloud Gaming platform to new devices.
"Trading app Robinhood experiences ‘major outage’ for a second day amid heavy volume market action . Robinhood experienced a second day of outages, keeping clients from being able to trade on a historic market rally. The issue was reported as fixed by Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday's stock session was volatile after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates in an effort to stem slower economic growth due to the coronavirus outbreak. Robinhood was last valued at $7.6 billion and has around 10 million users. Some users have threatened Robinhood with a class-action suit, but the company stands behind its customer agreement which says that the platform isn't responsible for any temporary interruptions as the company doesn't warrant that servers will be available and error-free every minute of the day. Despite this, Robinhood expects there to be class-action lawyers launching nuisance lawsuits. As a broker-dealer, Robinhood is required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the Securities Exchange Commission to have a backup plan in case something like this happens, so it might still face consequences from these organizations."
"Robots run this farm (13 minute video). Water is used for almost everything that we do, from growing food to manufacturing every type of goods, and it is becoming more and more scarce. A team at Columbia University, New York, has developed a technique to create clean drinking water from industrial waste. It can remove more than 98% of salt from wastewater with high efficiency. While the technique was created for industrial waste, it is also effective for treating other wastewater. Another way to preserve water is through recycling water used in farming, which is what a company called Bowery is doing. Bowery builds indoor vertical farms inside cities which can grow crops all year around. It grows crops twice as fast as traditional farms while saving 95% of the water it uses. The whole farm is automated and everything is controlled with a central operating system. Ideas like these will help prevent a water crisis in the future."
"Tesla Car Hacked Remotely From Drone via Zero-Click Exploit . A remote attack discovered last year allowed hackers to take over a Tesla's infotainment system by exploiting two vulnerabilities in the internet connection manager. The attack allowed hackers to perform any task that a regular user could from the system. It could be mounted on a drone, allowing hackers to unlock vehicles from up to 100 meters away without any user interaction. Tesla patched the issue with an update pushed out in October."
"DoNotPay made an extension for sharing Netflix passwords with friends . DoNotPay has released a Google Chrome extension that allows users to share paid subscription services. Users will not have to share passwords as the extension works by transferring the cookie that stores your existing login status, rather than the password. All users have to do is click on the extension icon, and it will generate a link that users can share to give others access to their accounts. While there is usually no limit for how many people you can share an account with on services such as Netflix, there might be limits on the number of devices that can simultaneously stream content."
"Hacking my arm prosthesis to output CV so that it plugs into my synth: Thought-controlled music! (9 minute video). The SynLimb is a device that attaches to an arm prosthesis instead of a prosthetic hand. It converts electrode signals from the residual limb into control voltages for controlling the modular synthesizer. The SynLimb can plug the prosthesis directly into the synthesizer so that it can be controlled by the signals from the body that normally control the hand. To the user, it feels like they are controlling the device with their thoughts."
"UPS gets FAA approval to operate an entire drone delivery airline . UPS has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate a full drone air delivery service. It will now start rolling out its drone delivery service to specific hospital campuses within the US and then to other industries outside of healthcare. The certification by the FAA allows UPS to fly an unlimited number of drones, which means that UPS can scale its operations to meet customer demand. It can also carry heavier cargo at night time. There is still a lot more infrastructure that needs to be built before UPS drones will become commonplace and available for everyday deliveries."
"Nike uses AR to help you find the right fit for your sneakers . A new feature on the Nike app will be available in July. Nike Fit will measure feet size down to the millimeter by using AR technology. According to industry research, up to 60 percent of people wear the wrong shoe sizes. With Nike Fit, customers can get suggestions for shoe designs straight from the app to order online directly. Store consultants will also be able to make recommendations after scanning a QR code from the customer's phone."
"Major iPhone FaceTime bug lets you hear the audio of the person you are calling...before they pick up . A bug allows users to listen to audio from FaceTime calls before the receiver has picked up the call. Users only need to create a Group FaceTime call with the target and themselves, and the audio from the target phone will be heard, even if the person hasn’t answered the call. Apple plans to fix this bug in an update later this week and has disabled Group FaceTime calls in the meantime."
Trump suggests US could slap 10% tariffs on iPhones and laptops imported from China . President Trump suggested that he might slap a 10% tariff on iPhones and laptops imported from China in an interview on Monday. Trump expects to increase tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods to 25 percent. He could also add an additional $267 billion worth of tariffs if China and the US don't reach a trade agreement. Currently Apple products are exempt from Trump's tariffs.
"M.I.T. Plans College for Artificial Intelligence, Backed by $1 Billion . MIT announced that it is planning a $1 billion college called the MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing, named after Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman who donated $350 million. The new college will create an additional 50 faculty positions. MIT's president L. Rafael Reif says that the goal is to ""educate the bilinguals of the future"", meaning people in fields like biology, chemistry, politics, history and linguistics who are also knowledgeable about computing. Former Google CEO and visiting innovation fellow Eric Schmidt says ""It's a major fund-raising mechanism that gives M.I.T. a huge resource to apply A.I. to other fields."""
"The Psychology Behind TikTok's Addictive Feed . This case study investigates how TikTok created a 'fun and addictive' app. The setup can seem a bit tedious, with users having to select from different interests before being shown any content. Once inside, the app offers an immersive experience designed to increase user engagement. Users are encouraged to form a 'swiping' habit to receive new content. It personalizes the user experience through methods like IP sniffing and its own algorithms. TikTok videos are more addictive than other social media platforms as it requires very low effort for high variability. It appears that TikTok offers exit points for its users with videos to remind them to stop scrolling, which makes the app seem more empathetic."
"Coronavirus kills Chinese whistleblower doctor . Li Wenliang, the doctor who tried to issue the first warning about the coronavirus outbreak, has died after contracting the illness. So far, the coronavirus has killed 636 people and infected 31,161 people in mainland China. The virus causes severe respiratory infection, starting with a fever, followed by a dry cough. Most people are likely to fully recover from the illness. Dr. Li made a post on Weibo after noticing seven cases of a virus that was similar to SARS. He was investigated by local authorities for spreading rumors and was accused of making false statements that had 'severely disturbed the social order'. Chinese social media has responded to Li's death by flooding social media with calls for the government to apologize for its treatment of Li, as well as for the right to freedom of speech. These posts were quickly censored. Many posts still discuss the topic indirectly, indicating the growing amount of anger and distrust towards the Chinese government. China has imposed heavy restrictions on its population in an attempt to control the virus."
Gort (GitHub Repo). Gort is a chatbot framework built for chatops. It allows developers to build commands in any language using existing tools. There is a permission system to determine who can use commands. A detailed guide is available.
"Froebel (GitHub Repo). Froebel is a collection of TypeScript helper functions and utilities. It is like an opinionated version of lodash but with first-class types. Froebel runs in Deno, Node.js, and in browsers."
"Swiss robots use UV light to zap viruses aboard passenger planes . UVeya is conducting trials of UV-light-wielding robots on jets from Helvetic Airways, in a partnership with Dubai-based airport services company Dnata. UV light technology has been used for over 50 years to kill viruses and bacteria in hospitals and laboratories. It is efficient and it doesn't leave any trace or residue. A single robot can disinfect a single-aisle plane in 13 minutes."
Netflix Exploring Live Streaming For First Time; Plans To Roll Out For Unscripted Series & Stand-Up Specials . Netflix is exploring live streaming for its unscripted shows and stand-up specials. The platform has lined up competition series and talent contests that could use the feature. It may also use live streaming to bring back its Netflix Is A Joke festival. It is unknown whether Netflix intends to roll out live streaming for sports. The product is still in its preliminary stages of development and there is no timeline for its release.
Apple Lightning (14 minute read). Lightning is the digital interface used in most of Apple's iOS devices since late 2012. Tristar is the integrated circuit embedded in every device shipped with a Lightning female port and Hydra is a newer variant of Tristar. HiFive is the male Lightning connector. SDQ and IDBUS refer to a digital protocol used for negotiations between Tristar and HiFive. This article attempts to break down how these components work together. It explores the different protocols and how they interact with each other in order to break down how Lightning works.
"Open Questions . This is a list of thought provoking questions posed by Gwern who some of you may know from his blog on biohacking and technology. There's lots of thought-provoking stuff here like ""If child abuse and emotional neglect is so harmful, why does it appear in the biographies of so many people who achieve greatness, often middle/upper-class?"" and ""Given the crucial role of trust and shared interests in success stories like Xerox PARC or the Apollo Project or creative collaborations in general, why are there so few extremely successful pairs of identical twins?"""
"CSSBattle (Website). CSSBattle is a game in which you test your CSS skills by 'code-golfing’. Images are displayed on the site and users must try to replicate the image as closely as possible with the least amount of code. Users have to sign up to play the free game, and there is a global leaderboard for high scores."
"US Cyber Command attacked Russian troll farm on Election Day 2018 . The Internet Research Agency (IRA) is a private company linked with the Kremlin that is often used for disinformation campaigns. On Election day 2018 the US Cyber Command took the IRA completely offline in a rare offensive attack. Usually, the Pentagon’s cyber activity is defensive, as attacks against foreign governments may be interpreted as an act of war. However, as most cyber attacks are carried out via unofficial agencies against other unofficial agencies, there is usually little political blowback. Russian influence in US Elections via misinformation is a real threat, and identifying and interfering with this activity is the main priority for US Intelligence agencies."
"Toshi (GitHub Repo). Toshi is an open source full-text search engine written in Rust (it's a competitor to Elasticsearch). It works on Linux, Windows, and Mac OS."
"Waymo says it will build self-driving cars in Michigan . Google's self-driving unit Waymo is now building a plant in Michigan to start building autonomous cars for their ride-sharing business. They want to expand their fleet to 20,000 vehicles by 2022, and will be spending $13.6 million on the facility, while the state will kick in an additional $8 million. The vehicles will be level 4 autonomous, meaning they can pilot themselves without a human driver under certain conditions."
"The Worst-Faith Interpretations of Apple’s New Food Emoji . In honor of World Emoji Day, Apple has published a preview of the new emojis that will be released this fall. There will be four food emojis included with this update: a waffle, falafel, butter, and garlic. Food emojis have been used as euphemisms in the past. Possible euphemisms for the yet unreleased emojis are suggested."
"Uber Eats Is Doing Ghost Kitchens. Here’s How That Could Change Food Delivery . Traditional food delivery has always been seen as an add-on to the restaurant business, rather than as the whole business, but ‘ghost kitchens’ may change that. A ghost kitchen is where food is prepared specifically to be delivered to other locations, and a report by Bloomberg claims that Uber has been quietly leasing these spaces in Paris since 2018. This could create a significant change in the food industry. Food delivery is projected to increase by 12% per year for the next 5 years, and as one of the major food delivery platforms, Uber could control which restaurants have the most visibility on their platform."
"Google Soli Radar sees your intentions – and it's less creepy and more helpful than you think . Google's ATAP group recently unveiled its latest Soli Radar research project. The project is focused on making the radar system aware of non-verbal interactions to understand what actions mean. Project Soli can use cues such as head orientation, distance, what the eyes are looking at, and movement speed to understand humans. The technology could make it easier for humans to communicate more effectively with devices. A video from Google demonstrating some applications of the technology is available in the article."
"The Internet Relies on People Working for Free . Virtually every tech company relies on open-source projects where developers often work for free. Developers contribute to code to sharpen their skills, gain perspectives from the community, or just to help the industry. When open-source software is maintained on a voluntary basis, sometimes projects are abandoned or mistakes aren't corrected in a timely manner. Some open-source developers end up being hired by companies to maintain support for the code. However, as the code is free for anyone to use, companies may be reluctant to pay for the work, which will often benefit competitors. The open-source community is divided on whether they should be paid for work, with some believing that monetization defeats the purpose of software being free. However, developers who spend time creating software used by millions of people around the world still need to provide for themselves, so monetization eventually becomes a necessity."
The Ultimate FREE Machine Learning Study Plan (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a complete study plan to become a Machine Learning Engineer. It is designed to equip students with enough theoretical and practical experience to get started in the industry. The course only links to free resources.
"Pomerium (GitHub Repo). Pomerium is an identity-aware proxy that enables secure access to internal applications. It provides an interface to add access controls. Pomerium gateways both internal and external requests, and can be used as a VPN alternative. 🎁"
"Inside the Podcast that Hacks Ring Camera Owners Live on Air . The NulledCast is a podcast that is live-streamed on Discord where hackers take over people's Ring and Nest smart home cameras and use the speakers to harass unsuspecting owners. Ring cameras are home surveillance devices that have been heavily marketed by Amazon. The devices have been wildly popular, with even some police departments around the country signing partnerships with Amazon to sell the devices to citizens. Recently, software to hack Ring devices has become popular on some forums. The hacks have gained mainstream media attention and the Nulled forums have removed all posts regarding the hacks as a response. They have also banned all discussion about Ring hacks. The podcast will continue to run."
"The World’s First Seasteaders Are Now on the Run for Their Lives . A couple made news earlier this year when they decided to stop living on land and instead live on the open sea on a seastead. Seasteading is an idea where people can live freely on the ocean without government rule, but still have access to land when required. The seastead was parked in international waters near Thailand, but the Thai government claimed it was still in their economic area and declared that they were a threat to the nation’s sovereignty, a crime punishable by death. They managed to escape before the Thai Navy was able to capture them."
"Volvo bucks the industry, will sell LIDAR-equipped self-driving cars to customers by 2022 . Volvo has found a LIDAR maker that can produce the sensors cheap enough for it to install them into its consumer vehicles, enabling them to drive themselves. The LIDAR-equipped vehicles will start rolling off the production line in 2022. Volvo's Highway Pilot will allow vehicles to self-navigate on highways without requiring the same level of attention as other similar driver-assist systems."
"Largest-ever 3D map of the universe reveals gigantic cosmic web . The largest and most detailed 3D map of the universe so far has been produced using data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument's (DESI) first survey run. It captures 7.5 million galaxies within a distance of about 5 billion light-years. DESI collects detailed data on the color spectrum of galaxies and uses red shifting to determine a galaxy's location in three dimensions. By the time DESI finishes its primary mission in 2026, it will have cataloged over 35 million galaxies. A section of the 3D map is available in the article."
"Google Will Soon Let You Automatically Scrub Your Location And Web History From Your Account Every Few Months . It is well known that Google collects a lot of data about its users, including past searches, location history, and browsing history. The data can already be manually removed, but in the next few weeks, users will start seeing an option to automatically remove the data every three or 18 months. This option will only remove location, web, and app history, but it is likely the feature will remove more information in the future. Removing data will make Google’s services less personalized, as features such as recommendations, Google Assistant, and ads rely heavily on user history."
"Leaked Gmail redesign integrates Chat, Meet, and document collaboration in one place . Google has announced a redesign for Gmail. There are now tabs for Mail, Chat, Rooms, and Meet. Chat is for conversations with people, Rooms hosts topic-based conversations, and Meet shows Google Meet meetings and suggestions for people to contact. Users can combine functions, for example, collaborate on a document both over chat and video within the same window."
"Vizzu (GitHub Repo). Vizzu is a library that uses a generic dataviz engine to generate many types of charts and animate between them. It is designed for building animated data stories and interactive explorers. Vizzu features automatic data aggregation and data filtering, HTML5 canvas rendering, and it is dependency-free. A live demo is available."
Could high-flying kites power your home? (11 minute read). At least 10 firms in Europe and the US are developing variations of kites to capture airborne wind energy. Airborne wind is the wind that can be found 200 meters or more above the ground. Kite power technology is still in its infancy. Most companies are working on small pilot projects and none have scaled their technology to the range that would make them comparable to conventional wind turbines. This article talks about several approaches to kite power that companies are currently experimenting with and discusses the potential for the technology.
"Amazon in Talks to Launch Ad-Supported Music Offering . Amazon has entered into discussions to launch a free, ad-supported music service. The service will be marketed through Amazon’s Echo speakers and may be available as early as next week. Amazon plans to initially pay record labels per stream to obtain licenses. Spotify is the only major music subscription service with a free tier, but shareholders require the company to make a continual profit, whereas Amazon can afford to make a loss with its music service in order to attract customers into supporting its core retail business."
"Cameo now lets people pay up to $15K to have a Zoom call with a celebrity . Cameo Live is a new video call option from Cameo that allows users to book a Zoom call with a celebrity. The prices can go up to as high a $15,000 for 10 minutes with Jeremy Piven, or $1,000 to spend time with Tony Hawk. Up to four additional friends or family are allowed to join the call. Users have up to 24 hours before the call to cancel, and if the celebrity doesn't show up, they'll get a refund. There are fifty stars signed up to the service on launch."
"Dealing with user data at your company? Get peace of mind (Sponsor). Dealing with user data at your company? Get peace of mind . Automate your privacy operations, save time and eliminate risks with Mine PrivacyOps. A modern data privacy platform loved by a community of a million users and 1500 customer-centric companies. Enjoy seamless no-code automations, 500+ SaaS integrations, live data mapping, and a beautiful, easy-to-use interface. Give it a try for free - you can set up in just 10 minutes."
"Python libraries to make your code readable, reliable, and maintainable . Writing quality code means that it will be easier for you when you will have to go over again. This article contains a list of tools to help write quality Python code. It covers testing frameworks, test runners, GUI/frontend testing, fake data, and more."
"Crypto Theses for 2022 (Book). The Crypto Theses is a report that covers key trends, people, companies, and projects to watch across the crypto landscape, with predictions for 2022. It includes sections on Bitcoin, American crypto policy, market infrastructure, NFTs, Web 3, DeFi, DAOs, Ethereum, and more. The report was created by employees of Messari, a crypto market intelligence platform that provides data and research products and services."
"How a Half-Dozen Raspberry Pis Help Keep This Maine Oyster Farm Afloat . Running Tide Technologies is an oyster farm that grows kelp. It employs 30 people including software developers, instrumentation engineers, fabricators, and a data scientist. The system that Running Tide users receives feedback from the oysters and adjusts water conditions accordingly. It uses six Raspberry Pis that feed data to the cloud. The sensors will hopefully be able to enable Running Tide to forecast harmful algae blooms and detect a change in acidity levels. Kelp can store up to 20 times more carbon per acre than forests, so part of Running Tide's operations involves using its kelp farm to remove carbon from the atmosphere."
Twitter’s first fact-check on President Trump calls out “false claims” . A fact-checking notice appeared next to a tweet by President Donald Trump after he claimed that mail-in voting was inherently fraudulent. Twitter's notice linked to other sources but it also contained original text directly stating that the President's claims were false. A representative from Twitter confirmed that the text was generated by its global curation team. Trump responded to the notice by comparing it to electoral interference and stating that Twitter was stifling free speech.
"AuthZ: Carta’s highly scalable permissions system (13 minute read). This article talks about how Carta developed AuthZ, its authorization system based on Google Zanzibar. Carta was growing and it needed an authorization system that was scalable, fast, and generic enough for any new product needs. Zanzibar is used to service millions of authorization requests per second at Google for several high-traffic products including YouTube and Drive. It isn't open-source, so the Carta team had to build its own custom system."
"Simple.css (Website). Simple.css is a classless CSS framework for making good looking websites really quickly. There are no CSS classes anywhere in the CSS or HTML. Simple.css is lightweight and fully responsive and it features a sans-serif local font stack, automatic dark mode, and sensible defaults that format standard HTML elements."
An oral history of Bank Python (17 minute read). Bank Python implementations are effectively proprietary forks of the entire Python ecosystem which are in use at many of the biggest investment banks. There is not much about these systems on the public web. This article discusses a fictional Bank Python system. It explains how the system and some of its subsystems work and talks about some of the differences between the system and Global Python.
"Tesla Model 3 Drives Straight Into Overturned Truck In What Seems To Be Autopilot Failure . A Tesla Model 3 has driven straight into an overturned truck on a highway in Taiwan. Video of the accident is available in the article, showing the Model 3 crashing right into the roof of the truck trailer. It appears that Tesla's Autopilot system didn't detect the large rectangular object in front of it in broad daylight and clear weather conditions. Detecting immobile objects for emergency automatic braking systems and autonomous vehicles is difficult. The systems could likely be improved with the use of LiDAR, a technology that Elon Musk famously rejected. Despite Tesla's Autopilot capabilities, drivers are still required to pay attention to the road when operating the vehicle."
"Boston Dynamics unveils Stretch: a new robot designed to move boxes in warehouses . Boston Dynamics has unveiled a robot called Stretch that is designed to move boxes in warehouses. It has a square mobile base with wheels and a huge robotic arm with a suction pad array at the end that can grab and move boxes up to 50 lbs. Stretch can provide automation to environments that don't have automation infrastructure. It can move up to 800 cases an hour and can operate for 8 hours at a time between recharges. 80 percent of the world's warehouses don't have any automation equipment, so there could be a big market for the robot."
"MIT tests autonomous 'Roboat' that can carry two passengers . MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory have unveiled the Roboat II, its second generation of autonomous 'roboats' that can assemble themselves into a series of floating structures. The Roboat II can carry up to two passengers. It features four propellers to move in any direction, LiDAR, GPS, and inertial sensors for navigation. While the boat is only two meters long, it is modular, so multiple boats will be able to self-assemble into a larger vessel. The team at MIT is now working on a version that can carry four to six passengers and deal with more serious challenges, such as disturbances from currents and waves."
Facebook is publicly testing dark mode in its mobile app . Facebook has started public testing of dark mode in its mobile app for both Android and iOS. The feature can be accessed in the Settings & Privacy section under the Menu tab. A 34-second announcement video from Facebook is available in the article .
Mermrender (GitHub Repo). Mermrender is a tool that uses Mermaid or PlantUML to generate an SVG that is able to be embedded into code. Users call the API with the Mermaid or PlantUML code for the image and it will return with a link to the generated graphic. Future releases will include the ability to add custom dimensions to images.
"The CEO of The Gates Foundation says we're approaching a dangerous tipping point in global poverty. We still have time to reverse it. . Since the Gates Foundation started in 2000, over a billion people have escaped the ""extreme poverty"" income bracket to live on more than $1.90 a day. However, the foundation is now warning that the progress of the past few decades could crash to a halt if more isn't done to help people stay in school and get enough to eat. While poverty in China and India is plummeting, poverty in sub-Saharan African countries is still creeping upward, and could skyrocket if current trends continue. The key to preventing this is helping women in those countries, who on average have 0.7 more children than they would like. Sue Desmond-Hellmann, CEO of the Gates Foundation, says ""The worry, the peril is that more babies are being born in the places where it's hardest to live a healthy, productive life. By 2050, 86% of the world's extreme poor would be in sub-Saharan Africa."" There are three keys to helping women in these countries: education (waiting to finish school before having a baby can have positive effects on the entire family that last decades), better farming economics (instead of subsistence farming where a family relies on their own farm for food, they should begin to specialize in a single crop, sell it at market prices, and use trade to acquire food for their families), and contraception."
"Andreessen Horowitz unveils piloted program for early-stage entrepreneurs . Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has announced an accelerator for early-stage entrepreneurs. a16z START offers early-stage founders up to $1 million in venture capital in exchange for an undisclosed percentage of ownership. The program is looking for founders in six categories: American dynamism, consumer enterprise, fintech, games, and 'other'. It will connect founders with partners for advice, potential customers or investors, and other entrepreneurs."
"This is David Khourshid and his pure CSS (no js). This thread links to a library of CSS artworks made by David Khourshid. The library includes a 3D CSS-only version of a Tesla Cybertruck, many animated animals, UI designs, and much more. The code for each of the projects is available. Redditors in the thread commented about how clean and well-written the code is."
"The best space photos of 2021: Sparkling starfields to majestic nebula . This article links to a gallery of the 20 best space photos taken in 2021. The gallery contains images of the supermassive black hole at the heart of the galaxy M87, pictures taken from NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars, and entries from the Royal Observatory Greenwich's Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition."
"Sidekick Browser wants to be a productivity-honed ‘work OS’ on Chromium . Sidekick Browser is taking aim at the productivity market by adding a productivity-focused layer on top of Chromium to create a 'work OS'. It features in-browser apps, restorable browsing sessions, a cross-app search function, AI-based tab suspension, and more. Sidekick comes with its own privacy tech, and the company promises to never sell user data. Chrome extensions are supported."
"Amazon makes first investment in a homebuilder, backing start-up focused on prefabricated houses . Amazon's Alexa Fund has invested in Plant Prefab, an LA-based startup that is using automation to build prefabricated single and multi-family homes faster and at a lower cost. The Alexa Fund typically focuses on voice-based startups, but there is a natural fit here as Alexa executes on its smart home vision. Twitter co-founder Ev Williams' fund Obvious Ventures also participated in this $6.7 million dollar round."
"Bare Metal Without the Complexity or Cost (Sponsor). Bare Metal Without the Complexity or Cost . Stay in full control of your environment with high performance, single-tenant dedicated servers in the cloud, blending uncompromising performance from 3rd Gen AMD EPYC processors with our easy-to-use cloud interface. TLDR readers can try Vultr Bare Metal for free with this $200 credit."
"Apple is selling the iPhone SE again, its smallest, cheapest, and arguably best phone . Apple is selling the iPhone SE on the clearance section of its site for $249 for the 32GB version, and $299 for the 128GB version. The offer is only available to US customers. Apple had stopped selling the iPhone SE in September, it was one of the last 4-inch iPhones and one of the last models with a headphone jack. It has the inside parts of an iPhone 6S jammed into the body of a smaller iPhone 5S."
"Google Open-Sources Trillion-Parameter AI Language Model Switch Transformer . Researchers at Google Brain have open-sourced the Switch Transformer natural-language processing AI model. While the pre-trained model weights for the Switch Transformer have not been released, the implementation code is available on GitHub. The Google Brain team has not compared the model's performance to GPT-3, likely due to a lack of information on OpenAI's published results."
"Smoke seen for miles as SpaceX Crew Dragon suffers anomaly at Cape Canaveral . Orange smoke was seen rising from SpaceX facilities at Cape Canaveral after an anomaly occurred during a test of a Crew Dragon spacecraft. No injuries were reported and SpaceX was able to contain the anomaly. While it is unknown which Crew Dragon was being tested, all Crew Dragon spaceship engines are currently undergoing rounds of tests to evaluate readiness and performance. Crew Dragon’s development timeline will likely be modified after an investigation into the incident."
"Wave (GitHub Repo). Wave is a Software as a Service Starter Kit. It allows developers to rapidly build software with features such as authentication, user profiles, subscriptions, notifications, and more. A live demo is available."
"Flickr-Faces-HQ Dataset (GitHub Repo). Flickr-Faces-HQ (FFHQ) is a high-quality image data set of human faces. It contains 70,000 PNG files at 1024x1024 resolution with a large variation in age, ethnicity, and image backgrounds. Photos also have people wearing glasses, hats, or other accessories. The images are able to be used under a Creative Commons license by NVIDIA Corporation. All files contain original metadata to acknowledge the original content creators."
"If Management Isn’t A Promotion, Then Engineering Isn’t A Demotion (10 minute read). Moving into management is usually seen as a promotion. It is deeply ingrained in our culture. There are many benefits to moving to management. However, management is a support role, so it's more like a change of career. Many people are attracted to management because they are frustrated with an aspect of the organization. Management roles tend to accrue power over time, so they need to push it back out to others for balance."
"China prepares to test thorium-fuelled nuclear reactor . An experimental nuclear reactor that uses thorium as fuel is about to begin tests in China. The reactor uses molten salts instead of water to act as a coolant and substrate for the fuel. Molten salt reactors are relatively safe, with a reduced risk of explosive meltdowns. Many countries are building molten salt reactors, but only China is attempting to use thorium as fuel. Thorium is a waste product of the rare-earth mining industry in China. It is more plentiful than uranium and its waste products have less chance of being weaponized."
"History in the Making: Microsoft Edge Overtakes Mozilla Firefox . Microsoft Edge has finally surpassed Mozilla Firefox to become the world's second most-used desktop browser. Chrome continues to be number one with 68.5% market share. Microsoft Edge recently switched to using Chromium, making it a fully-featured alternative to Google Chrome. Internet Explorer continues to be available in Windows 10 for compatibility purposes."
"Awesome Space (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a curated list of space-related code, APIs, data, and other resources. Each link has a summary that describes its contents. Topics include spacecraft hardware and software, mission design, solar system data, and space debris."
Scientists Have Successfully Recorded Data to DNA in a Few Short Minutes . Scientists have utilized a novel enzymatic system to synthesize DNA into data in minutes rather than hours or days. The method synthesizes completely new DNA instead of copying a template. It uses an enzyme that can be directly manipulated. The method could be a potential solution to the explosive growth in data storage needs. It could also have applications in brain research.
"Facebook robot crawls along power lines to deliver fiber optic cable . Facebook Connectivity's Bombyx robot is designed to crawl along existing medium-voltage power lines and wrap fiber optic cables around them. Fiber optic cable allows for many benefits over metal cable, but exposure to the elements can cause them to break over time. Installing the cables underground is expensive, disruptive, and labor-intensive. Facebook plans for the robot to be able to install at least one kilometer of light and weather-resistant fiber optic cable every 90 minutes."
"How many of you know deep down that the team is working on something that no customer wants? . Often, hyper important software projects that have strict deadlines have deep flaws that result in failure. These flaws include the product not being wanted, not being differentiated enough, being packaged incorrectly, or being priced incorrectly. Agile teams can avoid these problems by solving issues discovered by the customer throughout the project. This article discusses two strategies to avoid working on something that no customer wants so teams can focus on creating the right thing."
"Uber to offer boat rides in London as new commuter service . Uber, in partnership with Thames Clippers, will soon offer boat journeys in London. Passengers will receive a QR code boarding pass once they book their trip through the Uber app. The boats will continue to operate on their current set routes, and customers will be able to use existing payment methods to pay for their journeys. The city of London has explored other transport options due to the pandemic. It has invested in its cycling infrastructure and fast-tracked its e-scooter rental trials."
"Scientists create mutant enzyme that recycles plastic bottles in hours . Scientists in France have developed a method for recycling PET plastics by modifying organisms to produce an enzyme that breaks down the plastic. The broken-down plastic can then be used to create new food-grade plastic bottles. It takes around 10 hours to degrade one tonne of waste plastic bottles. The enzymes will be produced at scale using fungi. Due to the steps involved in the process, the recycled plastic will end up costing more than virgin plastic to produce. There is progress being made in finding biological ways of breaking down other major types of plastics."
"Clerk (GitHub Repo). Clerk creates local-first notebooks for Clojure. Clerk notebooks use regular Clojure namespaces, so they can be stored in source control. They are always evaluated from top to bottom. Clerk runs inside your Clojure process, giving Clerk access to all code on the classpath. A screenshot is available."
"Apple targeted in $50 million ransomware attack resulting in unprecedented schematic leaks . Russian hacking group REvil is targeting Apple in a $50 million ransomware attack. The group stole engineering and manufacturing schematics from Quanta, a company that manufactures products for Apple. It has already begun posting the stolen data. REvil is hoping that Apple will pay the ransom by May 1. Quanta refused to pay the ransom, saying that the hack did not impact the company's business operations. The data that has been leaked so far seems legitimate."
Harvard Scientists Invent Materials That Can Remember Their Shape . Scientists at Harvard have developed a material that can always return to its original shape no matter what stimuli is applied to it. The biocompatible material can be 3D-printed into any shape and further pre-programmed with reversible shape memory. It is made with keratin from recycled wool. A 1-minute video is available at the end of the article demonstrating the properties of the material.
"Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales Launches Social Network . A new social media network called WT:Social has been stealthily launched by Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales. WT:Social was previously a news-focused site, but it was revamped and has slowly been onboarding new users since last month. Its focus is on removing bad actors, editing misleading stories, and giving people the choice to dictate which stories get presented to them. WT:Social will allow users to build niche communities called SubWikis that will rely on volunteers to moderate and enforce standards of content. The platform survives on donations and is ad-free. There is currently a waitlist to join WT:Social. Users can skip the queue by pledging $12.99 a month or $100 for a year. None of the data generated on the site will be sold."
"Mysterious galaxy without dark matter puzzles astronomers . Dark matter is an invisible force that is theorized to be causing the universe to expand faster than normal calculations can account for. Experts have theorized that if it is real, it must be ubiquitous, but a team of astronomers say that they have found six galaxies that appear to have either very little or no dark matter. The researchers found the movements of gas in these galaxies were perfectly explainable by normal matter alone. If the team is correct, it is strong evidence proving that not every galaxy holds the elusive force."
"Watch This Hong Kong Protester Instantly Neutralize Tear Gas . A short video shows a protestor in Hong Kong neutralizing a tear gas canister by placing it inside a thermos and shaking it. The protestor reached out and announced that the dark substance seen being poured out of the canister was mud. Tear gas canisters contain chemicals that burn to create a reaction that makes noxious fumes. The fumes work on similar chemical receptors as ones activated while eating wasabi and mustard but are more potent. An expert on tear gas has confirmed that shaking a canister inside a thermos filled with mud would be able to stop the reaction causing the canister to burn, as well as clogging up any pores to prevent it from working after it is released."
"Netflix is raising the price of standard and premium plans in the US . Netflix will raise the prices of its standard and premium plans in the US over the next two months. The new standard plan is $14 a month, and the premium plan is $18 a month. Netflix raised prices in Canada earlier this month and the price increase in the US was expected. The company recently stopped offering free trials in the US. It is unclear whether prices will increase in Netflix's other markets."
"Woman receives 3D-printed ear made from her own cells . 3DBio Therapeutics has successfully transplanted a 3D-printed ear made from human cells onto a woman born with a rare ear deformity. The experimental process involves taking a biopsy from the patient's ear and pulling out cartilage cells, which are then grown and 3D printed into the shape of an ear. The implant is less likely to be rejected as it is made from the patient's own cells. It was the first clinical trial of the technology."
"This AI Makes Beautiful Videos From Your Images! 🌊 (7 minute video). This video showcases an AI that can animate fluids and smokes within a image. The AI can understand the scene it is animating, making sure to only animate specific sections of an image. It can generate perfectly looping animations based on still images."
"Reimagining Chess with AlphaZero (17 minute read). AlphaZero is a system that can learn superhuman chess strategies from scratch without any human supervision. It learns its strategies from scratch by playing games with itself, resulting in a unique approach to playing chess. This article discusses an experiment where AlphaZero played chess with different rule variants to see how chess would have looked like if history had taken a slightly different course. The results of the experiment show how some variants of chess can still lead to games that are at least as engaging as classical chess."
"Japan's 60-Foot-Tall Gundam Robot Is Now Walking and Wreaking Havoc . The giant Gundam at Japan's Port of Yokohama is nearing completion. At 60-feet tall, the giant robot can walk, kneel, make hand gestures, and more. The robot weighs about 25 tons. It was supposed to debut on October 1, but the opening date has been pushed back due to the pandemic. There are a few photos and videos in the article showing footage of the giant Gundam."
"Gmail’s next big redesign starts rolling out next week . Google is rolling out its integrated view Gmail redesign next week. The new design adds Google Chat and Google Meet into Gmail. It will add a new navigation panel on the left side of the page for users to jump between Gmail, Google Chat, Spaces, and Google Meet. The rollout will begin by letting people opt-in to the changes, but the interface will become the standard by the end of Q2 2022. A screenshot showing some of the new changes is available in the article."
"Android is now the world’s largest earthquake detection network . The Android Earthquake Alerts System is an earthquake detection network that uses Google Play Android phones. All smartphones contain accelerometers that are sensitive enough to detect P-waves, the less damaging initial wave that comes out of an earthquake. When an Android phone detects something that could be an earthquake, it will send a signal to Google's earthquake detection center along with a general location. The server collaborates the information to detect earthquakes as they happen. The system can notify people of earthquakes up to one minute before the damaging S-wave of an earthquake arrives. It will be distributed through Google Play Services for every Android device running version 5.0 and up. Users will be able to toggle the feature through the Google Location Services switch in settings."
"Algae 'Bioreactor' on Space Station Could Make Oxygen, Food for Astronauts . A new algae-powered bioreactor, called the Photobioreactor, is being tested on the International Space Station for its feasibility to be used in long-duration space missions. It is designed so astronauts on long-term missions will not need additional supplies to be delivered to them during these missions. The Photobioreactor will convert the carbon dioxide released by astronauts into oxygen and edible biomass through photosynthesis. It arrived on the ISS on the SpaceX Dragon cargo ship on May 6."
"Utopia (GitHub Repo). Utopia is a design and coding environment for React projects. It runs in the browser, combining VSCode with a design and preview tool. Utopia can be used as a way to get quickly from an idea to production-grade code. A link to the latest deployed version of the editor is available in the repository."
"Google now lets you password-protect the page that shows all your searches . Google users now have the option to add a password to their Web and Activity page. Turning on the option will prevent anyone who picks up a logged-in device from seeing the device owner's search history, YouTube watch history, and Google assistant queries without first entering a password. Instructions on how to turn the feature on are available in the article. Google focused a lot on privacy at its I/O keynote last week, announcing a new Private Compute Core for Android, a locked photos folder, and a feature that deletes the last 15 minutes of browsing in Chrome."
"The saboteurs you can hire to end your relationship . In Japan, it is possible to hire a 'wakaresaseya' to aid in ending relationships. Most of their clients usually wish for their spouses to end their affairs rather than to end their relationships with their spouses. A typical operation tends to begin with research on the spouse and their extramarital partner and usually results in an elaborate plan to get the other partner to fall in love with an agent and leave the spouse. Agents have to be mindful of how they behave as there are certain laws they need to be careful with."
"A Machine Learning Course with Python (GitHub Repo). This course aims to be a simple yet comprehensive course on Machine Learning using Python. Artificial Intelligence is becoming one of the most adopted scientific fields, and there are many guides that exist on the topic. In the course, students will learn the basics of machine learning with tutorials which cover many different frameworks and algorithms."
Scientists Claim to Bring Dead Human Eye Cells Back to Life . Researchers from Switzerland and the US have published a study in which they woke up light-sensing cells from deceased human organ donors. The cells responded to light stimulation up to five hours after the organ donor's death. The technique could be used to reverse some types of blindness. It could also be used to extend the shelf life of donor organs.
"Biohacking Lite (15 minute read). The body is like a battery that can be charged indefinitely. Energy is stored to be released when food becomes scarce. The mechanism is complex, with different storage/release methods for different bodily functions. Weight loss is about removing mass and stored energy, but it isn't as simple as just burning through exercise. A lot of weight is lost through breathing. When losing weight, you should use more energy than you take in, decreasing the size of the 'battery pack'. Weight can fluctuate a lot depending on water intake. In a personal experiment, the author was able to lose around 0.58 pounds per week over a year with an average energy deficit of 500kcal per day."
"Google publishes largest ever high-resolution map of brain connectivity . Scientists from Google and the Janelia Research Campus in Virginia have published a 3D model that traces 20 million synapses connecting around 25,000 neurons in the brain of a fruit fly. A milestone in the field of connectomics, the map is the largest high-resolution map of brain connectivity in any animal. Connectomics has yet to produce any major breakthroughs, but it helps link physical parts of the brain to specific behaviors. Some scientists believe that creating connectomes is a waste of resources. The fruit fly connectome was created by processing images using an algorithm. Scientists then spent hundreds of thousands of hours verifying the connectome. Fruit fly brains contain around 100,000 neurons, while human brains contain roughly 86 billion. The data is available for anyone to view and download."
Opyrator (GitHub Repo). Opyrator turns Python functions into production-ready microservices. Services can be deployed using HTTP API or interactive UI. Opyrator is built on open standards. Examples are available.
"Endnotes on 2020: Crypto and Beyond (20 minute read). 2020 was a good year to ponder how we should re-evaluate our models of the world. As the 'real world' shut down, the internet became supercharged. The internet has introduced a different type of value to the economy. A lot of older laws and ways of looking at things need to catch up to current technologies. This article discusses Vitalik Buterin's thoughts on the changing role of economics, digital nationalism, the importance of culture, big business, and more."
"Ask HN: What's the largest amount of bad code you have ever seen work? (Hacker News thread). Funny hacker news thread with lots of stories about horrific code bases. The top post is hilarious, evidently some company worth over $500 million has a customer facing dashboard in which each tab is a separate web app using different web technologies (React, Angular, jQuery, and Angular 2)."
"Researchers create first sensor package that can ride aboard bees . Farmers use drones to fly over huge fields and monitor things like temperature, humidity, and crop health. However, drones need a lot of power and can't get far without needing to charge. Now, engineers at the University of Washington have created a sensor system small enough to attach to a bumblebee. Bees can go about their day of foraging, and when they return to the hive, their backpack of sensors can upload all the data that has been collected (right now it can only store 30 kilobytes). The team would eventually like to develop backpacks with cameras that can livestream information about plant health back to farmers."
"Malware Source Code (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of malware source code for a variety of platforms in several programming languages. Not all of the code is commented. The programming languages include Java, PHP, Perl, Python, and Ruby."
"On the Road to Full Autonomy With Elon Musk (Podcast). Elon Musk discusses the market for electric vehicles, the development of autonomous driving, and Bitcoin. Regulations and safety of autonomous vehicles are discussed and Musk discusses why Tesla will be able to solve the complex problem of autonomous driving. Tesla has an advantage when it comes to data collection and their methods are continually improving. The podcast runs for 29 minutes and can be downloaded or played directly from the site."
"Firm raises $15m to bring back woolly mammoth from extinction . Bioscience and genetics company Colossal recently raised $15 million to recreate the wooly mammoth. The project involves taking skin cells from Asian elephants and reprogramming them into more versatile stem cells that carry mammoth DNA, then carrying embryos to term in a surrogate mother or artificial womb. The researchers hope they have their first set of calves in six years. While reintroducing herds of elephant-mammoth hybrids to the Arctic tundra may help convert landscapes to grassland and keep the ground cool, some scientists argue that it is not the most effective way to restore the tundra."
"Amazon reportedly wants to turn your hand into a credit card . Amazon is developing a technology that will allow customers to connect their credit card information to their hands, allowing them to purchase items with their palms. The company has been working with Visa to test out its terminals and is in talks with Mastercard, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Synchrony Financial. It has major plans to expand its Amazon Go stores, where shoppers will be able to purchase items without cashiers or a checkout. Amazon will also continue to expand its Amazon Pay voice payment service. The data collected from payment terminals will be used to study consumers' spending habits."
"Byte flight . People have protested against tech workers in Silicon Valley in the past. Now that many tech workers are no longer required to head into offices for work, a lot of them are choosing to leave the area. Some companies have plans to reopen offices in 2021, so it is too early to tell how large the impact the switch to remote work is yet. Tech workers feel unwelcome in the area and it is expensive to live there. Leaked audio from a recent all-hands meeting at Google suggested that the company might be considering taking a similar approach to Facebook and becoming more flexible about remote work over the next 10 years."
"Musk: 'Dream come true' to see fully stacked SpaceX Starship rocket during prep for orbital launch . SpaceX stacked a Starship prototype rocket on top of a Super Heavy rocket booster for the first time on Friday morning at the company's facility in Boca Chica, Texas. Starship prototypes are about 160 feet tall and are made of stainless steel. The Super Heavy booster stands at about 230 feet tall. SpaceX aims to complete preparations for Starship 20's launch over the next two weeks. NASA rewarded SpaceX a $2.9 billion contract earlier this year to deliver astronauts to the surface of the moon using the rockets. Images of Starship and the Super Heavy booster are available in the article."
"Ask HN: Startup failed after years of work – Can I even get a job now? (HackerNews Thread). After quitting college to work at a soon-to-be-closed startup for seven years, the original poster of the thread asks HackerNews readers whether he would still be employable, as he did not have a college degree or any work experience outside the startup. Replies are encouraging, as seven years of experience coding for a company that shipped real-world products actually made the original poster more qualified for many positions over other people who had completed college degrees. Other replies discuss job-search strategies and there are links posted for reputable remote-work job boards."
"Eva Design System (Website). The Eva Design System is a free and open source customizable design system that easily adapts to your brand. It is available for Sketch with mobile and web component libraries. Eva makes sure that designs stay consistent across all applications and platforms without the need to spend thousands of hours on implementation, testing, or maintenance."
"Oracle snags Cerner in $28B mega deal to make a big move into healthcare . Oracle is buying electronic healthcare records company Cerner in a deal valued at $28.3 billion. It is the biggest deal in Oracle's long history of acquiring companies. The deal allows Oracle to move into the healthcare vertical, a growing market. It will also bring a lot of work to Oracle Cloud. Microsoft made a similar play into healthcare earlier this year by announcing its acquisition of Nuance Communications. Both deals may have difficulty closing due to the current regulatory climate."
"Hungry? Lunch on us during the Digital Experience Summit virtual conference Aug 17-18 (Sponsor). As a TLDR subscriber, you’re invited to the most influential technology and marketing event of the year! Register today for this digital CX conference to receive a free UberEats voucher to use toward lunch delivery of your choice."
"Humanity Is Sending 3 New Rovers to Mars in 2020 to Look for Signs of Life . Three new rovers are scheduled to launch to Mars in the summer of 2020, including NASA's Mars 2020 rover, Europe and Russia's Rosalind Franklin, and China's Huoxing-1. They are scheduled to land on Mars in 2021. NASA's Mars 2020 rover will be officially named next year, and it will carry components such as the Mars Helicopter Scout, the first human aircraft to fly on another planet. It will land in the Jezero Crater and build on Curiosity's findings. Europe and Russia's Rosalind Franklin rover is about a third of the size of Curiosity, and it will also focus on looking for signs of past life on Mars. Its target is likely a crater in a region called Oxia Planum. China's Huoxing-1 rover will be the nation's first mission outside the Earth-Moon system. The rover will probably be renamed before launch. It is the smallest of the three new-generation rovers, but its purpose is similar. Huoxing-1 will also be looking for biosignatures and signs of life on the Martian surface. China has not yet announced a final site for the rover."
"Engineering metrics for high-performing teams (Sponsor). Engineering metrics for high-performing teams . Swarmia gives engineering teams metrics and visibility into their workflow and possible bottlenecks.“Swarmia gives us the perfect overview of engineering productivity. I can quickly see how we're doing in terms of cycle time and pull requests, which helps me report back to the business.”Roland Fiala, SVP of Engineering at ProductsupStart shipping faster today!"
"Switzerland to test 'hyperloop' train technologies . A company called EuroTube is partnering with the the Swiss Federal Railways to create Europe's first hyperloop test site, which they will use to launch magnetic passenger pods at speeds up to 900 km/h. The site will be located in Collombey-Muraz, Switzerland, which was chosen because it offers ""very flat terrain and with very few obstacles""."
"Tesla recalls over 54,000 models over FSD update that disobeys stop signs . The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a recall of 53,822 Tesla vehicles due to the Assertive mode on the company's Full Self-Driving software. Cars set on Assertive mode may perform rolling stops at all-way-stop intersections under certain conditions. It is unclear how often this occurs and there are no known crashes, injuries, or fatalities related to the issue. The rolling-stop functionality can be disabled through an over-the-air update, so Tesla owners likely won't need to go to any service centers."
"The big new idea for making self-driving cars that can go anywhere . A group of startups is using end-to-end learning to teach self-driving cars how to drive. Despite investors sinking more than $100 billion into self-driving car technology, driverless tech is still stuck in the pilot phase. The current approach to driverless car technology uses a robotics mindset, which is hard to build and maintain. The startups are building neural networks that can figure out how to drive themselves using new AI techniques. More details about the new approach and the startups trying to build the next generation of self-driving cars are available in the article."
"Spotify bans ad blockers in updated Terms of Service . Spotify updated its terms of service to specifically target users who use ad blockers or modified apps in order to bypass ads while using their free service. They have implemented tools to detect when users are actively blocking ads. Previously, users were sent warnings that the behavior was not tolerated, but now users will have their accounts terminated or suspended. The changes come into effect on the 1st of March."
"Cybersecurity and Nation States: A Fireside Chat (Sponsor). On June 15, Jen Easterly, Director of CISA, will be joining Teleport for the Security Visionaries Series. Sign up today."
Rocket Lab launched and recovered a rocket mid-air in a world first . Rocket Lab launched an Electron rocket from New Zealand on May 2 and caught the rocket's first stage mid-air using a helicopter. The helicopter pilot released the rocket seconds after the recovery due to different load characteristics than were expected from tests. The rocket landed in the ocean and was picked up by a ship. An 11-second clip of the moment when the helicopter caught the rocket is available in the article.
"China is about to launch a trio of spacecraft to Mars — including a rover . China will send a trio of spacecraft to Mars on July 23rd on top of the Long March 5 rocket. An orbiter will study Mars from above, while a lander and rover will be sent to the surface. Tianwen-1 will be China's first big interplanetary mission. China has recently landed a rover on the far side of the Moon and has other space projects planned for the future. The spacecraft will reach Mars sometime in February 2021 where it will stay in orbit for about two or three months before deploying the lander and rover. Tianwen-1's rover will map out Martian geography, look for water-ice in the soil, measure the climate of the surface of the planet, and more. It is equipped with a ground-penetrating radar that can identify different rocks and search for reservoirs of water-ice underneath the surface."
"Robotaxis get the green light for paid rides in California . The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved two new programs that will allow autonomous vehicle operators to accept monetary compensation for rides. Companies have used California as a testing ground for autonomous vehicles in the US, but the state has previously disallowed the companies from charging for their services. The permits that allow companies to start taking advantage of the new rules will take several months to apply for. California has the strictest rules for autonomous vehicles in the US."
"Animals' Magnetic Navigation 'Sixth Sense' Might Come From Bacteria . Some animals, such as sea turtles, birds, fish, and lobsters, can sense the Earth's magnetic field and use this ability as an impressive navigation tool. After 50 years of research, scientists have proposed that the mechanism works through a symbiotic relationship between the animals and magnetotactic bacteria. Magnetotactic bacteria are a special type of bacteria whose movement is influenced by magnetic fields. The researchers searched for the presence of magnetotactic bacteria DNA in animal samples and found that many animals carry the bacteria. It is still unknown where these bacteria live inside the animals, but it is likely they are associated with nervous tissue."
"NASA wants to send nuclear rockets to the Moon and Mars . A nuclear rocket engine would be twice as efficient as the chemical engines powering rockets today. Chemical propulsion to the moon and to Mars is possible, but it is much better to use nuclear propulsion if we want to go further than that. A spaceship that uses nuclear propulsion will first use regular chemically propelled rockets to launch into orbit before switching to using a nuclear reactor in space. The power obtained from the nuclear reactor can be used to sustain human outposts on other worlds. One of the biggest hurdles in building a nuclear rocket is making sure that the parts can withstand the heat required. Before a nuclear engine will be able to fly, NASA needs to change its regulations for launching nuclear materials. The first flight of a nuclear engine may be as soon as 2024."
"Why ‘soft robots’ have NASA, doctors, and tech whizzes so excited . Soft robots could one day be used for a wide variety of applications, for example, space exploration, surgery, rescue operations, and much more. They are made of squishy materials that enable them to approximate biological functions. It is expected that the market for soft robots will reach $2.16 billion in 2024. Soft robots have flaws, such as being slow to power up, but researchers are developing workarounds to these issues."
"Ask HN: How Would You or Did Convince Your Boss That You Can Work Remote? (HackerNews Thread). Many people dream of working remotely, ditching the office and working from home or while traveling. The thread creator asks for tips on convincing their company to let them work remotely, and the replies are full of personal anecdotes on how people were able to achieve their remote working goals. There is also some good advice in the thread regarding work culture and working remotely, because if one is not present in the office in a non-remote working culture, they are usually seen as an outsider. While it is possible to transition to working remotely, the general advice given is that it is better to find a position which is already remote-friendly."
"Startup School (Website). Startup School is a free 10-week online course that teaches how to start a startup. Participants have access to a global network of entrepreneurs, mentorship, exclusive deals, and a chance at receiving funding. The deadline to sign up is July 21, and the course begins on July 22."
"Jeff Bezos commits $10 billion to fight climate change . Jeff Bezos today announced the Bezos Earth Fund, a project that will help scientists, activists, NGOs, and any real effort to help preserve the earth from the impact of climate change. Bezos has committed $10 billion towards the fund. The Bezos Earth Fund will begin issuing grants in the summer. Worth about $130 billion, Bezos hasn't always been as vocal as others about his philanthropy, although he has polled Twitter for philanthropy ideas in the past. In 2018, Bezos announced that a network of free nonprofit schools would be built in low-income communities."
"GHunt (GitHub Repo). GHunt is an OSINT tool to extract information about a Google account. It can extract the owner's name, active Google services, phone models, phone firmwares, possible physical location, and more. GHunt requires valid cookies to use."
"First Antarctic egg belonged to an ancient sea monster . An egg fossil was discovered in Antarctica in 2011. It was 11 inches long and 7 inches wide. Researchers have determined that the egg came from a massive aquatic reptile, possibly the mosasaurus. Scientists had previously believed that the mosasaurus did not lay eggs, but fossils of mosasaurs and plesiosaurs have been found in Antarctica, so it is not impossible. An image of the egg is available in the article."
"Try the Frustratingly Easy VPN (Sponsor). Tailscale is the zero-config (really) VPN you'll love to use. No more opening firewall ports, or configuring access. Just download and connect all your devices. Try now for free."
"Optimus Ride’s Brooklyn self-driving shuttles begin picking up passengers this week . Optimus Ride is set to become the first commercial self-driving service in New York. It will be used in a restricted private commercial development, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which has 300 acres of space. The vehicles are fitted with six seats across three separate rows. Optimus Ride's shuttles have been running across a range of locations including Boston, California, and Massachusetts. It will still be a long time before fully autonomous driving can be mastered, but success in controlled environments on a smaller scale can bring in revenue while offering value to paying customers at the same time."
"A step-by-step guide to building a simple chess AI . This is a cool guide to building your own chess AI using Javascript. If you click through to the GitHub repo, there's a link to a working JSFiddle with the code so you can actually play against the AI that was built in this article."
Verbum (GitHub Repo). Verbum is a flexible text editor for React.
"Pampy (GitHub Repo). This is a small Python utility library that makes pattern matching readable and fast. The syntax is really elegant, the whole library is only 150 lines, and there's also a Javascript version."
"Tiny shapeshifting robots brush and floss your teeth, kill bacteria . Engineers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a system of microrobots that can change shape to form bristles or floss and release antimicrobials to kill bad bacteria. The system is made up of iron oxide nanoparticles that can be controlled using magnetic fields. The iron oxide activates hydrogen peroxide, which produces free radicals that kill bacteria and biofilms. The system could allow people with reduced motor skills to still take care of their oral health."
"TikTok parent ByteDance is reportedly making a smartphone . ByteDance, the company that created the video app TikTok, is planning to create its own smartphone. The smartphone will be preloaded with ByteDance's own apps, such as TikTok, Jinri Toutiao, and a new unreleased music streaming service. A deal between ByteDance and smartphone maker Smartisan has been confirmed. Other companies, such as Facebook and Amazon, have attempted unsuccessfully to launch their own smartphones that were preloaded with their own apps."
"Lexical (GitHub Repo). Lexical is a JavaScript web text-editor framework. It was designed to be highly extensible, reliable, and accessible. Examples of apps created with Lexical are available."
"Python built-ins worth learning (16 minute read). Python has many built-in functions, and it can be difficult to know all of them and how they are used. The best way to approach this issue is to split libraries into lists according to how useful they will be to you in your development practice. Must-know built-ins include functions such as print, list, range, sum, and all. Easily overlooked functions include bool, enumerate, zip, reversed, and sum. Handy debugging functions include breakpoint, dir, vars, type, and help. This article contains a list of functions sorted by how commonly functions are used, and it gives a brief description and example of each function and how it is used."
"How to Recreate the Ripple Effect of Material Design Buttons . Material Design's button component uses a ripple effect to give users feedback, with the animation changing position depending on where each button is clicked. An example of this is at the beginning of the article. This article explains how to build the button component using JavaScript. Other approaches to build the component are discussed."
"Bill Gates explains why we should all be optimists . In an interview with Bill Gates, climate change and technology are discussed, focusing on how technology has benefited humans. While humans have damaged the planet with our technology, there has also been a lot of positive outcomes, such as the extended and improved quality of life that almost all humans experience. Gates sees a bright future, as we build upon what we already have and continue to develop better technologies."
"Apple faces inevitable antitrust headache as EU launches App Store investigation . Apple is facing an antitrust investigation after Spotify filed a complaint with the European Commission for Apple's anti-competitive business strategies. Spotify is frustrated with Apple's 30 percent take of subscription fees and they claim that Apple unfairly used their iOS platform to launch a music subscription service that otherwise would not have been successful. Companies leveraging their platforms for their own benefit is common practice in the US, but the EU believes that regulators must protect consumers against such practices as they may harm innovation and limit customer choice."
"FAST (Website). FAST is a collection of JavaScript packages that handles the most common web and app development challenges. It features a reusable, customizable, and sharable set of UI components, fast startup times, efficient memory usage, and the ability to integrate with any front-end framework or build system. Detailed documentation is available."
"Google planning Apple-like integration between its products to compete . Google has announced plans to rival Apple's ecosystem integration at CES 2022. It will expand its Nearby Share feature to Windows PCs and allow its Fast Pair feature to work with Windows PCs, Google TV, Android TV, and Matter-compatible smart home products. Google will also introduce a feature similar to Apple's Spatial Audio functionality that will be able to use Android and Chromebook devices as audio sources, and add another feature that will allow users to unlock their Chromebook or other Android device using their Wear OS smartwatch. It is unknown whether Google will succeed in launching all of these features within the year."
New alternative of Redux for React . Redoor is a state management library for React. It is still under development. The lightweight library is only 4.9kb. This article shows an example of using Redoor to create a todo-list app.
"2022 Developer Survey (Website). Stack Overflow's annual survey explores how developers learn and level up, which tools they are using, and what they want. It provides insights into the attitudes, tools, and environments that are shaping the art and practice of software today. This site contains the results of the survey."
"WebGLStudio.js (GitHub Repo). WebGLStudio.js is a browser-based 3D graphics suite that can edit scenes and materials, design effects and shaders, and code behaviors. Everything is done in-browser, and completed works can be shared. It features a full 3D graphics engine, an easy to use editor, a graph editor, and more. It is currently missing mesh editing, support for FBX, and physics. A link to a website that has demos, videos, examples, and a working version is available."
"Winged microchip is smallest-ever human-made flying structure . Scientists have developed winged microchips that can spin through the air like a helicopter. The microfliers can be equipped with sensors, power sources, antennas, and memory. They can be dropped from large buildings or planes to track environmental factors at different altitudes. The design is based on the maple leaf's whirling propeller seeds. The chips are created with electronics that can dissolve in water after they are no longer needed, so they will naturally degrade and disappear over time. Pictures and videos of the microfliers are available in the article."
"Brain Waves Have Been Detected Coming From 'Mini Brains' Grown in The Lab . Scientists have observed electrical activity similar to the brain activity of premature babies in lab-grown brains. The lab-grown brains are simplified versions of the organ that is grown in a lab for research purposes. They do not have brain regions to connect to, and they are also engineered to lack a protein that is essential for the normal function of neurons. By six months, the organoids were showing energetic brain activity. The activity was not like the organized, predictable brain activity of an adult, but it was similar to the chaotic bursts of brain activity seen in preterm infants. Some scientists are concerned with the results as it may mean that the lab-grown brains may develop consciousness if they were allowed to exist longer than the 10 months they are currently limited to."
"Scripts (GitHub Repo). This repository contains five small scripts to make life better. The scripts can help generate ssh keys from passwords, bypass AMSI for VBA, send text to speech using the Windows Speech interface, automate Excel, and load shellcode with SYLK."
"Newfound type of storm is a 1,000-km-wide puddle in the sky . Atmospheric lakes are a new type of storm discovered over the Indian Ocean. They are slow-moving pools of concentrated water vapor that can last for days. Atmospheric lakes are related to atmospheric rivers, a common phenomenon. The storms can sometimes turn into tropical cyclones. They form out of water vapor streams flowing in from the Indo-Pacific region and produce a lot of rain as they drift slowly to the eastern coast of Africa."
"China bans online gaming for minors except from 8 pm-9 pm Friday to Sunday . China has issued new rules banning minors from playing video games more than three hours a week. Minors will only be allowed to play games from 8 pm to 9 pm, Friday to Sunday. Enforcement measures will primarily target online games and online services related to gaming. Gaming companies must implement real-name verification systems and link online games to a state anti-addiction system. China's government blames video game addiction for a host of societal ills and it has a long history of imposing restrictions on the video game industry."
"Going IPv6 only . IPv6 is almost 25 years old, yet the technology is still not being used widely. It is possible to set up a v6-only network, but users are bound to run into problems. This article discusses the setup procedure and some of the issues. Many websites, such as Reddit, Hacker News, Twitter, and GitHub aren't available on IPv6. Running a v6-network for daily use is impractical as there are still too many services that fully rely on IPv4 to function."
"Amazon focuses on another use for Alexa as Echo Frames smart glasses are now available . Amazon is moving its Echo Frames smart glasses from invite-only to general availability. The glasses were first launched in September 2019 to a select group of users to generate feedback and continue development. Echo Frames feature Alexa connectivity and they allow users to make phone calls, listen to music, hear notifications, and more, without wearing anything in their ears. The lens do not feature a display. Echo Frames are available for $249.99 and will ship on December 10. They will come with non-corrective lenses, but they are compatible with most prescription lenses."
"SpaceX Launches Final Record-Breaking Rocket Of 2018, And Its First Ever National Security Mission . SpaceX has launched its record 21st rocket of the year, and its first national security mission, a new GPS 3 satellite for the US Air Force. Unlike previous launches, this one didn't attempt a landing because the full performance of the rocket was needed to take the satellite to its orbit 1,200 miles above Earth. These new GPS 3 satellites are more accurate, secure, and harder to jam, so they will replace all 32 of the old GPS satellites operated by the US military."
"Build a Salary with GitHub Sponsors (Website). GitHub Sponsors is a way to fund your Open Source project, but most developers aren't getting the most out of it. Getting people to sponsor you can be difficult. A way to increase your number of sponsors is to create exclusive content for them, for example, articles, videos, and other educational material. You can restrict who has access to your posts, depending on their sponsor tier. GitHub Sponsors is completely free to use."
"Code scanning is now available . GitHub code scanning is a GitHub-native approach to find security vulnerabilities before they reach production. The feature has been in testing since May and is now generally available. It integrates with GitHub Actions or your existing CI/CD environment to maximize flexibility for your team. Code is scanned as it is created, ensuring vulnerabilities never make it to production in the first place. Code scanning is powered by CodeQL and it is built on the open SARIF standard so developers can extend its functionality. It is free for public repositories now, and available through Advanced Security for GitHub Enterprise customers."
"Bitcoin Price Surges as Chinese President Xi Jinping Embraces Blockchain Technology . Bitcoin has skyrocketed by 40 percent overnight after Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke highly of blockchain technology. Xi said that China must increase investment, focus on a number of key core technologies, and accelerate the development of blockchain technology and industrial innovation. China had banned cryptocurrency exchanges in 2017. The country has been working on its own cryptocurrency since last year and is rumored to be close to release. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently testified about Facebook's proposed cryptocurrency, Libra, before the House Committee on Financial Services. All major US payment processors have left the Libra Association. Concerns regarding Libra include criminals exploiting the technology to conceal their identities and engage in financial wrongdoing."
"MIT AI tool can predict breast cancer up to 5 years early, works equally well for white and black patients . MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab have developed a new AI tool that can detect breast cancer up to 5 years in advance in both black and white women. Other previous similar projects have been criticized as their patient populations were predominantly white. Black women are 42 percent more likely to die from cancer. One contributing factor may be due to the lack of appropriate detection techniques. The MIT tool was trained on mammograms from over 60,000 patients. Early detection is vital in the fight against cancer."
"Social media influencer plotted to take internet domain at gunpoint. It didn't end well . A social media influencer paid his cousin to break into the home of the owner of an internet domain name in order to force them to transfer the ownership of the domain. During the assault, the victim was able to gain control of the intruder’s gun and shot him multiple times. The intruder has been sentenced to jail for 20 years. Rossi Lorathio Adams II, the social media influencer, has been found guilty of hiring the intruder and will be looking at up to two decades of prison upon sentencing."
Elon Musk just became Twitter's largest shareholder . Elon Musk has purchased a 9% stake in Twitter. Musk raised questions on whether the platform was undermining democracy and restricting free speech in recent weeks. He had considered starting a rival social media network. US security regulators have fined Musk for his tweets in the past. Musk is still facing heavy pressure from the SEC over his tweets.
"Apple Is Closing All of Its Stores and Corporate Offices in China Because of the Coronavirus Outbreak . Apple will close its official stores, corporate offices, and contact centers in China until February 9 due to the coronavirus outbreak. It has also limited employee travel to China to 'business critical' matters. Apple provided care kits to employees, regularly took employees' temperatures, and deep cleaned its stores and offices in the Wuhan area. Its online store will remain open. The coronavirus outbreak could affect Apple earnings and manufacturing capability. Other companies such as Tesla, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook have also temporarily shut down operations in the country due to the virus."
"The SpaceX Ax-1 Mission Has Futuristic Self-Assembling Tech to Try Out . SpaceX launched the first fully private mission, Axiom-1, to the International Space Station on Friday. The team will conduct studies involving an air filtration device, cellular biology, and a swarm of robotic tiles. The tiles are designed to self-assemble and are capable of sealing to create a pressurized environment. They could be used in the future to create habitats in space. A video showing how the tiles are designed to work is available in the article."
"Meta Programming GPT: A route to Superintelligence? . While GPT was only trained using samples of what humans think, it was able to learn the underlying principle behind some concepts and extrapolate to tasks that it had never seen before. This suggested that GPT exhibited primitive intelligence of the same type as human intelligence. It was able to imitate the underlying type of thinking of what it was trained on rather than just copying observed behavior. GPT-4 has the potential to imitate superintelligence, potentially creating hypotheses and ideas for potential scientific breakthroughs."
"Cruip (HTML/CSS Templates). These are some free, nice-looking product landing page templates. Every template has a live demo, but the site requires you to sign up with Google, Facebook, or Twitter to download them. If you're planning on launching a side project soon, these will probably be helpful."
"Hactivists say they hacked Belarus rail system to stop Russian military buildup . A group of hacktivists called the Cyber Partisans have infected the network of Belarus' state-run railroad system with ransomware. The group will return Belarus Railway's systems to normal if the government releases 50 political prisoners and promises to prevent Russian troops from entering Belarus to use its ground for the attacks on Ukraine. Russia has been sending military equipment and personnel into Belarus using rail. The hack has disrupted ticketing, scheduling, and freight trains. Screenshots from Belarus Railway's private network are available in the article."
"Lossless Image Compression through Super-Resolution (GitHub Repo). This repository contains the official implementation of SReC in PyTorch. SReC applies neural networks to compress images, achieving state-of-the-art compression rates on large datasets with practical runtimes. Training, compression, and decompression are fully supported."
"Google employees are planning a May 1st sit-in to protest retaliation . Google employees will hold a sit-in protest to protest retaliation against employees on May 1. In November, more than 20,000 employees walked out to protest against the company’s handling of sexual harassment allegations, and since then many employees have found that their job responsibilities have diminished. Employee protests at Google have been effective in creating change in the company. Google officially prohibits retaliation at the workplace, and a spokesperson has stated that the company has multiple channels, including anonymously, for employees to report workplace retaliation."
"Raspberry Pi OS now available in 64-bit, improving app compatibility . Raspberry Pi has released a 64-bit version of its default operating system. Raspberry Pi OS is a Debian-based Linux desktop built specifically for the Pi family. Adding a 64-bit version of the operating system will help increase compatibility with many applications. It also means more applications and services can access the higher amounts of RAM on higher-tier Raspberry Pi boards. The new OS is only compatible with the Pi Zero 2, Pi 3, and Pi 4."
"Introducing Cloud Run Button: Click-to-deploy your git repos to Google Cloud . Google Cloud Run allows developers to deploy containerized serverless applications without having to worry about operations, scalability, and security. Google has now released the Cloud Run Button, which is an image and link that can be added to the README of source code repositories to allow others to deploy an application to the Google Cloud Platform using Cloud Run. It works with any repository that has a Dockerfile or that can be built using Cloud Native Buildpacks."
Cybersecurity researchers trace Lapsus$ attacks to a teenager from England . Cybersecurity researchers investigating the recent Lapsus$ attacks have identified seven accounts associated with the hacking group. A 16-year-old living with his mother in England is believed to be the mastermind of the group. Rival hackers had posted his details online. The attacks were believed to be motivated in part by the desire for notoriety as the group didn't try to cover its tracks and made public announcements.
"Huawei dev team sends a buggy HKSP patch with backdoor to Linux Foundation . Last week, the Huawei development team submitted a patch to the Linux Foundation that contained a backdoor. Huawei Kernel Self Protection is a kernel protection tool that is supposed to introduce security-hardening options to the Linux kernel. Huawei denied involvement with the patch and blamed employees for including the vulnerability. Many tech companies have contributed code to the Linux Foundation in the past. However, this is the first time Huawei has contributed to the Linux kernel project."
"China wants to ban bitcoin mining . China’s state planner has released a draft list of industrial activities that it is planning to stop, and it shows that the government is seeking to put pressure onto the cryptocurrency sector. The draft stated that cryptocurrency mining did not adhere to relevant laws and regulations, was unsafe, wasted resources, and polluted the environment. It called for cryptocurrency mining to be phased out immediately. A large portion of the bitcoin network is in China and a shutdown would raise the average cost to mine bitcoin. Chinese companies manufacture a large amount of the world’s blockchain hardware, accounting for 45% of global sales by value in 2017."
"Google hit with largest GDPR fine to date over lack of data and ad transparency . Google was fined €50 million by France's privacy regulator over ""lack of transparency, inadequate information, and lack of valid consent regarding the ads personalization."" Specifically, they didn't disclose how long they keep user information, and they didn't provide an explicit enough opt-in for advertising during Android account signups. This is the largest GDPR fine so far (though GDPR fines can be up to 4% of worldwide revenue)."
"Inside ‘Amazon Go Grocery’: Tech giant opens first full-sized store without cashiers or checkout lines . Amazon opened its first Amazon Go Grocery store on Tuesday in Seattle. The new store is full of cameras and sensors to track everything put into a shopping cart, removing the need for checkouts and cashiers. Using the help of artificial intelligence, customers can walk into stores, get whatever items they need, and walk out without having to wait to pay at a checkout. Items will be automatically charged to a shopper's Amazon account shortly after they walk out of the store. Amazon reported $4.4 billion in revenue last quarter from its physical stores. Amazon was criticized for using its technologies to eliminate jobs, but the company responded to the criticism by pointing out that it has created more jobs than any other US-based company, offering employee benefits and a minimum wage that is twice the national minimum wage."
"Google and India’s Jio Platforms announce budget Android smartphone JioPhone Next . The JioPhone Next is a new affordable Android smartphone from one of India's telecom providers and Google. Jio Platforms received $20 billion in funding from Google, Facebook, and others last year to work on the low-cost smartphone. It is aimed at the roughly 300 million users in India who are still on 2G devices. The phone will launch in September. It will eventually be released outside of the country. A picture of the phone is available in the article."
"The first perovskite solar cell with a commercially viable lifetime is here . Researchers from Princeton University have built perovskite solar cells that last long enough to be commercially viable. Perovskite solar cells are highly efficient and low-cost, but they are also fragile, with the first perovskite solar cells developed lasting barely minutes. The team developed a new technique for testing how solar devices will perform in the long term. The new perovskite solar cells can run at or above 80% of their peak efficiency for 30 years in a city like Princeton."
"New, reversible CRISPR method can control gene expression while leaving underlying DNA sequence unchanged . CRISPRoff is a new gene-editing technology that can control gene expression while leaving the sequence of the DNA unchanged. Using CRISPRoff, scientists can silence the vast majority of genes without any DNA damage in a way that can be reversed. The changes are passed down through cell divisions. CRISPRoff works on most of the genes in the human genome, even for some in regions where the scientists didn't think the technology would work. The technology could lead to many therapies and help scientists learn much more about the function of the human genome."
"Google search is adding a news feed to its homepage on mobile . Google is completely reimagining mobile search. It is adding a newsfeed to its mobile search results, with news cards that look a lot like the Google News App (or Facebook, Reddit, any of these apps that use the square card design on mobile). It's also using computer vision to add more visuals to search, including a new Stories feature, which creates an auto-advancing carousel of videos, showing just the relevant section of each video. Another feature called ""collections"" is coming this fall, it will allow you to bookmark search results into a special viewer, where Google will also surface content suggestions. Think of it like Pinterest, but for Google search."
"Datadog Monitoring and Analytics (Sponsor). Datadog's single, unified platform for monitoring allows teams to pull metrics, traces, logs, UX, and network performance data all in one place."
LiveTerm (GitHub Repo). LiveTerm is a highly customizable and minimal terminal-style website template powered by Next.js. It takes minutes to build a site with LiveTerm and developers only need to work with one config file. Live examples are available.
"Mint (GitHub Repo). Mint is a programming language for front-end web development. It features reusable components, styling, routing, global and local state handling, and synchronous and asynchronous computations for Single Page Applications. The project is still under development."
"Justin Sun: the crypto millionaire who acquired BitTorrent — and waded into the trade war (35 minute read). BitTorrent, founded in 2004, created a peer-to-peer protocol that allows large files to be transferred between people. It quickly became controversial due to its use in pirating movies and music, but the company's stance was that it only supplied the technology and had no responsibility for how it was used. Justin Sun, the Chinese millionaire who runs a cryptocurrency company called Tron, bought BitTorrent in 2018. Sun is a controversial character and has been accused of plagiarism in his cryptocurrency projects. This article follows the story of the sale of BitTorrent, examining Sun and his business practices along the way."
"Stripe buys Nigeria's Paystack for Africa expansion . Stripe has acquired Nigerian payments startup Paystack. While the value of the acquisition has not been disclosed, the deal is estimated to be worth over $200 million. Both companies will continue to operate separately. Paystack allows users to set up online payment gateways to accept credit and debit card payments. Police in Nigeria have been targeting young tech workers in the country due to online fraud. However, their actions have been often criticized as they have frequently extorted people trying to build valuable startups."
"Sidewalk Labs finally publishes its smart city master plan . Sidewalk Labs, a subsidiary of Alphabet which focuses on city and urban development, has released its Master Innovation and Development Plan for a proposed smart neighborhood on Toronto's Eastern Waterfront. The approval of the plan will be voted on in late 2019 and early 2020. If successful, the project will begin development before 2021. Sidewalk Labs plans to build houses for around 7,000 residents and create 7,400 local jobs. The plan focuses on building homes that are energy efficient and affordable. There are plans to build public spaces, and Google will provide incentives for residents to create new businesses. A full copy of the proposed plan is available to read."
"git-fuzzy (GitHub Repo). git-fuzzy is a CLI interface that allows developers to interact with GitHub. Users can interact with stage and unstaged changes, search for, checkout, and look at branches, interact with pull requests, and more."
"Astronomers discover vast ancient galaxies, which could shed light on dark matter . Using the combined power of multiple astronomical observatories around the world and in space, astronomers have discovered 39 previously unknown ancient massive galaxies. As the universe expands, light traveling through is stretched, causing the already weak signals from these galaxies to become harder or impossible to detect with the eyes and with telescopes. It required data from several advanced telescopes to detect these galaxies. The larger the galaxy, the larger the supermassive black hole at its center. The discovery of these galaxies may answer questions regarding the evolution of supermassive black holes, which play a role in shaping the structure and distribution of galaxies. New technology will be required to investigate the chemical composition of these galaxies as current techniques require visible wavelengths of light."
"0x Launch Kit (Website). The 0x Launch Kit allows developers to launch their own Ethereum-based token exchange or marketplace in minutes. The kit deploys a fully featured exchange which is secure, open source, and can be customized to the developer’s needs. Users can view a live demo, and there is detailed documentation on how to install and customize the kit."
"Oso (Website). Oso is a library for building authorization in an application. It provides a mental model and an authorization system to define who can do what in an application. Developers can typically write a working Oso policy in under five minutes, and use Oso to solve real authorization problems within a few hours. Oso is ideal for building permissions into user-facing applications."
Pipe Operator (|>). This repository outlines a proposal for adding a useful pipe operator for JavaScript. Pipe operators have the convenience and ease of method chaining with the wide applicability of expression nesting when performing consecutive operations on values in JavaScript. This proposal favors Hack-style pipe operators as they are based on the concept of expression.
"Earth just had the hottest month since humans have kept track . July was the hottest month humans have ever recorded. The three previous hottest months happened in 2016, 2019, and 2020, a strong indicator of climate change. Climate change is linked to more extreme weather. The planet has seen a rise in extreme heat events since the 1950s. Some regions have been affected worse than others. The heatwave that took place in late June would have been virtually impossible without climate change. More temperature records are likely to fall if greenhouse emissions continue to grow."
GitHub gets a new CEO . Thomas Dohmke is stepping into the CEO role at GitHub. Nat Friedman will become the Chairman Emeritus of the service. Dohmke has a background as a developer and open source advocate. One of his first projects at GitHub was to make private repos free for all developers. GitHub stayed platform-neutral during Friedman's tenure and will continue to do so under Dohmke's leadership. Dohmke isn't planning any major changes right away and will continue to lead GitHub on its current trajectory.
"Adobe Photoshop's 'Super Resolution' Made My Jaw Hit the Floor . Super Resolution is a new feature in Adobe Camera Raw that uses machine learning to upsize images to four times their original size. It works better with higher resolution images, but it still does an amazing job on smaller files. Anyone with lower resolution cameras can now output large image files for prints. Examples of Super Resolution-enhanced images are available in the article."
"Sblack (Desktop Tool). Sblack is an ultra-lightweight Mac client for Slack that comes with a light mode and dark mode. This is a native (non-Electron) app, so it's only 20MB instead of 180MB like the official Slack client. If you use Slack on a Macbook and want the desktop client to be a bit snappier, this is definitely worth a look."
"RedisJSON: Public Preview & Performance Benchmarking (12 minute read). RedisJSON is now available as a public preview. It allows developers to build applications by using a dynamic hierarchical JSON document model. RedisJSON can be used in various architectural scenarios, for example, as a cache, as a query accelerator, or as a primary database. It is faster than MongoDB and ElasticSearch on direct read, write, and update workloads. Benchmarks and comparisons are available."
"The USPTO wants to know if artificial intelligence can own the content it creates . AI technology may mean that copyright laws might have to be changed. The United States Patent and Trademark Office is gathering information about the impact of artificial intelligence on copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property rights. Attributing ownership of the material that is created by AI is difficult. A lot of machine learning also uses copyrighted material for training, so the rights of the original owners of the training material should be considered. Current rules state that works produced by a machine with no creative input or intervention from a human can't be given authorship, but lines are being blurred as AI's hand in creative works continues to get more complicated and nuanced."
"lego (GitHub Website). lego is a fast static site generator that generates optimized, performant websites. It is built with NodeJS, supports Nunjucks and Liquid templates, automatically generates a sitemap and RSS feeds, generates images for various resolutions, live-reloads during development, and more. A demo website is available."
"How to feel engaged at work: a software engineer's guide . Clocking into work every day can result in a vague sense of dissatisfaction when the work doesn't seem meaningful. This article discusses four different ways to ignite motivation for work. It talks about making time to be curious, viewing work from a CEO's perspective, framing one's career as a series of questions, and trying new things. Anything can be interesting if you ask the right questions, and this article presents techniques for finding the right questions to ask."
Arco Design (GitHub Repo). Arco Design is a React UI components library with more than 60 crafted components based on the Arco Design system. All components are written in TypeScript. The design tokens can be altered to build custom themes. A market is available for materials management.
"More Start-Ups Have an Unfamiliar Message for Venture Capitalists: Get Lost . The VC model is simple: raise enough capital to grow faster than competitors and regulators can catch up. Founders are now beginning to question whether buying into the boom or bust VC game is a good idea. Some companies like Wistia (video hosting) and Buffer (social media posting) have bought back their investors' shares to pursue more sustainable growth. New small VC funds like indie.vc and Earnest Capital are now giving funding with buyback clauses to allow companies to buy out investors with profits down the line. Bootstrapped startups like collaboration tool Notion believe they can achieve ambitious goals like challenging Microsoft without any venture capital backing. Entrepreneur Mara Zepeda says ""The tool of venture capital is so specific to a tiny, tiny fraction of companies. We can't let ourselves be fooled into thinking that's the story of the future of American entrepreneurship."""
"Coinbase files to go public confidentially and we’re hyped . Coinbase has filed to go public, likely debuting in early 2021. It is unknown whether Coinbase will pursue a traditional IPO or a direct listing. Coinbase has raised extensive capital while private, and while there has been some reporting about its historical growth, there is little information about its profits and operations. Cryptocurrencies have seen a recent surge of interest. Coinbase lost dozens of employees in 2020 after its CEO declared that the company would not participate in political matters not directly tied to the company's mission."
"Autonomous freight company Einride introduces its first ever 'Remote Pod Operator,' creating an entirely new career in shipping . Einride is a Swedish freight technology company that develops autonomous trucks called Pods. The company uses Remote Pod Operators to supervise and optimize their vehicle's autonomous routes. Remote Pod Operators provide operational support to multiple Pods at a time. They go through a full training program and are tested on all the various operating modes and safety protocols. A video that introduces the Pod and the first Remote Pod Operator is available in the article."
"YouTube CEO calls EU's proposed copyright regulation financially impossible . YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki says that the EU's new proposed copyright regulations would make it impossible for Youtube to operate. The regulations would make Youtube liable for copyright violations in content uploaded to their site instead of the uploader. She says ""EU residents are at risk of being cut off from videos that, in just the last month, they viewed more than 90 billion times."" The European Union will have its final vote on whether to pass the copyright directive in January."
"Reverse interview (GitHub Repo). At every job interview, applicants are asked whether they have any questions for the company, but few people take the opportunity to find out more about their potential employers. This repository contains a list of questions that can help the applicant find out more about the role they are applying for, the tech used in the company, the team and culture, the company and business itself, the workplace environment, and the company's policies on remote work."
"Google Play crackdown makes Amazon, Barnes & Noble pull digital purchases . Google is finally enforcing its rules for using Google Play billing. The rules have always existed, but Google didn't start enforcing it until March 31. Google gave developers more than six months warning about its intentions to start enforcing the rules. Digital stores now have to sell digital items through Google Play or risk being removed from the store. Some companies, such as Netflix and Spotify, have made deals with Google to continue to allow direct purchases."
"zx (GitHub Repo). zx allows you to write Bash scripts using JavaScript. It provides wrappers around child_process, escapes arguments, and gives sensible defaults. zx can import from other scripts, pass environment variables, and execute remote scripts."
"How AltStore is building a haven for forbidden iPhone apps . AltStore is an app for installing apps outside of Apple's App Store. It has 300,000 monthly active users, with nearly 6,000 of those users contributing more than $14,500 per month to the app's Patreon. AltStore uses a sideloading method that Apple made available to developers. There are some limitations to the app, but the developer believes that the technical hurdles ensure that sideloading remains the domain of more tech-savvy users. AltStore is adding a 'Trusted Sources' section with apps that the developers have vetted themselves to lessen the risk of users installing malicious code."
"Devs might be able to write software on iPad and iPhone with Xcode . According to an unconfirmed report, macOS and iOS software developers will soon be able to use XCode on an iPad or iPhone. iPadOS 14 and the new iPhone equivalent will reportedly have support for XCode. XCode supports Swift, C++, Python, and more. Bringing it to iOS brings the iPad closer to being a 'real' computer."
"Scientists discover new phase of water, known as ""superionic ice,"" inside planets . Superionic ice is a phase of water that occurs in extreme conditions, such as in the core of planets. A team of scientists recently produced the black ice by pressing water between two diamonds and then heating it with a laser. Superionic ice exists within Earth and it plays a role in maintaining the planet's magnetic fields. Understanding superionic ice may play an important role in searching for other planets that can host life."
"Click Here to Kill (34 minute read). Darknet markets for assassinations allow people to anonymously order killings online. A serialized essay called 'Assassination Politics' written in 1995 details a system where people could anonymously pledge money towards a bounty for killing someone, and another party could 'predict' a death and collect the pool. The implication was that the best way to predict a death was to cause it yourself. The invention of Bitcoin and the dark web made this system possible. Many 'murder marketplaces' have popped up on the darknet, but most turn out to be scams. As the technology is relatively new, law enforcement agencies have some difficulties investigating cases. Many people who had been named as potential targets on these sites were unaware of their predicament, even if law enforcement knew their names were on a list. Some cases of suicide have been linked to these websites, and people have been arrested for ordering murders online."
"'Rent-a-person who does nothing' in Tokyo receives endless requests, gratitude . Shoji Morimoto is a 37-year-old man from Tokyo who rents himself out to other people to do nothing. He has about 270,000 followers on Twitter and has received over 3,000 requests for his services. Morimoto charges 10,000 yen ($96) per request. He commits to doing nothing while carrying out his jobs, only giving feedback when someone speaks to him. The gig started after Morimoto left his job at a publisher, and he was inspired by a person who did nothing but get treated to meals."
"Dark Reader (Browser Extension). Okay, I know I put stuff like this in the newsletter all the time but I just can't help myself. I love dark mode. I love browser extensions. If you make a dark mode browser extension, it will probably end up in this newsletter. Dark reader is a simple open source browser extension that works on Chrome, Firefox, and Safari that turns on ""Dark Mode for Everything"". I've been using it all day and it's great, it has an easy toggle on and off and you can change settings like brightness and contrast with the built in sliders."
"Prehistoric ""eagle shark"" combined traits of sharks and rays . Aquilolamna milarcae, also known as the eagle shark, was the ancestor of both the whale shark and the manta ray. The 93 million-year-old remains of the ancient shark were unearthed in Mexico in 2012. It was recently determined to be a new species. The specimen was likely an adolescent. It was 1.65 meters long, with a 1.9-meter wingspan. A 3-minute video that shows images of the shark and its fossils is available in the article."
"Robot With Liquid Metal Tendons Can Heal Itself . All robots will eventually break, so researchers have been developing ways to help them fix themselves. Some robots have self-healing polymers, but more dynamic robots require stronger materials. Roboticists from the University of Tokyo have developed a robot leg that can autonomously melt and reform some of its parts, repairing fractures. The leg is designed with a weak point that will break in order to protect the robot's other joints. It currently takes about half an hour to heal after a break, and the parts are significantly weaker afterwards. The researchers are working to optimize the system to increase the healed strength. A video is available that shows the self-healing process."
"Instagram is developing its own version of Twitter’s Super Follow with ‘Exclusive Stories’ . Instagram is building a feature that will allow creators to publish exclusive content to their Instagram stories that will only be available to their fans. Access to Exclusive Stories will likely come with a subscription payment of some kind. Screenshots of the feature were leaked and confirmed as authentic by Instagram, but the company has declined to share any details about it. The leaked screenshots are available in the article. Instagram has been working on more features to help creators monetize their work."
"For the First Time Ever, Scientists Caught Time Crystals Interacting . Time crystals are a new form of matter where particles move forever and don't lose energy. They are essentially a quantum system consisting of a mix of particles that have glued together to create a non-equilibrium form of matter after being heated with lasers. Researchers have collided two time crystals in a mixture of superfluids mixed with magnons, magnetic quasiparticles that led to 'opposite-phase oscillations' while the crystals stayed stable. The time crystals acted within predictable quantum mechanical ways. These results indicate that the time crystals could probably be used as part of a designed system. They could be used in the future for applications such as quantum information processing."
"Creating a Chrome Extension with React . This article explains how to create a Chrome extension using React. It breaks down what an extension is, and then walks through step by step on how to create an extension that changes the background color of a page."
"DoorDash held talks to buy Instacart . DoorDash was recently in talks to buy Instacart for up to $50 billion. Instacart initiated the talks, which have since fallen apart due to concerns over whether the deal would get antitrust regulators' approval. The company plans to list in the next few months. Instacart had also tried to initiate talks with Uber about a sales partnership, but those talks have also fallen apart. All companies involved have declined to comment on the rumors."
"Spiders eating snakes, oh my! Here are the photographs to prove it . Some spiders occasionally eat snakes. They have been documented eating a variety of animals, including worms, insects, fish, reptiles, and small mammals. 30 species of spiders have been observed to eat snakes in the wild, with 11 more demonstrating the ability in captivity or staged field experiments. Widow spiders, tarantulas, and large orb-weaving spiders account for 80 percent of all reported instances to date. Pictures of spiders eating snakes are available in the article."
"No CS Degree (Website). No CS degree is a website that features interviews with successful self-taught and bootcamp developers. Developers who learned to code through self-education talk about their experiences in learning code without going through a degree, and how they managed to build products and profitable businesses."
"Clubhouse comes to Android after more than a year of iOS exclusivity . Clubhouse is releasing its Android app in beta in the US after more than a year of exclusivity on iOS. It will collect feedback from the community over the next few weeks before rolling the app out more broadly. Users outside of the US will be able to pre-register for access in the Google Play Store. Clubhouse will remain invite-only for now. The company has limited access to control its growth, but the platform has still grown faster than expected."
"The Never-Aging Ants With a Terrible Secret . Temnothorax ants that are infected with parasitic tapeworms live significantly longer than their uninfected siblings. They also live lives of luxury, often getting more attention than even the queen while contributing nothing to the colony. The infected ants retain youthful traits and look very similar to young nurse ants. While the infected ants lay about, their siblings have to work harder, causing stress on the colony. Infected ants are more docile, making them easy prey for birds, who spread the parasite after digesting the ants."
"Forget AR glasses. Augmented reality is headed to your windshield (10 minute read). Envisics has developed a headset-free, in-car holography system that can give drivers an Augmented Reality Heads-Up Display. One of the biggest challenges for makers of AR headsets is people moving their heads, which is less of a problem in cars. Envisics' Retina-grade displays can produce sharp and clear images three to four times the resolution of the human eye. Its first-generation displays are available in current Jaguar Land Rovers and the second-generation version will appear in GM's Cadillac Lyriq in 2023. A one-minute video is available in the article that demonstrates some functions of Envisics' AR HUD."
"Watch Blue Origin launch 4-person crew, including William Shatner, to space live . Blue Origin is set to launch William Shatner into space at around 9:30 am ET. Shatner is set to become the oldest person to go to space at 90 years old. The mission was scheduled for October 12, but it was pushed back due to forecasted high winds. Three other people will be on the mission. The livestream is set to begin at around 8:30 am ET. A link to the stream is available in the article."
"Metarank (GitHub Repo). Metarank is a machine learning tool that personalizes product listings, articles, recommendations, and search results to boost sales. It can be integrated into apps without any machine learning expertise. A demo is available."
"Watch SpaceX ACTUALLY hop Starship SN-5 150m!!! (55 minute video). SpaceX recently performed its first test flight on Starship SN-5. This video (previously live-streamed) shows SpaceX performing the hop. Starship takes off and lands successfully, with the test lasting for just over a minute. The link starts the video right before the launch."
"American Dominance in Tech Wealth Creation Upended by Asian Wave . According to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index, the last few years has seen a change among the top 10 self-made billionaires under the age of 40. In the past, the list was dominated by people from the US, but in 2018, 4 of the top 10 were from China, 2 were from Australia, and only 3 were from the US. The changes are likely due to the rise of Chinese technology companies. Of the 500 total people on the list 41 are now from China, compared to 31 at the end of 2016."
"Telegram Now Lets You Delete a Received Message From Sender's Device . Telegram users have been able to unsend messages sent within 48 hours for a while now, but a new update will allow users to delete any message in their private chats, regardless of who sent it and when it was sent. To access this feature, users just have to hold down on any message and an option will pop up to delete the message from both devices. Another feature has also been introduced that will let users send anonymous messages that can't be linked back to their account profiles. Other changes include searchable settings and emojis, and Voiceover and Talkback are now enabled."
"NASA simulation shows kaleidoscope of sunsets on other worlds . Geronimo Villaneuva, a planetary scientist from NASA, created a collection of sunset simulations while making a computer modeling tool for a possible future mission to Uranus. The simulation can display the known sky colors of Uranus, Earth, Venus, Mars, and Titan, showing the Sun setting from the perspective of someone standing on these worlds. The simulations have been implemented into the Planetary Spectrum Generator, an online tool that helps scientists replicate how light is transferred through the atmospheres of planets, exoplanets, moons, and comets. Videos of the simulations are available in the article."
"Blobs App (GitHub Repo). Blobs App is an easy way to generate blob shapes and export the SVG or Flutter code. Users can choose the color, outline, and the randomness and complexity of the shape of the blob. A link to the web app is available."
"Apple has reportedly cut production of its 3 newest iPhone models after lower-than-expected demand . Apple has cut production targets for all three iPhones it released in September (the XR, the XS, and the XS Max) due to low demand. Analysts believe that the iPhone could start seeing year-over-year declines in sales as soon as the first quarter of 2019. Apple recently announced that it would no longer be reporting iPhone unit sales. The XR model is doing especially poorly, and Apple has told producers to cut production by a third (originally they asked for 70 million units between September and February)."
"browser-2020 (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a list of lesser-known features that are implemented in modern browsers. The list is designed for everybody, not just for a technical audience. Some features are browser-specific and haven't become standard yet."
"It turns out that Facebook could in fact use data collected from its Portal in-home video device to target you with ads . So Facebook's smart device, which they promised would not track you, is going to track you. After saying last week that ""this is something in your living room or kitchen. There should be no surprises on it, period,"" Facebook surprises no one by admitting now that the Portal actually will be tracking you; the Portal will be logging who you call and what apps you use in order to target you with ads on other Facebook properties. Myspace Tom would never have done this."
"Framework startup designed a thin, modular, repairable 13-inch laptop . Framework is a startup that will soon be launching its first product, a 13.5-inch laptop. The laptop will have a modular design, with components that can be easily configured, replaced, or upgraded. It features easily accessible sockets for RAM, storage, and Wi-Fi, and the company pledges to offer future motherboard swaps and CPU upgrades, without replacing the entire laptop. A marketplace will be created for third parties to design, build, and sell compatible modules for the laptop. The laptop is expected to become widely available this summer."
"nannou (GitHub Repo). nannou is a collection of code designed to make it easy for artists to find tools to create simple, fast, reliable, and portable code for Rust. The project is still brand new and developers are welcome to contribute. A reference guide is available which includes installation instructions and tutorials for using nannou."
"Crazy-looking Hyperion XP-1 fuel cell hypercar seen driving on public roads . Hyperion's hydrogen-powered XP-1 hypercar claims a 1,000-mile range per tank of hydrogen, 1,500 horsepower, a 0-60 time of 2.2 seconds, and a top speed of 221 mph. There are no batteries on-board to store energy, which reduces weight. As there was no physical CES show this year, Hyperion decided to drive the XP-1 up and down the Vegas Strip. The vehicle will be available to the public starting in 2022. Pictures and a video of the vehicle are available in the article."
"Facebook also hired human contractors to listen to audio from its Messenger app . Facebook hired third-party contractors to review and transcribe audio clips from users to ensure that conversations were being correctly transcribed in the Messenger app. The feature to transcribe voice clips to text in Messenger is turned off by default. Only those who had opted in to use the feature and the people who they were talking to while using voice to text translation had their anonymized audio clips reviewed for accuracy. According to the support page, the feature uses machine learning to transcribe audio. There is no mention of other human beings as part of the transcribing process. It was recently discovered that other companies such as Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon have been using human contractors to review audio from customers without their explicit consent. Amazon has since allowed users to opt-out, Apple has completely stopped the practice, and Google continues to defend the use of contractors."
"Square to buy Afterpay, which offers a ‘buy now, pay later’ service, for $29 billion in stock . Square plans to buy Australian company Afterpay for $29 billion in stock. Afterpay offers 'buy now, pay later' services, which have become increasingly prevalent across the web. The company serves more than 16 million customers and nearly 100,000 merchants. Square and Afterpay expect the sale to finalize in early 2022. Apple is reportedly working on a similar service called Apple Pay Later."
"India is now a larger smartphone market than the US . India has taken over the US as the second-largest smartphone market in the world, with 158 million phones shipping to the country in 2019. Many Chinese manufacturers offer aggressively-priced devices. 72 percent of devices shipped to India came from brands like Xiaomi, Vivo, Realme, and Oppo. Non-Chinese brands had mixed results in performance. It isn't surprising that India has surpassed the US in phone sales due to its population, and it wouldn't be surprising if phone-makers start designing more phones with India in mind."
"Awesome Uses (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a list of /uses pages that detail apps and gear used by professional web developers, along with a short description of what each developer does. Web developers are encouraged to submit their own pages to contribute to the list."
"For The First Time, Scientists Successfully Extract DNA From Insects Embedded In Tree Resin . When a small animal is trapped in tree resin, its soft tissues start to decay immediately and most of the DNA is lost before the animal is encapsulated and preserved. Any remaining DNA is usually destroyed over time as the resin's compounds react with it. A recent study found that fragile bits of DNA still exist in samples of beetles two to six years after the beetles were preserved in resin. It found that common methods of studying DNA weren't effective for use with DNA from resin samples, and some techniques actually destroyed the fragile DNA inside the resin. The scientists will use the techniques from the study to examine other resin-embedded insects to determine how long DNA can survive inside the environment."
"Launching Today: Free Wolfram Engine for Developers . The Wolfram Engine for Developers implements the full Wolfram Language as a software component that can be plugged into any standard software engineering stack. Developers have access to the full Wolfram Knowledgebase through a free subscription to the Wolfram Cloud. Wolfram Language is designed to be so simple that people would take it for granted that their computer is able to identify objects in images, solve equations, or complete many other tasks. The Wolfram Engine for Developers is free to use for all pre-production and open source projects."
Rocket Lab prepares its chopper to catch a returning booster in midair . Rocket Lab plans to catch the first stage of its Electron booster midair with a customized helicopter later this month. The first stage will deploy a parachute and slow down to 10 meters per second before the helicopter will make its attempt. Previous tests of the procedure with replica models have been successful. A 14-day launch window for the test will open up on April 19.
"Would you be interested in a crypto version of TLDR?
I'm seeing a ton of interesting crypto stories like the SOS airdrop and this Avalanche development tutorial but I don't want the whole newsletter to be flooded with crypto content, so if you'd be interested in a separate smaller version of TLDR that is only crypto tech and programming news, could you please fill out the above form so I can see if this is something worth creating? Thanks!
). I'm seeing a ton of interesting crypto stories like the SOS airdrop and this Avalanche development tutorial but I don't want the whole newsletter to be flooded with crypto content, so if you'd be interested in a separate smaller version of TLDR that is only crypto tech and programming news, could you please fill out the above form so I can see if this is something worth creating? Thanks!"
"Apple just dismissed more than 200 employees from Project Titan, its autonomous vehicle group . Apple fired over 200 employees from Project Titan, its self driving car project. It looks like Apple's car ambitions have been dialed back from having their own car to just focusing on software. They seem to be doubling down on healthcare instead, with Tim Cook saying ""I believe, if you zoom out into the future, and you look back, and you ask the question, 'What was Apple's greatest contribution to mankind?' it will be about health."""
"Ask HN: Books you plan to read in 2020? (Hacker News Thread). The new decade is coming up, and people are starting to make lists for what to accomplish for next year. This thread is full of book recommendations. Most discussion is around books that help optimize people's lives. Some technical books are listed. Discussion around engineering topics is mostly around managing work/life balance and also making sure that one chooses a small, concise, and clear set of sources rather than reading widely."
"Good at StarCraft? DARPA wants to train military robots with your brain waves . Engineers from the University at Buffalo, New York, have received funding from the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to train machines to think like humans when playing a strategy game. Participants in the study will be connected to an electroencephalogram so that their brain activity can be recorded and then processed using machine learning algorithms. The aim of the project is to create an AI that can improve coordination between large teams of autonomous air and ground robots. Swarm intelligence is a branch of computer science that deals with collective, decentralized, and self-organized systems, both virtual and robotic. Many applications can be completed with swarms of cheaper robots rather than using single expensive robots. By using a swarm of robots that are all trained to complete different tasks, the group can coordinate and complete many different tasks. It is difficult to train many different robots in a wide range of tasks. The scientists hope that they will be able to speed up the process by studying brain activity when making decisions."
"AI tech predicts time and place of lightning-strikes . An AI system was able to predict the time and place of lightning strikes using standard weather station data. It was trained using data from four basic weather parameters: atmospheric pressure, air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. The data was gathered over a 10-year period in urban and mountainous regions and cross-referenced with recordings from lightning detection and location systems. Researchers were able to predict the location and time in which lightning would strike at around an 80 percent accuracy rate. Using AI, more accurate prediction systems that require fewer inputs can be developed. This system will be able to cover more areas as it doesn't require external data from radars or satellites."
"Study: Solitary electric eels sometimes hunt in groups with synchronized zaps . Scientists have observed groups of electric eels hunting in groups. The eels were previously thought to be solitary predators. Hunting in groups is rare in fish, with only nine other species known for the behavior. Electric eels produce electric discharges via three pairs of abdominal organs. A single eel can produce up to 860 volts of electricity, enough to power 100 light bulbs. A 16-second video showing a pack of electric eels hunting together is available in the article."
"Scientists Used Dopamine to Seamlessly Merge Artificial and Biological Neurons . Scientists have been able to connect an artificial neuron with a biological one, getting them to communicate with dopamine. Previous attempts at hybrid neural circuits only focused on electrical computing. Chemical computing would bring brain-machine interfaces closer to reality. It is theoretically possible to use these neuromorphic chips as replacement parts for damaged brains. The chips demonstrated the ability to learn. A lot more research is still required before the technology can be used for any practical applications."
"Electronic Tattoos Add Power to Wearable Computing . Researchers have created a way to make flexible metal tattoo-like circuits that can be applied to human skin after adding a bit of water (just like those tattoos that little kids get). The connectivity is high enough to support digital circuit functionality. This seems like a pretty big breakthrough in wearable electronics, there's a 2 minute Youtube video in the article demonstrating these circuits in action."
"Netflix Begins Test to Crack Down on Password Sharing Outside Your Household . Some Netflix TV users have started seeing a notification prompting them to get their own accounts if they don't live with the owner of the account. It is unclear whether all users need to be on the same IP address to be considered in the same household. Netflix terms state that accounts cannot be shared with individuals outside of a household. Netflix has not done anything to police this term until now, except to set limits on simultaneous streaming."
"Ask HN: What developer tools would you like to see? (Hacker News Thread). Developer tools help developers get feedback and work more efficiently. In this Hacker News thread, developers discuss the tools they would like to be created and how these tools would help them with their workflows. Most replies to top comments contain suggestions on currently existing tools that do what the developer wants."
"krisp (Desktop App). Krisp is a cool free desktop app for Mac that uses machine learning to mute all background noise whenever you're on a call. It allows you to both ""listen without noise"" (muting background noise on the other end) and ""speak without noise"" (muting background noise on your end). I'm not sure if the demos are real world examples or set up to specifically to work well with their algorithm, but they're really impressive."
"Home Buyer Opendoor Is Going Public In $4.8 Billion Merger . Opendoor is a platform that lets homeowners quickly sell their houses. The company will go public through a merger with Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings II, a shell company led by a venture capitalist and early Facebook executive. Opendoor generated $4.7 billion in revenue in 2019 with 18,000 home sales across 21 markets. It laid off a third of its employees in April. While the company is still operating at a loss, the deal values Opendoor at an enterprise value of $4.8 billion."
"How I Made My Own iPhone (24 minute video). Okay, this video is actually from 2017 and has 15 million views so some of you might have seen it already, but I just came across it and it's incredible. This guy walks around Huaqiangbei, China and builds his own iPhone out of spare parts being sold by random replacement part shops."
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"Amazon details new warehouse robots, 'Ernie' and 'Bert' . Amazon is testing out two new robots, Ernie and Bert, to try to reduce strenuous movements for workers. The robots are designed to allow workers to focus on tasks while minimizing their potential for injury. Ernie helps remove items from a robotic shelf, and Bert can navigate independently and deliver items around facilities for workers. Amazon recently set a goal to reduce recordable incident rates in half by 2025, with plans to invest more than $300 million into safety projects this year."
React Awesome Shapes (GitHub Repo). React Awesome Shapes allows developers to easily insert shapes into their sites. It currently contains six responsive and customizable shapes. The shapes can be imported and used in any web framework that uses NPM.
Ludwig (GitHub Repo). Ludwig is a toolbox built on top of Tensorflow that allows users to run machine learning models without any coding required. Users only need to provide a CSV of their data with desired inputs and outputs. Ludwig is able to train machine learning models and use the models to predict data. Users can also use Ludwig to visualize data.
Netflix Plans to Launch Cheaper Ad-Supported Plans . Netflix plans to offer a less expensive tier supported by advertising. Many of its competitors have ad-backed tiers and many advertisers have pushed for the streaming giant to let them advertise on the platform. Netflix will not use data tracking and ad-matching for its ad-backed tier. The company is experiencing a decline in subscribers and subscriber growth. Adding a lower tier could help bring more price-sensitive users back.
"Nvidia Unveils Big Accelerator Memory: Solid-State Storage for GPUs . Nvidia's Big Accelerator Memory (BaM) method can make GPUs seamlessly work with SSDs. BaM will be particularly useful for workloads that use large datasets. To process large datasets efficiently, GPUs either need vast amounts of expensive special-purpose memory or efficient access to solid-state storage. BaM will allow Nvidia GPUs to fetch large amounts of data from SSDs and use it independently from the CPU, making graphics cards more self-sufficient than they are today."
"Italy begins the first floating wind power plant in the Mediterranean . The 7Seas Med project aims to build a floating wind farm in the Mediterranean Sea. Located 35 kilometers off the coast of Marsala, the 25 floating wind turbines constructed in the next 25 to 30 years will produce up to ten megawatts of power each. Italy needs to develop 9,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2030 to reach the European Union's goals. Floating turbines can be moved when needed, but it is unlikely to be necessary in this case due to the chosen location. The project will start construction in 2023 and will begin to produce energy in the following year."
"Apple's New Proprietary Software Locks Kill Independent Repair on New MacBook Pros . All Apple computers with T2 security chips will now require proprietary software to be run following repairs, making independent repairs impossible. This includes the 2018 Macbook Pro and the iMac Pro. This is the same strategy used by John Deere to prevent farmers from doing their own tractor repairs. The CEO of iFixit says ""Independent repair companies have been fixing MacBooks undaunted by the user-hostile activities Apple has taken. It could be really detrimental to schools, to people who live in rural areas. If they stick with this, it seems like a huge argument in favor of right to repair."""
Elon Musk’s brain-computer company schedules reveal . Elon Musk’s brain-computing venture Neuralink has announced an event on Tuesday where it will reveal what the company has been secretly working on the last few years. Neuralink is rumored to be working on brain implants that would help treat cognitive impairments and neurological diseases. Musk has said before that he aims to create a product that would augment humans with artificial intelligence. Job listings on Neuralink’s website describe the company as developing “ultra-high bandwidth brain-machine interfaces to connect humans and computers.”
"The Other Shoe Drops: Away Fires CEO Steph Korey After Months-Long Search for Her Replacement . Steph Korey, the CEO of online luggage retailer Away, will step down as CEO and be replaced by Stuart Haselden, the former COO of Lululemon Athletica Inc. Korey will remain as executive chairman of the company. Away has been searching for a CEO since spring after Korey's management style was criticized as being harsh. The story around Korey's dismissal has been building for several months. It was reported that Korey had created a toxic culture within the startup. However, many of the sources were probably disgruntled ex-employees. Some of the circumstances around the story suggest that the company had been trying to remove Korey for some time."
"Internet blimps are coming to Zanzibar. But can a UK company succeed where Google failed? . The Tanzanian islands of Zanzibar and Pemba will soon be a test site for a network of tethered blimp-like balloons that will provide near-blanket internet coverage across the islands. Only 20% of Tanzanians use the internet due to limited coverage, high data costs, and low digital literacy. The helium-filled balloons will float 300 meters high and have a broadcast range of around 700 kilometers. They will be able to stay airborne for 2 weeks before needing to be refueled. A ground network will be constructed to provide Wi-Fi. The first balloon will launch in June."
"DeepMind AI Reaches 'Human-Level Performance' In Modded 'Quake Arena III' . Alphabet’s DeepMind has created an AI that can play a modded version of Quake III Arena at human-level performance. It has previously created AI to play other games, such as Starcraft II. The version of Quake III Arena that the AI trained on was much more simplified than the original version, with only spherical models to represent players and a ‘tag’ system instead of shooting. Despite the modifications, the AI agents still had the same information a human player would usually see in a game. In a tournament against 40 human players, some DeepMind’s AI agents were able to surpass even the highly-skilled players’ win-rates."
"Apple to Announce Redesigned 14-Inch and 16-Inch MacBook Pro at WWDC, Says Wedbush Analyst . Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives sent out a note to investors saying that Apple will be announcing 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with Apple silicon at WWDC next week. The new MacBook Pros are rumored to have several changes including the removal of the Touch Bar, a more flat-edged design, an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and MagSafe magnetic charging. It could feature an M2 chip, but it is more likely to have an M1 chip. Ives' note also included other predictions about the iPhone 13, Apple Glasses, and the Apple Car."
"Rocket Lab gets NASA certification for official smallsat launches . Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle has received Category 1 certification from NASA, largely due to the successful launch of a batch of NASA CubeSats into orbit in late 2018. Certification categories go from 1-3, from 'high risk' to 'low risk'. The certification is based on the number of successful launches. Rocket Lab needs six consecutive successful missions with the same rocket configuration in order to receive a Category 2 certification. It currently has 10 in a row, but it is likely stuck behind some paperwork."
"Rows n' Columns (GitHub Repo). This repository contains an Excel-like DataGrid component for React JS. It is built to be similar to Google Sheets. It is high-performance, easily customizable, and supports row and column freezing, auto filter views, cell styling, formatting, and more."
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videoinput.js (GitHub Repo). videoinput.js creates an HTML element that can record video inputs and POST them directly to a URL. It can be used to create a simple form-like interface for recording and submitting videos.
Mint: A new language designed for building single page applications (13 minute read). Mint is a new language designed for single page app development. It offers a set of language-level features that is impossible to replicate in JavaScript without using an assortment of libraries. Mint's executable is around 34mb and it covers most use cases without external dependencies.
"Toyota will transform a 175-acre site in Japan into a ‘prototype city of the future’ . Toyota plans to transform a 175-acre site of a former car factory into a prototype city of the future. The city will then be a place where it can test autonomous vehicles, innovative street design, smart home technology, robotics, and new mobility products. Toyota plans to build the city at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan. It will house 2,000 people, starting at the end of 2021. The city will be powered by Toyota's hydrogen fuel cell technology. It is unknown what Toyota's policies around access to data, privacy, or nondisclosure agreements will be. Google's similar Sidewalk Labs project in Toronto has faced constant criticism."
"Internet, social media use and device ownership in U.S. have plateaued after years of growth . According to Pew Research, the shares of U.S. adults who say they use the internet, use social media, own a smartphone or own a tablet computer are all nearly identical to the shares who said so in 2016. 95% of people have cell phones, 89% have internet, and 69% use social media. The number of people who own a desktop or a laptop computer actually dropped from 78% in 2016 to 73% today, while the number of people with tablets increased from 51% in 2016 to 53% today. For better or worse, it appears that adoption of most of these internet technologies has plateaued in the United States."
"Google Pixel 3 'Lite' leaks in extensive video . The Google Pixel 3 Lite will have a Snapdragon 670 processor and 4GB of RAM. There's a video in this article with a leak showing many angles of the phone. It's made of plastic, has a headphone jack, and comes with a 5.56-inch 2220 x 1080 LCD display."
"Pluton, Microsoft’s new security chip, will finally be put to the test . Microsoft's Pluton, a security processor designed to protect against some of the most sophisticated types of attacks, will be integrated into AMD's upcoming Ryzen CPUs for use in Lenovo's ThinkPad Z Series of laptops. Pluton is already being used to secure Xbox Ones and Azure Sphere microcontrollers. The technology will secure PCs against physical hacks designed to install malware or steal cryptographic keys or other sensitive secrets. It stores keys and other secrets in a walled garden isolated from other system components. The new ThinkPad Z series laptops will begin shipping in May."
"In Cell Studies, Seaweed Extract Outperforms Remdesivir in Blocking COVID-19 Virus . Heparin, an extract from edible seaweeds, outperformed remdesivir in tests of effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2. The spike protein on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 can lock onto a decoy molecule with a similar fit, neutralizing the virus. Heparin has been effective in trapping other viruses, including dengue, Zika, and influenza A. The treatment could potentially be made into a nasal spray that neutralizes the virus before it has a chance to infect the body."
"Acoustic Tweezers Can Pick Objects Up With Sound Waves – Without Any Physical Contact . Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have developed a technology that uses sound waves to pick up objects. Scientists have been using light to move microscopic objects around for many years using a technique called optical trapping. Acoustic trapping can manipulate larger, millimeter-sized objects. The new technique achieves more accuracy and control over previous attempts. An 11-second video demonstrating the acoustic trapping technique is available in the article."
"Apple will reportedly debut an M2 chip with four new Macs this year . Apple is rumored to be releasing several new M2 Macs this year. The M2 will be slightly faster than the M1 and will likely share the same eight-core architecture. It will have up to nine or 10 graphics cores. The new Macs will be released in March and May or June at two separate events. They include a larger iMac Pro, 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, 24-inch iMac, and a redesigned MacBook Air"
"Airbnb to acquire last-minute hotel booking service HotelTonight . Airbnb has purchased HotelTonight, a last-minute hotel booking service, a little over a year after the launch of Airbnb Plus. Airbnb Plus is a service that provides bookings for boutique hotels and traditional bed and breakfasts. HotelTonight will continue to operate as usual, however, listings from Airbnb Plus will likely be added into the range of choices in the app. Since working with hotels, Airbnb has been able to enter into markets that have stricter rules around short term stays, and it tripled its hotel bookings between 2017 and 2018."
"Kuo: Apple to include new scissor switch keyboard in 2019 MacBook Air and 2020 MacBook Pro . Ming-Chi Kuo has released a report that says that Apple will introduce new keyboard designs based on scissor switches, starting with the 2019 MacBook Air. The new design uses glass fiber to reinforce the keys and improve durability. It will also be cheaper to manufacture than the previous butterfly keyboard design. The butterfly keyboard received many complaints about stuck keys, repeated key inputs, and sound. Reverting back to the same key switch mechanism used in MacBooks before 2015 will be a change that is greatly welcomed by many users."
"Parents are spending thousands on YouTube camps that teach kids how to be famous . School-age children now have the opportunity to go to YouTube summer camps. The camps, which can cost up to $1,000 a week, teach children how to draft storyboard ideas, interview people, and edit audio and video. While YouTube’s minimum age is 13, children can still run channels under the supervision of their parents. These channels will automatically be put on private and have comments disabled. Many parents interviewed did not see being a YouTube star as a viable career. However, the platform is now the most preferred source of entertainment for kids, and many children are aiming for careers on YouTube."
"Meta has built an AI supercomputer it says will be world’s fastest by end of 2022 . Meta's new AI Research SuperCluster will be one of the world's fastest AI supercomputers. Development on the supercomputer is expected to complete later this year. It will be used to train a range of systems across Meta's businesses and design experiences for the metaverse. AI supercomputers require much less accuracy than traditional supercomputers, so they can not be directly compared. While theoretical performance numbers can be impressive, it is common for supercomputers to run at less than 25% of their peak performance during real-world applications."
"Pink Snow in the Italian Alps Is a Cute Sign of Environmental Catastrophe . While pink glacial ice might be pretty, it is a more sinister sign than it looks. The pink color in pink snow is caused by algae. Pink snow usually occurs in spring or summer, when there is enough light and warmth for the algae to grow. Whiter snow is better at reflecting light and thus keeping itself cool. Pink snow absorbs more light, which causes a chain reaction that causes more ice to melt. Many areas around the world saw pink snow blooms this year."
"I made an AI-powered Linux shell using OpenAI (5 minute video). This video shows off an AI-powered Linux shell that uses OpenAI to interpret language and run commands. It can run complex commands, so the user doesn't have to waste time looking up how to do things. The shell can understand natural language queries, such as 'List files from biggest to smallest'. Due to OpenAI's restrictions, the software isn't public."
"PayPal is exploring a stock-trading platform for its U.S. customers . PayPal is exploring ways to let users trade individual stocks. The company recently hired brokerage industry veteran Rich Hagen to lead a previously unreported division at PayPal called 'Invest at PayPal' and explore opportunities in the consumer investment business. Business has been good for trading platforms, with more than 10 million new individual investors entering the market in the first half of this year. It is unlikely that the service will roll out this year due to the lengthy application process."
"2 Months After Failed Moon Landing, India Acknowledges Its Craft Crashed . India sent a landing vehicle to the moon back in September in an attempt to make history, but the project ended inconclusively and there was no explanation of what happened at the time. Public updates only stated that the lander had been located and that no communication had been established with it yet. The Indian government has now released a statement that revealed that the Vikram lander had malfunctioned, causing it to crash. The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft continues to be successful in collecting information during its orbit around the moon."
"The mysterious photo of a purple flower that receives 78 million hits each day . An image hosted by Wikimedia Commons has been receiving around 78 million hits a day since roughly June 29 last year. The photo of the purple daisy now accounts for 20% of data requests to the organization's servers. It is unknown where the traffic is coming from, except that it is likely to be from a mobile app. It appears that the mysterious app's developers copied code that links to the image. The app is likely an Indian TikTok clone as the traffic coincides with the date that TikTok was banned in the country."
"Showcase (GitHub Repo). Showcase is a sample project that applies a modern approach to Android development using Kotlin and the latest tech-stacks. The aim of the project is to demonstrate best practices, present guidelines, and to present a modern Android application architecture that is modular, scalable, maintainable, and testable. While the application is simple, it builds a solid foundation for larger apps suitable for bigger teams and a long application lifecycle."
"Cuttlefish can pass the marshmallow test . Cuttlefish are able to delay gratification. Scientists found that the cephalopods could wait a bit for preferred prey rather than settling for a less desirable prey. Other animals, such as apes and corvids, have also demonstrated the ability to delay gratification through future-oriented foraging. The Stanford marshmallow test was a study where 600 children between the ages of four and six were given a choice to eat a marshmallow immediately or wait 15 minutes for a second marshmallow. The study found a correlation between those who had demonstrated self-control and success later in life. Later studies found that the correlation was much less significant when factoring in aspects like family background and home environment."
"Chinese internet users turn to the blockchain to fight against government censorship . Blockchain technology is one of the major computing trends that is likely to shape the world in the next decade, according to the World Economic Forum. The blockchain works by creating a network in which information is stored and verified by multiple parties. This means that once something is on the blockchain, it stays there. If anything is changed, it would be immediately noticeable. Understandably, the Chinese government is concerned with this feature, as it makes it almost impossible to censor information. In response, the Chinese government has made it clear that it values certain blockchains over others - ones which have features that allow information to be removed."
"Uber will test 'autonomous' food delivery sometime next year . Uber and autonomous vehicle company Motional have partnered up to provide autonomous deliveries through Uber Eats. A pilot program will launch sometime in early 2022 in Santa Monica, California. Only a curated set of meal kits from selected restaurants will be available. Safety operators will be present in the vehicles at launch. Uber has pursued partnerships with self-driving firms since selling its own self-driving division in 2020."
"Apple concedes to let apps like Netflix, Spotify, and Kindle link to the web to sign up . Apple has changed its App Store rules to allow developers of reader apps to share a single link to their website to help users set up and manage their accounts. Reader apps are apps that allow users to access previously purchased content, but do not offer in-app digital goods and services for purchase. Apps like Netflix, Spotify, and Kindle will now be allowed to directly link customers to their own sign-up website. The change was made to close an investigation by the Japan Fair Trade Commission into a suspected violation of the Antimonopoly Act."
"KeyboardShortcuts (GitHub Repo). KeyboardShortcuts allows you to create user-customizable global shortcuts for your macOS app. It is fully sandbox and Mac App Store compatible. KeyboardShortcuts is written in Swift and has support for listening to key down, not just key up."
"Report: Apple will unveil overhauled MacBook Pro, “Pro” iPhones this fall . Apple is set to release updated versions of the iPhones, Macbook Pro, Apple Watch, iPad Pro, the entry-level iPad, AirPods, and the HomePod. It is rumored that Apple is holding an event on September 10. The next versions of the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR will have updates to their camera capabilities, a new processor, a reverse charging feature, OLED displays, and Haptic Touch. A major redesign is expected for the Macbook Pro, which may include a 16-inch screen. The entry-level iPad will have a 10.2-inch screen, and the iPad Pro models will see an upgraded camera and faster processors. Apple is also rumored to release an Apple Watch update focused on software, AirPods with noise cancelation and water resistance, and a cheaper version of the HomePod."
Reshape (GitHub Repo). Reshape is a zero-downtime schema migration tool for Postgres. It automatically handles complex migrations that would normally require downtime or manual multi-step changes by ensuring both old and new schemas are available at the same time during a migration. Reshape is still experimental and should not be used in production.
"Diagrams (GitHub Repo). Diagrams was originally developed for prototyping new system architecture design without any design tools. It allows developers to draw new cloud system architecture or to describe and visualize existing system architecture in Python. Diagrams supports AWS, Azure, Alibaba Cloud, and other main major providers. It supports On-Premise nodes, SaaS, and major programming frameworks and languages."
Heazy (Website). Heazy lets users create unique vector assets within seconds.
"The English Language Wikipedia Just Had Its Billionth Edit . Wikipedia had its billionth edit on January 12. The edit was made by a prolific Wikipedian who has over 3.9 million edits, the highest edit count held by a human. It was based on an article about Death Breathing, a noise album released in 1998. The announcement doesn't take into account the edits made in the early years of Wikipedia before it migrated to its own servers and software."
"DiDi co-founder Liu told colleagues she plans to leave . DiDi's co-founder and president Jean Liu told close associates that she plans to step down as she expects the government to eventually take over the company and appoint new management. The Chinese ride-hailing giant has been facing intense regulatory scrutiny since July over its collection and use of personal data, pricing mechanisms, and competitive practices. China has been cracking down on private companies to control big data and break down monopolistic practices. DiDi is actively and fully cooperating with the cybersecurity review and claims that the rumors about management changes are false."
"'Project Magnum': Flywheel’s Alleged Plot to Steal Peloton’s Technology (10 minute read). Stationary bike maker Flywheel announced to customers in an email on Wednesday that it was going to shut down its at-home virtual bike service. The shutdown was the result of a lawsuit where its competitor Peloton accused Flywheel of corporate espionage and intellectual property theft. As part of the agreement, most Flywheel customers who purchased their bikes outright will be able to trade in their bikes for a refurbished Peloton one. Documents from the lawsuit revealed the existence of 'Project Magnum', a plot by Flywheel to steal Peloton's confidential trade information. The relationship between Peloton and Flywheel used to be friendly, but Peloton managed to become a big company without the help of Flywheel, and the rivalry soured."
"Dragonfly (GitHub Repo). Dragonfly is a modern, scalable in-memory data store. It is fully compatible with Redis and Memcached. Dragonfly scales vertically to handle millions of QPS and hundreds of GBs of memory on a single instance. Benchmark results are available."
"Getting scanned for a pint: How facial recognition technology is being used in a London pub . A pub in England is using facial recognition technology to form a digital queue to prevent people from cutting in line. A display in the pub shows the crowd and a virtual number showing their place in the queue. Bartenders control the queue with tablets. The bar claims that the data never leaves the building and is deleted once it has been used, but some people are concerned that hackers may be able to access the data. Facial recognition technology is not regulated, so people need to be careful sometimes. The technology is also able to detect if someone is underage."
"4 Lessons I wish I knew earlier on in my professional career . When starting out in a career, it's okay to make bad bets that don't work out. What matters most is getting a body of work started. Joining a company means being able to borrow its reputation, so having experience in a large company can be advantageous. It is important to keep updated with the industry and stay relevant as you move through your career. If companies aren't adapting to the ever-changing environment, it may be time to move on."
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"Pentagon Has Tested A Suicide Drone That Gets To Its Target Area At Hypersonic Speed (14 minute read). Vintage Racer is a loitering munition, more commonly referred to as a suicide drone, that can fly at hypersonic speeds. It is currently being tested by the US Army after being developed by the Pentagon over the last few years. Advanced maneuvering hypersonic weapons can survive air defenses well due to their speed, flight trajectories, and high degrees of maneuverability. Explanations, videos, and infographics on other weaponry developed by the US Military are available in the article."
"DOJ announces broad antitrust review of Big Tech, pushing down shares of Alphabet, Facebook and Amazon . The US Department of Justice has launched a broad antitrust review of big tech companies, without revealing specific company names. As a result, shares for the largest companies, Amazon, Alphabet, Apple, and Facebook dropped in value during extended trading. Big Tech is coming under more scrutiny as its market power grows and also due to the tremendous amount of consumer data that they control. The DOJ claims that digital platforms might be acting in ways that are not responsive to consumer demands, and the investigation will be looking into competition, stifled innovation, and the impact on customers."
"How containers work: overlayfs . Container images can be pretty big, so Docker uses overlays instead of making copies. Overlay filesystems allow users to mount filesystems with two directories, a lower directory that is read-only and an upper directory that can be read to and written from. There is a short tutorial on how to create an overlay with mount."
"Scientists Have Invented Light-Up OLED Tattoos . Researchers in Europe have created the world's first light-emitting tattoos based on OLED screen technology. While tattoos can be a form of self-expression, they are also useful as medical tools. The tattoos are made from an extremely thin layer of an electroluminescent polymer that glows when a charge is applied. They can be applied to surfaces using the same wet transfer process used in temporary tattoos and can be easily washed off when no longer needed. When combined with other wearable technologies, these tattoos could start flashing whenever certain body signals are triggered. A lot more research is required before the technology can be used on human skin."
"Alibaba sets new Singles Day record with more than $30.8 billion in sales in 24 hours . In China, November 11th (11/11) is Singles Day, a day to celebrate being single. It's also turned into sort of their version of Black Friday, with Alibaba breaking its single day sales record this year by selling $30.8 billion worth of merchandise. On Singles day, Alibaba beat Amazon's record-setting Prime Day total of $4.68 billion in just 10 minutes."
"DoorDash signs definitive agreement to acquire Caviar, Square's food-ordering platform . DoorDash has acquired Square's Caviar for $410 million in cash and DoorDash preferred stock. With Caviar, DoorDash will gain a portfolio of premium restaurants and technology. Square will continue to focus on building its two growing ecosystems, one for business and one for individuals. DoorDash is a technology platform that connects customers with local and national businesses by offering on-demand door to door delivery. Caviar is a food ordering platform that connects customers with premium restaurants for delivery, pickup, or catering. Square makes tools to empower businesses and individuals to participate in the economy, such as its Square Reader, a device that allows anyone to accept card payments using a smartphone or tablet."
"Vertex (Website). This site features a collection of hand-crafted 3D icons that are free for commercial and personal use. The icons are fully customizable, with options for colors, rotation, and materials."
"Juul Accepts Proposed Ban On Flavored Vaping Products As CEO Steps Down . Juul Labs will stop advertising its e-cigarettes in the United States. Kevin Burns has stepped down as Juul's CEO and will be succeeded by K.C. Crosthwaite. Crosthwaite has stated his intention to work with regulators, policymakers, and other stakeholders in order to regain public trust in Juul's products. At least 530 people have recently developed vaping-related lung diseases, and nine people have died. Experts have not yet linked the outbreak to any specific product or type of e-cigarette, but many of the illnesses are connected to people who have used black market marijuana vaping products. Juul is under investigation to see whether its marketing to teens was a violation of consumer protection laws. The FDA will release its policy regarding the sale of flavored vaping products in the coming weeks."
"A New Navy Weapon Actually Stops You From Talking . Acoustic Hailing and Disruption (AHAD) is a weapon invented by the US Navy designed to stop people from talking. It records speech and instantly broadcasts it at a target, disrupting a target's concentration and discouraging them from continuing to speak. The broadcasted sound is in a narrow beam and directed so only the speaker can hear it. It makes a noticeable change in behavior in the target and will likely be confusing to anyone listening to the target person. The system can also project sound onto surfaces so that audio appears to come from the target."
"The world’s first foldable PC is now available to order from Lenovo . Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Fold is a foldable 13-inch OLED laptop screen that is now available for preorder starting at $2,499. The optional detachable keyboard converts the Fold into a full 13-inch notebook when docked. It comes with Intel's Lakefield processors, two USB-C ports, a SIM-card slot, 8GB ram, up to 1TB of storage, and a 50Wh battery. The device weighs 2.2 pounds and customers can add 5G support as an option. Other additions to Lenovo's line include the ThinkBook X1 Nano, ThinkBook 13s Gen 2, ThinkBook 14s Yoga, and ThinkBook 15 Gen 2."
"Google now pays 450 sites to bring you free news, including some paywalled stories . Google's News Showcase has launched in the UK and Argentina. The service allows users to access select paywalled content for free. Publishers are paid a monthly fee for access to the content. News Showcase is available in Germany, Brazil, and Australia through the Google News App or Discover on iOS and Android, as well as on mobile web. Australian lawmakers have drafted new rules that could force Google to pay news publishers for their content. Google has threatened to pull its search engine from the country if the law goes into effect."
"Mark Zuckerberg’s augmented reality . Mark Zuckerberg sees augmented reality glasses as a holy grail device that will redefine our relationship with technology. Meta is working on a first-generation device for release in 2024, with a more advanced design already planned for 2026. The devices will likely be priced higher than the company's Quest headsets as the materials will cost multiple thousands of dollars. Meta is aiming the first version at early adopters and developers, and it is not expecting high sales. More details about Meta's upcoming AR device are available in the article."
"Amazon sells a $19,000 do-it-yourself tiny-home kit that takes only 2 days to build — here's what it looks like inside . Amazon has started to sell tiny homes ranging from log cabins to loft-bedroom houses. There are more than two dozen options available with prices ranging from around $5,000 to $35,000. Some of the homes have been advertised as being able to be built in two days by two people. A $19,000 ‘getaway cabin’ is reviewed, with pictures showing the design and the interior of the home. The home has bare minimal materials and only a few features, with three rooms on the main floor and an attic-level bedroom above. Amenities are sparse, and it would require extra work to set up a kitchen. To make up for the lack of electricity, the home features a window in each room for natural lighting. The kit comes with all the materials you need to build the home. However, additional work to build the home’s foundation will be required."
"Apple releases new Beddit sleep tracker . Apple has released the Beddit Sleep Monitor after acquiring Beddit in 2017. The device is a 2mm-thin sensor strip that is placed under your bedsheets to measure sleep time, heart rate, breathing, snoring, bedroom temperature and humidity. You can connect it to your Apple Watch to display sleep report notifications and bedtime reminders. Your sleep analysis and heart rate data will also be accessible through the Health app on iOS 12. The device is available in Apple stores and on Apple's website for $150."
"The Future of Psychedelic Medicine Will Be Drugs You’ve Never Heard Of (15 minute read). Research on psychedelic compounds has boomed in the last few years. Many companies are now springing up in the psychedelic sector with the aim of creating new analogs of drugs similar to the psychedelics known today. Companies that create new psychedelics can patent them. These companies are creating compounds that alter the psychedelic experience to cater to different uses. There will likely be a range of psychedelics with niche uses in the future, similar to how there are a range of drugs for many conditions now."
"GitHub Actions now supports CI/CD, free for public repositories . GitHub Actions is an API for cause and effect on GitHub. Developers can orchestrate any workflow, based on any event, and GitHub will manage the execution and provide rich feedback while securing every step along the way. After receiving feedback from developers, GitHub has implemented CI/CD for any OS, any language, and any cloud. GitHub Actions is currently in beta and will be generally available on November 13."
"deepfakes_faceswap (GitHub Repo). Faceswap is a tool that uses deep learning to swap faces in pictures and videos. While the technology has the potential to be abused, the developers encourage users to follow strict ethical standards, such as not using it for inappropriate or illegal content, seeking consent from the people being swapped, and to be open and honest when a deepfake is being used in a video. A video of Steve Buscemi's face swapped on Jennifer Lawrence during a question and answer session is available."
"Pigs Can Game, Scientists Discover . Scientists have confirmed that pigs can game. Four pigs showed a remarkable ability to play a joystick-operated video game originally developed by NASA to test monkeys. The pigs were trained on how to use a joystick and then they gamed once a day for 12 weeks. They had to stop the study as some of the pigs had grown too large to stand long enough to complete the sessions. Each pig had its own individual aptitude for the tasks. Positive encouragement from their caretakers resulted in better outcomes in the game. A picture of a pig on one of the gaming consoles is available in the article."
"As a solo developer, I decided to offer phone support, and this is what happened . This article talks about the experience of a solo developer who decided to offer phone support for a couple of their apps in Japan. As the user base was small, the developer didn't receive a large number of calls, but most users were polite. Offering phone support allowed the developer to hear the problems that customers experienced directly and understand them more. The feedback helped them prioritize better and make better decisions. The article ends with tips on how to improve your listening skills."
"Tesla will unveil its Cybertruck pickup on Nov. 21 in LA, Elon Musk says . Elon Musk has announced that Tesla's Cybertruck will be unveiled on November 21 in Los Angeles, the same location and month as in the opening credits of the movie 'Blade Runner'. The truck includes features such as a power outlet that will allow the use of heavy-duty 240V high power tools in the field all day without the use of a generator. Tesla currently sells three vehicles: the Model S, Model 3, and Model X. It is planning to release the Model Y by the end of 2020. A Tesla Roadster and a Semi truck have been planned for release after the Model Y. Tesla delivered a profit in Q3. It is ahead of schedule for its new factory in Shanghai and its Model Y crossover. Tesla will start manufacturing cars at its European Gigafactory in 2021."
"How to mentor software engineers . We're rarely taught how to mentor. Mentoring is different from coaching. While both involve improving skills, a coach's role is to assess and not just to advise. Mentors give advice that is usually not just tied to day-to-day work, with conversations usually centering around goals, situations, and skills. This article discusses mentoring and gives tips on how to become a better mentor."
"Tumblr will ban all adult content on December 17th . After being briefly removed from the iOS App Store for child pornography, Tumblr said in a blog post ""Adult content will no longer be allowed here."" After December 17th, any explicit posts will be flagged and deleted by algorithms. Users will be able to appeal decisions that they believe the algorithm has made in error."
"Samsung Galaxy A53 leak leaves little to the imagination with official-looking renders, specs . Details on Samsung's upcoming Galaxy A53 have been leaked. The new phone will have a 6.5-inch FHD 120Hz display with a built-in fingerprint sensor under the glass, a mid-range Samsung chip, either 6GB or 8GB RAM, at least 128GB storage with a microSD expansion slot, and a 5,000 mAH battery. It will also have four rear cameras and a 32MP front sensor. A release date has not been announced yet. Official-looking renders of the new phone are available in the article."
"The New History of the Milky Way . Over the last two years, researchers have rewritten nearly every major chapter in our galaxy's history due to working with better data. In 2018, the European spacecraft Gaia released a staggering amount of data that described the detailed motions of roughly one billion stars. Using this data, scientists found that some of the stars that exist within our galaxy were actually stellar immigrants that were picked up throughout our galaxy’s lifetime. The data revealed evidence of ancient collisions between the Milky Way and other galaxies, and hints of additional mergers. This process will continue to happen, and the Milky Way will continue to change as dwarf galaxies merge with it."
"Feds told Tesla to stop making “misleading statements” on Model 3 safety . Last October, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told Tesla to retract a statement that its Model 3 had the lowest probability of injury of any vehicle ever tested by the NHTSA. The NHTSA argued that its 5-star rating was the highest safety rating that a vehicle could achieve and that it did not distinguish safety performance beyond that rating. Tesla had looked into the NHTSA data and found that the Model 3 had a better vehicle safety score than any other car in the market. The score, according to Tesla, meant that a Model 3 driver was less likely to be injured in a crash than any other vehicle. However, the NHTSA argued that the rating did not take into account vehicle weight differences in real-world crashes. Tesla continues to maintain that its statement was based on actual test results and the NHTSA's own calculations for determining risk and probability of injury."
"Physicists Discover Entirely New Quantum States When Graphene Meets Itself . Physicists from the US have found that when graphene is assembled into a double-layer stack, the proximity produces quantum states that have never been observed before. These states are an example of the fractional quantum Hall effect. The Hall effect is observed when voltage is deflected by the presence of a magnetic field. It was found that the Hall effect was quantized when a strong magnetic field was applied to the graphene layers. Using this knowledge, engineers could potentially build new types of electronic devices that take advantage of these quantum states."
"Handheld Bioprinter Treats Severe Burns by ‘Printing’ New Skins Cells Directly Onto Wound . Canadian researchers have successfully trialed a handheld 3D skin printer that treats severe burns by printing new skin cells directly onto a wound. The printer provides a method of treatment for patients whose injuries are too extensive for skin grafts. It uses a bioink based on the protein involved with clotting and cells that support the growth of other cells and assist in the body's immune response. The device is able to deploy skin sheets onto wounds uniformly, safely, and reliably all over the body. Patients who were treated with the device healed extremely well, with a reduction in inflammation, scarring, and contraction compared to other treatments."
"Elon Musk says Tesla will stop accepting bitcoin for car purchases, citing environmental concerns . Tesla has suspended vehicle purchases using bitcoin due to concerns over the increasing use of fossil fuels for bitcoin mining. The price of bitcoin dropped 5% in the minutes following the announcement. Tesla had bought $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin earlier this year and it has supported other cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin. The company is looking at other cryptocurrencies that use less energy per transaction. Tesla will not sell the bitcoin it already has."
Scientists observe live cells responding to magnetic fields for first time . Many animals can navigate by sensing Earth's magnetic field. The mechanism by which this sense works isn't well understood. It is thought that proteins called cryptochromes are involved in the process. Scientists in Japan have observed cryptochromes responding to magnetic fields in live cells. This suggests that magnetoreception is the result of what's called the radical pair mechanism. It is strong evidence that a purely quantum mechanical process affects chemical activity at the cellular level.
"An Alarming Decline in Sperm Quality Could Threaten the Future of the Human Race, and the Chemicals Likely Responsible Are Everywhere . Sperm counts in the West have dropped by 50 percent due to pesticides, plastics, and other chemicals. Chemicals used to make plastic soft and flexible, like phthalates, are endocrine disruptors that cause men to produce less testosterone. Most phthalate ingestion is through food, and a lot of chemicals are absorbed through the skin. Processed foods have a high risk of containing phthalates. A lot of chemicals are put into personal care products specifically to increase skin absorption. It is possible to increase sperm quality by eating a Mediterranean diet and avoiding foods with pesticides."
"Ex-Googler's Startup Comes Out of Stealth With Beautifully Simple, Clever Robot Design (14 minute read). Stretch is a robot mobile manipulator that is small, lightweight, capable, and affordable. Designed by Hello Robot, Stretch weighs 23kg and has a 34 cm square footprint. It costs $17,950 per unit, a fraction of what other mobile manipulators sell for. Stretch was designed to bring mobile manipulation into a home or workplace environment. It has an arm that is made from custom carbon fiber, driven by a single motor attached to the robot's vertical pole. The arm can extend over half a meter and hold up to 1.5kg. Stretch can both be teleoperated and autonomous. Several videos of Stretch are available in the article."
"Gibraltar poised to become first cryptocurrency hub . Gibraltar is reviewing a proposal for blockchain firm Valereum to acquire the Gibraltar Stock Exchange. The purchase will allow the territory to serve as a platform to trade cryptocurrency alongside more traditional bonds. If allowed, the territory could become a center for the cryptocurrency market. However, loose regulations may result in potential diplomatic sanctions."
"Markwhen (GitHub Repo). Markwhen is a tool that converts markdown-ish text into a cascading timeline. It supports simple US/EU date styles, ISO8601, images, links, locations, and more. Examples are available."
"Crypto Exchange Goes Dark: Near 400,000 Users Fear Possible $2B Fraud . Turkish cryptocurrency exchange Thodex abruptly ceased operations on Wednesday. The exchange announced that it would be closed for five days as the company finalized an investment deal. Numerous local news outlets reported that Thodex's CEO fled to Thailand with $2 billion worth of digital assets. Its 400,000 users have been unable to access their accounts. The CEO made a statement on Thursday saying that he plans to return to Turkey and that the losses of users will be compensated. Turkey banned the use of cryptocurrencies last week. Citizens can hold crypto, but can't use it to make payments for goods or services."
"Google parent Alphabet launches Intrinsic: a new company to build software for industrial robots . Intrinsic is a new company from Alphabet that focuses on building software for industrial robots. Its aim is to create software that will make industrial robots easier to use, less costly, and more flexible. Google has been interested in robots for years, buying up several companies, but its efforts have been unfocused and have not produced any commercial hits. The website for its most recent effort, the Everyday Robot project, has not had any updates since 2019."
"TiVo confirms its customers will soon see ads before DVR recordings . All TiVo customers will start seeing video advertisements before DVR recordings, including customers with lifetime subscription plans. The change will be rolled out to all devices within the next 90 days. Customers will have an option to skip the ads as soon as they start up, but there will be a slow delay before content will be displayed. The reaction from customers is as expected, with many threatening to cancel their subscriptions as soon as the changes begin."
"r/WallStreetBets went private — and now it’s back with a message . The r/WallStreetBets subreddit closed down for a little less than an hour on Wednesday as the moderators dealt with issues stemming from the attention it gained following the meteoric rise in GameStop's stock. A letter explaining the shutdown was posted when the subreddit came back up. It noted that the team's requests for help from Reddit to abide by its content policies had gone unanswered, and it also stated how unfair Discord's decision to delete their account was. Discord had opted to delete the WallStreetBets channel for content violations rather than to work with the team to fix things, despite the community getting over 1,000 server boosts. The WallStreetBets mod team now has an official Twitter account."
"Waze Hijacked L.A. in the Name of Convenience. Can Anyone Put the Genie Back in the Bottle? (15 minute read). By finding the shortest paths for drivers to take, Waze has unleashed chaos onto the roads, turning regular streets into something that resembles a freeway, often making it very difficult for people to leave their driveways. Waze would save everyday users a few minutes here and there, but it has come at a price. Local residents are distraught by the amount of traffic that is being sent to what were once quiet streets. People have been proposing legal action against Waze and Google. Waze has interfered with the city’s traffic plans, residential neighborhoods, and public safety. Council members have commented that Waze's responses so far have been inadequate and their solutions nonexistent. If nothing is done, Waze could lead everyone on a race to the bottom, where traffic plans are ignored, and every street is gridlocked."
Hibiki HTML (GitHub Repo). Hibiki HTML is a web framework for creating frontend applications that can be fully scripted and controlled by backend code without JavaScript. It is compatible with any backend language or framework. An interactive tutorial is available.
"QuantumScape’s New Solid-State Battery Is Twice as Energy-Dense as Lithium-Ion . QuantumScape's solid-state lithium metal battery can charge to 80 percent capacity in just 15 minutes, has nearly double the energy density of top commercial lithium-ion cells, retains more than 80 percent of its capacity after 800 cycles, and doesn't set on fire. The increased energy density makes it possible to create electric vehicles with similar ranges as gasoline-powered ones. It may even be possible to use the batteries to power electric aircraft. QuantumScape has more than $1 billion in funds to take the technology through to production, with $300 million from Volkswagen, who plans to start using the batteries in its cars by 2025."
"Premium eBook free for Geeks (GitHub Repo). This repository contains ebooks for most technology stacks. There are books about Android development, JavaScript, CSS, C#, Java, Python, a range of platforms and operating systems, and more."
"Codextended (GitHub Repo). Codextended is a suite of extensions that aims to make Swift’s Codable API easier to use. While Codable is great, it becomes increasingly verbose once customization is introduced into the project. Codextended simplifies the code required and it is completely compatible with vanilla Codable code. Only one file is required for Codextended to be added to an Xcode project."
"GIT quick statistics (GitHub Repo). GIT quick statistics helps developers access various statistics in a git repository in a simple and efficient way. It uses a simple menu to provide all the information you want, without having to know all the options and commands."
"User Inyerface (Website). Bad websites featuring spammy pop-ups, misleading patterns, or just plain poorly thought-out interfaces are probably one of the worst experiences to encounter on the internet. User Inyerface is a game that is designed to highlight bad practices when designing forms for websites. Users are asked to fill in forms full of frustrating, yet not unrealistic, design quirks. Once completed, users are rewarded with a link to Bagaar’s career page."
"Telegram faces DDoS attack in China… again . The popular encrypted chat service Telegram has been hit with a Distributed Denial of Service attack again. Citizens of Hong Kong have recently taken to the streets to protest an unpopular law that would expand the power that China has in Hong Kong over its judicial system. A DDoS attack is when a server is overrun with nonsense requests so that legitimate users are unable to use the service. This is not the first time Telegram has been attacked by China during times of civil unrest. Four years ago, China attempted to shut down Telegram during a crackdown on human rights lawyers in the country. Citizens have admitted that they use Telegram specifically to avoid surveillance by the government."
"Secret of squid invisibility used to turn human cells transparent . Scientists from the University of California, Irvine have created human cells with tunable transparency. They genetically engineered human embryonic kidney cells to express reflectin, a protein that allows squids to scatter light and become invisible. The reflectin in the modified cells behaved almost as they did in their native cephalopod cells. The transparency of the cells could be controlled by altering the sodium levels of their environment."
"Microsoft launches Visual Studio Online public preview and ML.NET 1.4 . Microsoft has launched its Visual Studio Online public preview, shifting development from standard-issue development laptops to a web-based editor and cloud-hosted developer environments. It currently only supports Chrome and Chromium Edge. Developers can now go to Visual Studio Online to access remote environments from common templates, clone from a GitHub repo, and edit code in a browser. Visual Studio Online will allow developers to work from anywhere on any device. New environments can be created quickly, which cuts down setup time to just a couple of minutes. Visual Studio Online's environments are Azure-hosted. They can easily scale and developers pay for what they use down to the second. Self-hosted environments can be connected to use Visual Studio Online for free."
"Autonomous ‘Mayflower’ research ship will use IBM AI tech to cross the Atlantic in 2020 . A fully autonomous ship called the Mayflower will attempt a 3,220-mile journey from Plymouth in England to Plymouth in Massachusetts on the 400-year anniversary of the first Mayflower trip. It is equipped with solar panels as well as diesel and wind turbines. The Mayflower will conduct research during the trip with three research pods developed by researchers at the University of Plymouth. These pods will run experiments relating to maritime cybersecurity, sea mammal monitoring, and ocean-borne microplastics. The technical support for research and navigation on board the Mayflower was provided by IBM. The Mayflower will use IBM's PowerAI vision technology, backed by its Power Systems servers, to utilize deep learning models in order to avoid obstacles and hazards at sea."
"A16z, Coinbase-Backed Startup Looks to Distribute Crypto to Everyone on Earth by Scanning Their Eyeballs . Worldcoin has designed an orb-shaped device that can create unique personal identifiers from iris scans. Sam Altman, Worldcoin founder and former head of Y Combinator, devised the concept when experimenting with universal basic income. Altman's interests lie in finding ways to distribute wealth globally using technology in a way that circumvents the role of the government. Worldcoin recently raised around $25 million from investors."
Alibaba On The Backfoot? TikTok Parent ByteDance Reportedly Launching In-house Cloud Computing Service . ByteDance's Volcano Engine division will roll out its Cloud computing service between September to October. The company plans to move its core services to its in-house cloud platform. ByteDance has already stopped using Alibaba Cloud services for TikTok outside of China. Moving more of its infrastructure in-house could save ByteDance a significant amount and cost Alibaba a lot in lost revenue.
"The Steve Jobs deal with Dell that could have changed Apple and tech history . Before Apple received its famous $150 million cash investment from Microsoft and Bill Gates, Steve Jobs had tried to cut a deal with Michael Dell and his PC company. The deal never went through due to Jobs' licensing scheme. Dell recently released a memoir that covers the story of how Jobs wanted Dell to license the Mac operating system and ship it on his PCs. This article tells the story of Jobs and Dell, how they met, and the relationship between their companies."
"This startup just raised $33 million to vaporize trash . Trash does not only take up space, it also becomes a major source of methane, a greenhouse gas that is almost 86 times as potent as CO2. A new startup called Sierra Energy raised $33 million through Breakthrough Energy Ventures to handle the millions of tons of waste that currently goes to landfills. Sierra Energy is able to process nearly anything, recycling everything into electricity, plastics, fuels, and a range of other products, without any external energy or emissions. It works by heating up the waste to over 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit using a chemical reaction with carbon and pure oxygen, and then capturing all the gasses and recycling them. A demonstration plant located on an Army base in California currently uses garbage to generate both fuel and electricity, but future plants will only do one or the other."
"Olivia (Website). Olivia is an open-source chatbot. It can answer questions by recognizing certain patterns and then responding with standardized outputs. For example, it can tell you what the capital of a country is, generate random numbers, and answer simple math questions. Developers can create customize modules to expand Olivia’s abilities."
Scientists stunned to discover plants beneath mile-deep Greenland ice . A study of a dirt sample from northwestern Greenland has revealed that most of Greenland was ice-free at some time within the last million years. The material for the study came from a Cold War military science project that was a cover-up for a secret nuclear missile storage facility. A fifteen-foot-long tube of dirt was retrieved from the bottom of the ice as part of the project in 1966. The sample was mostly ignored until it was accidentally rediscovered in 2017.
"Tesla is testing in-car Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity with several major internet providers . Tesla is working with several major internet providers in North America, Europe, and Asia to allow their vehicles to connect to Wi-Fi hotspots. It is unknown when the feature will be available to customers. The company recently released an update that allows customers to use phones as hotspots for connectivity. Tesla vehicles require data connectivity for their data gathering and entertainment features."
"Why I am volunteering to get the coronavirus vaccine . 45 people in Seattle will soon get an experimental COVID-19 vaccine. Several vaccines are in development, but the first to be tested is a novel type of shot developed by Moderna Therapeutics. Study participants signed a 20-page consent form which acknowledges that the vaccine might not be effective and that they agree to the experimental conditions. There are risks such as anaphylactic shock and antibody-dependent enhancement. The vaccine delivers the genetic material required for the immune system to produce coronavirus antibodies. This type of vaccine has been in development for some time, and one in three patients in the past who have received it experienced severe pain that interfered with normal activity for the rest of the day. Volunteers are paid, and the study lasts for 14 months."
"Mani (GitHub Repo). Mani is a CLI tool for managing multiple repositories. It can clone multiple repositories in one command and run custom or ad-hoc commands over multiple repositories. Mani is portable and it features declarative configuration, flexible filtering, and auto-completion support."
"Objects as Points (GitHub Repo). Most object detectors enumerate a large list of potential object locations and then classify each item, which is a large waste of resources as well as an inefficient approach. Objects as Points detects objects and then labels their center points while also estimating size, 3D location, orientation, and pose. Tests show that this approach is faster, and Objects as Points achieved the best speed-accuracy trade-off when testing against other object detectors on the MS COCO dataset."
"The Cult of CryptoPunks (12 minute read). CryptoPunks is an NFT platform that launched in 2017 with 10,000 procedurally generated 'punks'. All of the punks were claimed for free when the project launched. In the last few months, the platform has seen nearly $200 million worth of transaction volume in official deals. Some investors see NFTs as a way to diversify their crypto holdings. The value of a punk is determined by the users in the CryptoPunks Discord community. Due to the rarity of CryptoPunks, using one as an avatar on social media sites has become a sort of 'digital flex' for some."
"Top Dark Matter Candidate Loses Ground to Tiniest Competitor . Axions, particles that are billions of times lighter than electrons, may be the missing dark matter that outweighs all visible matter 6-to-1. Physicists have been searching for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) for decades, but experiments have so far returned no results. Dark matter may still be composed of WIMPs, but it is becoming more likely that it is made of axions. Axions are a good candidate as its invisible presence explains why the universe acts heavier than it looks, and it also explains why the two fundamental forces that shape atomic nuclei follow different rulebooks. The axion is somewhat similar to the photon, but with a hint of mass. Theoretically, axions aren't completely undetectable as they should occasionally transform into two photons. Experiments are currently underway to detect these particles."
"Your app, Enterprise Ready (Sponsor). WorkOS makes it possible for startups to serve large enterprise customers.Quickly integrate features like Single Sign-On (SAML) and user provisioning (SCIM) with just a few lines of code. Get started for free."
"Metal wires of carbon complete toolbox for carbon-based computers . Using transistors based on carbon rather than silicon could potentially boost computer performance by more than a thousandfold. Previously, working with carbon circuits was impossible due to insufficient technology, but a team of scientists at the University of California has finally created wire made entirely of carbon. It is a type of graphene nanoribbon, designed to conduct electrons between semiconducting nanoribbons in all-carbon transistors. The nanoribbons allow chemical access to a wide range of structures that wasn't possible with nanotubes. Carbon-based computers can compute many times faster than silicon computers using only a fraction of the power."
"Google's Fi VPN is coming to iPhones soon . Google's Fi VPN is a service available to subscribers of its Fi network. VPNs are services that give users a private connection while using the open internet, ensuring that traffic is encrypted. A decent VPN usually costs money, but Google is offering Fi VPN to its customers for free as a shield against attackers and tracking software. The service is moving out of beta for Android users, and it will be coming to iPhone in Spring. Google is also taking steps to protect Fi users from various mobile scams."
"dns.toys (Website). dns.toys is a DNS server that offers utilities and services that are accessible via the command line. It features a world clock, a unit converter, a currency converter, a number to base converter, and much more. A list of example commands is available."
"You Should Know About This Chernobyl Fungus That Eats Radiation . A fungus that can eat radiation was found in Chernobyl in 2007. The fungus grows towards the hottest and most radioactive places. It contains a lot of dark melanin pigment, which absorbs radiation and processes it in a harmless way to produce energy. Scientists believe that the mechanism can be mimicked to create materials that block radiation and generate renewable energy. This kind of material would be helpful in creating more effective protective suits, as well as coverings for radioactive machinery. NASA plans to send the fungus into space as growing it in space could reveal new information about the species."
"3D-Printed Electric Motorcycle Looks Straight Out of Blade Runner . BigRep has revealed a 3D printed electric motorcycle named the Nera E-Bike. The bike features airless tires, embedded electronics, and forkless steering. It is not intended for production. The only parts on the bike that are not 3D printed are its electronic components. BigRep manufactures large-format industrial 3D printers. Many vehicle companies across the globe are looking into large-scale 3D printing as a possible manufacturing option. Images of the motorcycle are available in the article."
"Evernote Design (Curated Directory). This is a huge curated list of design tools put together by the Evernote Design team. There are categories like design inspiration, gradient tools, wireframing tools, free icons, typography and more."
"Former Twitter employees charged with spying for Saudi Arabia . Two men who had worked at Twitter were charged for monitoring accounts on the behalf of the Saudi government. A third man, who didn't work for Twitter, was also charged for spying. The trio obtained personal info for more than 6,000 accounts. One of the spies was paid a minimum of $300,000, plus a gift, for the espionage work. Another was granted a director position in the Crown Prince's private office. Twitter stated that those employees with access to sensitive information were trained and vetted and that there were tools in place to protect users' privacy. Only one of the three men are currently in the US. The others are in Saudi Arabia, where there is no extradition treaty with the US. This is the first time Saudi Arabia has ever been accused of spying within the US."
"Trump allegedly ordered former Defense Secretary James Mattis to ‘screw Amazon’ one year before awarding a hotly contested $10 billion defense cloud contract to Microsoft . According to an upcoming book, Trump had ordered former Defense Secretary James Mattis to 'screw Amazon' out of the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure contract that was recently awarded to Microsoft. Mattis had pushed back against the request as he wanted to pursue the contract fairly. Trump has publicly feuded with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos in the past. The 10-year contract involves helping the Department of Defense move sensitive data to the cloud. Other competitors for the contract included IBM and Oracle. Google had dropped out of the bidding in 2018 over concerns that it would not be able to fulfill the terms of the contract."
Microsoft is integrating its Windows 365 Cloud PCs into Windows 11 . Microsoft has announced new Cloud PC integrations into Windows 11. Windows 365 is a service that lets businesses stream a version of Windows 10 or Windows 11 in a web browser. Windows 11 PCs will now be able to boot straight to Windows 365 Cloud PCs or easily switch to them using Windows 11's virtual desktops feature. Microsoft is working on a Windows 365 offline feature that will allow users to work locally and sync data with Windows 365 when connectivity is restored. Windows 11 will soon have a native Windows 365 app.
"A wooden debit card . TreeCard is Ecosia's new free debit card. Ecosia will use 80% of its profits from the cards to plant trees across its 38 reforestation projects. The cards are made from sustainably sourced FSC cherry wood. 300,000 cards can be made from a single tree, reducing the need for plastic. The TreeCard app keeps track of spending and allows users to split bills. Signups for early access are now open."
"Uber releases its long-awaited IPO filing . Uber will list on the New York Stock Exchange as UBER around May this year. Its IPO prospectus contained the first official record of its financials. The company reported $11.27 billion in revenue and $997 million net income in 2018. Names of major shareholders were released, revealing that co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick still owns 8.6% of the company. Drivers who had done a certain amount of trips will receive a cash reward. While Uber is a giant in the ride-sharing industry, there are still challenges that the company faces that may affect its valuation."
"Massive LNG tanker sails itself across the Pacific in shipping world first . A 122,000-tonne ultra-large natural gas tanker is the first large ship to make an ocean passage of over 10,000 km under autonomous control. Prism Courage made the 33-day voyage from Texas to South Korea using an autonomous navigation system called HiNAS 2.0. HiNAS 2.0 steered the ship, calculated optimal routes and best speeds, and also located and avoided other ships. The system increased fuel efficiency by 7% and reduced greenhouse emissions by 5%. HiNAS 2.0 will be on the market by next year, pending official certifications."
"Placement-Preparation- Complete Roadmap (GitHub Repo). This repository contains questions and solutions that can help in completing the coding rounds and technical interviews at tech companies. It discusses the best way to prepare for interviews, how to pick a language, how to study data structures and algorithms, and other preparation tips. Links to additional resources are available."
"Hyundai purchases Boston Dynamics for $921M, makers of Spot dog robot . Hyundai has purchased Boston Dynamics for around $921 million. It is the first acquisition headed by Hyundai's new chairperson Chung Euisun since he took the job in October. Rumors of the acquisition have been circulating since early November. A gallery of Boston Dynamics' robots is available in the article."
"Apple contractors 'regularly hear confidential details' on Siri recordings . Apple outsources its quality control for the Siri voice assistant. The contractors' role is to grade the recordings to see whether the voice activation was deliberate or accidental, whether the query was something Siri could handle, and whether Siri's response was appropriate. Less than one percent of recordings are used for quality control, but contractors report regularly hearing confidential details. Accidental voice activation occurs most on the Apple Watch and HomePods. While the recordings are anonymized prior to being sent out, there are few controls over the data once it reaches the contractor. There is no mention that customer recordings may be sent to third parties in Apple's privacy policies."
ConnectorX (GitHub Repo). ConnectorX loads data from databases into Python. It is much faster and more memory efficient compared to other commonly used Python libraries that provide similar functions. Benchmark results are available.
"Netflix Is Finally Adding a Streaming Roulette Feature As It Clinches 200 Million Subscriptions . Netflix has surpassed 200 million subscribers. It is planning to add a new feature in the first half of the year that lets the service pick shows for users based on their preferences. Netflix has more competition than ever before, and it has responded by churning out a large amount of original content. It is set to release at least one original film every week this year, with over 500 titles currently either in post-production or ready for broadcast. Netflix claims that it is very close to being cash-flow positive and that it no longer needs to raise external financing."
"One Of The Biggest At-Home DNA Testing Companies Is Working With The FBI . Family Tree DNA, one of the largest providers of at-home genetic testing allowing for people to trace their ancestry, is working with the FBI. The FBI is using Family Tree DNA’s vast database of information to find DNA matches for unsolved crimes. Prior to the partnership and announcement, Family Tree DNA had a database of well over a million profiles. Collaborations of this type obviously have grave privacy implications for consumers whose genetic data is being tracked."
"Almond.CSS (GitHub Repo). Almond.CSS is a collection of class-less CSS styles to make simple websites look better. The project uses only tags, and its themes and styles are easily customizable. Developers can combine HTML and Almond.CSS without JavaScript. A demo is available."
"Become a Better Software Architect (GitHub Repo). A software architect is a software expert who makes high-level design choices and dictates technical standards. Software architecture is the fundamental organization of a system and the principles that determine the design and evolution of the system. There are three levels of architecture: application level, solution level, and enterprise level. A software architect needs to be able to design software, make decisions regarding projects, simplify problems and solutions, code, write clear documentation, communicate with others, estimate and evaluate time and skills required for projects, balance the needs of a project, consult with others, and market their own ideas. A roadmap for professional development in software architecture is provided."
"Ruby one-liners cookbook (Book). Sometimes a command line is more productive compared to a GUI. Ruby can be used as a replacement for external *nix commands like grep, find, etc, or be combined with them for specific use cases. Ruby can be easier to learn than other command-line commands and it also benefits from a rich regular expression engine, standard library, and third-party libraries."
Twitter will remove inactive accounts and free up usernames in December . Twitter accounts that have not had sign-ins for more than six months will receive an alert that they have to sign in by December 11 or their accounts will be removed. Recouped usernames will be made available again. The process will happen over many months. Accounts don't have to tweet anything to stay. Usernames with under five characters can no longer be registered on Twitter.
"Researchers create breathalyzer that can detect marijuana . As marijuana laws change, the technology to enforce DUI laws has to evolve as well. A team at the University of Pittsburgh has developed a breathalyzer device that can measure THC in the user's breath. Current THC detection methods require more involved procedures that can't be performed infield, and can only detect whether the user has recently used the drug rather than if they were currently under the influence. The new breathalyzer binds THC molecules to nanotubes, which changes the electrical properties of the nanotubes. It is taught to recognize the changes in electrical current caused by THC through machine learning. The prototype of the device looks similar to an alcohol breathalyzer, and researchers hope to be able to make it available for use soon."
"Google to cut marketing budgets by as much as half, directors warned of hiring freezes . Google will be reducing spending on marketing by as much as half for the second half of the year. The company has also recently announced a hiring freeze for full-time and contract employees. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has previously said that Google would be pulling back on some of its investments due to the COVID-19 crisis, but did not mention drastic budget cuts or hiring freezes at the time. Google's investments will be redirected to areas such as data centers and machines, and non business essential marketing and travel."
"Garden eels 'forgetting about humans' need people to video-chat . Tokyo's Sumida Aquarium has been closed since March 1 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Its garden eels have started to dive into sand whenever their keepers walk past, making it hard to check if they're healthy. This may be due to the eels starting to forget humans, so the aquarium is asking people from around the world to call in for a video chat with the eels. From May 3 to 5, people can call one of five tablets using Apple's FaceTime app to keep the eels company. Links to further details are available in the article."
Apple's AirTag uncovers a secret German intelligence agency . A German researcher used an Apple AirTag to locate the offices of a German secret intelligence agency. The AirTag was sent to a telecommunications authority thought to be a front for the secret intelligence agency but it ended up in offices based in another part of the country. This proved a link between the telecommunications authority and the intelligence agency called the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The German government has denied that the federal telecommunications service exists.
"CRISPR Cures Inherited Disorder in Mice . Researchers have used CRISPR gene editing to eliminate a genetic liver disease in mice. This breakthrough means that CRISPR might be usable in human fetuses even before traditional gene editing (which requires replacing the full gene). CRISPR is very targeted, it's like using find and replace to fix a typo rather than retyping the entire document (like in traditional gene editing). It's worth noting that this study used a new version of CRISPR called base editing, which doesn't require that the DNA be cut like the original CRISPR, leading to less unintended genetic consequences."
"Augmented reality in surgery: World’s first “real” holographically navigated spine surgery at Balgrist University Hospital . A team at Balgrist University Hospital successfully completed the first holographically navigated spine surgery with the help of Microsoft's HoloLens 2 AR glasses. The patient's internal anatomy was recreated in 3D using CT imaging before the surgery. During the surgery, the 3D model was projected onto the patient's anatomy, so that the surgeon could operate more precisely, faster, and safer. The patient suffered from lower lumbar spine degeneration, and their symptoms were gone after the surgery."
Stop Overpaying for Big Tech Cloud (Sponsor). Stop Overpaying for Big Tech Cloud . Vultr's new Optimized Cloud Instances deliver all of the power of the cloud without the Big Tech bloat. Instantly deploy worldwide as low as $28/mo and never worry about noisy neighbors again. TLDR readers can redeem $150 in credit just for signing up with this link!
"Nebullvm (GitHub Repo). Nebullvm is a library that creates optimized versions of AI models that can run up to 20 times faster. It identifies the best way to execute models on specific hardware without impacting the accuracy of the model. The library allows developers to benefit from deep learning compilers without having to spend time installing, testing, and debugging. Benchmark results are available."
"Spotify files complaint with European Commission against Apple . Spotify claims that Apple’s App Store introduced rules that purposely limited choice and stifled innovation at the expense of the user experience, and has filed a complaint with the European Commission accusing the company of anti-competitive behavior. Apple is a direct competitor to Spotify through its Apple Music service, and Spotify sees several of its rules as unfair. Spotify is required to pay a 30% tax to Apple on subscriptions to its services, which increases the subscription cost so that it is more expensive than Apple Music. If they avoid this tax by using a direct subscription model, their communication with customers is contractually restricted. Upgrades to their app are also routinely blocked, and they have been locked out of using Apple services such as Siri, HomePod, and the Apple Watch."
"The Raspberry Pi 400 is a compact keyboard with a built-in computer . The Raspberry Pi 400 is a compact keyboard with an ARM-based computer built-in and it is available now as a standalone machine for $70. It has two micro HDMI ports, a microSD card slot, two USB 3.0 ports, and a single USB 2.0 port. There is a USB-C port for power and a GPIO header for attaching a variety of niche devices. Inside, it features a quad-core 1.8GHz ARM Cortex-A72 CPU, Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 5.0, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi. It can be purchased in a bundle including a mouse, power supply, microSD card, HDMI cable, and beginner's guide for $100."
We asked some of the boldest thinkers what the world will be like in 50 years. Here’s what their answers tell us about the future (Website). Thinkers around the world were asked questions about the future of our world. These questions include: Who will run the world? Which country will have the most powerful economy? What kinds of companies will be most important? What will cause the biggest conflicts? How will people earn a living? There are many more questions. The top three answers are displayed on the main page. More answers are linked to provide deeper insight into how people think the future will turn out.
"Tesla boss Elon Musk wins defamation trial over his 'pedo guy' tweet . A federal court jury has dismissed the $190 million claim brought against Elon Musk by a British cave explorer, Vernon Unsworth. Musk had called Unsworth a 'pedo guy' during a disagreement on Twitter. Unsworth, 64, claimed that Musk's statement would overshadow his relationships and job prospects for years to come. Musk's lawyers argued that the comments were off-hand insults in the middle of an argument that no one would take seriously. Unsworth failed to demonstrate that any harm came from the Twitter comments. In 2018, Musk's erratic Twitter behavior ended up with him paying a $20 million settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For most of 2019, his public statements have largely focused on Tesla's new Models and improved profitability, as well as SpaceX's technical progress."
"Dragon scale solar tiles installed on Google buildings in Silicon Valley . Around 90,000 Dragonscale solar panels have been installed on two buildings at Google's Silicon Valley campus. The panels will generate enough electricity to cover around 40% of electricity use in the buildings. The overlapping design of the tiles allows them to reach an effective efficiency rating close to 17%. They have a warranty that covers their ability to generate electricity as well as their integrity as a building material for up to 30 years. A video showing the Dragonscale panels is available in the article."
"Google is testing Memory, an upgrade for Assistant to ‘save and find everything’ . Memory is a new feature for Google Assistant that uses a digital locker to store things like to-do lists, notes, reading lists, images, and more. It is designed so users can save nearly anything and then search, sort, and revisit everything that was saved. Memory will also show contextual information about the data if it is available. The feature is still being tested, and Google has not announced any plans for when it will be released."
"Reddit-born engineering group buys leftovers of failed hyperloop startup Arrivo . rLoop, a Reddit-born hyperloop and engineering collective, has bought the intellectual property of Arrivo. Arrivo was a hyperloop startup founded by a former SpaceX engineer. The group will assess the progress Arrivo employees had made toward developing a type of hyperloop that relies on magnetic levitation. Arrivo had shut down in 2018 after running out of money. rLoop was founded in 2015 after SpaceX announced plans to hold a hyperloop competition where they won an innovation award."
"Exclusive: Valve is making a Switch-like portable gaming PC . Valve has been secretly building a Switch-like portable PC to run games on the Steam PC platform via Linux. The latest version of Steam has new hardware-related code for a device named SteamPal. Previous versions of Steam used a different codename, Neptune. Switch-like PC devices have exploded in popularity in recent years. At least one SteamPal prototype is wider than the Nintendo Switch. It will likely be able to dock to larger monitors through a USB Type-C port. Valve has a history of creating, incubating, and canceling projects, so things can change at any time."
"Gates backs Icelandic startup that turns carbon dioxide into stone . Carbfix is a startup from Iceland that is turning carbon dioxide into rocks. The process involves capturing and dissolving CO2 in water and then injecting it into the ground, where it turns into stone in less than two years. The process is cheap and environmentally friendly. Carbfix will install its technology at power plants to capture carbon emissions as they are released. It has also partnered with Swiss startup Climeworks to build machines that can capture CO2 directly from the air. Bill Gates and Microsoft are backing the project with Climeworks."
"Experimental Weight-Loss Drug Shows Surgery-Like Results in New Trial . An experimental type 2 diabetes and obesity drug from pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly has completed phase III trials. People who took the drug lost up to 22% of their body weight. The results of the drug are typically only seen in patients who have undergone bariatric surgery. It could be on the market by next year. While the drug therapy appears promising, it is still yet to be seen whether people will be able to afford to buy it."
"Gates Foundation-backed program will soon be issuing home testing kits for COVID-19 in Seattle . The Gates Foundation is planning to release at-home testing kits for COVID-19. People will be able to complete a nose swab and receive results in up to two days, after which action can be taken if the individual is infected. The Foundation is still finalizing details and a clear timeline for distribution has yet to be released. So far, the Foundation has spent $20 million on the effort, and an additional $5 million on local response efforts. The Foundation estimates that it will be able to test up to 400 samples per day. Seattle currently has the largest outbreak of coronavirus in the US, with 71 cases and 15 deaths as of Saturday. Identification of infected persons is key to combating the spread of coronavirus as people can be safely identified, isolated, and cared for before they infect others."
"iPhone took top slot in China in holiday quarter, with highest ever market share . Apple hit a 23% market share in China in Q4, 2021, thanks to the success of the iPhone 13. The new iPhone was a success due to its lower starting price at its release, its camera, and 5G features. Apple's main competitor, Huawei, has experienced declining sales due to ongoing US sanctions. The Chinese smartphone market as a whole shrank for 2021, continuing its downward trend for the fourth consecutive year."
"The genetic engineering behind pig-to-human transplants . Last year, doctors transplanted a pair of pig kidneys into a brain-dead patient in an experimental procedure to test the viability of genetically modified pig organs in humans. The pig was provided by a company called Revivicor, who also generated the donor for the recent pig-human heart transplant. Revivicor's pigs have a number of their own genes removed and several human genes introduced to reduce the likelihood that the human immune system will reject the organs. The results of the experiment were inconclusive as the patient was too injured. Details about which genes were edited for what effect are available in the article."
"aiosql (GitHub Repo). aiosql allows developers to organize SQL statements in .sql files and load them into a Python application as methods to call. The project supports standard and asyncio based drivers for SQLite and PostgreSQL, with support for custom database drivers available."
"Coronavirus Australia: Fears virus will spread across country (11 minute read). Coronavirus has traveled across the world, with new cases of the virus being found in non-travelers. The World Health Organization recently warned that the window of opportunity to contain the disease was narrowing, but many experts fear that it has now started to become a pandemic. While the coronavirus is less deadly than SARS, it is significantly more contagious, with most of the symptoms of the virus only showing up two weeks post-infection. This leaves plenty of time for the virus to spread before the patient is quarantined. Children also seem to be immune to the effects of the virus, so it is unknown if they are carriers. Most cases of the virus probably remain undetected, so every country needs to be prepared to deal with an outbreak. Slowing the virus' spread might prolong an epidemic, but it will cause less damage overall. For now, it is best to start slowly preparing for the case of quarantines, as strong measures may be implemented to combat the virus."
"This printer is made of 600 strands of DNA that put themselves together . Researchers have created a printer using self-assembling strands of DNA. DNA components are attracted to each other and can find each other if connected in the right way. While our bodies use DNA to communicate genetic information, its properties make it useful for building on a molecular scale. The technology could eventually lead to novel ways of manufacturing complex molecules."
"‘Mind-blowing’: Ai-Da becomes first robot to paint like an artist . Ai-Da is a humanoid robot that can paint traditionally. It was created in 2019 by a team of programmers, roboticists, art experts, and psychologists. The robot can paint, sketch, and create poems. Ai-Da will premier a solo exhibition at the 2022 Venice Biennale on April 22. Pictures of Ai-Da and examples of art created by the robot are available in the article."
"Scientists harness light therapy to target and kill cancer cells in world first . A new light-activated therapy makes cancer cells glow in the dark, making them more visible to surgeons, then kills the remaining cells once the surgery is complete."
"Elon Musk’s $49 Million Las Vegas Loop Makes Perfect Sense—for Las Vegas . The Boring Company landed a $48.6 million deal with Las Vegas city to build an underground transportation system underneath the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). It is estimated that the tunnel will be able to transport 4,400 passengers per hour using autonomous electric vehicles. Commuters will be able to reach the opposite side of the LVCC in a minute using the tunnel. Tunnels and cars are not new technology, but the method for digging the tunnel is an innovation by The Boring Company that cuts the cost of digging to a fraction of the usual cost. The city’s Mayor has stated concerns for the project, noting that The Boring Company had not yet finished any of its projects in the three years that it has been operating."
"Samsung, Stanford make a 10,000PPI display that could lead to 'flawless' VR . Samsung and Stanford have developed OLED technology that supports resolutions up to 10,000 pixels per inch. The screens use films to emit white light between reflective layers, which allows specific colors to resonate through the pixels. This results in high pixel density without affecting its brightness. The newOLED screens would be ideal for VR and AR, creating an image without the 'screen door' effect commonly seen in current displays."
"Israel develops camouflage tech that makes soldiers ‘invisible’ . Polaris Solutions has developed a camouflage sheet that can make soldiers on the battlefield virtually undetectable. The Kit 300 is a lightweight sheet made out of a special thermal visual concealment material that makes it difficult to distinguish from nature, both with the naked eye and with thermal imaging equipment. Each sheet comes with different coloration on each side. They can be molded into three-dimensional shapes, or folded into compact rolls. The sheets can also be used as a shelter or stretcher, a splint to immobilize broken bones, or as a hypothermia blanket. A picture of the Kit 300 being used as a camouflage sheet is available in the article."
"Watch the first six minutes of Tenet now, from home, on YouTube . Warner Bros. has posted Tenet's opening six minutes on YouTube ahead of its digital release next week. Christopher Nolan and other directors have been vocal about the importance of movies being seen on the big screen. Despite this, Warner Bros. will release all 17 of its 2021 films on HBO Max on the same day as theatres. Tenet performed poorly in the United States, and with coronavirus cases surging around the world, Warner Bros. decided to bet on its growing HBO Max service. Tenet will be available digitally and on Blu-ray on December 15."
Salad chain Sweetgreen buys kitchen robotics startup Spyce . California-based salad chain Sweetgreen has announced plans to go all-in on automation with its acquisition of Spyce. Spyce's automated restaurants first opened in 2015 and there are currently two automated restaurants in the Boston area. The two locations will stay open as Sweetgreen works to incorporate Spyce's technology into its restaurants. Sweetgreen currently operates more than 120 locations in the US. It is introducing the technology so that employees can focus more on preparation and hospitality and it has no plans to replace employees outright.
"We tested the claims that the iPhone XS selfie camera makes faces look too smooth . The iPhone XS's automatic image processing makes people's faces noticeably smoother than the iPhone X's. Some people are complaining that it's making their faces too smooth (there's no option to turn off this processing feature). Some journalists from Business Insider tested the two phones and put the images side by side, I gotta say I think the iPhone XS pictures look much better."
pyWhat (GitHub Repo). pyWhat can identify what a file or string of text is. It breaks down files and shows structured data in it. It can also break down pcap files in seconds. GIF examples are available in the repository.
"n8n (GitHub Repo). n8n is a free, node-based workflow automation tool. It can be self-hosted, easily extended, and integrated with internal tools. There are more than 50 different nodes to automate workflows. A short video is available to show how n8n can be used to create a simple workflow."
"SpaceX rocket debris creates a fantastic light show in the Pacific Northwest sky . The remains of what was likely a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket recently burned up in the atmosphere above Oregon and Washington, creating what looked like a meteor shower streaking across the night sky. SpaceX has not claimed responsibility for the spectacle. This sort of event now happens around once a week, but predicting the timing of the re-entries is difficult. The Falcon 9 rocket the debris came from was launched on March 4. Re-entries are usually safe. Footage of the event is available in the article."
"Microsoft’s new Xbox app lets you stream Xbox One games to your iPhone or iPad . Xbox One owners can now stream games to their iOS and iPadOS devices thanks to an update to Microsoft's Xbox app. The remote play feature streams games directly from the Xbox console, similar to the PS4's Remote Play feature. Only Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S games will be supported. Users can stream via Wi-Fi or through a mobile connection. xCloud is Microsoft's game streaming service. Apple has recently offered Microsoft a solution for adding xCloud games to the App Store, but Microsoft has not received it positively."
"Blue Origin Employees Say They Don’t Think Its Rocket Is Safe, Wouldn’t Ride In . A group of current and former employees of Blue Origin recently wrote an article questioning the company's commitment to safety. The article describes a work culture that overstretches teams and prioritizes speed over safety. Although they didn't list any single safety issues, the authors said that they wouldn't feel safe riding in a Blue Origin rocket. A lack of overarching safety regulations made it easier for safety issues to fly under the radar."
Glassmorphism (Website). Glassmorphism is the name for the popular Frosted Glass aesthetic based on background blur and transparency. The effect uses stacked layers to show the depth and context of the interface. This site contains resources on Glassmorphism for designers and developers. It has a generator for creating Glassmorphism-style CSS.
"Examining AMC’s ‘embarrassingly stupid’ investment in a literal gold mine . AMC announced this week that it is acquiring a 22% stake in a gold and silver mining company. The Hycroft mine reportedly contains around 15 million ounces of gold deposits and some 600 million ounces of silver deposits. Hycroft has been facing liquidity issues, resulting in reduced share prices. Analysts have criticized the move, as investing in an unrelated business that will not increase traffic to its main business when the company has outstanding debt could be seen as a misuse of shareholder capital."
"SnowFS (GitHub Repo). SnowFS is a command-line app for storing graphic files with version control. It supports branches, asynchronous file hashing, fast-detection of modifications in large binaries, and more. A GIF demo is available in the repository."
"'Our little brown rat': first climate change-caused mammal extinction . The Bramble Cay melomys (Melomys rubicola), a little rat-like mammal from a small Torres Strait island near Papua New Guinea, has been officially declared extinct. This is the first recorded time a mammal has become extinct directly through climate change factors. Experts say that the extinction was predictable and could have been prevented through funding and change in policies to improve the environment, but no action was taken despite the evidence provided. There are currently around 500 other animals on the Australian endangered species list."
"VIP cheatsheets for Stanford's CS 230 Deep Learning (Github Repo). Really great cheatsheets made by Stanford CS graduate students for their deep learning class, these have simple explanations and diagrams of convolutional neural networks, deep learning tips and tricks, recurrent neural networks, and other deep learning concepts."
Gitfolio (GitHub Repo). Gitfolio makes it easy to create a portfolio website and a blog for GitHub users. Users can customize every aspect of the page to their requirements. A demonstration of the portfolio website and blog are available.
"Plant-based eggs join meatless options at Tim Hortons | CBC News . A new plant-based egg omelette made by California-based company, Just, is being tested by Tim Hortons in two regions in southern Ontario. The fake omelette is made with mung bean and protein isolate. So far, the plant-based food menu items appear to be winning customers over on taste. Research shows that many Canadians are hungry for meatless alternatives, for both ethical and health reasons. While Canada's new food guide advises eating less processed and fatty meat and more plant-based protein foods, the plant-based products served at a fast-food chain are often high in sodium and saturated fat."
"Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is Time's 'Person of the Year' . Elon Musk has been named Time magazine's 'Person of the Year' for 2021. The title is a marker of influence, and few individuals have had more influence than Musk in reshaping life on Earth and possibly life off Earth as well. His space flight company made history in September after launching four private passengers into orbit. SpaceX is also one of the space firms building the lunar landing systems that will carry astronauts to the moon in 2024."
"The World’s First 3D-Printed Village Is Coming to Latin America This Summer . Designs for a completely 3D-printed community to be built in an undisclosed location in Latin America have been unveiled. Over 50 homes will be built, each with an outdoor kitchen and a small farming area. A portable 3D printer developed by ICON will create durable and scalable homes out of concrete within 24 hours with nearly zero waste. It is hoped that the new homes will be able to help families out of poverty and provide benefits for many generations to come."
"Samsung gives us a glimpse of another foldable phone and it’s pretty nice . Samsung has revealed another foldable smartphone at its annual developer conference. The phone has yet to be named. It resembles a traditional flip phone as the phone is able to be folded in half vertically. Samsung did not release many details about the device, stating only that they were exploring new form factors. A video demonstration is available showing off the design of the new device. In addition to the announcement of the new phone design, Samsung also detailed further improvements to its Bixby personal assistant."
"66% of investors regret making impulsive investment decisions (Sponsor). 66% of investors regret making impulsive investment decisions . That's why quantitative hedge funds hire computer scientists to build algorithms that eliminate human biases (fear, greed, FOMO) from investing.With Composer you can invest in quant-based strategies for free - no Python or Excel required.Check out some of their most popular strategies (1 year returns):Big Tech Momentum (+63%)Biotech Sweet 16 (+122%)Leveraged Sectors Inflation Hedge (+46%)Explore Composer Today*"
Engineers Build Tweezers So Tiny They Can Pick Up Individual Molecules . Engineers at Vanderbilt University have built optical tweezers that can pick up individual proteins and DNA molecules without damaging them. The opto-thermo-electrohydrodynamic tweezers use a laser to trap and lift individual objects as small as ten nanometers. It does this without exposing the objects to high-intensity light or heat. The technology could help doctors diagnose diseases like Alzheimer's sooner.
"MIT Researchers Figured Out How To Make Batteries That Are a Kilometer Long . Researchers at MIT have created a rechargeable lithium-ion battery in the form of a 460-foot-long fiber. The batteries can be manufactured to arbitrarily long lengths. They can be 3D-printed into any shape, opening up possibilities for wearable electronics and devices with batteries that double as structural parts. An image of a fiber battery wrapped around a toy submarine is available in the article."
"Introducing droidlet, a one-stop shop for modularly building intelligent agents . Droidlet is a platform for building intelligent agents that simplifies integrating a wide range of machine learning algorithms to facilitate rapid prototyping. It can be used to quickly test out different algorithms with a robot. Droidlet can help researchers easily build agents that can complete complex tasks in the real world or in simulated environments. This article introduces Droidlet and explains how the platform works."
"Amazon plans to release at least 8 new Alexa-powered devices, including a microwave, an amplifier, and an in-car gadget . Amazon is planning to release 8 new Alexa powered devices before the end of the year including a microwave oven, amplifier, receiver, subwoofer, and an in-car gadget. Some of these devices are expected to be announced at an event later this month. Amazon is doubling down on Alexa, with Jeff Bezos saying ""We want customers to be able to use Alexa wherever they are. There are now tens of thousands of developers across more than 150 countries building new devices using the Alexa Voice Service, and the number of Alexa-enabled devices has more than tripled in the past year."""
"Dutch forensic lab says it has decoded Tesla's driving data . The Dutch government's forensic lab has decrypted Tesla's driving data storage system. Tesla vehicles store information about the operation of Autopilot, speed, accelerator pedal position, steering wheel angle, and brake usage. The data could be useful for investigations into traffic accidents. Tesla has remote access to the data and uses it for product improvements or to fix malfunctions. The Dutch lab reverse engineered data logs to seek the data instead of asking Tesla in order to objectively investigate them."
How do painkillers kill pain? It’s about meeting the pain where it’s at . There are multiple pathways that signal pain and there is redundancy to these pathways.
"Google applies its AI tech to reporting with 'Journalist Studio' tools . The Google News Initiative has been fighting misinformation and helping publishers make money since its creation in 2018. Google is now investing in Journalist Studio, a suite of free tools available to reporters and media organizations. The new tools will aid investigative journalism and other projects by sifting through documents, images, and audio files and by making interactive visualizations out of public records data. Using AI to analyze data could be a huge boost to understaffed newsrooms. It can also pick up a lot of information that humans might miss."
"Blackstone to acquire Ancestry.com for $4.7 billion . Blackstone Group Inc has agreed to acquire Ancestry.com Inc for $4.7 billion, including debt, from private equity firms Silver Lake, Spectrum Equity, and Permira. GIC, a Singaporean sovereign wealth fund, will continue to maintain a significant minority stake in the company. Ancestry.com is the world's largest provider of DNA services, with three million paying customers in about 30 countries. Customers use the service to trace their genealogy and identify genetic health risks using home test kits. The deal is the first acquisition out of Blackstone's $26 billion Blackstone Capital Partners VIII private equity fund."
Four fast chargers every 50 miles—US unveils EV infrastructure plan . The US federal government is spending $5 billion over five years to build a nationwide network of fast chargers for electric vehicles. It will start by focusing on the Interstate Highway System. States will be required to build a charging station every 50 miles capable of charging at least four EVs simultaneously at 150 kW. A new agency was formed to help administer the program. Case-by-case exceptions to the 50-mile requirement will be made if no connections are available nearby.
"MapLibre GL (GitHub Repo). MapLibre GL is a community fork of mapbox-gl before their switch to a non-OSS license. mapbox-gl provides interactive, customizable maps in the browser. An example on how to migrate from mapbox-gl is available."
"Iran's Answer to the Coronavirus Outbreak: Cut the Internet . The Iranian government blocked access to the Persian desktop version of Wikipedia for 24 hours after a top advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader died from the coronavirus. The mobile version remained available. Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites remain restricted as the government seeks to control the spread of information. All Friday prayers in provincial capitals have been canceled in the country as it faces the deadliest outbreak of the disease outside of China. Iran now has 2,922 confirmed cases and 92 deaths. 23 of the country's lawmakers have been infected with the virus. There are rumors that Iran's official figures are false and that many more people have died. The Iranian police have arrested 24 people and warned a further 118 internet users for spreading rumors about the coronavirus online. Iran is deploying hundreds and thousands of health workers across the country to stop the outbreak. 54,000 prisoners have also been temporarily released from jail on bail in order to halt the spread of the virus."
"Want $125k? Just Donate Your Face to Some Humanoid Robots . An additive manufacturing and machine startup in London is offering $125,000 to own the rights to a face that will appear on all of its robots. Geomiq is working on a line of robots for elderly care that will be produced next year. It has partnered with a client who they cannot disclose due to a non-disclosure agreement. The face that is chosen will be potentially mass-produced on thousands of robots. These robots are designed to work as a virtual friend for elderly people. Details for where to send in your face are provided."
"Extraordinary ‘megaflash’ lightning strikes cover several hundred kilometres, smashing records . A megaflash is an extreme lightning burst that can cover hundreds of miles and last for many seconds. Records for megaflashes were broken in 2019, with a flash in Brazil more than doubling the size and duration of previous record flashes. The flash in Brazil stretched more than 700 kilometers, which is equivalent to the distance between Boston and Washington DC in the United States. June 28 was International Lightning Safety Day."
"Inside the future of online dating: AI swiping and concierge bots (11 minute read). It is possible to automate Tinder with AI. There are many bots that are able to swipe based on your preferences and then carry the conversations for you. Some of these bots are available on GitHub and are linked in the article. Bots like these bring up ethical discussions about using AI in this way. People who meet using this method may have to have a difficult conversation later on in their relationship. The bots may have negative effects on people who find out that they were conversing with a program. They may also further the enabling of people with anxiety. Dating apps have already been shown to have the potential to be harmful to some users' mental health. In the future, these bots may serve as a type of concierge to help us find love."
"Instagram just threw users of its embedding API under the bus . Users of Instagram's embedding API do not receive a copyright license to display embedded images on other websites. This means that embedding an image onto a website rather than hosting it directly does not protect the website against copyright claims. Third parties are still required to obtain the necessary rights to share the content if it is required by law. Instagram is exploring options with giving users more control over photograph embedding. Users can currently block embedding by setting their accounts to private, but this prevents other users from seeing images on the platform itself."
Apple removes Pocket Casts podcast player from App Store in China at government request . Apple has removed Pocket Casts from the Chinese App Store at the request of the local government. A request was made to Apple by the Cyberspace Administration of China to remove the app after the Pocket Casts team repeatedly turned down government requests to take down podcasts. This is not the first time Apple has removed apps following a request by the Chinese government.
"Netflix is reducing the quality of its streams in Europe to avoid straining the internet during the coronavirus outbreak . Netflix has had to reduce streaming rates in Europe as more and more people are told to stay home during the coronavirus outbreak. The change will reduce Netflix traffic on European networks by around 25%. People are turning to more data-heavy technologies such as video-calling and streaming as they take shelter from the virus, and it is unclear how internet service providers will handle the increase in traffic. Users who want to voluntarily choose to use even less data can change the quality of their stream in their account settings."
"TikTok’s one-night Ratatouille musical will star some of Broadway’s biggest names . Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical will have a lineup of Broadway's biggest names for its January 1st streaming performance. The performance is based on Disney-Pixar's 2007 movie Ratatouille, and it will feature songs based on the original film. It will stream via TodayTix on January 1st at 7 PM ET, after which it will be available for 72 hours. Ticket prices range from $5 to $50. The lineup includes Tituss Burgess, Adam Lambert, Wayne Brady, Kevin Chamberlin, Mary Testa, and Priscilla Lopez."
Ciphey (GitHub Repo). Ciphey is a fully automated decryption tool. It uses natural language processing and artificial intelligence to determine the type of encryption used and to detect when the text is decrypted. Over 20 types of encryptions and multiple languages are supported. It is much faster and simpler to use compared to similar tools.
Gamedev.js Weekly (Newsletter). A cool newsletter about game development sent out every Friday by Andrzej Mazur of Enclave Games. Definitely worth a look for anyone interested in video games!
"Ask HN: What bits of fundamental knowledge are productivity multipliers? (Hacker News Thread). Last Friday I posted this story on ""productivity multipliers"" with a broken link, here is the correct link."
"Sightings of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites spark awe — and astronomical angst . SpaceX has launched 60 of its Starlink broadband satellites into the sky, creating a chain of satellites that could be observed by enthusiasts in a number of locations around the world. Some astronomers have expressed concern that the brightness from the satellites will interfere with observations of the night sky, especially when all 11,000 satellites are deployed. Elon Musk has confirmed that the satellites will be dark when the stars are visible."
"Sharp Two-Decade Drop in Human Body Temperature Stumps Scientists, Says Study . Two centuries ago, it was established that the average human body temperature was 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, or 37 degrees Celsius. Scientists have noticed a drop in average body temperature in healthy adults in the UK and US over the last two centuries. More recently, over the last two decades, a similar drop in body temperature occurred in the Tsimane indigenous people in the Bolivian Amazon. Despite many theories, it is unknown why body temperature dropped in any of these populations."
"Researchers create blueprint for 'quantum battery' that doesn't lose charge . Scientists from the universities of Alberta and Toronto have developed a blueprint for a new quantum battery that won’t lose charge to the environment when not in use. Traditional lithium-ion batteries rely on classical electrochemical properties while quantum batteries rely solely on quantum mechanics. They could eventually become an important component in many quantum devices. To create the design, the research team used an open quantum network model with high structural symmetry as a way to store energy harnessed when an electron absorbs a sufficiently energetic photon of light. When the battery is in a dark state, the network cannot exchange energy with its environment, making it immune to all environmental influences. To discharge the battery, the structural symmetry of the network will have to be broken in a controlled way. Future research will explore ways of charging and discharging the battery, as well as scaling it up so it becomes practical."
U.S. regulators approve new Silicon Valley stock exchange . A new stock exchange based in the Silicon Valley has received approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE) aims to appeal to startups who want to focus on innovation while still being traded on the market. It will use a unique approach to governance and voting rights in order to reduce short-term pressure on public companies. LTSE will be the only stock exchange in California and a number of technology companies and investors have already signed letters of intent to participate in the exchange.
"HQ, maker of the once-popular HQ Trivia, is shutting down . HQ, the makers of HQ Trivia, is closing down its business and laying off its 25 employees. CEO Rus Yusupov sent a note to employees informing them of the company's closure. HQ had received an acquisition offer from an established business but the deal didn't go through. The HQ Trivia app launched in 2017 and it quickly became popular due to its novel live nature, real cash prizes, and Scott Rogowsky playing the game's host. As the game became less popular, HQ tried to keep users engaged through extra in-game lives and an in-person event with a cash prize, but eventually, the game's novelty wore off and the company wasn't able to keep its users interested in its games."
"You’ve heard of lab-grown meat. Now there’s lab-grown ice cream . A Bay Area-based startup called Perfect Day has created a lab-grown ice cream that uses whey protein from genetically modified yeast. While there are plenty of dairy-free ice cream alternatives in the market, they generally don’t taste as creamy as traditional ice cream. Perfect Day’s ice cream is reported to taste exactly like traditional ice cream as it contains the same exact proteins, just produced in a different way, which the company claims uses 98 percent less water and 65 percent less energy than traditional methods. Last week, Perfect Day sold 1,000 three pint samples of the ice cream at $60 each. Perfect Day hopes that it will be able to sell animal-free proteins to big manufacturers. The market for meat and dairy alternatives is growing fast."
"T-Mobile begins blocking iPhone users from enabling iCloud Private Relay in the US . Apple's iCloud Private Relay feature, introduced in iOS 15, gives users an additional layer of privacy by ensuring that no one can view the websites they visit. T-Mobile has blocked the feature for users in Europe and the US when connected to cellular data. The change is still rolling out, so some users will still be able to access the feature. Several carriers have voiced concerns that the feature could impact their ability to efficiently manage telecommunication networks."
"Amazon debuts Showroom, a visual shopping experience for home furnishings . Amazon has launched Showroom, a visual design tool that lets you put furniture and decorations into a virtual living room. You can tweak the wall color, flooring, and any of the items in the room. When you're done you can add all of the items to your cart in one click. Amazon says ""The result is a photorealistic rendering of a room that answers the question: 'How will this all look together?'"""
"I Used Linux-Based PinePhone Daily For A Year. Here’s What I Learned! . The PinePhone is a phone designed specifically to run desktop Linux. This article details an experience of using the phone over a year. As Linux is a desktop operating system, many apps had to be developed and optimized to make the PinePhone useful as a phone. The camera on the phone takes low-quality pictures and is not capable of taking videos. While there are almost 400 confirmed working apps on the platform, this pales in comparison to the millions available on other platforms. The biggest weakness of the phone is its battery life. Turning on the phone just to check the time can cause it to drain quickly."
"Detailed Footage Finally Reveals What Triggers Lightning . A network of radio telescopes in the Netherlands made detailed recordings of a lightning bolt during a summer storm in 2018. The recordings, which were processed only recently, show lightning starting up inside a thundercloud. They were used to create a 3D image of the lightning. The pattern of pulses recorded indicates that lightning starts with clusters of ice inside of a cloud. An animation of the lightning flash is available in the article."
"Are Humans Intelligent? An AI Op-Ed . This article contains an output from GPT-3. A variety of responses was generated but only one is presented. The output covers human history, a definition of intelligence, a comparison of the human brain with a computer, consciousness, and emotions. It is presented in an essay format with an introduction, a hypothesis, an argument, and a conclusion."
"Alleged photos of Pixel 3 Lite aka 'Sargo' leak w/ headphone jack, Snapdragon 670 . The same Russian outlet that leaked the Pixel 3 XL has now leaked photos of what it claims is the Pixel 3 Lite, a smaller, cheaper version of the Pixel 3. It is 5.56 inches just like the Pixel 3, but has an LCD screen instead of OLED. It has 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage and a headphone jack on the top. It also has the exact same cameras as the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, which is awesome for a budget phone. The report says that the phone may cost around $400-500. There are photos in the article."
"Tinder is now bypassing the Play Store on Android to avoid Google’s 30 percent cut . Match Group, the company that owns Tinder, has become the latest high-profile software maker to ditch the Play Store and instead use its own payment systems. Last year, Epic Games made a similar move by releasing Fortnite via its own downloadable launcher. Companies who choose to operate through Google's Play store are required to pay a 15 to 30 percent cut. Apple's App Store charges the same amount. Spotify has filed an antitrust complaint against Apple as it claims that it is unfairly disadvantaged by the fee. If Google decides not to take action against Tinder, many other apps could follow its lead and bypass the Play Store."
Leaked Amazon Memo Details Plan to Smear Fired Warehouse Organizer: ‘He’s Not Smart or Articulate’ . A leaked internal memo from Amazon company executives detailed a plan to set up an employee as the head of a union movement so that the company would be in a stronger PR positioning in refusing workers from unionizing. The worker was fired after he led a walkout at a distribution warehouse on Monday. Amazon claims that the worker was fired for violating a company-imposed 14-day quarantine after coming into contact with a coworker who later tested positive for the coronavirus. Other employees were not fired for breaking their quarantines. Amazon plans to produce and stockpile PPE for its workers.
"MIT Wants to Replace Lights With Glowing Plants . MIT created light-emitting plants in 2017 and has been optimizing them to be able to be bright enough to illuminate a home or office workspace since. The plants are now able to be charged by a LED in just 10 seconds and last for several minutes. They use a specialized nanoparticle and an enzyme called luciferase to absorb light, store some of it, and emit it gradually. A type of light capacitor was created to make the plants glow longer. The glowing plants are able to photosynthesize without any interference from the nanoparticles."
"Serverless: 15% slower and 8x more expensive . Serverless is a simple way for developers to deploy servers and maintain them. Deploying Serverless is quick and simple, but when tested, the servers were slower and significantly more expensive. The use-case in testing may not be the optimal application for Serverless. Developers should look into what their exact needs are before deploying the hottest new frameworks."
"After a brief rebellion, the EU link tax and upload filter will move to a final vote . The final text for the EU's Copyright Directive has been completed and will be voted on sometime in March or April. There had been disputes over the wording of the directive, specifically in Articles 11 and 13, which define the controversial ‘link tax’ and ‘upload filter’. Under the directive, content distributors such as YouTube are required to proactively scan user content for copyright infringement, and content aggregators may be liable for charges and fees if they reprint content from the original articles."
"Russian Researchers Clone Cow To Produce Milk for Lactose Intolerance People . Researchers from Russia cloned a cow and edited its genes to remove beta-lactoglobulin, the main allergen in milk that causes lactose intolerance. Around 70 percent of the world has some form of lactose malabsorption. The team now aims to impregnate a herd with modified embryos to create a generation of cattle that produces lactose-free milk."
"PyTorch at Tesla (11 minute video). Tesla's Autopilot can control and navigate a car through a highway, and its Summon feature can move a vehicle from a parking spot directly to the driver. It doesn't use lidar or high-definition maps. Everything is based on computer vision and machine learning on the raw footage from the cameras on the vehicle. Most of Tesla's neural networks have a shared backbone as having an individual network for each task would be too resource-heavy. Each of these shared networks is called a Hydra-net. Multiple Hydra-nets can work together to make collaborative predictions. Training all these neural networks is an expensive task. It takes about 70,000 GPU hours to compile the neural network stack for Autopilot. Most of the training process can be automated, as long as the data sets are continually improved. Tesla's custom hardware allows them to train neural networks at a higher magnitude for a low cost."
"Amazon is shipping expired food, from baby formula to old beef jerky, scaring consumers and putting big brands at risk (10 minute read). Amazon has been shipping expired foods to consumers. Its automated technology and logistics system has been blamed for the blunder, and the problem will only get worse as the marketplace grows. There are more than 2.5 million businesses using Amazon for distribution. An analysis of reviews found that 40 percent of the vendors who offer the 100 best-selling food products had more than five customer complaints about expired goods. Third-party sellers are required to provide Amazon with an expiration date for food products and guarantee that items have a remaining shelf life of 90 days, but there is no indication that the policy is enforced."
"Apple will reduce App Store cut to 15 percent for most developers starting January 1st . Apple will reduce its App Store commission rate to 15 percent for developers who earn less than $1 million in annual sales per year from all of their apps. The new App Store Small Business Program will be available to the vast majority of iOS app developers. Last year, the App Store generated an estimated $50 billion in revenue. Apple did not reveal how much of its revenue will be affected by the reduced commission. The new small business program will begin on January 1. Developers will have to apply for the program."
"Hyperapp (Website). Hyperapp is a JavaScript framework for building web interfaces. It uses a declarative syntax that is readable and natural to write. Hyperapp is a modern VDOM engine, state management solution, and application design pattern all-in-one. Tutorials, guides, and other resources are available on the site."
"Founder Rewind (Videos). Founder Rewind is a list of videos of famous founders and entrepreneurs from their ""early days"". Really interesting to see, I gotta say little Bill Gates is adorable."
Coronavirus: Britons saying final goodbyes to dying relatives by videolink . Patients are unable to see relatives as they die from the coronavirus as doing so could further spread the disease. Family members are turning to videolinks as a way to say their final goodbyes. Coronavirus patients in intensive care cannot be visited by families as the risk of infection is too great. Mobile phones and chargers are high-priority for COVID-19 patients in order to keep them from being isolated from loved ones. Health workers in the UK have suggested that drafting in volunteers to provide care for relatives may lessen the load of the predicted peak in the coming weeks.
"Jeff Bezos Says Blue Origin Will Put People in Space in 2019 . Jeff Bezos announced that his rocket company Blue Origin will launch a manned mission in 2019. They are developing a capsule called the New Shepard that has 530 square feet in the interior, enough for six people. Bezos says the company might have paying space tourists by 2020 with tourists paying $100,000 to $200,000 per ticket."
"Pornhub Is ""Extremely Interested"" In Acquiring Tumblr . Pornhub’s Vice President Corey Price has said that the porn-streaming giant is extremely interested in buying Tumblr. Tumblr was bought by Yahoo in 2013 and then by Verizon in 2017, and its value has been steadily declining. Last December, Tumblr banned all adult content on its platform, a move which was heavily criticized, as NSFW content was one of the cornerstones of Tumblr’s user base. Restoring the NSFW edge will be a key factor in Pornhub’s acquisition of Tumblr if it were to happen."
"Huemint (Website). Huemint is a color palette generator for brands, websites, and graphics. It uses machine learning to create unique color schemes and then applies the palette to stock product and branding images. Users can adjust the generation mode, level of creativity, colors, and other parameters."
"handcalcs (GitHub Repo). handcalcs renders Python calculation code to look like it was written in pencil. It writes the symbolic formula, followed by numeric substitutions, and then the result. A basic GIF demo is available."
"wpMail (Newsletter). This is a weekly roundup of WordPress news, tutorials, plugins, podcasts/videos, and more. Really awesome, if you're interested in the WordPress ecosystem definitely check this out they've been consistently churning out a high quality newsletter for over 7 years now."
"From seawater to drinking water, with the push of a button . MIT researchers have developed a portable desalination unit that can remove particles and salts to generate drinking water. The water it produces exceeds World Health Organization quality guidelines. Weighing less than 10 kilograms, the device requires less power to operate than a cell phone charger. Using electrical power lowers its maintenance requirements, allowing the device to be deployed in remote and severely resource-limited areas. The machine can produce 0.3 liters of water per hour using 20 watts of power per liter."
"Next generation of biotech food heading for grocery stores . Gene edited foods are expected to be in stores by early next year. Genetically modified (GMOs) basically means that a plant/animal is mixed with another species' DNA to introduce a specific trait (like GMO corn is resistant to pests and weed killers). Gene editing tools like CRISPR can alter foods more precisely by editing the DNA directly instead of mixing in foreign DNA. The industry is proceeding cautiously because there could be unintended consequences of editing a piece of DNA but the potential benefits are pretty huge (wheat with triple the fiber, mushrooms that don't go brown, pigs immune to viruses etc.). NC State professor Jennifer Kuzma says ""we think it's going to really revolutionize the industry""."
"Building an artificial sun that looks unbelievably realistic... (24 minute video). This video will show you how to build an artificial sun that looks unbelievably realistic. There are two builds in the video, a larger one that uses a satellite dish, and a smaller one for those who can't source a satellite dish. The artificial light features parallel rays, meaning that shadows don't change size no matter how far you are from the light, and a blue sky effect. The resulting light makes it look like it is bright and sunny indoors even when it is night time or raining outside."
"Elon Musk shows Neuralink brain implant working in a pig . On Friday night, Elon Musk unveiled Gertrude, a pig with Neuralink's wireless device surgically implanted in its skull. The demonstration showed the device picking up signals from the pig's snout as it snuffled around its pen. Neuralink's device communicates with brain cells via 1,024 thin electrodes that penetrate the outer layer of the brain. It uses Bluetooth to connect to an outside computing device or to other devices. The FDA has given the device approval for 'breakthrough device' testing. Neuralink will focus on medical applications first. Musk touched on other possibilities such as telepathy, gaming, downloading memories, and more. Images of the device and a video of the presentation are available in the article."
"Google employees are becoming unhappy with pay, promotions and execution, survey results show . Google's annual employee survey shows that a growing number of staff are unhappy with their pay packages and their employer's ability to act quickly when needed. Employees indicated that they were pleased with Google's ability to deliver on its mission and values. Almost all employees agree that the company's products are helpful to people in their everyday lives. More details on the survey results are available in the article."
"Scientists are searching for a mirror universe. It could be sitting right in front of you . An experiment conducted in Tennessee will attempt to open a portal to a parallel universe. In studies that examined how neutrons break down into protons, it was found that neutrons created in particle beams lasted 10 seconds longer than neutrons stored in laboratory bottle before breaking down. One possible explanation for the discrepancy was that the normal neutrons were crossing over into a ‘mirror world’, which meant that they were no longer detectable. In the experiment, scientists will shoot a beam of neutrons onto an impenetrable surface and see whether neutrons could be detected on the opposite side of the surface. If the mirror universe exists, some neutrons should be detected as they would be able to move past the surface by switching between universes."
"Why the [expletive] can’t we travel back in time? (15 minute read). As far as we know, we can't reverse the flow of time. It is theoretically possible, but only in very special circumstances that are probably impossible to create. Time seems to only be able to flow in one direction. While fundamental physics doesn't seem to care about time, the concept of entropy may be related to our experience of time. Scientists still don't know how these concepts are connected, as entropy has not been deeply researched. Time travel may still be possible, but it will require the discovery of new physics."
"Facebook finally has live chat support for people who are locked out of their accounts . Facebook is testing live chat help for a small group of English-speaking users globally. The service will help people who have been locked out of their accounts and focus on users who can't log in due to unusual activity or because they have violated community standards. Facebook is also introducing better comment moderation, the ability to block users and any new accounts they may make, a dedicated spot to view hidden comments, and the ability for creators to co-broadcast with up to three additional guests. Video hosts can now add links that viewers can click without leaving the video. Screenshots showing some of the new features are available in the article."
"Amazon announces its first-ever Kindle for kids . Amazon has unveiled the Kindle Kids Edition, its first-ever e-reader aimed at children. It costs $20 more than a normal Kindle and comes with one of four colorful cases, a two-year guarantee, and one year's access to FreeTime Unlimited. Amazon will replace the device for free if anything happens to it under the two-year guarantee. FreeTime Unlimited offers 20,000 kid-friendly books, videos, and apps. It is $4.99 per month or $2.99 per month for existing Prime subscribers. The Kindle Kids Edition includes a feature called Word Wise that will automatically define difficult words, as well as turn any word that a child looks up into a flashcard for later review. Kids can earn achievement badges, as well as decorate their Kindle with fun wallpapers. It is available for pre-order now and will ship on October 30th."
"Apple vs. Epic hearing previews a long, hard-fought trial to come . Epic's request for a temporary injunction in its case against Apple was heard recently. The case centers around Epic's contention that Apple's control over the iOS App Store constitutes an illegal monopoly that hinders competition. Apple argued that iOS is just one of the many platforms available for Fortnite, so there was no monopoly. Other competing platforms charge the same 30 percent fee that Apple charges. Players who aren't able to play Fortnite on iOS can still play on other platforms, though they might not have the means to do so. Epic argues that even if Apple is allowed to maintain control of its App Store, it should allow developers to make and use their own payment systems. Apps like Uber can charge customers without using the in-app purchase system, and Epic wants the same opportunity for its games. Epic was reprimanded for the actions that led to the court case as the company deliberately broke its agreement with Apple."
"Pirated Academic Database Sci-Hub Is Now on the ‘Uncensorable Web’ . Handshake is a decentralized domain name server that can point browsers to websites even if their domain names have been taken down. Site owners can claim their domain names by placing them on the Handshake marketplace and then bidding for them. Services like this are a significant help in the fight for the decentralized web. Internet access is increasingly policed by a few companies that can switch off their services at will. Sci-Hub, a site that hosts a pirated database of academic papers, kept getting repeated domain name revocations. It is now accessible through Handshake's service portals, as well as through NextDNS."
"Amazon VP Resigns, Calls Company ‘Chickenshit’ for Firing Protesting Workers . Tim Bray, Vice President at Amazon, has quit the company due to its handling of whistleblowers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bray called the company 'chickenshit' for firing employees who organized protests over Amazon's lack of protective actions. Last week, Amazon ended a program that allowed employees to take unlimited unpaid time off during the pandemic. Bray stated that the company had become toxic and that staying in his position would have meant signing off on actions he despised."
"Teardrop-shaped star only twinkles on one side . Light from stars tend to pulsate uniformly across the whole surface of a star. Astronomers have discovered a teardrop-shaped object that only pulses from one side. The star is about 1.7 times the mass of the Sun and it is about 1,500 light-years away from Earth. It is accompanied by a red dwarf. The two stars orbit each other in less than two days. This orbit is causing the star to pull into a teardrop shape. The finding confirms decades of hypotheses by astronomers."
"Scientists use loudspeakers to make dead coral reefs sound healthy, and fish flock to them . Scientists have used a process called 'acoustic enrichment' to attract fish back to dead coral reefs. Coral reefs have been dying due to climate change, overfishing, and pollution. Degraded reefs have a better chance of recovering if they have robust populations of fish. In an experiment, scientists played recordings from a healthy reef in patches of dead coral. The areas where these recordings were played had twice as many fish compared to patches where no sound was played. Fish that had migrated to the area tended to stay. The new fish populations included species from all parts of the food chain."
Microsoft in talks with Discord over $10 billion-plus acquisition . Microsoft is in discussions to acquire Discord for more than $10 billion. Discord had multiple potential buyers express interest. Some sources say that Discord might prefer to take itself public rather than seek an acquisition. Discord has about 140 million monthly users. It makes money by offering subscriptions that offer advanced features.
"Boeing employee: I would not put my family on a Max plane right now . A Boeing employee has spoken on a radio show about the state of the company on the promise of anonymity. The employee primarily worked on the 777X model. However, when commenting on the 737 Max, which is currently embroiled in controversy, the employee stated that he wouldn’t risk letting his family on one of the aircraft. The company is currently experiencing low morale, as management has been unclear on the direction of the company with employees, and there are rumors of upcoming layoffs. Boeing claims that companies which purchase airplanes were responsible for training pilots correctly. As the training isn’t mandatory, some pilots are unaware of essential systems, such as the MCAS system that failed in two airplanes, causing crashes. While the employee trusts his colleagues and the work they do, he is unsure about the management, and still has reservations about the 737 Max planes."
"Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? (Hacker News Thread). New technologies such as drones, e-bikes, vapes, and 3d printing are beginning to receive varying amounts of regulatory attention, but many emerging technologies are still yet unregulated. Data laundering, obtaining datasets via crawling or other means and altering it to bypass copyrights, using it to clone websites/businesses, or for other purposes, is a common occurrence nowadays. Fitness devices, which are quickly developing in terms of their abilities, will soon be able to analyze blood samples. Programmers are able to write any code and run it on their personal computers. There are many more examples in this thread of unregulated technologies that may be regulated in the future as they can be dangerous or easily exploited."
"tuc (GitHub Repo). tuc is a tool for cutting and manipulating text. It has more features than cut, such as being able to use negative indexes, format fields, and cut on lines. Examples are available."
"Institute Breaks Transmission World Record With 125,000 Gbps Using an Optical Fiber . Researchers from Japan have achieved the world's first transmission exceeding 1 petabit per second in a single-core multi-mode optical fiber. At 125,000 Gbps, the experiment broke the current record transmission in a multi-mode fiber by 2.5 times. The researchers now plan to increase the distance of the transmission and integrate it with multi-core technology."
"Apple’s Prime equivalent “Apple One” will launch in October . Apple One is Apple's all-in-one subscription bundle that will launch in October alongside the company's new 2020 lineup of iPhones. It will be part of iOS 14, though it isn't available in the iOS 14 beta. There will be multiple tiers, with Apple's new workout video subscription service landing in the highest-end tier. The bundles will be geared towards families and will integrate with existing Family Sharing features."
"Dear PyGui (GitHub Repo). Dear PyGui is a Python GUI framework. It uses the immediate mode paradigm which allows for extremely dynamic interfaces. Dear PyGui draws widgets using the computer's GPU and works on Windows 10, macOS, and Linux. It includes plotting/graphing features, themes, a drawing API for custom drawings, and tools for app development. Examples are available in the repository."
"Facebook acquires the maker of popular 'Beat Saber' VR game . Facebook has acquired Beat Games, adding it to its Oculus Studio division. Beat Studios is behind the hit virtual-reality game Beat Saber. It will continue to operate independently out of Prague. Facebook has hinted that it may acquire more video game studios in 2020 in order to accelerate VR development. It has recently acquired CTRL-Labs, a startup that specializes in brain-computing technology."
"100+ No Code Resources (Trello Board). This Trello board list contains over 100 No Code resources. Categories include tools, newsletters, communities, online courses, podcasts, and more. Each card contains a link and a short description."
Why Nasa is exploring the deepest oceans on Earth (11 minute read). Over 80% of the ocean is unexplored. Humans know more about the surface of Mars and the Moon than about the ocean floor. NASA is planning a mission to explore the deep ocean that will push the limits of science and technology in one of the most extreme environments on the planet. The oceans are surprisingly similar to conditions NASA expects to find on other worlds. Organisms are known to thrive in the oppressive environment at the bottom of the ocean. Studying the ocean floor could give scientists clues on what to look for when searching for life on other planets.
"This self-healing concrete automatically fills in cracks . A new type of concrete uses an enzyme found in red blood cells to heal itself. Making concrete more durable could help lower carbon emissions due to concrete production, repair, and transport. Earlier attempts at making self-healing concrete used bacteria, but the process was slow and expensive. Carbonic anhydrase is the enzyme that transfers CO2 from cells into the bloodstream. When added to concrete powder, it helps the concrete turn CO2 from the atmosphere into calcium carbonate crystals, filling in cracks. It can be put into a spray and used to fix cracks in traditional concrete."
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella tells employees that pay increases are on the way . Microsoft is raising compensation as the labor market tightens and employees contend with increasing inflation. Inflation jumped 8.3% in April and is close to a 40-year high. Some tech companies have responded with salary bumps while others have implemented layoffs. Microsoft is nearly doubling its global merit budget. It has increased research and development costs and bolstered spending in cloud engineering.
NeverThrow (GitHub Repo). NeverThrow is a package for JavaScript and TypeScript that implements type-safe errors. It contains a Result type that represents either success or failure. Examples are available.
"Netflix to charge global members sharing their accounts an additional fee, following tests . Netflix is expanding its test to charge members for sharing accounts with people outside their household to include global markets. The company will iterate on the feature over the next year to create a balance for customers. Subscribers can now add sub-accounts to their service, each with its own profile and login details. Sub-accounts will retain their recommendations, history, and watch list if they choose to move to their own accounts. Netflix will use IP address and other device information to identify household members."
"Mass Over-The-Air Update Of Tesla Cars Captured On Video . Footage of hundreds of Tesla cars receiving their over-the-air updates at the same time was captured at a logistics center recently. In the video, the cars’ emergency lights flash as they receive the update. The update was pushed using a standard LTE connection. Tesla can improve basically everything in its cars through these updates. The 38-second video is available in the article."
"Report: Indian government is planning outright ban on cryptocurrency . The government of India is planning to ban cryptocurrency. If the new laws are passed, there will be fines for trading, mining, and owning cryptocurrency. India's central bank has tried to ban cryptocurrencies before in 2018, but the Supreme Court overturned the ban. Cryptocurrency owners will have six months to liquidate their positions. The law would make India one of the most cryptocurrency-hostile jurisdictions in the world."
"Capella Space's new satellite can see into your house at any time . Capella-2 is a satellite from Capella Space that can take images of anything on the planet at any time. It uses Synthetic Aperture Radar technology to detect the Earth's surface, even through dense clouds. About 75 percent of the Earth is covered by clouds or darkness at any given time. The system works by sending a 9.65GHz radio signal towards Earth and interpreting the reflected signal. Anyone can request images from Capella at any time, no questions asked. The company already has contracts with government agencies. It plans to send more satellites into space to increase the reach of its network."
HNTerm (GitHub Repo). HNTerm allows you to browse Hacker News within your terminal. It queries the official HN API and displays current stories and comments. HNTerm only shows content that is currently visible. Multiple stories/comment sections can be browsed at the same time using window splits.
"regular expressions 101 (Website). Regex101 allows you to write regular expressions and test them on strings. It is able to generate an explanation of your regex as you type. There is a quick reference guide, with tokens sorted into categories such as Anchors, Meta Sequences, Quantifiers, Group Constructs, and more."
"The story of the fight to archive the internet . Brewster Kahle founded Alexa Internet and the Internet Archive on the same day in 1996. Alexa was acquired by Amazon in a deal worth $250 million and converted into an SEO service. Kahle still runs the Internet Archive, which now hosts an impressive 70-petabyte library of content. This article tells the story of how it all started, the problems Kahle has had to deal with as the owner of the Internet Archive, and Kahle's dream of building a digital Library of Alexandria."
"Robinhood Crypto Wallet Beta to Launch in January . Robinhood will launch a beta version of its cryptocurrency wallet next month. The program will be available for tens of thousands of waitlisted users. More than 1.6 million people signed up for the waitlist. Robinhood users are currently only able to withdraw their cryptocurrency investments as cash balances, but this will change with the introduction of the crypto wallet. There is no set date for when the final version of the wallet will be available to the general public."
"Uber lays off 3,000 people in second big round of cuts . Uber has laid off 3,000 workers in addition to the 3,700 workers that it let go earlier this month. Uber drivers are not directly affected. The pandemic has caused Uber's rides business to go down by 80 percent compared to last year. Losses were offset slightly by strong demand for Uber Eats but this did not come close to covering expenses. Uber has estimated that it will spend another $110 to $140 million in severance packages and $65 to $80 million on expenses related to shutting down 45 office locations. The cuts will reduce Uber's overhead by more than $1 billion."
OpenSearch (GitHub Repo). OpenSearch is a search and analytics engine derived from Elasticsearch. It is still currently in an alpha state. OpenSearch consists of a search engine daemon and a visualization and user interface.
"Reddit files to take the company public . Reddit has started the process of going public by filing a confidential S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company has been rumored to be considering an IPO for some time. It made $100 million in ad revenue in the second quarter of 2021, an almost 200 percent increase from last year. Reddit plans to double its staff by the end of 2021 to around 1,400 employees. The site has around 52 million daily users with more than 100,000 active subreddits."
Self Driving Pi Car (Github Repo). This is the code used to build a $60 self-driving car with Legos and a Raspberry Pi. There is an extensive Medium article in here too detailing the whole process of building the car. The code is written in Python and uses a deep neural network to provide the self-driving functionality.
"Molecular Farming Means the Next Vaccine Could Be Edible and Grown in a Plant . Molecular farming uses plants to synthesize medications and vaccines. Scientists can introduce new biochemical pathways into plant cells using genetic engineering and synthetic biology, turning plants into single-use bioreactors. Plant-produced vaccines and monoclonal antibodies are far more potent than similar molecules made in chicken eggs or yeasts. Plants are cheap to grow and resist common forms of contamination. The resulting medicines are often stored in seeds or other plant cell components that can be easily dehydrated for cheap storage. Several trials using this technology are currently underway."
"Microsoft orchestrates coordinated takedown of Necurs botnet . Necurs is one of the largest spam and malware botnets known to date, infecting more than nine million computers worldwide. Microsoft recently announced a coordinated takedown of Necurs. Necurs used a domain generation algorithm to generate random domain names to host the botnet's command-and-control servers that bots connected to in order to receive new commands. Microsoft cracked the algorithm and predicted over six million domains that the botnet would create in the next 25 months. These domains were all blocked to prevent the Necurs team from registering them. Microsoft's legal team obtained a court order granting Microsoft control over existing Necurs domains that were being hosted in the US. It is now working with ISPs and CERT teams to notify people who have been affected by the malware."
"Citing revenue declines, Airbnb cuts 1,900 jobs, or around 25% of its global workforce . Airbnb is laying off around a quarter of its workforce due to revenue declines and a need to curtail costs. The layoffs will impact several internal product groups. Airbnb anticipates that it will receive less than 50% of 2019's revenue in 2020. It has recently taken on more debt to provide extra liquidity in its business. The company had previously promised a 2020 IPO. Separated employees will receive 14 weeks of pay, with an additional week of pay for every year served at the company. Airbnb will allow employees who are laid off with under 12 months of tenure to buy their vested options and it will also be providing 12 months of health insurance for the former employees."
"NASA head warns: Expect a major asteroid impact in your lifetime . At the International Academy of Astronautics Planetary Defense Conference, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine opened his keynote with a warning about the likely scenario that we will have to deal with an asteroid impact within our lifetimes. In 2013, a 20 meter meteor exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, damaging thousands of buildings and sending more than 1,500 people to the hospital. There were three of these events in the 20th century, with one in 1908 causing damage to more than 2,000 square kilometers. NASA is currently attempting to track 90 percent of asteroids 140 meters and larger. It has enlisted the help of SpaceX to develop a rocket that will hopefully be able to steer asteroids off their course if they are aimed at Earth. NASA currently knows of no asteroid or comet that is on a collision course with Earth."
"Meta's 'data2vec' is the next step toward One Neural Network to Rule Them All . data2vec is a multi-modal artificial intelligence algorithm from Meta that attempts to replicate the general learning ability that the human mind possesses. The team aimed to create an AI that could learn to perform many different tasks, including unfamiliar ones. data2vec can learn from speech, vision, and text without needing labeled training data. The technology will eventually be built into Meta's AR glasses to aid a virtual assistant. Details about how the neural network works are available in the article."
"NASA to Fly Drones on Saturn’s Moon Titan Searching for Alien Life . A mission that will send a quadcopter to Saturn's largest moon to look for signs of life has been announced by NASA. Dragonfly will be launched in 2026 and land on Titan in 2034. Titan has a nitrogen-based atmosphere similar to Earth, and researchers believe that the moon's weather and surface processes have the potential to create life. Dragonfly will land on the equatorial sand dunes of Titan and then travel five miles at a time over the next three years. It will end up at the Selk impact crater, where there could be evidence of water and possible life."
"Never-before-seen ""black nitrogen"" plugs puzzle in periodic table . A new crystalline form of nitrogen called 'black nitrogen' has been created by researchers at the University of Bayreuth. Its name is a reference to a similar material called 'black phosphorus'. Nitrogen's position on the periodic table has long suggested that an allotrope other than dinitrogen was possible. The new form was created by heating nitrogen under extreme pressure to over 4,000 degrees Celsius. It appears to have good conductivity, similar to graphene. The material is still unstable and quickly dissolves when the heat and pressure are relaxed."
"Holotron is a robotic exosuit that could transform the way we use VR . The Holotron is a lower-body robot exosuit that can be worn to simulate some of the forces needed to make virtual reality more realistic and interactive. It features force-feedback that can constrain an avatar depending on the physical constraints of the virtual environment. The Holotron suspends its user in the air while providing the necessary movement to make them feel like they are moving. This allows the user to fully concentrate on controlling the body of their avatar. The Holotron could be used for many applications, including gaming, job training, and controlling telepresence robots. A one-minute video showing the Holotron in action is available in the article."
Instagram is testing a TikTok-like full-screen feed . Instagram is experimenting with full-screen vertical home feeds. The feed is designed to make video more immersive as part of the platform's response to TikTok. Instagram has changed its ranking algorithm to reward original content over reposted content. It has been investing in creator tools to bring more creators to its platform.
"Ask HN: Why did you leave the tech industry? (Hacker News Thread). People leave the tech industry for many reasons. The idea of working long hours in indoor environments doesn't appeal to a lot of people, and for many, it is just a way to put food on the table. A lot of people from the tech industry work many years to find that they would enjoy working in a less stressful position, with more control over their time and life. While people might have left the tech industry, they still return to tech forums like Hacker News as tech remains their main hobby."
"Microsoft Edge is getting a built-in VPN powered by Cloudflare . Microsoft Edge Secure Network is a feature recently discovered on a Microsoft support page. It provides a service similar to a proxy or VPN that encrypts browsing data and prevents online tracking. Users will get 1GB of free data per month. The feature has not been released yet, but it is likely to be available soon. A screenshot of the feature is available in the article."
"This Startup Wants You To Eat All Your Food In Cube Form . SquarEat is a company that sells cubes of food made from 100 percent natural ingredients. The cubes have all the features of regular food but with a longer shelf life, better preservation of nutrients, and more convenience. SquarEat offers meal plans with different meal sizes, flavors, and combinations of nutrients. The company wants to revolutionize meal planning with its new concept of food. It has algorithms for recommending meals for customers. A link to SquarEat's pitch deck is available in the article."
"The search for the kryptonite that can stop CRISPR . While CRISPR technology has the potential to help many people, it also has the potential to be used as a dangerous weapon. The technology works by editing genes within living cells, which can potentially cure, or cause, genetic diseases. In September 2016, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) began a program called Safe Genes that aimed to find an antidote against CRISPR. More than 40 anti-CRISPR proteins have already been found. Scientists have combined CRISPR and anti-CRISPR technologies to develop more targeted treatments. Finding a way to disable CRISPR technology is important as the consequences of an accident or attack can be catastrophic."
SSH To Anywhere With Tailscale (Sponsor). SSH To Anywhere With Tailscale . No additional hardware to manage. No complicated firewalls. Tailscale keeps it simple & secure. Learn more.
"A rogue killer drone 'hunted down' a human target without being instructed to, UN report says . In March last year, a KARGU-2 quadcopter targeted and killed a soldier without instructions to do so. The drone was operating in an autonomous mode, hunting down the target as they tried to retreat. It is likely the first time drones have attacked humans without being directed to. The incident raises concerns about the future of autonomous drones. Scientists and human rights groups have called for restrictions on the technology."
"Netflix is reportedly testing 'N-Plus' service . Netflix N-Plus is a new service that wants to be an online space for users to learn more about Netflix shows and related media. Hints that the feature was in development were found in a survey sent out to some of its users. The survey suggested features for the service, including the ability to create custom playlists for TV series, list all music used in TV shows, or influence the development of a show pre-production."
"Belgium’s government network goes down after massive DDoS attack . Belgium's government IT network was targeted by a massive distributed denial of service attack, knocking most of its internal systems and public-facing websites offline. The attack, which focused on Belnet, a government-funded ISP, impacted the activities of more than 200 Belgian government organizations. Parliament and other government activities were also disrupted. The attack started around the same time that a committee was supposed to hear testimony from a survivor of China's Uyghur forced labor camps. No one has attributed the ongoing attack to any particular entity yet."
"Lyft says it’s ‘not in the transportation business’ to avoid complying with disability law . A woman in Westchester County filed a class-action lawsuit against Lyft for not providing transportation options for people with disabilities. There are currently no options for people with non-foldable wheelchairs or scooters to ride with Lyft. Lyft has argued that the company is not in the transportation business in order to avoid complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. While Lyft claims to be a technology company, they have previously stated in their filing with the SEC that their mission was to ‘improve people’s lives with the world’s best transportation’."
"Why the world is running out of sand . Sand is the world's second-most consumed natural resource. It is the primary raw material that modern cities are made from. Sand is used to make concrete, roads, glass, and electronics. The world is now starting to face a shortage of sand. Concrete is made from sand that has been eroded by water, so desert sand is largely unusable. Riverbeds, beaches, farmlands, and forests are being destroyed in order to extract sand. Criminal gangs have entered into the sand trade, resulting in several deaths. As cities grow, the demand for sand increases. Countries such as China have created new coastlines and islands using sand. Singapore created so much land over the past 40 years that neighboring countries have restricted exports of sand to the country. Scientists are working on ways to replace sand in concrete with other materials, such as fly ash, shredded plastic, crushed oil palm shells, and rice husks. Researchers are also trying to produce concrete that requires less sand and find more effective ways to grind down and recycle concrete."
"Digital dystopia: how algorithms punish the poor . Billions of dollars are being poured into AI-based projects by governments around the world to change how low-income people will interact with the state. Governments are looking into ways to automate how welfare payments are distributed amongst those who need them. They claim the new systems will speed up benefits payments, increase efficiency and transparency, reduce waste, save money for taxpayers, eradicate human fallibility and prejudice, and ensure that limited resources reach those most in need. However, many have seen their payments reduced or stopped, and unexplainable mistakes often occur. Victims of these mistakes often have no way of seeking remedies. The technology is also being used to demand repayments from those who have been overpaid, with some cases where up to 30 years of overpayments were demanded to be repaid."
"10 developers on what makes their games’ ‘hand-drawn’ (18 minute read). Many games have taken on a hand-drawn art style over the years. Hand-drawn can mean a lot of different things to different people. In this article, 10 developers talk about what makes their games 'hand-drawn'. The developers discuss the process and techniques used to create the art in their games."
"Better JSON in Postgres with PostgreSQL 14 . PostgreSQL 14 introduces changes that make it easier than ever to use JSONB. JSONB compresses data and does not preserve white space, unlike JSON. It also comes with better indexing ability. Examples of how the new changes make JSONB more user-friendly are available in the article."
"New ‘Morpheus’ CPU Design Defeats Hundreds of Hackers in DARPA Tests . A new processor with the codename Morpheus continually rewrites its own architecture, making it impossible for attackers to use side-channel attacks that affect conventional x86 processors. Morpheus was able to fend off 580 experts who spent a collective 13,000 hours trying to hack a system run by it. With Morpheus, even if a hacker finds a vulnerability, the information needed to exploit it disappears 50 milliseconds later. The approach doesn't stop every kind of attack that can be launched against it, but it demonstrates that better protection from side-channel attacks is possible."
"I walked Spot, the Boston Dynamics robot dog, remotely -- and only crashed once . Formant, a San Francisco-based startup, is offering everyday people the chance to walk Boston Dynamics' Spot around the Bay Area. The company also offers people the chance to pilot drones, underwater robots, automated guided vehicles, and other robots through its web browser platform. Users will receive comprehensive data after their session, with maps, recordings, and other information available. A 10-minute video showing a journalist piloting Spot is available in the article. Formant is looking for a wide range of people to test out its software. A link to the application form is available near the end of the article."
"This tool can track social distancing in real-time . Landing AI has developed an AI-powered tool capable of analyzing real-time video to check if social distancing protocols are being observed properly. Social distancing is the best tool we have to curb the spread of the virus until a vaccine becomes available. Landing AI's tool cannot identify individuals and is designed to only give an overview of how social distancing is being observed in a given place. While this technology might be good during a pandemic, there is a high potential for misuse. 💻"
"My Long Distance Relationship With GitHub - Transitioning to Remote, Async Work (10 minute read). Many people dream of working from home, cutting their commute down to just a few meters between their bed and their desk and avoiding all the troubles that working in an office entails. When Sophie DeBenedetto switched over to remote work at GitHub, the most unexpected issue was asynchronous work. Remote work means that the team isn’t physically working together and able to communicate with each other in real-time. Instead, people sometimes work in different timezones, which means that it can take a lot of time before you get a reply from a co-worker. Teams may use strategies such as leaving detailed pull requests and comments in code. This means that writing becomes a much more important skill when working in a remote team."
"Uber drivers are contractors, not employees, U.S. labor agency says . The general counsel of a US labor agency has concluded that Uber drivers are contractors, not employees. Drivers set their own hours, own their own vehicles, and are free to work for Uber’s competitors, which makes them unable to be considered employees under federal labor law. A final ruling by the National Labor Relations Board will decide whether Uber drivers are employees and can form unions. Uber continues to deny any wrongdoing, but they have stated in a filing with the SEC that they would pay up to $170 million to settle tens of thousands of arbitration cases across the country with drivers who claim they have been misclassified as independent contractors."
"Why Senior Engineers Hate Coding Interviews . The industry-standard way of interviewing software engineers is broken and works against interviewees. They take a ton of prep time, the environments that engineers are tested in are usually different from how they work most effectively, they don't usually test for the job that the candidate will do, and they send a bad message about the company's work culture. A better option for testing a software engineer's coding ability would be to give them a short take-home assignment."
"Earth is whipping around quicker than it has in a half-century . The 28 fastest days since 1960 all occurred in 2020. Earth completed its revolutions around its axis milliseconds quicker than average on these days, causing problems for international timekeepers. Timekeepers use ultra-accurate atomic clocks to measure Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). UTC is adjusted when the time it takes the Earth to make one full rotation deviates by more than 0.4 seconds. Usually, a 'leap second' is added to correct for Earth's rotation speed, but this time, scientists are talking about a negative leap second."
"A 2021 Crash Course in Next.js . Next is a React web framework that is perfectly suited for larger production apps. It features server-side rendering, easy page routing, API routes, static site generation, easy deployment, and out-of-the-box TypeScript and Sass, no special packages required. This article is a guide on how to use Next to set up a simple app."
"New US lab to create versions of atoms never recorded on Earth . The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams aims to create thousands of isotopes never before recorded on Earth. There are 285 isotopes of elements that exist on Earth, but there are potentially 10,000 isotopes for elements up to uranium. Studying these isotopes will help scientists gain new insights into the reactions that created the elements within stars. It could also help scientists test theories about the fundamental forces in nature and yield new isotopes for medical use."
"Emu (GitHub Repo). Emu is a high-level programming language for GPUs that is designed for embedding in Rust. A single procedural macro is provided for writing functions, which then translates the functions into low-level code to be run on the GPU when compiled. Other features such as built-in mathematical and physical constants, unit annotation, and implicit conversion are also available to make programming GPUs more accessible."
"This plane can fly 500 miles, powered entirely by hydrogen . ZeroAvia has revealed the largest zero-emissions plane to ever fly without support from fossil fuels. It has been testing the technology over the past year and plans to supply its hydrogen-fueled electric powertrain to planes with as many as 20 seats on flights up to 500 miles long. The aviation industry is responsible for almost 900 million metric tons of CO2 emissions a year. Other attempts at creating emission-free plane engines use batteries to store electric power, but ZeroAvia chose to use hydrogen, as a system based on hydrogen fuel cells is around four times more energy-dense as the best batteries currently available. Hydrogen-fueled planes for short flights are cheaper, more efficient, and require less maintenance. Longer flights are possible with liquid hydrogen storage, but further safety testing and certification is required before it becomes a reality."
"How to put machine learning models into production (17 minute read). Effectively deploying a machine learning model can be more of an art than a science. Most data science projects never make it to production due to failed teamwork. There can be a disconnect between software engineers and data scientists, and bridging this gap is key to ensuring that you have a good model that can actually be put into production. This article covers practices and methods for getting machine learning models into production, bringing up important questions to consider through each step of development."
"Chinese scientists jailed over 'world's first gene-edited babies' . Three scientists who were behind the first-ever gene-edited babies have been sentenced to prison in China for illegal medical practice. Last year, two women became pregnant after having embryos with altered DNA implanted in them, resulting in the birth of twins. The experiments were denounced as extremely abominable in nature and resulted in the researchers being handed sentences of up to three years in prison. They were also fined up to three million yuan each. Gene editing for human embryos is only allowed in the US and UK in laboratory research. The technology could lead to a new era of genetic inequality as embryos could be modified for more desirable traits."
"Shards Dashboard React (GitHub Repo). This is a free React admin dashboard template pack, with tons of custom templates and components. There's a live demo, it looks really nice."
"SeaTunnel (GitHub Repo). SeaTunnel is a distributed data integration platform that supports real-time synchronization of massive data. It is easy to use, flexible, and it supports low code development, real-time streaming, offline multi-source data analysis, and more. SeaTunnel can be used for mass data synchronization, integration, and aggregation, ETL with massive data, and multi-source data processing."
Amazon spending $465 million on season 1 of The Lord of the Rings series . The first season of Amazon's Lord of the Rings TV show will cost $465 million to produce. New Zealand will be rebating the production around 25% of its costs due to the considerable economic and tourism potential of the project. There is no premiere date for the show yet as there were some setbacks in filming due to the pandemic. Amazon has canceled its plans for its Lord of the Rings MMO as it was unable to secure terms to continue development.
"NASA's Parker Solar Probe Just 'Touched' Our Sun, in a World-First . NASA's Parker Solar Probe recently flew through the sun's upper atmosphere and took measurements of the particles and magnetic fields it encountered. The probe is scheduled to take 21 trips through the sun's corona over the course of seven years. It was subjected to temperatures of nearly 2,500 Fahrenheit during the flyby. The Parker Solar Probe uses Venus' gravity to steer. Future flybys will probably last longer as the corona is growing as part of a normal 11-year cycle."
"MKBHD says yes to Google Glass, no to the metaverse . This article features an interview with Marques Brownlee, a YouTube tech reviewer, where he talks about his transition to TikTok, his views on the metaverse, and why the Google Glass deserves a redemption arc."
"China Steps In the Metaverse with Baidu: Meet Xi Rang . Baidu has launched its own version of the metaverse called Xi Rang. The world will be accessible through smartphones and computers, not just with VR headsets. Xi Rang currently offers a central city, the ability to interact with avatars, creation tools, and a place for people to gather for entertainment. It is still in development and more features are expected in the near future. A video that shows the world inside Xi Rang is available in the article."
"Venom Bot (GitHub Repo). Venom Bot is a system for creating WhatsApp bots. It can send text, images, video, audio, and docs, and interact with other WhatsApp functions. Venom supports sentence recognition based on artificial intelligence and all types of design architecture for WhatsApp."
"Emojifs (Web Tool). This is a nifty tool that lets you choose a series of emojis, and a time interval (between 0 and 5 seconds), and it will create a gif toggling between the emojis you've chosen at the speed you've chosen. Fast, no signup necessary, there's a lot to like here!"
"Cold temperatures induce anti-inflammatory molecule that counters obesity . Cold temperatures can stimulate the release of a molecule that reverses obesity-related inflammation, resulting in reduced body weight in mice."
"Developer Survey Results 2019 (17 minute read). Stack Overflow’s annual Developer Survey gathers information from developers all over the world. In the 2019 report, around 90,000 developers responded to the survey. Stack Overflow continues its efforts on becoming a welcoming and inclusive platform and has marked their results where there were differences in developer demographics. The results discuss developer profiles, technologies used by developers, the types of work that developers are employed in, and community engagement with Stack Overflow."
How to use undocumented web APIs . The information browsers send to the backend are just HTTP requests. There's no way for the backend to tell that a request isn't sent by a browser unless too many headers are removed. This article shows how anyone can access undocumented APIs by sending requests to endpoints authenticated with cookies. It uses Google Hangouts as an example and then points out some of the issues with the technique.
"The era of fixing your own phone has nearly arrived . Google and Samsung have agreed to provide spare parts for their phones. The US made it legal to open up many devices for the purpose of repair last October. France's repairability scorecard system, which rates devices on how repairable they are, has had a significant effect on consumer choice. Studies on the system have shown that consumers are willing to give up on their favorite brand for products with a higher repairability score. Some types of repairs may still need to be done through the manufacturer."
"The great rebalancing: working from home fuels rise of the 'secondary city' . The number of Americans working from home skyrocketed between February to May. Studies have shown that most workers report being equally or more effective since working from home, and most intend to continue with it in some form post-pandemic. A permanent change in work culture will have far-reaching repercussions. As people are required to commute less, they may move further away from cities. Cities will likely become less congested, and towns and rural areas will likely have an opportunity to grow."
"Google Duplex rolling out to non-Pixel, iOS devices in the US . Google Duplex is currently available in 44 US states on Pixel devices and will soon be available on non-Pixel and iOS devices. The rollout will likely happen in stages as Google continues to test the platform. Google Duplex allows users to make restaurant bookings using Google Assistant. It calls restaurants on your behalf and organizes the booking before emailing you a confirmation and setting a calendar event on your phone. A video is available demonstrating how Google Duplex works."
"LG Will Let You Spend $100,000 On Its Rollable OLED TV . LG has released its rollable OLED 4K TV for $100,000. The concept for the TV was unveiled during CES 2018. It can extend out from its base and slide back in to be stored when needed. The TV uses self-lit pixel technology developed by LG. It features webOS and Dolby Vision, with a 120Hz refresh rate for 4K gaming."
"Longevity FAQ: A beginner's guide to longevity research (13 minute read). Many things can be done to make animals live longer, even though we don't know exactly why these things work. These can include changing diets, taking certain drugs, or special therapies. This article discusses research on longevity. It includes two large tables of data, one that shows 95 things that make mice live longer and the other that shows 70 drugs that have the potential to make people live longer. A comprehensive list of references is provided."
"Mark in the metaverse (39 minute read). Mark Zuckerberg recently announced his intentions to help build a set of apps and hardware to help bring the metaverse to reality. The metaverse is a convergence of physical, augmented, and virtual reality in a shared online space. It is meant to be operated by many different players in a decentralized way. The metaverse will change how people interact with the world, so there are many questions about how the virtual world will be governed. This article contains an extended interview with Zuckerberg about his vision for the metaverse, the challenges of governing it, and the gender imbalance in virtual reality today."
"Report says Apple to release new ‘iPhone SE’ with 4.7-inch display in spring 2020 . Apple is about to announce its new lineup of iPhones. While the high-end models bring in about half of Apple's total phone sales volume, its cheaper models are also important to the business. A new report says that Apple will be launching a new 4.7-inch iPhone that will be priced similar to the iPhone SE at around $400. The new 4.7-inch iPhone will be similar to the iPhone 8, with a few differences, such as an LCD screen. It will likely feature the new A13 chip and have Touch ID."
"borb (GitHub Repo). borb is a Python library for reading, writing, and manipulating PDF documents. It represents PDF documents as JSON-like data structures of nested lists, dictionaries, and primitives. borb can extract and change text and images, add annotations, change meta-information, and much more."
"Elon Musk says SpaceX holds Bitcoin, ribs Jack Dorsey at conference . SpaceX, Tesla, and Elon Musk own Bitcoin. Musk also owns Ethereum and Dogecoin. He says that he will not sell his holdings. Tesla invested $1.5 billion into Bitcoin in February and sold some of it for a $101 million profit. It stopped accepting Bitcoin for payment in March due to concerns about Bitcoin's energy use. While Twitter may not accept Bitcoin as payment for services, CEO Jack Dorsey has high ambitions for Bitcoin, with hopes that it will create world peace."
"Life of a Netflix Partner Engineer — The case of the extra 40 ms . The role of a Partner Engineer at Netflix is to help device manufacturers launch the Netflix application on their devices. At the end of 2017, Netflix was implementing its app on a new Android TV device which experienced a serious stuttering issue. This article follows a Netflix Partner Engineer as they track down the bug, figure out the real root cause, and then work towards a fix."
"Epic 2019 Cross-Platform Online Services Roadmap (Announcement). Epic Games (the company behind Fortnite) has built a bunch of internal tools in order to bring Fortnite to 200 million players across 7 platforms. Over the next year, it is planning on opening up all of this cross-platform functionality for free to other game developers (stuff like cross-platform voice comms, matchmaking, saved games, achievements and trophies, logins, profiles, etc.). If you're a game dev you should definitely check this out."
"React Guitar (Website). React Guitar is a guitar component for React. Users can adjust the tuning, number of frets, handedness, and positions on a virtual guitar and listen to the resulting chord."
"Tesla finally releases Full Self-Driving Beta v9: here’s what it looks like . Tesla has released its Full Self-Driving Beta v9 update. It uses Tesla Vision, a computer vision system that relies on optical imagery. The release notes do not reveal many details about the improvements to the driving system. Full Self-Driving must still be used with caution and drivers are required to stay alert on the roads. The update features driving visualization improvements that display an expanded visualization to show additional surrounding information. Video and screenshots of the new update are available in the article."
Google Stadia’s salvaged future as a back-end cloud service is here . Google Stadia launched in 2019 and things haven't been great for the gaming service since. The company shut down its first-party studio before it could ever develop a game and several key executives have left the struggling division. A recent blog post hints that Google wants to pivot the service into a Google Cloud Gaming Platform. It will allow other companies to release games through Google's technology. AT&T recently released a Batman game powered by Stadia technology for its Wireless customers.
"Waymo Provides Look Inside Self-Driving Truck Testing . Waymo recently held a live demonstration of its automated driving system with a Class 8 tractor on highways near the company's operations center outside of Phoenix. The truck performed lane changes and merges while negotiating traffic. It responded to a cut-in by automatically extending the following distance without harsh braking. Waymo also showcased its fifth-generation Waymo Driver, which has 360-degree camera sensors that can detect objects more than 500 meters away. Images of the truck from the demonstration are available in the article."
fastmac (GitHub Repo). fastmac uses GitHub Actions to create a Mac or Linux terminal for free. The process takes around two minutes. A short video is available that shows all the steps. The GitHub Actions Terms of Service outlines how fastmac may be used on the platform.
"Facebook tests Forecast, an app for making predictions about world events . Forecast is a social polling app from Facebook's NPE Team that allows users to ask questions about what might happen in the future. The app is currently only available to invited participants in the US and Canada on iOS. Users can vote on what they think will happen, as well as explain the reasoning behind their choices. The predictions and related discussions are public on the Forecast website, which is linked in the article. Facebook was testing the app internally with a small set of employees but has now started inviting members of the health, research, and academic communities to make predictions about the pandemic and its impact on the world. Questions are moderated and sometimes edited for clarity before posted."
T-Mobile-Sprint merger wins approval from U.S. judge . A federal judge has approved a deal for T-Mobile to take over Sprint Corp. The merger faced opposition from a group of states who said that the transaction would violate antitrust laws and raise prices. T-Mobile and Sprint argued that the merger would better equip the new company to compete with other top players in the country. Sprint shares rose more than 74% after the announcement. T-Mobile shares increased by 11%. Sprint has been losing subscribers at a fast rate. The merger will provide its customers with better infrastructure and cheaper prices.
"The Front-End Developer's Guide to the Terminal (15 minute read). Modern front-end frameworks rely heavily on the terminal. This article discusses the critical terminal fundamentals needed to work with modern JavaScript frameworks. It covers topics like shell languages, basic commands, directories, tab autocompletion, and much more."
Gmail down: Google restores email service after major outage . Google’s Gmail service experienced a major outage today. Users all over the world who tried to access their email received an ‘Error 404’ message. The issue was resolved by Google after a few hours.
"Scientists created artificial skin that can feel pain . Researchers from RMIT have created an artificial skin capable of sensing and reacting to pain. The artificial skin mimics the nerve pathways in the human body that connect the skin to the brain. It can measure changes in pressure and temperature. The skin can differentiate between different levels and types of pain and transmit signals at the same speeds as nerves in the human body. The technology could be used to improve prosthetics, robots, and skin grafts, though much more work is needed before the artificial skin can interface with the human nervous system."
"Apple asks developers to place its login button above Google, Facebook . Apple’s new Human Interface Guidelines suggest that developers place the new ‘Sign in with Apple’ button in iPhone and iPad apps above other sign-in options. Users generally select the default or first option available in apps, and the ‘Sign in with Apple’ option will soon be compulsory if users are required to provide login details. While developers are not required to follow Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines, many believe that following the guidelines is the surest way to gain approval."
"How Cubans make island Internet work for them (20 minute read). Internet development in Cuba has been slow, with it becoming available on mobile phones only beginning in 2018. Many citizens aren't able to afford private internet connections. Public Wi-Fi hotspots and government-run cybercafes are how many citizens communicate with the rest of the world. USBs, portable hard drives, and DVDs are popular for those who need to transfer large amounts of data. The situation is changing, with more and more citizens gaining more access every year. It is uncertain what the impact of increasing Internet access will have on Cuba's population in the long-term, but most residents are thrilled with the progress so far."
"March 2019 Machine Learning Study Path (GitHub Repo). This repository aims to provide a complete and organic learning path for beginners in Machine Learning. While no previous knowledge is required, it is recommended that students are confident with programming and high-school level maths. A textbook is recommended, but the rest of the material is free and open-source. The course covers the basics, such as Python, Scikit-Learn, TensorFlow, and the different types of neural networks, with extended reading on all topics. There are also projects, YouTube channels, blogs, and other websites linked for extra learning. The repository is still being expanded, with more guides being added in the next few weeks."
"How Google Got Its Employees to Eat Their Vegetables (14 minute read). Google's free food is a well-known perk. The tech company started to introduce healthy food over the past five years. Google's campaign didn't just focus on changing the food, but how food was presented as well. Its goal was to make the healthy choice the easy and preferred choice. The project resulted in people eating more healthy and sustainable foods while avoiding unhealthy choices. Google's strategy shows that how much people stick with virtuous patterns of behavior has less to do with the logical reasons for why they should do things, and more to do with how enjoyable that virtuous thing is to do."
"Elon Musk changed his username to 'Treelon' on Twitter after pledging to donate $1 million to a YouTuber's tree-planting cause . Elon Musk has changed his username to 'Treelon' on Twitter after donating $1 million worth of trees to a campaign that aims to plant 20 million trees by the start of 2020. The campaign owner responded to Musk's pledge by praising him as 'Treelon Musk', which prompted the name change. Musk's name change has already spawned memes on Reddit and other social media. He is known for his unpredictable Twitter presence where he has previously revealed breaking news about his companies, clashed with high-profile figures, and made statements that have landed him in trouble with shareholders and government agencies. The #TeamTrees campaign has attracted attention from other prominent figures besides Musk. However, Musk's donation is by far the largest so far."
"React Spectrum Libraries (GitHub Repo). React Spectrum is a collection of libraries and tools for building adaptive, accessible, and robust user experiences. It has accessible features and support for over 30 languages. React Spectrum has components that are customizable and designed to work with keyboard, mouse, and touch interactions."
Understanding and Decoding a JPEG Image using Python (1 hour read). This article breaks down the details of how the JPEG compression algorithm works. It uses Python code to help the reader decompress and analyze a JPEG image.
Hydra (GitHub Repo). Hydra is a zero-config API boilerplate with Laravel Sanctum. It features an excellent user and role management API. Hydra allows developers to focus on building business logic without having to write user and role management APIs. Examples are available.
"This is the best Windows File Explorer design concept I’ve ever seen . A Reddit user recently posted a Windows File Explorer design concept that quickly gained a lot of popularity. It is simple and functional, incorporating new Windows 10 system icons and color-coded groups for files and folders. The design has tabs that allow users to open up multiple folders in a single view. It offers a cleaner way to deal with images, and there are nested folders on the side panel. Screenshots of the design are available in the article."
"China’s Ambitious Plan to Build the World’s Biggest Supergrid . China’s massive consumption of electricity over a large area presents unique problems in power transporting. 22 ultra-high-voltage (UHV) power grids have been built in the last decade, which power more than 30,000 km of UHV lines. A single line between Gansu-Hunan moved about 24 terawatt-hours between 2017 and 2019. China produces clean energy in its north-west region but its highest power consumption is in its south-east region. While linking its power grids together to create a supergrid may solve one of the many power issues in the country, it may also make the country more vulnerable to cascading blackouts. Being a world’s first, engineers are breaking new ground and a full understanding of the problems relating to building such a supergrid is still being developed."
"Facebook rolls out 3D photos that use AI to simulate depth . Facebook is rolling out a new feature called 3D photos, which uses AI to make it so you can add make-believe depth to photos. The effect basically allows you to rotate photos and peek behind objects (there's an example gif inside), it's pretty cool kind of like looking through a window and being able to see a picture from different angles. Currently the feature only works on iPhone 7 and above, but will eventually be rolled out ot other phones."
"How Gaming Will Change Humanity as We Know It . Gaming is profoundly transforming culture and regulation. Games are typically closed systems that require time and attention to master, immersing players into new worlds with their own cultural objects. Interest in gaming has increased over the years and the industry brings in more revenue than global movies and North American sports combined. Games have created many new markets which are difficult for governments to regulate. Technology is moving faster than regulators can keep up with."
"Fact check: Did the Warren Buffett-backed Chinese automaker overtake Tesla in sales? . BYD included sales from hybrid vehicles in its company filings, making Tesla still the biggest electric vehicle seller."
"Meetings suck. Not at Shopify. See how they run efficient meetings and 1:1s (Sponsor). Meetings suck. Not at Shopify. See how they run efficient meetings and 1:1s . Shopify's teams run short, effective meetings through collaborative agendas and time-saving automations. Shopify uses Fellow.app, the G2 top rated meeting agenda software. Fellow comes packed with customizable templates and integrates with all your tools including Slack, Jira, Trello, and more. Stop attending meetings that are a waste of time. Try Fellow for free today."
"Google will shut down Google+ four months early after second data leak . Google discovered a vulnerability in Google+ that impacted 52.5 million users, who could have had their name, email, occupation and age exposed to developers even if the account was set to private. The vulnerability was discovered during an internal audit, and was live for just 6 days, Google doesn't think anybody exploited it, but they have decided to shut down Google+ early, in April 2019 rather than August 2019 as previously announced. They will also be shutting down the Google+ API within the next 90 days."
"Nukes, Nubs And Coners: The Unique Social Hierarchy Aboard A Nuclear Submarine (11 minute read). This article describes the social structure and culture of United States Navy submarines. Every crewmember starts as a NUB, or Non-Useful Body, and has to earn their dolphins to become a member of the subculture. Nukes are crewmen that work in the engine room and Coners are those that work anywhere forward of the engine room. The article provides a description of the NUB experience as well as an overview of the different types of Nukes and Coners."
"Here’s everything Apple just announced: New AirPods, MacBook Pros, colorful HomePod Minis and more . Apple has announced new MacBook Pro laptops with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, an HDMI port, an SD card slot, a MagSafe connector, a notch cutout on the top of the screen, and 3 USB-C ports. The 14-inch MacBook Pro will start at $1,999 and the 16-inch model will start at $2,499. Third-generation AirPods were also announced, with a new design, 6 hours of battery life, and MagSafe charging. The HomePod Mini will launch in a variety of new colors. A $4.99 Voice Plan is now available for Apple Music that will allow users to access music through Siri. More details on the new products are available in the article."
"How children are spoofing Covid-19 tests with soft drinks . It is possible to fake a positive Covid-19 lateral flow test using soft drinks. The effect is likely caused by the acidity of the drinks deforming the antibodies used in the test, impacting their function. Fake positive tests revert back to negative if they are washed with a buffer solution. The article contains a detailed explanation of how the Covid-19 test works."
Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store . Fortnite has been removed from Apple's App Store after Epic Games implemented its own in-app payment system that bypassed Apple's standard 30 percent fee. Epic has responded by launching an antitrust lawsuit seeking to establish Apple's App Store as a monopoly and by posting a protest video. The video mocks Apple's iconic 1984 ad and is available in the article. Apple plans to work with Epic to resolve the issue but has no intentions of creating a special arrangement with the company. Google removed Fortnite from the Play Store for the same reason. Users who already downloaded the app can continue to use it and can access Epic's in-app payment system. Epic will need to have the game reinstated in the App Store before pushing substantial updates.
"Gimli (Website). Gimli is a Visual Studio Code extension that enables visual tools for front-end developers. It simplifies the process of creating complex layouts. Gimli works with a range of frameworks and has been tested with React, Wordpress, Bootstrap, VueJS, Angular, and Stencil. There are videos available showing how Gimli can be used."
"Deep Learning Models (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of various deep learning architectures, models, and tips. Each topic is divided into subsections for TensorFlow and PyTorch in Jupyter Notebooks."
"Atomize Code (GitHub Repo). Atomize Code is a UI Design System for web apps featuring elegant and beautiful React components. It supports modern browsers and Internet Explorer 9+, server-side rendering, and Electron."
"Airbnb bans 'party houses' after five die in Halloween shooting . A shooting at a Halloween party in Orinda, California has resulted in five deaths. The party was at a home that had been rented on Airbnb. Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says that the company has now banned 'party houses' and will redouble its efforts to combat unauthorized parties and get rid of abusive host and guest conduct. A dedicated 'party house' rapid response team will be created to manually screen high-risk reservations. Users who violate Airbnb's policies will be removed from the platform."
"WikiLeaks replaces Julian Assange as editor-in-chief . Wikileaks has reluctantly replaced Julian Assange as Editor-in-Chief as the Ecuadorian embassy has shut off his communication with the outside world since March. Icelandic journalist Kristinn Hrafnsson will take over as WikiLeaks' new EIC due to the ""extraordinary circumstances"". Wikileaks is still being sued by the Democratic National Committee, who allege that they colluded with the Russians during the 2016 US election. Assange himself still faces a Swedish rape allegation, and the current Ecuadorian administration is not fond of him and may expel him from the embassy."
WhatsApp now lets you post ephemeral messages that disappear after 7 days . WhatsApp users can now mark messages to disappear after seven days. The seven-day limit exists regardless of whether the message is read or not as the timer begins when the message is sent. Only group admins will be able to turn on the feature in group chats. Disappearing messages have become more popular in apps in recent years. Users can send disappearing messages on Instagram and Messenger.
"GoPlus (GitHub Repo). Go+ is a static typed language that is fully compatible with the Go language. It has a script-like style, resulting in more readable code. Go+ supports list comprehensions, for loops, rational numbers, map and slice literals, and more."
A List of Post-mortems (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a list of post-mortems. Each item has a link to the incident report as well as a description of the cause of the system error.
"Advanced photonic radar captures images down to the centimeter scale . Researchers from Sydney have developed an advanced photonic radar system that can measure objects down to centimeters. It generates high bandwidth signals that allow it to detect small objects more precisely. In tests, the system was able to image objects measuring just 3 x 4 cm as they moved on a rotating plate. The radar can be used as a non-invasive way to monitor patient vital signs. It is small enough to fit into smartphones."
"GitHub CLI 1.0 is now available . GitHub CLI is now out of beta. Using GitHub CLI, users can run their entire GitHub workflow from the terminal, call the GitHub API to script nearly any action, and connect to GitHub Enterprise Server as well as GitHub.com. Examples of how to use GitHub CLI are available in the article."
"Amazon’s long-rumored Vesta home robot project details leak . Amazon's project Vesta is a long-rumored home robot that features built-in Alexa, multiple integrated cameras, a display, and the ability to move around a home. The project has more than 800 workers and it is one of Amazon's biggest current hardware projects. There have been multiple production delays, and it is unknown whether the robot will ever be released."
"Facebook is having an end-of-year, company-wide meeting right now (Twitter Thread). This Twitter thread follows Facebook's company-wide end-of-year meeting. During the meeting, the speakers discuss the company's role in the major events of the year, reflecting on the role it played in almost every geopolitical and societal issue. Issues such as privacy, the content that Facebook allows, integrity, and competition were discussed. Future technologies and projects were also discussed, with Facebook showing off a demo of a neural sensor device."
"Karpenter (GitHub Repo). Karpenter is a node provisioning project built for Kubernetes. It watches for unschedulable pods, evaluates scheduling constraints requested by the pods, provisions nodes that meet the requirements of the pods, schedules the pods to run on the new nodes, and removes the nodes when they are no longer required. Multiple provisioners can be defined for cases like isolation, entitlements, and sharding."
"Bloomberg: New low-cost iPhone entering production next month, could be released in March . Apple's upcoming low-cost iPhone will begin mass production next month and will be officially unveiled as early as March. Production of the phone is split between Foxconn, Pegatron, and Winstron. The name of the device has not been revealed but it has been commonly referred to as the iPhone SE 2 and iPhone 9. It is said to feature Touch ID, an A13 processor, and a design similar to the iPhone 8. Reports predict that the phone will have a starting price as low as $399. The phone is mainly targeted at iPhone 6 users, who will need to upgrade their phones if they want to run iOS 13."
Manim (GitHub Repo). Manim is an animation engine that can be used to make precise animations programmatically. It was designed to create explanatory math videos. A gallery of examples is available.
"Why NASA wants to build a nuclear reactor on the Moon . Kilopower is a lightweight, mobile nuclear fission reactor developed by NASA, it can pump out 10 kilowatts of electrical power continuously for at least 10 years, more than twice as much as NASA thinks will be needed to run an outpost on the Moon or Mars. Lead engineer Marc Gibson says ""Kilopower gives us the ability to do much higher-power missions, and to explore the shadowed craters of the Moon. When we start sending astronauts for long stays on the Moon and to other planets, that's going to require a new class of power that we've never needed before."" Kilopower has already passed rigorous testing that included simulated power reduction, failed engines, failed heat pipes, and a 28-hour, full-power test that simulated a mission. It will first be used on a spaceflight mission in 2020."
"A floating city in the Maldives begins to take shape . Property developer Dutch Docklands and the Government of the Maldives are building a floating city in the Indian Ocean. Just 10 minutes by boat from the Maldivian capital, the city will be big enough to house 20,000 people. It will have 5,000 floating units including houses, restaurants, shops, and schools. Residents will start moving into the city in early 2024. Almost the entire country could be submerged by the end of the century due to climate change."
"Bill Gates leaves Microsoft board . Bill Gates has left Microsoft's board and stepped down from his position on the board of Berkshire Hathaway. Gates stated that he decided to step down in order to dedicate more time to philanthropic priorities, including global health and development, education, and tackling climate change. He will continue to be in contact with the current CEO and technical leadership in order to help shape Microsoft's vision and achieve its goals. Microsoft is currently valued at $1.21 trillion and Gates owns 1.36% of its shares."
"Sony’s Funimation acquires anime streaming service Crunchyroll for $1.175 billion . Sony Picture Entertainment Inc. has bought Crunchyroll through Funimation, its American anime distributor. The deal is estimated to be worth $1.175 billion. By adding Crunchyroll to its portfolio, Sony will achieve more influence over Japan's anime industry. Sony has been involved in anime production for decades and it has been strengthening its portfolio of international streaming services through acquisitions over the last five years. Crunchyroll has been growing its brand successfully in recent years, launching a yearly convention in 2017, creating its own games publishing label in 2018, and purchasing the European branch of Viz media in 2019."
"Facebook will pay you to let it track what you do on your phone . Facebook has launched a new app called Study that will allow it to monitor users’ phone use. The app will monitor which apps are installed in a user’s phone, the time spent using these apps, what the apps are being used for, the country the user is in, and more. It won’t be able to monitor private data such as passwords, messages, or browser history. Facebook has recently been accused of monitoring user data unethically through its Facebook Research app that was targeted at teens, which was shut down in January. The launch of Study shows the importance of the data that Facebook was obtaining through the Research app, and that they are trying to find more ethical ways of collecting that data. Facebook Study will financially compensate users for providing the data, but there have been no announcements about how much users will get paid for using the app."
"Sony is Working on a 3D Scanner that will Allow Users to Put Real-World Items Into Video Games . Sony has updated a patent for a technology that would allow players to scan real-world items into virtual reality. The patent was originally filed in June last year, but there were issues with the original claim that required Sony to edit and resubmit it. It is still being processed, so fans should expect to wait a bit before the tech will be featured in any games. A diagram from the patent showing how the technology will work is available in the article."
U.S. Space Force's First Offensive Weapon Is a Satellite Jammer . The US Space Force has developed a new weapons system designed to prevent military or intelligence combatants from accessing their military satellites. It is able to neutralize orbiting satellites in a matter of minutes. The system can be attached to planes or mounted to ground transports. Pictures of the system are available in the article. There is no public information about how the system works.
"Would you want to stay in a space hotel? . Space tourism may become a reality soon, with the construction of the Aurora Station beginning later this year. The Aurora Station aims to be the world’s first space hotel, allowing up to four guests to travel in space for the price of $9.5 million per person. While the idea of staying at a space hotel sounds exciting, there are many things to consider. Guests will sleep in sleeping bags attached to the craft, eat freeze-dried food, and deal with the problems that come with low-gravity, all while living inside a structure that is 43.5ft long by 14.1ft in diameter. Cosmic radiation may also cause genetic damage. In order to qualify for the trip, guests will have to undergo physical testing, and as this is an industry where delays happen more often than not, it is possible that some of the guests on the current waiting list may be too old or develop medical conditions by the time the Aurora Station becomes a reality."
"The Rich Are Preparing For The Apocalypse Better Than You | VICE on HBO (14 minute video). Thanks to TV shows, movies, hyper-partisan politics, and the news, a doomsday industry is booming, with people spending millions of dollars on survival readiness in preparation for the end of the world as we know it. People are building bomb shelters, making survival kits, and creating plans to survive scenarios like a zombie apocalypse, terrorist attacks, or other extreme events. Rich people are getting into doomsday preparation. People can rent speedboats in New York for a $6,000 a month retainer so that they can escape the city should anything happen. In South Dakota, there is a ranch that builds luxury bunkers. In Nebraska, a company teaches the rich self-defense skills. Rich people are more likely to be the targets of certain types of crime. Some wealthy individuals are spending their money on spreading awareness of climate change as their way of preparing for a brighter future. A missile launch center in Kansas was converted into a series of luxury condos that can withstand the shockwave from a nuclear explosion. While these purchases may never be used, they give their owners peace of mind in case anything ever happens."
"What Is Going To Happen In 2021 . By the second half of 2021, we will see people returning to normal life. However, this will likely not change the behaviors people have adopted during the pandemic and people will continue to do many things from home. Many sectors of the economy will never be the same. The pandemic and the climate crisis will drive people to move to areas less affected by climate change. This will be a huge investible trend for years to come. Cryptocurrency and decentralized organizations will be more common, with the approach expanding into areas beyond the financial sector."
"L.A. suspends Uber’s permit to rent out electric scooters and bikes . Los Angeles has temporarily suspended Uber's permit to rent electric scooters and bikes to use in the city. Uber has until Friday to appeal the decision. Meanwhile, customers can still rent out equipment through the Jump app. Uber has threatened to sue the city over the suspension. LA has attempted to implement a data-sharing rule which would require Uber to share real-time data on all trips made within the city. Uber has resisted the rule, saying that the policy constitutes government surveillance and that the data would reveal sensitive information about customers. LA officials say that the data was necessary to identify companies in violation of permit rules, including caps on the number of vehicles and bans on riding in certain areas."
Twitter woos back developers with an app platform . Twitter is launching a test that will see developers' apps directly promoted on its platform at the moment they may be useful to the end user. Users will be prompted to use third-party services that provide more functionality when accessing Twitter's built-in tools via the web app. The new feature will help users discover apps that may improve their experience on the platform. Developers on the platform are expecting an influx of new users from the experiment.
"GPT-3 Explorer (GitHub Website). GPT-3 Explorer is a tool for iterating on GPT-3 prompts and settings. It requires an OpenAI API key. GPT-3 Explorer features a GUI for making GPT-3 API completion requests and iterating on prompts, full history, sharing, and the community's best-practices built-in."
"A 12-hour workweek. Jack Ma thinks AI could make it the norm . Billionaire Jack Ma said on Thursday that people may be able to work just 12 hours a week with the help of artificial intelligence. Ma has been an outspoken advocate for China's extreme work culture, endorsing the tech sector's infamous 12-hours-a-day, six-days-a-week routine. In a presentation with Elon Musk, Ma spoke about reforming the education system and changing the work culture so that employees only have to work three days a week, four hours a day. According to Ma, the current education system is outdated and modeled for a different time, and machines will soon outperform humans in areas of memory and repetitive skills. Ma says that education should focus on nurturing creativity. Musk agreed with Ma while speaking about Neuralink, a project which is trying to merge the human brain with AI."
A magnetic helmet shrunk a deadly tumor in world-first test . Researchers used a helmet that generates a magnetic field to shrink a deadly brain tumor by a third. The helmet features three rotating magnets and it was worn by the patient up to six hours per day. It is the first non-invasive therapy for brain cancer. The device has FDA approval for compassionate use treatment. It could one day be used to treat brain cancer without radiation or chemotherapy. A picture of the device is available in the article.
"Microsoft is now a $1 trillion company . Microsoft briefly hit a valuation of over $1 trillion, taking over Apple as the world’s most valuable company. In its Q3 earnings report, Microsoft revealed that it generated over $30 billion in revenue. The increase in stock price is due to the growth that Microsoft saw in its cloud services. While investors may care about the stock price, Microsoft executives do not focus on it as a metric."
"Master UI (Website). Master UI is a virtual CSS language with enhanced syntax. It features more than 172 styles that are all created with HTML. Modern effects like filter, transform, mix blend, mask image, and grid are supported. Examples are available."
Gradio (GitHub Repo). Gradio makes it easy to create user interfaces for machine learning models in Python. It can generate shareable links and get feedback on model performance. Gradio has built-in manipulation and interpretation tools for debugging. A GIF demo is available.
"Remote Code Execution on most Dell computers (10 minute read). When purchasing computers, many people do not consider what software may come prepackaged, or what vulnerabilities the computer may have. Dell laptops come with a software called Dell SupportAssist, and a Remote Code Execution vulnerability was discovered in the software. The details of how the vulnerability was discovered and then exploited are available in the article. Dell was contacted about the issue and are still investigating for a fix."
"These $26 million robotic dolphins are coming to a Chinese aquarium soon and they look exactly like the real thing . Edge Innovations, a New Zealand-based company, has developed animatronic dolphins that can be used in aquariums, hotels, cruises, malls, museums, and other places. The robots cost around $US26 million each and they are reported to be shockingly realistic, easily mistaken for the real thing. They weigh 600 pounds and can last up to ten hours on a single charge. The dolphins are controlled using a remote. Edge Innovations intends to develop great white sharks and sea dragons as other options in the future."
"Bashly (GitHub Repo). Bashly is a bash CLI framework and generator. It can create feature-rich command-line tools with usage text and help screens, positional arguments, option flags, and much more. A GIF demo is available."
Here’s what’s inside Google’s first-ever retail store . Google has opened its first-ever permanent retail location in New York City. It features a natural look with warm wood walls and furniture. A giant version of a bead maze decorates the store. The Google Store sells everything the online store offers and it has experts on hand to help visitors with their devices. It has special areas that show off the benefits of each product line. An image gallery showing what's inside the Google Store is available in the article.
"Following criticism, Robinhood backtracks on checking and savings feature . So the Robinhood checking and savings account that was in Friday's TLDR that offered 3% interest turned out to be a bit too good to be true. The accounts claimed to be covered by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, but evidently they were not. Robinhood is now going back to the drawing board with the product."
High-bandwidth wireless BCI demonstrated in humans for first time . Researchers with the BrainGate Consortium successfully demonstrated a high-bandwidth wireless brain-computer interface in two tetraplegic patients. The BrainGate wireless system uses a transmitter that sits on top of the user's head and wirelessly connects to an implant electrode array inside the motor cortex. It has a battery that lasts for 36 hours and it can continuously transmit data while operating.
"After 15 Years, The Pirate Bay Still Can’t Be Killed (14 minute read). The Pirate Bay was born in 2003, and despite many attempts at closing down the website, it still remains an internet giant today. It uses torrents, a system which decentralizes the location of files so that users are downloading from their peers rather than a website. Many countries have attempted to block the site, and the Swedish government attempted to charge the creators of the website for copyright infringements, resulting in a year of prison and a $3.5 million fine for the four defendants. While piracy has dropped over the years due to streaming services like Netflix, which made content conveniently available and affordable, the piracy rate has raised recently due to the splitting of streaming services. Consumers are finding it more convenient to pirate again, rather than pay for multiple streaming services."
"Jeff Bezos unveils lunar lander to take astronauts to the moon by 2024 . Blue Origin, a space company owned by Jeff Bezos, who invests more than $1 billion into the company each year, unveiled its moon lander for the first time on Thursday. According to Bezos, manufacturing on the moon would take 24 times less energy than on Earth due to lower gravity. The Blue Moon lander is able to transport 3.6 tons of material to the surface of the moon. A new rocket engine was also revealed and will be test fired for the first time this summer. Blue Origin has been developing several space technologies at the same time in order to help humanity expand across the solar system."
"How live is your stream? Measure latency at scale with Mux Data (Sponsor). Beta test the new HLS Live Stream Latency metric in Mux Data for free! Understand the live streaming experience, and find opportunities to improve. Learn more."
A scannable QR code advertisement created by drones above the skies of Shanghai (Twitter Thread). A Twitter user recently captured a photo of a synchronized drone swarm in China creating a scannable QR code in the sky. The code was part of an anniversary show for a mobile game. It linked to the game's download page. A video of the full drone performance is available in the thread.
"The SEC Is Suing Kik for Its 2017 ICO . The US Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a case against Kik for the sale of its kin token in 2017. According to the complaint, Kik opted to sell a cryptocurrency token to the public to fund its operations, after unsuccessfully trying to raise funds through investors. The kin token appears to be classified as a security, which means that Kik had violated law which required offerings to be registered. Kik had averaged losses of $30 million a year and attempts to be acquired by larger technology companies have failed. The kin token is used across a suite of mobile apps as currency, and Kik continues to develop new marketplaces for people to earn and spend the cryptocurrency. A full copy of the SEC filing is available for viewing."
"Ant Group’s record $34.5 billion IPO in Shanghai and Hong Kong is suspended . Ant Group's world record-setting initial public offering has been suspended. Its controller, executive chairman, and CEO were summoned and interviewed by regulators in China. The company later reported significant issues that prevented it from listing. New draft rules for online micro-lending were issued on Monday by the Chinese central bank and regulators. The company was planning to raise just under $34.5 billion in a dual listing in Shanghai and Hong Kong on Thursday. It will continue to work through regulatory concerns with the Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges."
"Bizarre 12-Ton Dinosaur Crouched Like a Cat . A new dinosaur, the Ledumahadi, was discovered in South Africa. It essentially looks like a Brontosaurus, except they have very mobile forelimbs which suggest that they crouched and moved like cats. It lived over 200 million years ago."
"Amazing video shows 10-story high-rise built in a day . A Chinese company recently assembled a 10-story residential high-rise in just under 29 hours. Broad Group makes prefabricated building modules that when folded have the same dimensions as a shipping container, making them easy to transport. Each module has a stainless steel structure that includes wiring, insulation, glazing, and ventilation systems. The modules can be stacked up to 200 stories high and they are ready to use once they are connected to power and water. A 5-minute video showing the residential building being put together is available in the article."
"Energy-harvesting card treats 5G networks as wireless power grids . A team from Georgia Tech has unveiled a 3D-printed rectifying antenna that can harvest electromagnetic energy from 5G signals and use it to power devices. The playing card-sized device could turn 5G networks into wireless power grids. It is flexible and works well even when bent. Millimeter-wave energy harvesting has been possible for some time, but it hasn't been practical due to the large size of previous antennas. The device can harvest more than enough energy to power a range of small sensors and devices by using energy that would otherwise have been wasted."
"US germ warfare research leads to new early Covid-19 test . Scientists working for DARPA have designed a new COVID-19 test that could potentially identify carriers before they become infectious and spread the disease. The blood-based test can detect the virus' presence as early as 24 hours after infection. It is expected to be put forward for emergency use approval by the FDA within a week. If approval is granted, the test should begin rolling out in the US in the second half of May."
"Computer Scientists Achieve ‘Crown Jewel’ of Cryptography (10 minute read). Indistinguishability obfuscation is a technique of hiding data collection and also the inner workings of a computer program to create a cryptographic master tool from which nearly every other cryptographic protocol could be built. Computer scientists have tried to create versions of iO since 2013, but so far, all but one attempt has failed. A paper posted in August describes how to build iO using only standard security assumptions. The protocol is still far from ready for real-world use. However, the paper provides a way to build new cryptographic tools that were previously out of reach."
IBM’s Project CodeNet will test how far you can push AI to write software . Project CodeNet is a multi-purpose dataset that can be used to train machine learning models for various tasks. It contains 14 million code samples with 500 million lines of code written in 55 different programming languages. A large amount of annotation has been added to the samples. CodeNet could be used to develop machine learning models for programming tasks like language translation or code recommendation. A link to the Project CodeNet repository is available in the article.
"What I Wish I Knew About Onboarding Effectively (10 minute read). Onboarding into a new role can be scary. The first few months are the most important. This article provides some guidelines for tech workers in mid to senior roles for onboarding effectively. It discusses mindsets as well as a structure for planning out the first 100 days. Investing in learning and relationships can help with making good decisions and shipping early wins, which leads to building trust and strong relationships."
"2nd most valuable U.S. startup to leave SF as city loses another headquarters . Stripe is moving its offices to South San Francisco in order to expand further. It has stated that its primary reason for moving was a lack of office space. Over 1,000 employees will be moved to the new headquarters in the second half of 2021. Other companies such as McKesson Corp and Bechtel have also made the decision to move out of San Francisco in the last year. The city's policies are making it tougher for companies to stay. New obstacles include potential restrictions on office development and a proposed office fee increase. San Francisco has recently raised business taxes. Analysts say that companies are leaving San Francisco due to real estate costs and high wages, rather than taxes. Stripe will be South San Francisco's biggest tech tenant."
Dockerfile Security Best Practices . One of the easiest ways to mitigate security risks is by following some rules when writing Dockerfiles. This article explains several basic security issues and how to detect them.
"Elizabeth Warren Proposes Breaking Up Tech Giants Like Amazon and Facebook . As tech giants become bigger and richer, they have started acting more like governments rather than companies, bullying cities and states into showering them with taxpayer handouts in return for doing business. Senator Elizabeth Warren is proposing a new law that will create two tiers of companies - companies that have a global annual revenue of over $25 billion, and those who have annual revenue of between $90 million and $25 billion. Those companies in the first category will be required to structurally separate their products in the marketplace, while those in the second category will have stricter regulations, but not be required to separate themselves. The goal of the proposed bill is to make the marketplace more competitive and to prevent municipalities from being manipulated by large companies."
"SpaceX successfully launches second crew to space on first operational mission . SpaceX has successfully launched a second crew into orbit inside its Crew Dragon spacecraft. Crew-1 was Crew Dragon's first operational mission. The Crew Dragon will automatically dock to the ISS on Monday around 11 PM ET. Despite Crew Dragon's success so far, some NASA officials are still hesitant to call the ship fully operational. According to a government audit, a seat on the Crew Dragon is roughly $55 million. The ISS will soon have seven members living on board for the first time."
Flawwwless ui (GitHub Repo). Flawwwless ui is an open-source React.js components library aimed at helping developers create enterprise applications that provide meaningful and relevant experiences to users. There are over 23 components ready to use.
"Friday Frontend (Newsletter). I really love this newsletter, it's essentially TLDR for front end design (as you might have guessed, it comes out on Fridays). Curated by Kevin Ball, founder of Zendev."
"Apple reveals the best Night mode photos shot on iPhone . The Night mode challenge was an event held by Apple to get users to share Night mode images shot on the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. Six winners were chosen from thousands of submissions worldwide and their pictures will be featured in a gallery on Apple's website, Instagram, and globally on billboards. The winners were from China, India, Russia, and Spain. Winning images from the Night mode challenge are available in the article along with commentary by the judges."
"Nearby Sharing — Android's AirDrop competitor — is rolling out now in beta . A beta test for Android's Nearby Sharing feature is rolling out via the Play Services beta. The feature allows users to share content between Android devices, similar to Apple's AirDrop. Users will be able to share content with contacts or anyone in the local vicinity with Nearby Share open. The current test seems very limited, so most people won't be able to access it even with the latest Play Services beta. Screenshots of the feature are available in the article."
"Microsoft partners with Meta to integrate Teams into its Facebook-like Workplace . Microsoft and Meta are partnering up to integrate Microsoft Teams into Workplace by Meta. Users will soon be able to view, comment, and react to meetings in real-time without having to switch between apps. The companies have already been working together to integrate other Microsoft apps into Workplace. Microsoft Teams will arrive on the Meta Portal in December, and the new livestreaming features will be available in early 2022."
"Fantasy sports company and bookmaker DraftKings to become public company . DraftKings has merged with Diamond Eagle Acquisition Corp and SBTech, becoming a public company while forgoing the typical IPO process. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2020. Diamond Eagle will change its name to DraftKings. Its ticker symbol will also change. DraftKings offers fantasy sports products and also acts as a gambling bookmaker. Analysts estimate that the company could generate as much as $13 billion in annual revenue by 2023. DraftKings plans to use the money raised from the deal to expand to states that have recently legalized sports gambling."
"Top 10 Frontend Frameworks of 2018 (10 minute read). There are a wide array of frontend frameworks available, and new ones are always emerging. This article contains a list of frontend frameworks, including a description of each framework and some pros and cons of each one. When considering a framework, it is important to consider your skill level, compatibility, CSS preprocessors, appearance, prototyping, and how the framework simplifies and speeds up the website design and development process."
"GM reveals Ultra Cruise ‘hands-free’ system that covers ‘95 percent’ of driving scenarios . General Motors has unveiled its next-generation 'hands-free' driver-assist technology, Ultra Cruise. Ultra Cruise can be used in 95 percent of driving scenarios. A light bar will communicate to the driver when they need to take control. Ultra Cruise will be available in a handful of premium vehicles in 2023. GM's driver-assist systems have been praised as safer and more capable than Tesla's Autopilot thanks to its camera-based driver monitoring system that ensures drivers keep their eyes on the road. Ultra Cruise is a Level 2 system, which means that a human is required to be ready to take control in the driver's seat at any time."
"Nokia wins NASA contract to put a 4G network on the moon . Nokia has been awarded a $14.1 million contract to deploy a cellular network on the moon. The company will build a 4G/LTE network that will be eventually transitioned to 5G. NASA has said the network will extend to spacecraft. The network will be designed to withstand extreme temperatures, radiation, and the vacuum of space. It will provide more reliable communication at greater distances on the lunar surface compared to current technologies."
"First Model Y Commissioned as Police Vehicle in New York . New York's Hastings on Hudson Police Department has commissioned a Tesla Model Y police car. It will be the first time a Model Y has been put into service. The Model 3 has been utilized by several departments for some time now. It is estimated that the Model Y will save the department over $8,500 over the first five years of its service. The Model Y is fitted with lights, sirens, and police radios. A 30-second video posted by the department showing off the new vehicle is available in the article."
"'Hey, Disney' voice assistant comes to Disneyland in 2022 . Disneyland hotel rooms will have 'Hey, Disney' available alongside Alexa on their Echo speakers starting sometime in 2022. The feature will handle requests ranging from amenities through to stories and jokes. MagicBand+ wearables are also coming in 2022. The wristbands will allow guests to enter the park, make purchases, and otherwise go touch-free. They will also have haptic feedback and gesture controls to enliven experiences in certain areas."
"Researchers demonstrate in-chip water cooling . Processor development has reached a bottleneck due to hardware limitations. Chips are producing large amounts of heat and cooling systems have not caught up yet. A team of researchers in Switzerland have designed a chip and a cooling system that features on-chip liquid channels placed next to the hottest parts of the chip. The researchers estimate that if the technology was adopted across all chips, it could drop the energy needed for cooling down to less than a percentage of its current values. An 18-second video is available showing an animated diagram of how the water flows through the system."
"The company behind PUBG shows off its ‘hyper-realistic’ virtual human . Krafton, the developer behind PUBG, is using a virtual human to help establish its web3 ecosystem. Ana was built using the Unreal Engine. Krafton aims for Ana to become a celebrity to attract the interest of Gen Z. Ana will release an original music track and act as an influencer in entertainment and esports. More details on the character will be released later in the year. Pictures of Ana are available in the article."
"Google Interview Questions Deconstructed: The Knight’s Dialer (15 minute read). The Knight's Dialer was a common question to be asked in Google interviews until it was leaked and banned. It is simple to state and understand, with a number of solutions. Each solution can be implemented in relatively few lines of code, making it perfect for a time-constrained environment. The article discusses the question and how to answer it from an interviewer's perspective. It discusses the different levels and solutions to the problem, how the candidate's answer is assessed, and provides a list of skills that can help developers answer these types of questions."
Apple says it’ll lower iPhone prices in certain countries . As Apple's iPhone profits dropped 15% in a year. One reason is the price of devices in certain countries increased as their currency decreased in value relative to the US Dollar. Apple plans to identify these countries and reprice their devices to more accurately match their prices to what they were a year ago.
"Tribuo (GitHub Repo). Tribuo is a machine learning library in Java. It provides multi-class classification, regression, clustering, anomaly detection, and multi-label classification. Tribuo features a unified interface with implementations of popular ML algorithms and other libraries. It runs on Java 8+."
"python-is-cool (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a gentle guide to Python features. Features such as lambda, map, filter, reduce, list manipulation, classes and magic methods, local namespace, object's attributes, and wild import are covered. Each topic is covered with simple explanations and examples."
"See the $135 million underwater lab designed by Fabien Cousteau and Yves Béhar . Proteus is the name of an underwater lab that ocean researcher Fabien Cousteau wants to construct so researchers can come from across the globe to study the ocean for long periods at a time. At sixty feet underwater, the challenge of building an underwater lab is similar to the challenge of crafting the International Space Station. The project is estimated to cost $135 million, but Cousteau argues that the lab would provide valuable data that would be otherwise impossible with land-based ocean research. Renders of Cousteau's vision for Proteus are available in the article."
"SnapFont (Website). SnapFont is a browser extension that allows you to easily test any font on any website. It doesn't require any login to use. There are almost 1,000 fonts available and it will work on websites that use React, Vue, or any other Javascript framework."
"Vine reboot Byte officially launches . Byte, a successor to the short-form video app Vine, is now available on iOS and Android. The app allows users to upload and share six-second videos. It comes with standard social features like a feed, an Explore page, notifications, and profiles. Byte currently lacks many features available in competitor apps like TikTok, such as augmented reality filters and transition effects. The app offers content creators a way to generate revenue early on, something that other micro-entertainment apps usually don't offer. Details for how content creators can generate income will be revealed soon."
"Airbnb has blocked tens of thousands of bookings in party crackdown . Airbnb blocked over 50,000 suspicious bookings across 15 US cities as part of a crackdown on parties during the pandemic. The platform introduced a total ban on parties last year, an expansion of existing rules prohibiting dedicated party houses. Airbnb automatically blocks bookings for certain types of customers in some locations. It provided discounted noise detection devices to hosts and created a 24/7 neighborhood support line as part of the crackdown. The ban on parties will continue until the end of summer 2021."
Adobe brings Photoshop and Illustrator to the web . Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator work can now be shared via the web for the purpose of commenting and feedback. Collaborators who do not need or want Adobe products can now view and comment on work from a browser. Adobe plans to add basic editing tools for making minor tweaks. Screenshots of the web app are available in the article.
"Petra's remarkable thermal bore cuts through undrillable rock . Petra, a San Francisco startup, has developed a semi-autonomous robotic system that can create 18-60 inch diameter tunnels through any rock. Swifty can drill through Sioux Quartzite, the hardest rock on Earth, at a rate of an inch a minute. It is the first microtunneling robot that can reverse out of its own tunnel. Swifty costs up to 90 percent less than conventional trenchless methods, making a lot of underground infrastructure projects economically feasible."
"TypeScript Weekly (Newsletter). I've been looking for a decent TypeScript newsletter for a while and I finally found one I'm happy with. Lots of great TypeScript tutorials and resources here, curated by Marius Schulz, a front-end developer at Facebook."
"Here’s how Google’s experimental 3D telepresence booth works . Project Starline is a 3D video chat booth from Google that aims to replace one-on-one 2D video conference calls. Google recently released a research paper detailing the tech behind its demo of Project Starline at this year's I/O conference. The system consists of a large 65-inch 8K panel running at 60Hz, three capture pods for collecting imagery and depth data, four tracking cameras, four microphones, two loudspeakers, and infrared projectors. It captures a total of seven video streams. Processing this data requires transmission bandwidth of between 30Mbps to 100Mbps and four high-end Nvidia graphics cards. More details, including diagrams and a video demonstrating the technology, are available in the article."
Uncanny Music Box (Web Tool). Happy Halloween folks! This is an AI based tool by MIT's media lab trained on thousands of soundtracks from cult horror movies in order to create new spooky music. You can use sliders to add in your own sound effects as well.
"Microsoft launches a personalized news service, Microsoft Start . Microsoft Start is Microsoft's new personalized news service. It is available as a website and mobile app and it has been integrated into some Microsoft products. The feed combines content from news publishers in a way that's tailored to users' individual interests. It is not designed to replace services like MSN. Users can react to stories with emojis while scrolling through the feed. The feed is supported by advertising."
asm (GitHub Repo). asm is a package that provides algorithms optimized to leverage the characteristics of modern CPUs. Programs that fail to leverage the full sets of instructions available from cloud providers are paying for features they do not use. The library may be useful for developers using Go in performance-sensitive software.
"Microsoft's HoloLens 2: A $3,500 Mixed Reality Headset for the Factory, Not the Living Room (15 minute read). The new Hololens 2 from Microsoft comes with a load of new technology, which is not surprising since the last version was announced 4 years ago. The new design fixes many of the problems with the previous version. It has a wider field of view, higher definition, retina scanning for authentication, better hand gesture recognition, and many more features. The headset is designed for workers and not consumers, and will only be available for enterprise customers. A 7 minute video is available with plenty of footage showing the device in action."
"Introducing Piranha: An Open Source Tool to Automatically Delete Stale Code (12 minute read). Piranha is an open-source tool developed by Uber that can automatically remove old code. Removing old code can be time-intensive for engineers, preventing them from working on new features. Uber uses Piranha to remove features by identifying code related to feature flags once they become obsolete. It is currently implemented for Objective-C, Swift, and Java programs."
"Getting started with Python (GitHub Repo). This repository contains an introductory course on Python. There are 18 videos that cover the fundamentals of the programming language. Students will need to have an understanding of Git and light experience with another programming language, such as JavaScript. There are links to follow-up courses on more advanced Python topics available."
"Netflix suffers first major loss of US subscribers, blames price hikes . Netflix saw a loss in US subscribers for the first time since 2011. The company attributes the losses to price hikes and a lack of original content to bring in new subscribers. While Netflix lost subscribers in all regions, regions with price hikes saw the biggest losses. It is still the leader in the streaming industry, but competition is set to increase soon with Apple and Disney preparing to launch their own platforms. Streaming platforms will be competing on exclusive and original content."
You can now deepfake yourself into a celebrity with just a few clicks . A new iPhone app called Impressions lets you create deepfakes of celebrities with just a few clicks. Example videos are available in the article. Users just need to film and upload a short video. The video is then processed on a server and the deepfake video is returned in a few minutes. Impressions stores user videos until they are deleted from the app. Impressions plans to eventually use user-uploaded videos to develop deepfake detection models in the future.
"SpaceX acquires former oil rigs to serve as floating Starship spaceports . SpaceX bought two former oil drilling rigs near Brownsville, Texas, and is now modifying them to support Starship launch operations. There are safety and noise concerns with launching the super heavy lift launch vehicle frequently near populated areas. Sea platforms play a key role in SpaceX's plans. The company has posted several job listings for work on the offshore platforms already. Images of the rigs are available in the article."
Wikimedia Enterprise announces Google and Internet Archive as its first customers; allows new customers to self sign-up for free trials . Wikimedia Enterprise is a commercial product designed for companies that reuse and source Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects at a high volume.
"Report: U.S. workers hate ‘open’ office spaces . A survey on a diverse cross-section of 1000 US workers found that 76% of Americans hate open office spaces, citing various reasons such as a lack of privacy, overhearing other people's private conversations, being unable to concentrate, and being worried about sensitive information being leaked. 84% of employees would prefer to work from home, where they have a quiet environment to work in while also avoiding the daily commute. The study showed that workers would change jobs if they found a better workspace, with some workers even taking a pay cut for a better environment."
"Awesome Robotic Tooling (GitHub Repo). This repository contains resources and tools for professional robotic development with ROS in C++ and Python. Topics include Architecture and Design, Framework, Hardware, Simulation, Sensor Processing, and more."
direnv (GitHub Repo). direnv is an extension for shell that adds the ability to load and unload environment variables depending on the current directory. It supports hooks for all common shells. direnv is language agnostic.
"An AI system can diagnose childhood diseases better than some doctors . A medical center in China has developed an AI system that was better than junior doctors in diagnosing a range of illnesses in children. The system was able to diagnose diseases with 90-97% accuracy. While junior doctors were less accurate in diagnosing illnesses than the AI system, senior doctors were able to to diagnoses illnesses at a much higher success rate. This technology, while still far from being able to replace actual doctors, can potentially be a useful tool in aiding doctors and nurses when performing triage, especially in emergency care situations."
"China hands out $1.5 million of its digital currency in one of the country's biggest public tests . The government in Shenzhen carried out a lottery last week to give out 10 million yuan worth of China's new digital currency. 50,000 people out of the 2 million people who applied won. The winners can now spend the digital yuan at over 3,000 merchants in Shenzhen using the digital renminbi app. Local supermarkets and pharmacies are included among the participating merchants. The digital yuan is unlike bitcoin as it is controlled by the People's Bank of China. It is not looking to replace services such as Alipay or WeChat Pay, but instead will likely be working with them and other banks."
"First Amendment constraints don’t apply to private platforms, Supreme Court affirms . The Supreme Court has ruled that a non-profit organization running public access channels was not bound by governmental constraints on speech. Two producers who worked for the organization were disciplined after releasing a film on the organization’s platform, which the producers claimed was an infringement on their First Amendment rights. The judges concluded that First Amendment constraints did not apply to the non-profit organization as it was deemed to be a private entity. While other internet or social media platforms were not mentioned in the ruling, the Electronic Frontier Foundation raised the idea that the ruling could be used to penalize these companies."
"Tech Lead Expectations for Engineering Projects (20 minute read). This document contains a guide on being an engineering lead. It describes what the role consists of and what the expectations are. The main responsibilities for an engineering lead are to set up a framework for collaboration, manage risks, communicate project status to stakeholders, help the team focus and delegate tasks, and motivate the team. A version of this project was used by a team of software engineers at Uber in Amsterdam. Users are free to request to make changes to the document."
"Disney Plus surpasses 50 million subscribers . Disney Plus now has more than 50 million subscribers. It gained more than 22 million subscribers in the last two months. The streaming service rolled out to international territories recently. Netflix has 167 million subscribers and Hulu has 30 million subscribers. Disney has planned releases throughout the year, including three highly-anticipated series from Marvel and Lucasfilm. Science &"
"Last Week in AWS (Newsletter). This is a funny weekly roundup of news about the AWS ecosystem. If you're an AWS power user, you'll love this newsletter, it's curated by Corey Quinn, a consultant that helps companies reduce their AWS bills."
"Envisioning and Designing the Floating Future . Researchers are building floating buildings to test the viability of floating cities in the future. Floating structures could help make marine ecosystems healthier. They could protect coastlines from further erosion, especially in areas where densely-populated land may start sinking into the sea in the coming decades. Climate change is already affecting the world's oceans, causing habitat loss for marine species, ocean acidification, widespread coral bleaching, and even changes in ocean currents. Floating structures may be able to use their underwater surfaces to create new habitats for marine species to settle. A structure out in the sea before a coastline may be able to break up waves before they reach the shore, lessening the effects of erosion. While the work is still largely theoretical, the vision is to eventually build large modular structures that could link together to create communal, self-sustaining systems."
"Samsung’s Galaxy A33 leaks in full before its ‘Awesome’ launch . Samsung is set to announce three devices at its Awesome Galaxy A Event this week. The Galaxy A33 will be the most affordable out of the devices at €379. It will have a 6.4-inch 90Hz 1080p OLED display, a 5,000mAh battery, and four rear cameras. The Galaxy A53 will have a bigger 6.5-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Both the A33 and A53 will use Samsung’s Exynos 1280 processor. There is not much information available for the Galaxy A73 except that it will have smaller bezels than the A53. Leaked renders of the A33 and A53 are available in the article."
"filters.css (GitHub Repo). filters.css is a library for applying color filters using only CSS. Filters include blur, grayscale, sepia, invert, and more. Examples of all the filters at all levels are available."
"China's Artificial Sun Sets New World Record Getting Closer to Nuclear Fusion . China's artificial sun, the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), recently broke a new world record by achieving plasma temperatures of 216 million degrees Fahrenheit for 101 seconds and 288 million degrees Fahrenheit for 20 seconds. The breakthrough is a key milestone in the project's goal of keeping plasma temperatures stable for long periods. When the technology matures, it will be able to provide near unlimited clean energy at low costs. The team estimates that it will still be 30 years before EAST is functional."
"Hackers Are Selling a Critical Zoom Zero-Day Exploit for $500,000 . Two critical vulnerabilities for Zoom's software that allows hackers to spy on users' calls are on the market for $500,000. The zero-day exploits are present in Zoom's Windows and macOS clients. Remote Code Execution bugs are sought after as they allow hackers to break in without having to rely on the target falling for a phishing attack. RCE exploits generally also allow hackers to access the target's whole machine. The Windows bug is an RCE exploit, while the macOS bug isn't, which means that the MacOS bug is less dangerous and harder to use in a real hack. Government bodies have issued warnings not to use Zoom due to privacy issues. Give feedback by replying here or messaging me on Twitter @tldrdan! If you don't want to receive future editions of TLDR, please click here."
magic-trace (GitHub Repo). magic-trace collects and displays high-resolution traces of what a process is doing. It can be used to debug apps and discover insights into what happens in any process. magic-trace can be used to take snapshots when specific functions are called or attached and detached to running processes to trace arbitrary points in a program.
"Alchemy Arrives in a Burst of Light (12 minute read). Using tailored optical pulses, scientists can reshape the electron clouds of atoms and molecules to give them specific properties. The technique can make almost anything look or act like any other material, for example, it can turn ordinary materials into superconductors. By inducing other forms of transformation, the technique has the potential to create super-powerful optical computers. It could potentially help in studying materials by making certain chemical substances temporarily invisible. The applications of the technique are only limited by how well scientists can control the interactions of light and matter."
"bsed (GitHub Repo). bsed is a stream editor that allows users to enter simple SQL-like syntax on top of Perl text processing. Stream editors process text files in one go, as opposed to normal text editors where lines can be edited individually. Users can specify where in a file they would like to find and replace text or process entire files at once. Examples of usage are available on the repository."
"Why the global chip shortage is making it so hard to buy a PS5 (38 minute read). Many industries have stalled as they wait for chip orders to be filled and delivered. There are many types of chips and most devices have multiple chips in them. A lot of manufacturers are only missing a few components, but this means that they can't complete products. This article features an interview with Dr. Willy Shih, a professor of management practices at Harvard Business School. It discusses the current chip shortage, how chips are made and their supply chains, the effects the pandemic had on the industry, the effects of politics on chip supplies, and more."
"To Boldly Go Where No Internet Protocol Has Gone Before . Vinton Cerf, one of the creators of the internet, also played a pivotal role in establishing an interplanetary internet. Expanding the internet to space is challenging due to the astronomical distances and factors such as planets getting in the way and potentially blocking signals. Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is a standard used on Earth for transferring data. It doesn't work at interplanetary distances, so Cerf and a small team of researchers designed a set of protocols that do. Bundle protocols have properties that terrestrial internet doesn't have, such as nodes that can store information. Using these protocols, data can be sent throughout space without regard for the planets' positions."
"Lyft lays off 17 percent of its workforce, institutes pay cuts for remaining employees . Ride-sharing companies have taken a big hit to revenue in recent months. Some companies, like Uber, have been able to counter their losses through food and grocery delivery services. Lyft hasn’t adapted its business model, and now the company has announced that it will lay off 982 employees and furlough and additional 288. Those that remain at work will see sizable salary cuts for 12 weeks, with Lyft’s leadership team receiving up to 30 percent pay cuts."
"Introducing Swift on Windows . New Swift toolchain images for Windows are available. Early adopters are now able to start building experiences using Swift for Windows. An example of a demo calculator app is available that was written using the Swift toolchain for Windows and an installation of Visual Studio 2019. CMake is still used to create applications, but Swift Package Manager support on Windows is coming soon. Some early adopters, such as Readdle, are working on porting Swift libraries to Windows. There are many opportunities for those who wish to help push Swift on Windows forward."
"OpenAI: Look at our awesome image generator! Google: Hold my Shiba Inu . Google Research has published a paper on a text-to-image AI called Imagen. The model takes a text input to generate a small image, then it does two super-resolution passes to enlarge the image up to 1024x1024 pixels. It creates new details using the original as a basis while it upscales the image. Google's tests show that people rated the images generated by Imagen better in terms of accuracy and fidelity than images generated by OpenAI's DALL-E 2. Imagen was trained using large datasets known to include inappropriate material. The model is still in an experimental phase and is not available to the public."
"Ask HN: What's a side project you built to make money that hasn't? (Hacker News Thread). This thread discusses projects that were developed but never became profitable. While we hear a lot about successful ventures, there is still a lot to learn from completed, yet unsuccessful, projects. The reasons for not becoming successful are many, but they include being too late to the market, a lack of monetization, and issues with project management."
"Now Facebook is allowing anyone to look you up using your security phone number . Facebook allows users to submit an unpublished phone number for locking their account with 2FA. This number can be separate to the public phone number that users can list on their profiles. Last year it was discovered that Facebook used the security number for targeted advertising. More recently, it was discovered that users could be found through the search feature by only using the security number. Users were not informed of this change and do not have the option to opt out of these search results unless they completely opt out from being able to be searched by phone number."
"Fusuma (GitHub Repo). Fusuma allows users to create slides easily by writing MarkDown. It supports Webslides, Presentation API, various modes, and more. There are multiple demos of Fusuma available."
"Tesla’s chief designer is selling new interiors for Tesla cars through Unplugged Performance . Unplugged Performance, a well-known Tesla tuner, has partnered with Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen to bring aftermarket luxury interiors to Tesla vehicles."
"Colors & Fonts (Website). This website contains a library of colors, fonts, and resources for web developers and digital designers. The categories include Color Palettes, Material UI Colors, a Color Code Converter, resources for designers and developers, CSS and HTML references, and more."
"A Good Place: The fake town where everybody knows your name . Tribes in the Amazon have a special relationship with dogs as they are important hunting companions and can protect people from jaguars. When dogs are injured or ill, the tribes use plants as veterinary medicines. The use of psychedelics in the region is commonplace and ingrained into the culture. Dogs are also given psychedelics in rituals which both increase the bond between the dog and its owner, as well as its ability to hunt. When humans take psychedelics, they can experience tunnel vision, time distortion, or synesthesia, and it is possible that this also happens in dogs, narrowing their visual focus and boosting their sense of smell. Research into this area can potentially change how dogs are trained, but so far no one has expressed interest."
"Elon Musk wants SpaceX to launch the next generation of space telescopes . Elon Musk announced in a meeting with scientists on Monday that he'd like to collaborate with astronomers on developing the next generation of space-based telescopes. Musk was speaking at the meeting to address concerns about interference from large satellite constellations like Starlink. The Starlink constellation has interfered with some astronomical observations over the past year. A potential fix was suggested that used sunshades to block reflections from the sun. Musk suggested using an orbital planet-imaging observatory to avoid the issue of interference from Starlink satellites. The Starlink network has grown to over 400 satellites, and SpaceX has permission from the FCC to launch over 12,000. Musk has previously stated that he sees 20,000 to 30,000 as the ideal number of satellites to blanket the planet in low-latency broadband internet access."
"IBM to acquire Red Hat in deal valued at $34 billion . IBM is acquiring Red Hat for $34 billion. Red Hat is an open source, enterprise software company best known distributing and supporting their enterprise version of Linux. IBM will pay cash to buy all Red Hat shares at $190 per share. Red Hat shares closed at $116.68 on Friday so this is a huge premium. Red Hat will become part of IBM's Hybrid Cloud division."
"Huawei will help build Britain’s 5G network, despite security concerns . The UK National Security Council has approved Huawei’s bid to help build non-core parts of Britain’s 5G network. Critics are concerned with Huawei’s alleged ties to the Chinese government and claim that the deal would leave British citizens vulnerable to cyber attacks and espionage. Huawei denies any connection with the Chinese government. The company has been accused of helping China steal trade secrets and intellectual property as a state-directed telecom company. Security experts acknowledge the possibility that Huawei may be a threat. However, the threat is minimal as the agreement only involves the manufacturing of non-core parts of the network."
"Grubhub, DoorDash, Postmates, Uber Eats are sued over restaurant prices amid pandemic . GrubHub, DoorDash, Postmates, and UberEats were sued for allegedly exploiting their dominance in restaurant meal deliveries to impose fees that ultimately increased menu prices. US Antitrust law requires restaurants to charge delivery customers and dine-in customers at the same price. Many restaurants have opted to charge everyone higher prices as a result of the fees imposed on them when using delivery services."
"Walmart is launching a new white label delivery service . Walmart GoLocal will provide white label delivery services for businesses using drivers from the company's Spark delivery service. Customers will order directly from businesses and Walmart GoLocal will handle delivery and collecting feedback. The company plans to eventually make deliveries via drone or autonomous vehicles, depending on the delivery size and location. Walmart has made investments in many technologies to master delivery before Amazon becomes the de facto standard."
"Oracle finally responds to wage discrimination claims… by suing US Department of Labor . Oracle has responded to long-standing accusations about wage discrimination by suing the government department that has repeatedly flagged the issue. Its lawsuit claims that the US Department of Labor doesn't have the authority to cut Oracle out of government contracts for its discriminatory practices or sue it for underpaying certain staff. The Department of Labor sued Oracle in 2017 for gross disparities in pay among different groups. Oracle refused to cooperate, so the department threatened to freeze it out of government contracts. A second lawsuit this year is seeking to fine Oracle $400 million for discriminating against women and minorities. It claims that Oracle hires men from India in order to pay them less. An analysis of the company's payroll found that Oracle was paying women $13,000 less on average than their male counterparts."
"Elon Musk: Moving to Mars will cost less than $500,000, 'maybe even below $100,000' . The cost of moving to Mars will be low enough that most people in advanced economies will be able to afford the trip if they saved for it. The return trip is free. In 2017, Elon Musk said the estimated cost-per-ton on a trip to Mars was around $140,000, but he was aiming to lower the cost to below $100,000. Future colonizers are also assured of their job security, as there will be a labor shortage on the planet for a long time while the colony is built."
SVG Backgrounds (Website). This website can generate full-screen hi-res SVG backgrounds. There are a variety of patterns to choose from and customize. The site provides the CSS output and a downloadable SVG.
"New prosthetic legs let amputees feel their foot and knee in real-time . Most research into giving robots and prosthesis wearers a sense of touch has been largely focused on the hands, but researchers have now started to look into restoring sensory feedback for leg amputees as well. Working with two patients with transfemoral amputations, the team modified a prosthetic leg and added seven sensors to the foot which transmit signals to a controller strapped to the user's ankle. These signals are encoded and delivered to an implant on the patient's tibial nerve at the back of the thigh. The brain can then interpret the signals as feedback from the knee and foot. Using the modified prosthetic resulted in users walking faster and consuming less oxygen, which indicated that it was less strenuous than traditional prosthesis. The tibial nerve implant was also effective in reducing phantom limb pain."
"How Hoop hit #2 with its Tinder for Snapchat . Snapchat's Snap Kit allows developers to integrate Snapchat features into their apps. Hoop, a Tinder-like app developed on Snap Kit, quickly saw 2.5 million downloads after its launch. The app allows users to find new Snapchat friends with a swiping system. Users are limited in the number of people they can swipe through a 'diamond' currency system. Credits can be earned by engaging with the app. Users over 18 will not be able to see users who are under 18, and vice versa. By opening Snapchat up to developers, a Snapchat account could become a must-have for anyone who wants to use the next generation of apps."
Self-driving trucks begin mail delivery test for U.S. Postal Service . The US Postal Service started a two-week test transporting mail across three states using self-driving trucks. A safety driver and an engineer will ride with each vehicle to ensure that the test drives run smoothly. The test will involve five round trips that will take about 45 hours each to complete. It is unclear whether mail delivery will continue with the self-driving trucks after the test. No tax dollars were spent on the project. The US is currently facing a driver shortage as the current workforce ages and new drivers are becoming more difficult to recruit. Self-driving trucks would reduce costs while solving the driver shortage issue.
"Travis Kalanick severs all ties with Uber, departing board and selling all his shares . Travis Kalanick, former Uber CEO and co-founder, has sold all his stock in the company and will step down from the board effective December 31. His stake in the company was estimated to be worth around $2.5 billion. Kalanick will be launching CloudKitchens, a startup that rents out space to restauranteurs for delivery-based businesses. Uber has yet to find a replacement for Kalanick. Kalanick has been selling his shares in Uber since the company's stock lockup period expired last month."
"Apple Unveils Updated MacBook Air, iPad Pro . Apple has announced updates to the MacBook Air and iPad Pro product lines. The new MacBook Air has a starting price of $999, with twice the microprocessor performance and 80% faster graphics performance than the previous edition. It will have the new Magic Keyboard, a 13-inch Retina display, and at least 256 gigabytes of storage. The new iPad Pro will start at $799 for the Wi-Fi-only model of the 11-inch version. It will have an ultrawide camera, studio-quality microphones, and a LiDar scanner. The new iPad OS will add trackpad support."
"Google cancels ‘physical’ I/O 2020 due to coronavirus concerns . Google will not host an in-person I/O 2020 due to coronavirus concerns and will look into an alternative format for the conference. The event was to be held at the Shoreline Amphitheatre across the street from the Googleplex headquarters. Tickets will be fully refunded by March 13 and those who bought tickets will be automatically eligible to purchase passes for I/O 2021. Google may not commit to the original May 12-14 timeframe. It will be providing $1 million to local Mountain View organizations to raise awareness about the coronavirus, aid small businesses, increase STEM education, and support organizations working with the homeless. The Google for Games Developer Summit and Cloud Next '20 have also been changed to online-only events."
"NASA Discovers a Rare Metal Asteroid That’s Worth $10,000,000,000,000,000,000 . NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has discovered an asteroid that is made almost entirely of metals. It is believed to be the dead core of a planet that failed to form. '16 Psyche' is located in the Solar System's main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It measures 140 miles across and its metal content could be worth 10,000 times the global economy as of 2019. The NASA Discovery Mission Psyche will launch in 2022 and head towards the asteroid. It will arrive near the asteroid in early 2026."
"1K Projects (Directory). So this is a marketplace that allows you to buy old abandoned side projects from other developers for under $1000, or you can also sell your own abandoned side projects. It's essentially a side project yard sale (lots of junk but a few gems!). Every project includes a helpful questionnaire that the owner fills out, with questions like ""What is the technological stack?"" and ""How can the future owner turn your project into a business?"""
"Tasmanian Devils reintroduced into Australian wild . Conservation groups have released 26 Tasmanian devils into a large sanctuary north of Sydney, Australia. The Tasmanian devil gets its name from its high-pitched squeal. It is known for fighting over animal carcasses, with jaws strong enough to crush and grind bones. The 1,000-acre sanctuary is fenced, with the groups hoping to release some of the creatures into unfenced areas in the future. There are fewer than 25,000 Tasmanian devils in the wild after a deadly mouth cancer drastically cut numbers during the 1990s. Another 40 are set to be released into the sanctuary over the next two years."
"My Next Act: Building The First Startup Accelerator Designed for Bootstrappers (Announcement). For those of you who don't know him Rob Walling is an OG internet small business entrepreneur, cohost of the Startups for the Rest of Us, and cofounder of Microconf. He's now starting his own accelerator Tinyseed, which will give you a year's worth of runway so you can work on your startup full-time. Definitely worth checking out if you're currently running a side project, I've been listening to his podcast for a long time and he's a really smart guy with tons of good advice."
"How browsers work (47 minute read). Web browsers are probably the most widely used software in the world. Their main function is to present web resources by requesting them from a server and displaying them on the browser window. This article explains how web browsers work behind the scenes. It explores what happens from when a user types an address into the address bar to when the browser renders a page on the screen. The article uses examples from Firefox, Chrome, and Safari."
"Japan debuts new bullet train that can run during an earthquake . The N700S is a new record-breaking bullet train that can transport passengers to safety in the event of an earthquake. It can go up to 360 kilometers per hour but will be capped at 285 kilometers per hour during operation. The design is similar to previous versions of the train but with more focus on comfort and safety. It was entered into service on July 1 on the Tokaido Shinkansen line, which links Tokyo Station to Shin-Osaka Station in Osaka."
"Researchers use humanoid robots to grow human tendon tissue . Researchers from the University of Oxford and robotics company Devanthro engineered a robotic shoulder to function as a stretching mechanism to produce lifelike human tendon tissue. The team grew cells on the robotic joint using a strategically placed bioreactor over two weeks, bending and twisting the joint in human-like ways for 30 minutes each day. More work still needs to be done to determine if the new method was an improvement over traditional methods. The approach has been attempted before with living muscle tissue grown from rat cells."
"China Quarantines Cash to Sanitize Old Bank Notes From Virus . Old banknotes are now being quarantined in China in order to fight the coronavirus outbreak. The transfer and allocation of old banknotes across provinces has been cut off between the cities most affected by the deadly outbreak. 600 billion yuan cash has been created for Hubei. Money is being sanitized with ultraviolet rays or heated up and locked up for 14 days in the most affected areas, and money from less risky areas is subject to a week of quarantine. Commercial lenders have been asked to separate cash from hospitals and food markets. Mobile payments have largely replaced banknotes in daily life in China, but older people still tend to prefer using bank notes for everyday transactions."
"Indian nuclear power plant’s network was hacked, officials confirm . Malware attributed to North Korean state actors has been discovered on the administrative network of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in India. The company admitted the discovery a day after it denied that any attack would affect the plant's control systems. Malware was discovered on a computer used for administrative purposes, which is isolated from the critical internal network. Other nuclear plants may be affected by the malware as well. It is possible that the attacks may constitute an act of war due to the business of some of the targets. The malware has previously been used in widespread attacks against financial and research centers. It appears to be an espionage and reconnaissance tool. While it did not have direct access to nuclear power control networks, it could have be used to gather the information necessary to access those networks."
TinaCMS (GitHub Repo). TinaCMS is a toolkit for building content management directly into a website. It allows teams to have a contextual and intuitive editing experience without sacrificing code quality. A demo is available on the main website.
"T-Mobile hit by phone calling, text message outage . T-Mobile customers have been reporting that they can't make or receive phone calls and some customers are saying that text messaging is also affected. Data appears to be unaffected by the issue. The outage started around 9-10 am PT on Monday. Some users reported issues on other networks. There is no evidence that the outage was caused by a cyberattack."
Google reportedly keeps tabs on usage of rival Android apps to develop competitors . Google employees reportedly have access to a program known as 'Android Lockbox' that allows them to see data on how Android users interact with non-Google apps and services. The program is apparently used to keep tabs on rival services. Google is currently facing an antitrust investigation in almost every US state. The investigations are focused on the company's search and ad businesses. Google stated that it is open about its data collection activities and that users have control over the usage of their data.
"How to detect if your visitors use Facebook, Google and MOST other websites . Many popular sites allow anyone to detect if users are logged into their website. This can be exploited to understand user behavior, profile users, phishing, and de-anonymization. The redirect mechanism provided by almost all popular websites can confirm whether a user has visited a site as well as whether a user is logged into the website. Users can avoid this by using proper browser isolation, privacy badger, plugins, disabling third-party cookies, or incognito mode."
"Chakra UI (Website). Chakra UI is a component library for building React applications. It features a set of components that are easily styled, flexible, composable, and accessible. Each component follows WAI-ARIA guideline specifications. Most components are dark mode compatible."
"Here’s everything Samsung announced in its Galaxy S22 Unpacked event . Samsung held its first Unpacked event of 2022 on Wednesday. It announced the Galaxy S22 Ultra, S22, and S22+, the Galaxy Tab S8, Tab S8+, and Tab S8 Ultra, and live sharing on Google Duo for both its phone and tablet lines. The Galaxy S22 Ultra will feature a 108-megapixel primary camera, 12GB of RAM, and space for an S Pen stylus built-in. The Galaxy S22 and S22+ will feature 50-megapixel main cameras and Corning’s new Gorilla Glass Victus+. Samsung's new devices are available for pre-order today and will start shipping on February 25."
"SEC charges Tesla CEO Elon Musk with fraud . The SEC is suing Elon Musk for fraud due to his ""funding secured"" tweet regarding taking Tesla private at a price of $420 per share in August. Among other remedies, the SEC is seeking to bar Musk from serving as an officer or director of a publicly traded company if found guilty. The SEC suit alleges, ""According to Musk, he calculated the $420 price per share based on a 20% premium over that day's closing share price because he thought 20% was a 'standard premium' in going-private transaction. This calculation resulted in a price of $419, and Musk stated that he rounded the price up to $420 because he had recently learned about the number's significance in marijuana culture and thought his girlfriend 'would find it funny, which admittedly is not a great reason to pick a price.'"" Tesla's board issued a statement Thursday evening saying they are standing behind Elon."
"Norled Picks Westcon to Build World’s 1st Hydrogen Ferry . Norled, a Norwegian ferry company has signed a contract with shipyard Westcon to build two new environmentally-friendly ferries. One ferry will be the world’s first hydrogen-fueled ferry and the other will be a battery-operated ship. The ships will be operational in 2021 and will each carry up to 299 passengers and 80 cars. Hydrogen is a zero-emission fuel that is suited to supplying large amounts of energy to ferry propulsion systems, increasing sailing distance and speed on boats. A second hydrogen-powered vessel will soon operate in France as part of the EU’s Flagships project."
"'We Have Extra FDA-Approved Ventilators,' Says Elon Musk, Announcing Free Worldwide Delivery . Elon Musk has announced that Tesla has received FDA approval for its ventilators. Musk plans to offer ventilators worldwide at no cost, including shipping. The ventilators will be shipped within Tesla delivery regions as long as they will be used immediately. It is unknown how many ventilators Tesla will be able to offer or how it will assign priority to requests. Governments have asked aerospace companies and automakers around the world to manufacture ventilators and other medical equipment to fight the coronavirus outbreak. Ford will be producing 50,000 ventilators in the next 100 days and then 30,000 per month as needed for coronavirus patient treatment. Musk donated 1,200 ventilators to Californian hospitals last week."
"Blogger-cli (GitHub Repo). Blogger-cli is a custom cli tool that can transform blog posts written in markdown or jupyter notebooks with mathjax, code support, google analytics, navigation, and disqus support. It has a simple conversion system that is fast and customizable. Blogs can be written and posted from any device as long as there is a command-line with python and pip."
"The First Days of ‘Lithium Valley’ Are Here . California has started mining for lithium in the Salton Sea. It is part of a plan by General Motors to eliminate gas-powered vehicles from its production line by 2035. An Australian resource producer has been contracted to extract the lithium.It will extract the lithium from liquid brine produced from geothermal power stations in the area. An estimated 20,000 tons of lithium hydroxide will be mined by 2024. The first two stages of the project will generate 480 construction jobs and 930 project jobs."
"LG’s new V60 ThinQ 5G shows steady evolution for a company in need of big change . LG has revealed its third dual-screen smartphone, the V60 ThinQ 5G. It features Qualcomm's latest processor, 5G data, 8K video, a hi-fi headphone jack, dual-screens, and more. The screens are 6.8-inch FHD+ OLED panels and the hinge can be rotated to any angle, turning the phone into a mini-laptop of sorts. Users will be able to use Google apps in the wide-view mode that spans both displays at once. When held horizontally, one display can be used as a full-screen keyboard. The phone is best suited for multitasking with different apps on each screen, for example, ride-share drivers can run Uber and Lyft apps at the same time on each screen. Pricing and availability has not been announced yet, but it is expected to be released in spring."
"SOUL, a new language now in V1.0, makes audio coding vastly more accessible . SOUL is a new language for audio applications. It is both a programming language and a platform for creating audio plugins and apps. SOUL is easy to learn and use, secure, optimized for power and performance, and unlocks ultra-low latency on devices without the need for embedded CPUs and DSPs. Version 1.0 is out now."
Scientists connect human brain to computer wirelessly for first time ever . A recent study from BrainGate technology successfully demonstrated the first-ever wireless brain-computer interface on humans. The system can transmit brain signals at single-neuron resolution and in full broadband fidelity to a computer. It allowed the participants in the study to achieve similar typing speeds and point-and-click accuracy as wired systems continuously for up to 24 hours in their own homes. The system will allow researchers to look at brain activity over long periods in a way that was nearly impossible before.
"Notes (GitHub Repo). This repository contains the personal notes for various computer science topics gathered by darshanime over three years. The author comments that many of the notes are not organized ‘nicely’. Topics include computing systems, architecture, various programming languages and modules, machine learning, and app deployment."
"Reaching Challenger Deep, American Businessman Completes Deepest Submarine Dive in History . Victor Vescovo, a retired US Navy officer, made a record-setting solo dive to the bottom of the ‘Eastern Pool’ of the Challenger deep, reaching a depth of 10,928 meters. A world record was set for the longest time spent at the bottom of the ocean by an individual after Vescovo spent four hours exploring the basin. It took around 3.5 hours to reach the bottom of the ocean, and about 3.5 hours to return to the surface. The goal of the mission was to test a submersible that was built to withstand multiple dives to any depths. During the mission, the submersible transversed over 110 vertical kilometers."
"Lasers can send a whispered audio message directly to one person’s ear . Scientists have been able to send targeted, quiet messages from several meters away, in a way that nobody else nearby would be able to hear. Using a laser beam, sound was transmitted at 60 decibels over a distance of 2.5 meters. In theory, this technique can be used to directly send messages without any special receiving equipment, and further research will continue to increase range and working conditions."
VMCLI (GitHub Repo). VMCLI is a set of utilities for macOS Virtualization.framework for managing VMs. It can be used to configure a VM and launch it. A GIF demo is available in the repository.
"Apple acquires self-driving car startup Drive.ai . Apple has officially acknowledged that it acquired the self-driving shuttle and car-kit startup Drive.ai. Drive.ai has recently filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification with California's Employment Development Department, alerting the agency that the company will begin to shut down operations effective Friday. In recent weeks, Apple has picked up a few hardware and software engineers from the firm, which was confirmed by updates on the employees’ LinkedIn profiles. Apple appears to be reinvigorating its Project Titan self-driving car program as it has recently been hiring new recruits from other competing self-driving car firms."
"Are you scared to look at your AWS bill every month? (Sponsor). Are you scared to look at your AWS bill every month? . If you’re staring at your AWS bill wondering what’s going on, you’re not alone. Our cloud cost management experts help companies control their AWS spend with cost optimization and contract negotiation services.We’ve fixed enough AWS bills to create a few strongly held beliefs on what makes a company great at cloud cost management — and how to help organizations reach a higher level of cloud cost maturity over time. These principles and practices guide us in building our cost management services and throughout our work with our clients. Learn more."
"Modern.js (GitHub Repo). Modern.js is a meta-framework suite for frontend-focused modern web development. It can be used to develop mobile and desktop websites, desktop apps, micro-front ends, API services, UI components, and more. The documentation is only in Chinese for now, but English versions will be added soon."
"NIH, FBI accuse scientists in US of sending IP to China, running shadow labs . Three senior researchers have been dismissed at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. An investigation by the NIH and FBI found that the researchers were colluding with Chinese associates by sharing intellectual property and running ‘shadow laboratories’ abroad. This is part of an ongoing investigation into the theft of US intellectual property, which costs the country between $225 to $600 billion a year. At least three other institutions are being investigated for similar offenses. A report by the US Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property named China as the world’s principal IP infringer."
"3D-printed 'living ink' could lead to self-repairing buildings . A team of scientists have genetically engineered microbes to create living nanofibers as part of a process to produce an ink that can be used in a standard 3D printer. The material can be tailored to certain tasks, such as producing anti-cancer drugs or removing toxins from the environment. It can manufacture itself, so only a few basic resources would be needed to produce whatever is needed. While the ink is not yet ready for practical use, it could one day produce buildings that can repair themselves or self-assembling materials for building on the Moon or other planets."
"Mastering Bitcoin (GitHub Repo). Mastering Bitcoin is a book about Bitcoin for developers. The initial chapters cover the non-technical aspects of the cryptocurrency and can be useful for everyday users, investors, and business owners. Later chapters discuss the technical foundations of Bitcoin, the architecture of its decentralized network, Segregated Witness, and more. This repository contains the full book."
Beartype (GitHub Repo). Beartype is a pure-Python PEP-compliant constant-time runtime type checker. It brings static typing to Python while still preserving the permissive benefits of duck typing. Beartype can be used to assure the quality of Python code beyond what tests alone can assure.
"Watch Ameca the humanoid robot in its FIRST public demo (9 minute video). Ameca is a humanoid robot designed for entertainment, communication, and interaction with people. It became an overnight internet sensation after it was revealed at CES for the first time. Ameca can produce very human-like expressions and respond to questions. It uses artificial intelligence to see, and it can respond to some objects in its environment. Ameca will likely be used as a service robot in the next couple of decades."
"Altos bursts out of stealth with $3B, a dream team C-suite and a wildly ambitious plan to reverse disease . Altos Labs is a biotech company that is developing technology that could revitalize cells and reverse disease, ultimately prolonging human life. It has raised $3 billion in capital from multiple investors, including Jeff Bezos. The Altos team consists of some of the biggest names in the life sciences. Altos is setting up sites in San Francisco and San Diego in the US and Cambridge in the UK."
"BLAKE3 (GitHub Repo). BLAKE3 is a cryptographic hash function that is fast, secure, highly parallelizable, capable of verified streaming and incremental updates, and more. It is not designed to be a password hashing algorithm. Benchmark results are available."
"URL Pages (GitHub Repo). URL pages works by storing the entire contents of a webpage in the URL. This means that the page will exist as long as the URL is valid. The main page takes the encoded data from the URL and decodes it to be displayed for the user. The editor encodes the page into a URL format which can be shared. It is suggested that users use a link shortening service as links can get quite long. A bookmarklet is available that encodes existing pages into the URL pages format. URL pages is a proof of concept project, and not all pages will display correctly when converted."
"How Shopify’s Software Engineering Teams Run Their Meetings (Sponsor). How Shopify’s Software Engineering Teams Run Their Meetings . Shopify's teams build great meeting habits through collaborative agendas, priority setting, and action item tracking. That’s why Shopify uses Fellow.app, the G2 top rated meeting agenda software. Fellow comes packed with customizable templates and integrates with all your tools including Slack, Jira, Trello, and more. Start making your meetings productive and delightful today with Fellow! Try it for free."
"System UIcons (Website). This site contains a collection of 220 system UI icons. Developers can search for the icon they need and easily add the image to their site via SVG code, CDN link, or by hosting the icon directly."
"GrubHub+ gets you free deliveries and cashback for $10 a month . GrubHub+ is the new subscription for GrubHub that includes unlimited free delivery, 10 percent cash back on orders, and other perks. The perks will only be available with restaurants that enroll in the program. There are currently approximately 100,000 restaurants participating in the program in the US. A 14-day free trial is available, and GrubHub is offering a 30-day free trial for customers subscribed to a competing service. There is a $12 minimum for an order to qualify for free delivery."
"Dish buys prepaid carrier Boost Mobile for $1.4 billion . Dish is buying Boost Mobile for $1.4 billion. T-Mobile and Sprint were required by the FCC to sell Boost Mobile as part of its merger. Dish has been attempting to enter the wireless market for years, and the deal has gained the carrier more than nine million customers. Boost will continue to operate under the same brand but with a new logo. Dish will be launching new plans, with some that will reward customers for making on-time payments."
"Google working on ‘Spot’ app and ‘Find My Device network’ . Google is working on a new capability for its Find My Device network called Spot. Spot will use Android devices to locate other devices, similar to Apple's Find My network. Users will have an option to exclude their phones from being used as a relay in the network. It is unclear whether Google's network will support AirTag-like object trackers."
"Google Workers Publicly Launch Union . Google workers have publicly launched a unionization effort. The Alphabet Workers Union, supported by the Communications Workers of America, will be open to all employees who work for Google and Alphabet, including temps, vendors, and contractors. It is the first union at a major tech company. Workers have not yet asked Google to formally recognize the union. Google will either have to voluntarily recognize the union or more than 50 percent of eligible union members will need to vote to unionize."
"Introducing Skyryse's Luna: The World's Most Intelligent Helicopter (1.5 minute video). Luna is a fully autonomous helicopter built by transportation company Skyryse. Helicopter flight requires constant adjustments. The video shows a pilot controlling a helicopter normally and the movements required to do so. Afterward, the helicopter is shown to hover and then fly without any control by the pilot. Luna is able to fly to locations autonomously and manages flight dynamics more quickly and accurately than a human."
"EA takes a big step into mobile with acquisition of Kim Kardashian: Hollywood developer Glu . EA has acquired Glu Mobile, a developer best known for its celebrity-focused titles. The deal values Glu at $2.1 billion. Mobile is still growing as the biggest gaming platform in the world. EA currently has more than 100 million active monthly players, and it is expecting to double this with the addition of Glu's portfolio."
"How a Whale Crashed Bitcoin to Sub-$7,000 Overnight . Scammers who had duped investors of more than $2 billion in bitcoin recently started selling their coins via over-the-counter markets. This resulted in a domino effect, causing mass liquidations in the market, which led to bitcoin's price dropping to below $7,000 within 30 minutes. Some of the scammers have been selling their coins since June when bitcoin reached its year-to-date high of around $14,000. Around the same time, Chinese authorities detained some of the people suspected of being involved with the PlusToken scam. The scammers still have a large amount of bitcoin yet unliquidated, so there is a chance that they may continue selling and push the market down further."
Google Begins Rolling Out Incognito Mode for Maps . Google has started to roll out Incognito mode for its Maps app. In-app activity won't be saved when using Incognito mode to browse. Google has been rolling out a lengthy list of tools around privacy and transparency since May. An auto-delete feature which allows users to automatically remove their location and activity data from their Google Account after a period of time will be expanding to YouTube this week. Users can ask Google Assistant for information on how Google handles its data. Google Assistant can also now delete data within certain timeframes when asked to do so. A Password Checkup tool is available that allows users to run a security scan on their usernames and passwords to check for potentially compromised credentials.
"Israeli bee tech startup Beewise pulls in $80m investment for robotic beehives . Beewise is an Israeli startup that makes a robotic beehive that can monitor and care for honeybees around the clock. The Beehome uses robotics, artificial intelligence, imaging, a software platform, and a mobile app to look after up to 24 bee colonies at a time. It automatically controls climate and humidity and sends alerts when human intervention is required. The Beehome can even harvest the honey that its bees produce. Beewise recently announced a new version of its Beehome after raising $80 million in funding."
"Uber jumps into Europe's rapid grocery delivery market with 15-minute service in Paris . Uber and Carrefour have created a service in Paris that ships essential items to customers in as little as 15 minutes. Customers will be able to order from a catalog of almost 2,000 daily essentials through the UberEats app. The service will use small warehouses to fulfill orders rather than sending couriers to Carrefour stores. Europe has seen a flood of grocery startups since the pandemic. Uber has a similar deal with GoPuff in the US."
Clean Go Code (GitHub Repo). This repository is a reference to help developers in the Go community write cleaner code. Writing clean code is important as it can help prevent developers from wasting hours on understanding their own or other developers’ code. The guide is easily accessible through a table of contents that links to each section.
"AMC movie theaters will reopen on Aug. 20 with 15-cent tickets . More than 100 AMC cinemas across the US will open on August 20. Tickets will only be 15¢, a throwback to the price the company charged when it was founded in 1920. Theaters were closed in March due to the pandemic. AMC plans to have two-thirds of its theaters opened by September 3. It has promised to give its theaters extra cleaning and sanitizing. AMC Entertainment's shares were up 17% following this announcement. Regal plans to reopen its facilities on August 21."
"NASA Just Released The Artemis Accords - Guidelines For Humans to Abide by in Space . NASA has released the Artemis Accords, a set of agreements for space agencies and private companies to abide by. The agreements include terms for peace, transparency, and interoperability. It requests that international partners agree to protect current sites and artifacts with historic value, share their scientific data publicly, and register all space objects. Registration is important in order to avoid harmful interference. Only about 87 percent of all space objects are currently registered with the United Nations Register of Objects Launched into Outer Space. The Artemis Accords are linked in the article."
"Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin sues NASA, escalating its fight for a Moon lander contract . Blue Origin is suing NASA, accusing the agency of wrongly evaluating its lunar lander proposal. The case could delay NASA's plans to land astronauts on the Moon by 2024. Blue Origin claims that NASA had negotiated with SpaceX before awarding them with the contract, without giving the same opportunities to other applicants. NASA had originally said that it would pick two companies for its lunar landing systems, but it ended up only choosing SpaceX because Congress had only funded roughly a quarter of what NASA had requested for the program. Blue Origin's protests have already delayed SpaceX from starting its contract for several months."
"Researchers Have Developed A Way To Wirelessly Charge Vehicles On The Road . Electric Vehicle charging is a hassle, causing one-fifth of all EV buyers to go back to gas vehicles. Researchers at Cornell University have developed a technology that can charge vehicles on the road while in motion. The technology can be installed on highways, creating charging lanes so that there would be no need to stop to charge or fuel up. It will be a while before the technology will be seen on roads, if ever. Toyota is working with the research team to use the system to charge electric forklifts."
"1st private space crew paying $55M each to fly to station . The first private space station crew will be three men who are paying $55 million each for the experience. They will spend eight days at the International Space Station, after spending one or two days aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule. Russia has been selling rides to the ISS since 2011. Other companies like Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin are also planning to take paying customers up to space. The crew will get 15 weeks of training and they will have to pass medical tests before the flight."
"Uber will now deliver pumpkins, carving kits, and other seasonal items to your door . Uber Eats will roll out a feature starting October 1 that will allow people in Los Angeles, San Diego, and West Palm Beach to order seasonal items, starting with Halloween-themed items. After Halloween, the service will offer delivery for Christmas items, and then rotate seasonally. The holiday shop can be accessed by entering a ghost or pumpkin emoji in the search bar on the Uber Eats app. Uber Pass and Eats Pass holders will have their delivery fees waived on eligible orders over $15."
"Instagram tests in-app shopping with Kylie Cosmetics, Nike and Huda Beauty . A new feature is being tested on Instagram that will allow users to shop directly inside the app. Since September, users have been able to view products that feature inside posts and videos, and more than 130 million users used this feature to explore products in the month of February. In the beta, when users tap the ‘View the Product’ button, they will also see a ‘Checkout on Instagram’ option which will allow them to purchase items directly from the app. The feature will roll out over the next few weeks to users in the US, with items from only a few of the most popular brands available for purchase."
"SpaceX Rocket Makes Historic 3rd Launch Into Space with 64 Satellites On Board . SpaceX launched a record 64 small satellites into orbit at once today, on its record 19th launch of the year. It also launched the Falcon 9 for the third time, a record for reusability. The Elon Musk says that the Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket should be capable of at least 100 flights over its lifetime, and it should be able to launch, land and launch again within 24 hours as early as next year."
"A Possible Meteor Was Just Seen Exploding in The Sky in Turkey . A possible meteor exploded above northern Turkey on Wednesday. It was visible from several provinces in the area, appearing around 8:30 pm local time. Footage of the supposed meteorite is available in the article. The object has yet to be officially identified, but meteorologists have stated that the footage shows what appears to be a meteor shower. Meteor showers are fairly common. It is estimated that millions of meteors and micro meteors enter Earth's atmosphere every day."
"Supreme Court to rule if customers can sue Apple claiming App Store is illegal monopoly . The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments on Monday as to whether or not app buyers are allowed to sue Apple for the App Store being an illegal monopoly. The court is deciding whether or not the case can go forward, the case itself will be decided in lower courts if the Supreme Court decides that the case is allowed to go forward. The class action lawsuit alleges that ""Apple's intentionally closed system prevents competition, which enables the App Store to collect a higher price than if Apple were forced to entice app seekers in a competitive market."" Apple originally got the case thrown out by arguing that its customers were actually app developers, as they were the ones buying Apple's distribution, so the app buyers could not sue. This ruling was reversed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which said that Apple acts like a retailer that buys products from developers and resells them to customers."
"TikTok’s parent company acquires VR headset maker Pico . ByteDance is acquiring Chinese virtual reality headset maker Pico. Pico caters to both consumer and professional customers and it is known for its Neo lineup of standalone virtual reality headsets. It is the third-largest VR headset manufacturer, after Oculus and DPVR. Pico recently released the Pico Neo 3, which launched exclusively in Asia. The company has so far avoided direct competition with Oculus, but it plans to release headsets in North America and Europe soon. It is unclear how the acquisition will affect Pico's rollout plans."
"The U.S. Navy Is Developing Robot Warships for Fighting China . The US Navy is planning to expand its fleet so that there will be two small warships to every large warship by 2030. In order to do this, they plan to order a fleet of unmanned vessels (UVs). UVs are less expensive to produce as their designs do not need to consider spaces and support equipment for onboard human operators. The unmanned warships will be able to perform better than warships with humans for long-duration missions that might be physically taxing for human operators, or other missions that pose a high risk of injury, death, or capture by the enemy. In the next five years, the Navy plans to spend a total of $4.5 billion to accelerate the development of three different types of UVs."
"US Army trials augmented reality goggles for dogs . The US Army has unveiled augmented reality goggles designed for combat dogs to let them receive orders at a distance. Soldiers usually direct their dogs using hand signals or laser pointers, which requires the handler to be close by. Using the AR goggles, the dogs can be directed via visual indicators and the handler can see what the dog sees through a remote video feed. Military dogs are already trained to wear goggles as protection. The project is still in its early research stages, but the results are extremely promising."
PENTESTING-BIBLE (GitHub Repo). This repository contains over 1800 links on hacking and penetration testing. Each link has a small description of the topic. The repository will continue to be updated until it reaches 2000 links.
"Chinese pig farm jams drone of crooks spreading African swine fever . Chinese pig farmers admitted to using a radio transmitter to stop criminal gangs from using drones to drop African swine fever-infected pork products on its pig farms. The gangs were faking outbreaks of swine fever in order to force farmers to sell their healthy pigs at much lower prices. Using transmitters to disrupt GPS signals violates civil aviation rules, and the farm has agreed to surrender the equipment to authorities and accept a penalty. The Ministry of Industry and Information technology is calling for a crackdown on illegal manufacturers and suppliers of such equipment. China has seen its pig population shrink by 40 percent compared to last year and pork prices have risen as a result."
"Facebook's Portal TV video chat device was mocked — now it's completely sold out . People were quick to criticize Facebook when it first suggested the idea of putting a Facebook camera and microphone in their homes. Now, consumers have put those fears aside, and the Portal TV is completely sold out on Facebook's website and retailers such as Best Buy. Facebook Portal TV is a device that changes a TV into a big video chat screen. The other Facebook Portal gadgets are still available."
"DNA Gets Artificial Upgrade to Store Humanity's Boundless Digital Data . DNA can store a lot of data for a very long time. A gram of DNA can store several petabytes of data. DNA uses a system of four molecules called nucleotides to encode its information. A team of scientists added another seven nucleotides to DNA to increase its storage capacity. The method they used was able to encode and decode information perfectly over many trials. The decoding part of their method is universal, so it can be generalized to many other applications."
"Rudder-Server (GitHub Repo). Rudder is a platform for collecting, storing, and routing customer event data to dozens of tools. It is open-source and designed to run as a single binary in a cloud environment. Developers can control event data, enhance or transform event data with other internal data, and collect as much data as possible without having to worry about overrunning event budgets."
"What's the Weather on Mars? NASA's InSight Now Providing Daily Reports . In order to tell the difference between a gust of wind and a ‘marsquake’, NASA needed to implement weather sensing capabilities into its InSight lander. The lander records daily temperatures, air pressure, and wind speed and direction. It is currently winter in Elysium Planitia, where the InSight lander is located, with temperatures ranging from 15 Fahrenheit (-9 Celsius) to -80 Fahrenheit (-60 Celsius). Other strange phenomenon has also been recorded, such as dust devils strong enough to tilt the ground beneath the lander."
"Test Each (GitHub Repo). Test Each allows developers to test code repeatedly with different inputs. It loops over every combination of inputs, can use random functions, and is snapshot testing friendly. An in-browser demo is available."
"Elon Musk is once again on a quest to ‘nuke Mars’ . Elon Musk has seemingly made it his life's mission to make a human colony on Mars a reality. Mars' atmosphere is less than one percent as dense as Earth's. However, there are CO2 deposits locked in Mars' poles, and it has been hypothesized that if a large bomb was dropped on the poles, the CO2 would be released to the atmosphere, helping the planet retain heat and making it slightly more habitable by human settlers. Past research has suggested that bombing the poles won't release enough CO2 to be worth the trouble, but Musk has publicly disagreed with this. Musk recently published a tweet in support of nuking Mars. No space agency is ready for preliminary planning for a crewed Mars mission, and we are still far away from any long-term efforts to terraform the planet."
"Former Google CEO predicts the internet will split in two by 2028 — and one part will be led by China . Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt predicted at a private event that within 20 years there will be a Chinese internet and a non-Chinese internet led by the US. China also has an economic strategy called the Belt and Road Initiative, in which China wants to build infrastructure to create a ""new Silk Road"" to facilitate trade with Africa and Europe. Schmidt believes it is possible that if this initiative is successful, some of these trade partners will join the Chinese internet instead of the US internet."
"The family in 2050: artificial wombs, robot carers and the rise of single fathers by choice (10 minute read). Many of the predictions about what 2020 would be like for families didn't pan out, but things have definitely changed in the last couple of decades. Women are working more, the number of people choosing not to have children is increasing, and same-sex and transsexual parents are becoming more common. As reproductive technology develops, the definition of a typical family is likely to change significantly. Science will soon be able to create artificial sperm and eggs, as well as wombs. A change in the process of reproduction may mean that women can continue to work while being 'pregnant', and people who could not produce their own children previously (eg. single men, transgender and same-sex couples) can have their own children. Genetically modified designer babies will also likely become a reality. Many other factors such as an aging population, increased travel, and economic inequality will also affect the future of the family unit."
"Huawei Delivers World First With New Noise-Cancelling FreeBuds 3 . Huawei has revealed its FreeBuds3 wireless earbuds. They feature noise-cancellation, a world's first for truly wireless earphones. Unlike other noise-canceling headphones, the FreeBuds3 has an open-fit design, meaning that it will not form a sealed barrier between the ears and the outside. This design may mean that more high-frequency sounds may be heard even with noise cancellation. When asked about the design, Huawei said that its primary focus was on comfort and that the ability to hear some high-frequency sounds may be beneficial for the safety of the listener as they would be more aware of their surroundings."
"Google, Facebook, and Twitter halt government data requests after new Hong Kong security law . A new security law that went into effect on July 1st gives China the power to limit political dissent against the Communist Party. Many terms of the new law are vague and there are concerns about the full implications of the law. Google, Facebook, and Twitter have paused the processing of data requests from the Hong Kong government while the companies review the new law. The new law has already caused several opposition parties in Hong Kong to disband."
"HyperUI (Website). This site contains a collection of free Tailwind CSS components. The size of each component can be adjusted. Categories include alerts, buttons, carts, forms, tables, tags, and much more. The code for each component can be easily viewed and copied."
"Scientists Discover Massive 'Space Hurricane' Above Earth . Space hurricanes are similar to regular hurricanes, except that they occur at a much higher altitude and rain electrons instead of water. The first observation of a space hurricane was spotted by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program in August 2014. It stretched across 1,000 kilometers above Earth's northern magnetic pole for nearly eight hours. Many more space hurricanes have been discovered since, and they are likely a universal phenomenon, occurring at other planets and their moons."
"Hong Kong Protests Show Dangers of a Cashless Society . The latest protests in Hong Kong demonstrate the dangers that a cashless society may bring. Hong Kong citizens were recently protesting against a new law that will increase the extradition powers of China in Hong Kong. Citizens are concerned that China will use the law to target political dissidents. A popular payment system in Hong Kong is the Octopus contactless smart card, which can be used to pay for public transport and other things. During the protests, citizens were warned by other citizens to use cash in order to purchase train tickets as the government may be able to track their movements using purchase histories and target them as protestors. In a completely cashless society, citizens would have no choice but to use traceable payment systems, and this would mean that citizens would be giving up their privacy."
"Stunning photo captures space station crossing the moon in jaw-dropping detail . On January 18, Thierry Legault, an engineer and astrophotographer from Paris, took a picture of the International Space Station crossing the moon in spectacular detail. The detail is so clear that viewers can see the faint grid pattern on the station's solar panel arrays and the attached SpaceX Crew-3 spacecraft. The photo is available in the article. Details about how Legault captured the image are also available."
The End of Localhost (10 minute read). The ultimate future developer experience will enable developers to quickly build apps using almost any device from anywhere in the world. This will require most things to be run on the cloud. The cloud is reducing dev machines to being a poorly maintained set of environment mocks. This article discusses the benefits of working entirely in the cloud and the inevitable end of localhost.
"Kivy (GitHub Repo). Kivy is a Python framework for developing apps that use multi-touch user interfaces. It is based on OpenGL ES 2 and supports various input devices. Kivy has an extensive widget library and the same codebase can be used across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS."
Large Hadron Collider Creates Matter From Light . Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider observed photons merging and transforming into W bosons. W bosons are particles that carry the weak force which governs nuclear decay. The research illustrates the concept that energy and matter are two sides of the same coin.
"'Invisible computing' startup unveils smart contact lens . Mojo Vision, a startup focused on invisible computing, unveiled a contact lens that has a display that can show information and notifications. Users can interact with the interface by focusing on certain points. The contact lens may be able to help people with visual impairments by using enhanced image overlays. It displays text and images by projecting a micro-LED display to the retina. Mojo Vision has obtained approval to test the contact lens as a medical device in the US. The current version of the lens transmits and receives information to and from a portable relay box, but the team is working on future versions that will link directly to smartphones."
"Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen dies of cancer at age 65 . Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen has passed away from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He was 65 years old. He was a well-known philanthropist, owned the Portland Trailblazers and the Seattle Seahawks, and was worth over $20 billion. RIP."
Introducing OpenTelemetry Observability for Crystal (Sponsor). Companies are running core systems and offering products implemented with Crystal. Read on to learn how to instrument Crystal applications with New Relic and Open Telemetry. Learn more.
"Elon Musk's SpaceX Wins FCC Approval to Deploy 7,518 Satellites . The FCC just gave SpaceX permission to launch 7,518 internet satellites as part of their Starlink program to provide satellite-based broadband internet. For reference, there were 1,885 total operating satellites as of August, so this is a huge number. While the vote passed 4-0, the commission did mention that there is a danger of overcrowding low earth orbit with satellites, and the rapidly growing amount of debris in orbit could be a threat to newly launched satellites."
"Ask HN : Negotiating Salary (Hacker News Thread). In this thread, the original poster is in a situation where they had just proposed a salary to a potential employer and is now waiting for a counteroffer. While the OP will accept the offer, they want to know how to make sure they aren't missing out on getting the best deal out of the negotiation. The thread is full of negotiating tips as well as some insights from the hiring side."
"Frontend Weekly (Newsletter). Frontend Weekly is a well curated list of articles, tutorials, and tools about front end web development (with an emphasis on Javascript). If you're one of the trendy people who like to keep up with the latest frameworks and tools, this is a great resource."
"Nginx Quick Reference (GitHub Repo). Nginx is an HTTP and reverse proxy server, a mail proxy server, and a generic TCP/UDP proxy server. This GitHub repository contains a quick reference to setting up and operating an Nginx server. It is recommended that the guide is used as a reference, rather than a complete walk-through, as it recommends a restrictive setup which may not be what is required for all servers."
"Amazon unveils its HQ2 and double helix-inspired building in Arlington, Virginia . Amazon's HQ2 project will be based in Arlington, Virginia. It will include 2.8 million square feet of office space spread across three 22-story buildings. A fourth structure called the Helix will feature a walkable path design inspired by the double-helix structure of DNA. It will include multiple alternate work environments with plant life native to the region. The Helix will be open to the public for tours several weekends a month. A rendering of Amazon's second headquarters is available in the article."
Cascadia Code (GitHub Repo). This repository contains the source code for Cascadia Code. There are instructions for modifying the font. Glyphs is required for modifying the font on Mac and Microsoft VTT and FontTools is required for modifying the font on Windows.
"When Plants Go to War . While plants might look like peaceful, passive victims of the world, they actually spend a lot of energy fighting to stay alive. When an insect bites a leaf, the leaf emits chemical flares that tell other parts of the plants and its neighbors to get ready for an attack. Plants can prepare for attacks by producing toxic and protective chemicals. They can also produce signals that other insects respond to, causing them to come to attack the instigator. As insects communicate through chemicals, this can be an effective way of controlling attackers. Injured plants produce chemicals that warn other plants in the area of danger."
"Scientists Found a New Way to Control the Brain With Light—No Surgery Required . Optogenetics is a technology that uses light of different frequencies to control the brain. It has been used to incept memories in mice, decipher brain signals that lead to pain, reverse depression, overwrite memories, and more. Unfortunately, the treatment requires gene therapy and brain surgery to implant optical fibers into the brain. A team of researchers has unveiled an upgraded version of optogenetics that doesn't require surgery. It can be used to reprogram the brains of mice with light pulses that pass through the skulls of mice. The new technique still requires gene therapy, as it is the key to making neurons respond to light."
Scientists produce renewable jet fuel from common soil bacteria . Researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory successfully harvested alternative jet fuel from bacteria commonly found in soil.
"Pluto’s dark side spills its secrets — including hints of a hidden ocean (11 minute read). Images from Pluto taken by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft reveal an icy and cracked landscape and what could be signs of a hidden ocean. It has cracks deeper than the Grand Canyon scar at the surface and icy volcanoes taller than Mount Everest. New images of Pluto won't be available for at least another 30-40 years, assuming a spacecraft is sent soon. A selection of the images, as well as a 2-minute video showing a virtual reconstruction of the dwarf planet, is available in the article. The article discusses the structures on Pluto, such as its icy bladed terrain and underground ocean, and how they may have formed."
"Scientists develop 10-minute universal cancer test . Scientists have developed a test that detects traces of malignant cells in a patient's bloodstream anywhere in a patient's body in less than 10 minutes. It's super cheap and simple, and detects about 90 out of every 100 cases of cancer, so this could serve as routine check for cancer in the future. The trick is that cancer DNA and normal DNA stick to metal surfaces in different ways, so this test uses tiny gold nanoparticles to detect the cancer cells."
"Waymo and Lyft partner to scale self-driving robotaxi service in Phoenix . Waymo will be bringing on 10 vehicles onto the Lyft platform over the next few months in Phoenix as part of a new partnership agreement. Waymo’s self-driving vehicles have been operating in Phoenix since December under the Waymo One app. Lyft users will be able to select between normal ride-sharing vehicles and Waymo self-driving vehicles once the cars are in service. In Las Vegas, Lyft has partnered with self-driving vehicle supplier Aptiv, and have provided more than 40,000 paid autonomous rides."
"Magic Leap planning new AR glasses for 2022, joining a crowded field . Magic Leap has announced a new augmented reality headset. The Magic Leap 2 is smaller with a wider field of view and dimming for use in bright conditions. It is designed for helping remote workers connect away from physical offices. Magic Leap's first headset was not very successful and it faces a lot of competition from much larger companies. An image of the new device is available in the article."
Elon Musk Says That Tesla Is Making Its Own Beer . Tesla has produced a Cybertruck-themed beer as part of its development of Giga Berlin’s campus. The GigaBier’s bottles were inspired by the Cybertruck's sharp angles and futuristic design. Giga Berlin will have a train station and graffiti murals throughout the factory. It is very rare for a car company to create a beer due to the association with drink driving. Tesla has sold tequila before as a limited release.
"Remote Access From Everywhere, To Everything (Sponsor). Remote Access From Everywhere, To Everything . Tailscale makes SSH easy and secure. Access your local desktop without installing anything on your server. Learn more."
3D icons (Website). This site contains a collection of more than 120 open-source 3D icons that are 100% free for commercial and personal use. The icons come in four predefined color styles and three camera angles. They can be edited with Mesh. Mock-ups and examples from the Figma community are available.
"PayPal withdraws from Facebook’s libra cryptocurrency . PayPal announced on Friday that it will withdraw from Facebook's Libra Association in order to focus on its existing mission to democratize access to financial services for underserved populations. When Libra was announced in June, many global regulators, lawmakers, and industry insiders questioned Facebook's motives and had concerns regarding privacy, money laundering, consumer protection, and financial stability. Facebook will not have unilateral control of Libra. The Libra Association, which is made up of 28 corporate backers, will help govern the cryptocurrency. Other financial partners such a Visa and Mastercard may be reconsidering involvement with Libra following backlash from government officials. Lawmakers in the House Financial Services Committee are looking to bring Facebook's top executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, to testify on Libra."
"15 People Lived 40 Days in a Sunless Cave Without Clocks to Study Time . 15 people spent 40 days living in a cave in France without sunlight, clocks, or contact with the outside world as part of an experiment called Deep Time. Deep Time was designed to probe the human brain's conception of time and to study the group's response to life in isolation. There were no natural cues to regulate circadian rhythms in the darkness of the cave. Participants had to pass mental and physical examinations before the experiment, and they were monitored even after their exit. The experiment could help scientists anticipate the challenges of long-term submarine and space missions."
"South Korean 20-Mile Solar 'Bike Highway' Generates Electricity . South Korea has a bike highway running between two cities that stretches for 20 miles, shields cyclists from the sun, and generates power. Cyclists use subterranean tunnels to enter and exit the path and they are protected from traffic on each side by barriers. The solar panels on the bike highway produce more than enough electricity to power the lighting of the highway and the electric vehicle charging stations. A 3-minute video that shows the bike highway from the air is available in the article."
"KalidoKit (GitHub Repo). KalidoKit is a blendshape and kinematics solver designed for rigging VRM models and Live2D avatars. It provides face, eyes, pose, and handtracking by taking predicted 3D landmarks and calculating simple Euler rotations and blendshape face values. KalidoKit is compatible with Facemesh, Blazepose, Handpose, and Holistic. Examples are available."
"Automatic App Landing Page (GitHub Repo). Developers can quickly and easily deploy a landing page for their apps using this GitHub repository. All they need to do is fork the repo and enter their iOS app ID into the config file, and the page will be built automatically. Users can customize the page further if desired, and include screenshots and videos if available."
A solar panel in space is collecting energy that could one day be beamed to anywhere on Earth . The Photovoltaic Radiofrequency Antenna Module (PRAM) is a solar panel that is designed to send electricity from space back to any point on Earth. Scientists working for the Pentagon successfully launched the first PRAM in May 2020. Sunlight in space is more powerful than on Earth as it doesn't pass through the atmosphere. The latest experiments show that the 12x12-inch panel is capable of producing about 10 watts of energy for transmission. A scaled-up array of panels could revolutionize how power is generated and distributed around the globe.
"Nvidia’s AI-powered scaling makes old games look better without a huge performance hit . Nvidia's latest game-ready driver includes a tool called Deep Learning Dynamic Super Resolution (DLDSR) that can make most games look sharper. The technology works by rendering a game at a higher resolution than the monitor can handle and then downscaling it to fit the monitor. It uses AI to increase image quality, lowering the amount of processing required. DLDSR can be accessed now by updating to the latest driver and choosing the option in settings. A screenshot showing a comparison of DLDSR with DSR and native processing is available in the article."
"Ticket for space flight with Jeff Bezos is auctioned for $28 million . The ticket to go to space with Jeff Bezos on the first Blue Origin flight in July has sold for $28 million. Over 7,000 participants from 159 countries placed bids in the auction. The identity of the winning bidder will be revealed in the coming weeks. There will be four passengers on the flight, which will last approximately 10 minutes from launch to landing. Three of those minutes will be in zero gravity. Bezos will step down as Amazon's chief executive 15 days before launch. If successful, the trip will be the first commercial space flight to take a civilian beyond the internationally recognized edge of space."
"Zuckerberg rejects invite from international committee to give evidence on fake news . Zuckerberg was invited to testify about fake news before the UK Parliament. Canada, Ireland, Argentina, and Australia also showed support for the invitation. Zuckerberg refused, and a Facebook spokesperson explained that he does not have time to talk to every country's lawmakers. UK MP Damian Collins says he is ""very disappointed with Facebook's dismissive response,"" and has re-extended the original invitation saying ""We say again: the hearing of your evidence is now overdue, and urgent...We call on you once again to take up your responsibility to Facebook users, and speak in person to their elected representatives."""
"You May Find Salt-Tolerant Rice Growing In The Ocean By 2021 . Less than 1% of fresh water in the world is available for human use, and 70% of that is used for agriculture. Demand for food is rising, so new ways to cultivate crops are needed. Two 24-year-old scientists have formed a company, Agrisea, to produce salt-tolerant rice and floating ocean farms by 2021. Over 700 million tons of rice is produced each year. The crop feeds billions of people every day. Scientists have been trying to manipulate the rice genome for decades to improve its nutrition, efficiency, drought resistance, and to reduce methane production. Genetically modified foods are controversial, even though the technology could be used to save billions of lives. Agrisea aims to eventually create a portfolio of salt-resistant crops that will grow in farms around the world."
"Redis 7.0 Is Out! . Redis 7.0 is now available. It adds almost 50 new commands and options. The most notable improvements are Redis Functions, AVLv2, command introspection, and Sharded Pub/Sub. A lot of development was focused on making Redis more performant, stable, and lean. More details about the update are available in the article."
"In Argentina, cheap government-issued netbooks sparked a musical renaissance . Tech in Argentina has always been inaccessible due to the country's traditionally protectionist policies. Even when the government decided to distribute free netbooks to students, it was under the condition that the netbooks be made in Argentina. More than four million students received a computer between 2011 and 2015. The netbooks brought a new generation of artists to the spotlight. While the netbooks weren't particularly powerful, they opened up a world of creative ability for young artists. The netbook program was slated to end in 2018, but it has continued to run under a new government."
Apple is gathering data from Apple Maps to show how well people are social distancing . Apple has launched a new tool that gathers anonymous data from Apple Maps to show how well people are following social distancing guidelines. It is designed for health-care professionals and the government. The information it gathers isn't tied to specific Apple IDs. An example chart from the app is available in the article.
"In the Search to Stall Aging, Biotech Startups Are Out for Blood (12 minute read). In the last few decades, the idea of using blood as an elixir of youth has come closer to reality. Some high-profile studies have demonstrated the regenerative abilities of young blood in aged mice. Several startups have launched with the aim to combat aging through our blood. This article explores some of these companies and their approaches to using blood to fight aging and age-related diseases."
"Samsung's folding screen tech has been stolen and sold to China . Samsung's game-changing new foldable screen technology that will be used in its upcoming foldable smartphone/tablet hybrid has been stolen and sold to two Chinese firms for $14 million. 11 people have been indicted, three of them have been detained. Samsung says it's ""surprised and appalled at the results of the investigation by prosecutors."""
"Meet AlphaDog: China's Answer to Boston Dynamics' Spot the Robot . Weilan, a tech firm based in China, has developed a robodog similar to Boston Dynamics' Spot robot. The robot is the fastest on the market, moving at a speed of almost 9 mph. AlphaDog uses 5G technology to make it operate autonomously. The company sold more than 1,800 units in its first month of sales. Weilan hopes to eventually enable the robots to help guide the visually impaired. A short video made by Weilan to introduce AlphaDog to the world is available."
Homemade Machine Learning (GitHub Repo). This is an open source project with examples of popular machine learning algorithms implemented in Python with the math behind each explained. The purpose is to help data scientists and developers understand the mathematics behind the algorithms they use. Each algorithm has a simple explanation and a Jupyter Notebook with the implementation code.
"How 5g is Likely to Put Weather Forecasting at Risk . Weather forecasting technology has improved to the point where three day forecasts are 90% accurate. This level of prediction requires input from many factors, one of which is water vapor levels, which reduces the error in weather forecast calculations by about 17%. Satellites monitor water vapor via the 23.8 GHz frequency, which means that they might pick up interference from 5G networks, which run at 24 GHz. Interference with weather forecast frequencies may have serious consequences as forecasts are needed for natural disaster planning. Despite warnings from scientists, the FCC has started the auctioning of 24 GHz licenses, with Chairman Ajit Pai stating that there was no technical basis for objections to the sale."
Vaccination by inhalation . MIT researchers have developed an inhalable vaccine that can create an army of T cells in the mucosal surfaces that are vulnerable to viral infection. The vaccine is modified to bind to a protein naturally present in mucus. It was effective in inducing a strong memory T cell response in the lungs of mice. These types of vaccines could potentially be used to treat or prevent cancer.
"OpenAI begins allowing customers to fine-tune GPT-3 . OpenAI is now allowing developers to create custom versions of GPT-3. Developers can now train GPT-3 to recognize specific patterns for workloads like content generation, classification, and text summarization. The new fine-tuning capabilities are expected to lead to cost savings due to a higher frequency of higher-quality outputs from fine-tuned models. OpenAI has focused on making its API accessible to developers who might not have machine learning backgrounds."
"Zdog (GitHub Repo). Zdog is a 3D engine designed to display simple 3D models without a lot of overhead. Inspired by the 1995 game Dogz, Zdog renders all shapes using 2D drawing APIs in either canvas or svg. A collection of demo models created with Zdog is available. The software is still in beta, and feedback can be submitted through the Zdog issue tracker on GitHub."
Canada arrests Huawei's global chief financial officer in Vancouver . Canada has arrested Huawei's CFO who is facing extradition to the United States on suspicion that she violated US trade sanctions against Iran. US authorities allege that Huawei has been shipping US products to Iran and other countries in violation of US export and sanctions laws.
"Apple will reportedly allow iPhones to accept contactless payments . Apple may soon be rolling out a feature that will let small businesses accept payments using their iPhones without any extra hardware. The feature will use the phone's NFC reader to accept credit card payments. Apple has been working on the feature since it purchased Mobeewave in 2020. Before its acquisition, Mobeewave had partnered with Samsung to create Samsung POS, a similar service that turned Samsung phones into contactless payment terminals. Apple's new payment feature will likely be released with the final version of iOS 15.4 coming out this spring."
"Elon Musk says free self-driving chip upgrade could come to older Teslas this year . Elon Musk has announced that Tesla will likely begin retrofitting its new, more powerful processing chip into older vehicles before the end of the year. Tesla claims that the new FSD chip, which was developed in-house, performs 21 times better than the previous Nvidia chips. The new chips cost 20 percent less than the Nvidia chips while only consuming a little more power. Newer Model S, X, and 3 cars have been shipping with the new chip since before its announcement. Around 500,000 existing cars are currently compatible with the new chip, and Tesla owners will receive the upgrade for free if they have purchased the Full Self-Driving add-on package."
"1,000-foot multi-rotor floating Windcatchers to power 80,000 homes each . Norway's Wind Catching Systems (WCS) are floating wind turbine arrays that can generate five times the annual energy of the world's biggest single turbines. They stand at more than 1,000 ft high, deploying multiple smaller turbines in a staggered formation. Each WCS can make enough power annually to run 80,000 homes. They have a service life of 50 years, 20 years longer than current single large turbines. WCS are relatively expensive when compared to land-based wind and solar, but they are still cheaper for offshore wind."
Pixel will be able to stream Android apps to your Chromebook or PC . The first Android 13 Developer Preview built for Pixel phones includes two Cross Device service apps dedicated to connecting Pixels to other devices. The apps allow users to stream between a Pixel phone and a special web app. Apps can be interacted with as if they were natively open on the desktop. The feature generates an entirely separate virtual display rather than monitoring the phone's screen. Screenshots and videos showing the feature are available in the article.
"Quickly generate customizable workflows for your Actions deployments (Sponsor). Quickly generate customizable workflows for your Actions deployments . Want to use GitHub Actions as part of your build and continuous integration process? If you are tired of writing GitHub YAML from scratch, save time with our GitHub Actions workflow generator free tool powered by Octopus Deploy. Learn more."
"Google Messages, with RCS in tow, is now Samsung’s default messaging app in the US . Samsung will adopt Google Messages as its default app in the US starting with the Galaxy S22 series. Samsung Messages will still be installed on Samsung devices, but users will have to actively choose to switch to it. Google Messages features enhanced RCS messaging. Having RCS support as a default option will help more users with a modern messaging experience."
"YOLO: Uber's Rider App Rewrite, From the Front Seat (16 minute read). In 2016, Uber decided to rewrite its entire rider app. The team had less than 3 months to rewrite over 1 million lines of code per platform. This article follows an engineer’s experience during the process, from when the project was first proposed, to the launch of the rewritten app and what happened afterwards. It discusses how the experience impacted those that worked at Uber during that period and how the project changed the way the company developed future apps."
"Amazon raises minimum wage to $15 for all US employees . Amazon will provide a minimum wage of $15/hour to all US employees. This will affect roughly 250,000 full time employees, as well as 100,000 seasonal employees. Amazon said it will also start advocating for an increase to the federal minimum wage. Jeff Bezo says ""we listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we want to lead. We're excited about this change and encourage our competitors and other large employers to join us."""
"NASA investigating small air leak on International Space Station . There is a minor air leak on the International Space Station. People on the station are not in immediate danger. The ISS is never completely airtight, requiring routine repressurization with gasses from tanks sent up during cargo missions. This leak was first identified in September 2019. The ISS has been busy for the last few months, but now that activity has dropped, the crew members can start focusing on it."
"Loom: Async Video Messaging For Work (Sponsor). Loom: Async Video Messaging For Work . Instead of spending your day in back-to-back meetings, try a new kind of face time where you never need to repeat yourself and it's easy to be yourself. A 3 minute Loom could replace your next 30 minute meeting. Get Loom For Free."
"Researchers Say ‘Anti-Solar Panels’ Could Generate Power at Night . Researchers from the University of California have designed 'anti-solar panels' which would theoretically be able to generate solar power at night. Solar panels work because they are cold compared to the sun, so they absorb sunlight and convert it into energy. The anti-solar panels reverse the process and generate energy through the loss of energy from the panels to the cool night sky. It is estimated that the panels would be able to generate about a quarter of the power of a solar panel. The next step for the scientists is to build the devices to see how well they perform. It may be possible to boost the efficiency of the cells by using materials that can better interact with longer wavelengths of light."
"“Game Changer” Perovskite Can Detect High-Energy Gamma Rays . Perovskites are materials made up of organic compounds bound to a metal. They are grown as crystals, and the quality and clarity of the crystals determine how they can be used. Scientists at EPFL's School of Basic Sciences have developed a perovskite that can efficiently detect gamma rays at room temperatures with a simple resistivity measurement. Gamma rays can affect biological tissue, so finding a cheap and reliable method of detecting them could be a game-changer for many industries."
"Highest Paying Companies of 2019 (Website). A chart is presented that shows the median total year compensation for different companies, including salary, stock, and bonuses. Compensation and leveling depend on a variety of factors, including interview performance, past experience, and competitive offers. The companies listed are the absolute top-paying tech companies, and might not reflect the rest of the market. Leveling information is presented, showing compensation for the top five companies for entry-level employees through to principal engineers. The top five regions with the highest median pay are listed. Levels.fyi aims to help people get paid fairly through transparency."
"Apple continues expanding into health care by selling a consumer-focused diabetes monitor in stores . Apple stores now sell a glucose monitor that integrates with the iPhone to give customers a way to track their blood sugar through Apple’s Health app. OneDrop is just one example of how Apple is breaking into the health industry. CEO Tim Cook has been seen testing a continuous glucose monitor, even though he is not known to have diabetes. OneDrop consists of a blood glucose meter for taking readings and an app that collects data which integrates with Apple Health. A subscription service is available for customers to receive testing strips. The OneDrop kit is sold at Apple stores for $69.95 and it comes with a free year of coaching from a certified diabetes educator."
"Project Templates for Data Scientists (Sponsor). Stop going to multiple online forums to hack together solutions. ProjectPro has ready-made professional project templates for data extraction, data analysis, data visualization, model deployment, and more. Learn more."
"Report: Spotify claims it “overpaid” royalties, wants a refund from songwriters and publishers . Spotify claims that it overpaid royalties to musicians in 2018 due to the Royalty Board’s ruling on family and student plan subscribers. Family plans are to be treated as 1.5 subscribers per month, and student plans are equal to 0.5 subscribers per month. Spotify will not require all royalties to be paid back immediately. Instead, it will extend the recoupment period to the end of 2019, and deduct the sum of the overpaid royalties from this year’s payouts. Spotify has been criticized for the move as they are taking advantage of a change in the law that they are currently fighting against."
"How to Handle Secrets on the Command Line . The command line wasn't designed to keep secrets, so it takes some extra care and effort to keep things secure. This article looks at three methods for handling secrets on the command line, looking at the risks of each approach and how to use each method as safely as possible."
"Git Credential Manager Core: Building a universal authentication experience . Git Credential Manager Core is a cross-platform credential manager for Git. It supports authentication to GitHub, Bitbucket, and Azure Repos. GCM Core was designed with cross-platform and cross-host support in mind. GCM for Windows and GCM for Mac & Linux will continue to receive support for some time."
"Zotonic (GitHub Repo). Zotonic is a real-time web framework and content management system built with Erlang. It is fast and stable and features support for WebSockets, Comet, PostgreSQL, extensions, and more. A four-minute-long introductory video is available."
Now you can play Fortnite on your iPhone or Android for free with Xbox Cloud Gaming . Fortnite is now available to play for free via the Xbox Cloud Gaming service. Anyone with a Microsoft account can play the game on any device through the internet on a web browser in the 26 countries where it's available. Microsoft plans to bring more free-to-play titles to the cloud. Fortnite will continue to be available on Nvidia's GeForce Now game streaming platform.
"China is testing ""emotion recognition"" systems in Xinjiang . China has been testing surveillance systems aimed at detecting people's emotions. The goal is to eventually be able to predict crimes using machine learning. Companies that have jumped at the opportunity to join the effort were promptly added to the US trade blacklist. Emotion recognition technology has been deployed in Xinjiang, a region known to be home to over one million Muslims that are being held in internment camps. Experts say that current emotion recognition technology doesn't work and that creating a working emotion recognition system would be difficult, if not impossible. Companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon openly admit to the rudimentary abilities of their facial recognition systems. China has also been testing gait-recognition systems, a social credit system, and an app that maps and publicly shames 'deadbeat debtors'."
"US, UK and, Australia urge Facebook to create backdoor access to encrypted messages . The US, UK, and Australian governments plan to pressure Facebook to create a backdoor in its encrypted messaging to allow them to access the contents of private communications. Facebook plans to implement end-to-end encryption across its messaging services in order to stop unwanted parties from viewing user conversations. The US and UK have signed the world's first data access agreement that will allow law enforcement agencies to obtain data directly from the other country's tech firms. Facebook strongly opposes the government's attempts to build backdoors as it would undermine the privacy and security of people everywhere. When a backdoor is opened up for a specific government, it also opens up the possibility for malicious parties to steal information from the same backdoor."
Cash (GitHub Repo). Cash is a small jQuery alternative for modern browsers that provides jQuery-style syntax for manipulating the DOM. It is much smaller in size compared to jQuery and other alternatives. Size comparisons and usage examples are available.
Blocking Your Adblocker . More and more users are starting to use adblockers. Some websites might want to fight back and find ways to disable these adblockers so that they can still receive revenue for their content. Disabling an adblocker involves adding a few modifications to the Google Analytics code block so that it routes the ads through a custom proxy server. A simple tutorial on how to set this up is provided.
"SARS-CoV-2 looks like a hybrid of viruses from two different species . A US-based research team has analyzed a large collection of viral genomes to find out the origins of SARS-CoV-2. The team found that the virus contained DNA from both bats and pangolins. This was due to recombination, where any time two DNA molecules share extensive similarities, it is possible for them to exchange pieces. SARS-CoV-2 is a single, long RNA molecule, but it can still recombine. The genetic makeup of the virus suggests that it is unlikely the virus is an escaped weapons experiment."
Redis Queue (GitHub Repo). Redis Queue is a Python library for queueing jobs and processing them in the background with workers. It is designed to be easy to integrate. Installation and usage instructions are available.
"Scientists discover first known animal that doesn't breathe . Scientists have discovered that H. salminicola, a parasite that infects the dense muscle tissues of fish and underwater worms, doesn't have mitochondrial DNA and it doesn't breathe. H. salminicola has evolved away tissue, nerve cells, muscles, and basically everything else to become mostly just a blob. This family of parasites thrives by reproducing as quickly and often as possible. While most evolution tends towards complexity, this organism has gone the completely opposite way, evolving to become almost unicellular. It is unknown how the parasite acquires energy, but it is likely that it consumes energy directly from its infected hosts."
"Discord is testing forums, new mod tools and homepages that surface hot topics in some servers . Discord is testing three new features starting this week aimed at helping users stay on top of the conversation. It will test a forum-like channel for more organized conversations, a homepage-style feature that collects hot topics, and automated moderation tools. The experimental features will only be available via a close beta on some large servers. A screenshot showing the forum-like feature is available in the article."
"Musk says “very intense” Tesla Roadster will go from zero to 100 in just 1.1 seconds . The 2022 Tesla Roadster will have a SpaceX option that consists of 10 rocket thrusters. It will be able to accelerate from 0-60mph in 1.1 seconds. According to Elon Musk, the car will be able to fly very briefly. The acceleration will be safe, but those with heart conditions are warned that the experience will be similar to riding a hardcore roller coaster. A short computer-generated video of what the acceleration might look like is available in the article."
"This Case Gives Your Phone Robotic Legs So It Can Crawl to a Wireless Charging Pad . Researchers from the Biorobotics Laboratory at Seoul National University have created a smartphone case with robotic legs. The case adds 16mm to one end of the phone and the retractable legs can carry a weight of up to 300 grams. At the moment the case is only able to walk in one direction, but the design can be improved to include sensors and other modifications. A one-minute video is available showing the robot case in action."
"MQTT vs Kafka to build an IoT architecture. Part 2 - Kafka the Mighty (Sponsor). In Part 1, when comparing the uses of Kafka vs MQTT, we concluded that in a basic publish-and-subscribe model of an IoT device, Kafka might be overkill. However, we also learned that Kafka has some valuable features to utilize within an IoT architecture and that’s what we will focus on in this part. Learn more."
"Alphabet’s Wing begins making first commercial drone deliveries in the US . Wing has started to service US customers starting with a partnership with FedEx Express, Sugar Magnolia, and Walgreens. Michael and Kelly Collver were the first customers to receive a package from the service. They ordered a cough and cold pack to be delivered to their home in Christianburg, Virginia. Wing obtained its Air Carrier Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration earlier this year, which allowed Wing pilots to manage multiple aircraft flying without any human pilot on board. Earlier this month, UPS also secured FAA approval to operate a commercial drone delivery service."
"China’s 640-Ton ‘Iron Monster’ Can Erect Colossal Bridges In a Few Days . SLJ900/32 is a bridge construction machine that lifts, carries, and sets prefabricated track sections to build bridges fast. It is being used by China for the country’s Belt and Road initiative, which aims to create land and sea routes to link about 70 countries. The machines have a lifespan of about four years and can lay up to 1,000 bridge spans. A video of one of the machines laying a section of a bridge is available in the article."
"Here's why Morgan Stanley is spending $13 billion to buy E-Trade . Morgan Stanley has taken over E-Trade with a $13 billion deal. It is the biggest takeover by a US bank since the financial crisis. Morgan Stanley will gain 5.2 million customer accounts, $360 billion in assets, and a leading business that manages corporate stock plans. The deal is expected to complete in the fourth quarter. E-Trade's $56 billion in deposits will help Morgan Stanley fund loans to its wealthy clientele. Rival banks claim that Morgan Stanley overpaid in the deal. The retail stock trade market has been in consolidation ever since Robinhood popularized the idea that most retail stock trades should be free."
"Facebook plans to go after Clubhouse — and podcasts — with a suite of new audio products . Facebook is planning to announce a series of social audio products, including an audio-only version of Rooms, a Clubhouse-like product, a feature that will allow users to record and post brief voice messages, and a podcast discovery service. The timeline for the release of these products is still unclear."
"Better scrolling through modern CSS . Every app and website has scroll bars, but they don't get much love from developers. This article looks at things that developers can do to improve the scrolling experience for users. It covers the basics, theming scrollbars, the quirks of various operating systems, and much more."
"Pro-privacy search engine DuckDuckGo hits 30M daily searches, up 50% in a year . Privacy-focused search engine Duck Duck Go just hit 30 million searches a day, after having just hit 20 million searches a day last year. The company has been profitable since 2014, and estimates that it has 25 million users. Increased awareness for online privacy may help Duck Duck Go compete against Google, and the company recently raised $10 million in external investment."
"Nikola Motor to open pre-orders for fuel cell pickup truck to compete with Ford, Tesla . Nikola Motor, a publicly-traded Arizonan startup, will open reservations for its hydrogen fuel cell electric pickup truck later this month. The Badger has 906 horsepower and 980 pound-feet of torque. It will be able to travel 300 miles on a single charge, with upgrades that can double the range. Nikola Motor designed the Badger to compete with the Ford F-150 and Tesla Cybertruck. The company doesn't have a factory and hasn't produced any products yet. It will begin construction on a factory this summer. Nikola Motor is currently valued at $28.63 billion."
"Free eBook: Try Infrastructure as Code (Sponsor). Free eBook: Try Infrastructure as Code . This ebook is meant to be a step-by-step guide for you to learn how to use some of the most in-demand IaC tools that exist: Terraform, Ansible, Puppet (and Puppet Bolt), Chef, and Salt. Each tool is covered as mostly a stand-alone-project that focuses on deploying a simple Docker-based Python web application from Github. Download for free."
Tesla is tracking badging and emailing those that don't show up at least 4/5 days . Tesla employees that don't show up at least 16 days per month are being directed to email their bosses with an explanation.
"Virgin Galactic spaceplane VSS Unity completes successful flight . Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity spacecraft completed its first successful space flight in two years on Saturday, carrying a crew to an altitude of more than 44,000 feet. The spacecraft took off from Virgin's VMS Eve carrier aircraft. It contained research payloads for NASA's Flight Opportunities program. Virgin Galactic has around 600 reservations for tickets on future space flights. The VSS Unity can carry up to six passengers. Virgin Galactic has another three spaceflights planned for this year, but dates have yet to be announced."
"WHO report claims alcohol is responsible for one in 20 deaths worldwide . More than 3 million people died as a result of harmful alcohol consumption in 2016 according to a World Health Organisation report. That is about 5% of all worldwide deaths, and it accounted for 13.5% of deaths for people in their 20s. 75% of the deaths were males, injury caused 30% of alcohol-related deaths, digestive diseases caused 20%, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, infectious diseases, cancers, mental disorders and alcohol abuse conditions round out the other causes."
"The US Army's New Goggles Let Troops See Through Solid Walls . The US army is developing Integrated Augmented Vision System (IAVS) goggles for infantry forces. The goggles will enable soldiers to check around corners, see in the dark, and see maps and other data on the goggles' lenses. Soldiers inside armored vehicles will be able to see through the walls of the vehicle using feeds from the cameras outside. The IAVS goggles are designed to perform like the heads-up displays used in fighter jets."
"The Book of Secret Knowledge (Github Repo). This is a collection of awesome lists, manuals, blogs, hacks, one-liners, cli/web tools and more for sys ops, dev ops, pentesters and security researchers. I'm a huge fan of this, it's essentially just a mind dump from a sys admin/security enthusiast."
"Zipline (GitHub Repo). Zipline is a Pythonic algorithmic trading library. It is currently used in Quantopian, a free platform for building and executing trading strategies. Zipline allows users to focus on algorithm development by providing easy access to analysis tools through the use of standard libraries."
"Elon Musk says that NASA is free to share all SpaceX IP with “anyone it wants” . Elon Musk has stated clearly that NASA is free to share all of SpaceX's intellectual property with anyone that it wants during an event at SpaceX HQ where NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine was present. The event discussed the current state of SpaceX's commercial crew launch program and the next steps. SpaceX is working on its third major iteration of the Crew Dragon parachute which will ensure the Crew Capsule's safe return to Earth. Bridenstine responded that NASA appreciated the offer to share SpaceX's IP freely, but that the agency has limits on who they should share information with."
"Twitter CEO pushes out top execs, freezes hiring . Twitter's consumer product leader Kayvon Beykpour and general manager of revenue Bruce Falck have been asked to leave the company. Jay Sullivan will take over as both the head of product and interim head of revenue. Twitter had goals to deliver big growth in audience and revenue but it did not hit its milestones. The company is also pausing most hiring and backfills except for business-critical roles. It will pull back on non-labor costs to ensure it is being responsible and efficient."
"IBM’s new 53-qubit quantum computer is the most powerful machine you can use . IBM will launch its new quantum computer next month. It will be available for researchers and companies to run applications via the cloud. The computer boasts 53 quantum bits. Google has a 72-qubit device, but it is not available for public use. IBM has been promoting quantum computing via the cloud since 2016. Other companies such as Rigetti Computing and D-Wave have also launched quantum computing cloud services. Google's quantum computers are rumored to be almost at the stage where they can perform tasks beyond the reach of the most powerful supercomputers."
"Finally, a private stock exchange . CartaX is a private market that just closed its first trading session after eight years of development. 414 market participants executed 1484 orders, reaching a total trading volume of $99.7 million. Tender offers usually hurt employees, but CartaX employees were able to sell at a premium due to proper price discovery after its primary financing rounds. Employees also had more access to liquidity, giving them more freedom. The first trading session only allowed shareholders to sell, but future sessions will be sold out of treasury once CartaX has a liquid and active market for its shares."
"Meet Face ID and Touch ID for the Web (14 minute read). Face ID and Touch ID is now available for the web, allowing web apps to authenticate users without cumbersome passwords. Multi-factor authentication will likely replace sole-factor password authentication in the future. This article discusses how to implement Face ID and Touch ID into your web app."
"Screen time is higher for the elderly than younger people, new data reports . A study into how much time people spend on their screens found that the elderly spend more time on average than younger people in front of screens. Americans aged 65 and over spend nearly 10 hours per day in front of screens, which is 33 percent more than people aged between 18 to 34. More than three-quarters of people over 65 now use the internet, but most of the screen time for the elderly is in front of the TV. 11 million elderly Americans live alone, and an increasing number of elderly people do not have adult children to rely on. The lack of human interaction has resulted in an increase in feelings of isolation. Watching TV may be a way to suppress feelings of isolation and replace social interaction."
"Dell’s new UltraSharp 4K monitors are “IPS Black”—what does that mean? . Dell recently announced two new UltraSharp monitors that feature IPS Black, a new type of IPS panel. IPS, or in-plane switching, is a type of LED panel that is known for its exceptional color reproduction. IPS Black is a new type of IPS that provides better contrast, with a black level that is 35% deeper than existing IPS products. It allows screens to be created with a nearly borderless design. The new displays have a contrast ratio of 2,000:1, twice what most IPS monitors offer. Many more details about this new display technology are available in the article."
Two lines of CSS that boosts 7x rendering performance! . Websites need to be optimal and performant as people have very short attention spans. This article presents two lines of CSS code that boost rendering performance by approximately 7x. It explains how the code works and provides alternatives. The code is most useful when a website needs to render a huge list/grid of data at the mount of the application.
"The Scoop: Inside Fast’s Rapid Collapse (19 minute read). Fast, a startup that launched in 2020, laid off all of its workforce on April 5. This article discusses what happened, Fast's hiring process, warning signs within the company, and the current situation with Fast. It gives some advice on how to avoid joining similar companies. Most startups are losing money, so it is important to pay attention to the path to profitability, not just growth numbers."
"Google pulls ‘Remove China Apps’ from Play Store . 'Remove China Apps' is an app that does exactly what its name suggests. It has been pulled from the Play Store for violating Google's Deceptive Behavior Policy, which states that an app on the Play Store can't encourage or incentivize users into removing or disabling third-party apps. The app had been gaining popularity in India partly due to growing anti-China sentiment. India has recently amended its foreign direct investment policy to enforce tougher scrutiny on Chinese investors. Prime Minister Modi has aggressively promoted the idea of boycotting foreign goods, urging citizens to look for local alternatives."
"Magic Leap 2 Hands-On: AR Glasses That Can Dim The Real World . This article presents a hands-on experience with Magic Leap's new augmented reality glasses. The Magic Leap 2 features a larger field of view, lenses that can dim the world and become blackout sunglasses, spatial audio, and more. It is notably smaller than the first version, with improved eye and hand tracking. No prices for the headset have been released yet. Photos of the device are available in the article."
"The Future of Micro-Frontends (11 minute read). This article looks at the current state of micro-frontends and how the approach can be improved in the future. It shares ideas and trends that are interesting to those in the micro-frontends community. Micro-frontends are components that can be built by different teams using different technologies and put together into a web application. The architecture is still young, but it has seen success across enterprise organizations globally."
"A visual guide on troubleshooting Kubernetes deployments (12 minute read). A flowchart for debugging deployments in Kubernetes is provided. When deploying an application in Kubernetes, a developer usually defines three components: a Deployment, a Service, and an Ingress. When troubleshooting Kubernetes deployments, one should check that the Pods are running, then focus on getting the Service to route traffic to the Pods, and finally, check that the Ingress is correctly configured. It is important to remember to approach the problem bottom-up, starting with the Pods and moving up the stack with Service and Ingress. The same debugging technique can be applied to other objects."
"WhatsApp Cofounder Brian Acton Gives The Inside Story On #DeleteFacebook And Why He Left $850 Million Behind (10 minute read). Under pressure from Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg to monetize WhatsApp, WhatsApp cofounder Brian Acton pushed back against inserting targeted advertising and surveillance into WhatsApp. Eventually Brian felt the only choice was to leave the company, walking away from $850 million in unvested stock options. ""It was like, okay, well, you want to do these things I don't want to do,"" Acton says. ""It's better if I get out of your way. And I did...At the end of the day, I sold my company. I sold my users' privacy to a larger benefit. I made a choice and a compromise. And I live with that every day."" Now Brian donated $50 million to and is actively working on Signal, a free messaging service with end-to-end encryption and no ad platform: basically a new, idealized version of WhatsApp. He's also put $1 billion into supporting healthcare in impoverished areas of the U.S. as well as early childhood development. This March, while the Cambridge Analytica scandal was breaking, he tweeted ""It is time. #deletefacebook."" He hasn't tweeted since. Great article, definitely worth reading if you have time."
"Lightweight armor material made of nanotube mats outperforms Kevlar . Engineers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have forged a new type of ultralight armor called a nanofiber mat. The new form of armor is made with carbon nanotubes, tiny cylinders of carbon a single atom thick. The carbon nanotubes form hydrogen bonds when mixed with the right ratio of Kevlar nanofibers, resulting in a dramatic leap in performance. The novel material can protect against high-speed impacts better than Kevlar fabric while being much lighter. It could potentially be used to protect spacecraft from high-speed space debris."
"Proprietary Grapes Come With Draconian End User License Agreement . Carnival brand grapes come with an end-user license agreement to stop people from propagating or reproducing any portion of the product. In the world of agriculture, patented seeds with specific restrictions are a real legal issue for farmers. Even seeds obtained through fruits purchased from produce stores are not exempt from patents. As seeds are naturally produced by plants and can be naturally distributed by birds, and plants can cross-pollinate with other plants, the legal implications of seed patents can be difficult to grasp."
"Tesla Model 3 production reportedly under investigation by the FBI . The FBI is investigating Tesla for possibly making misleading statements about its Model 3 production capabilities in 2017. In July 2017, Elon Musk tweeted ""Looks like we can reach 20,000 Model 3 cars per month in Dec."" However, they only produced 2,700 Model 3s in all of 2017. Tesla says that it always sets truthful, ambitious targets, and ""While Tesla gets criticized when it is delayed in reaching a goal, it should not be forgotten that Tesla has achieved many goals that were doubted by most."""
"Alien Dreams: An Emerging Art Scene (15 minute read). At the beginning of the year, OpenAI released the model-weights and code for CLIP, a model trained to determine which caption from a set of captions best fits a given image. This spawned a scene where hackers, artists, researchers, and deep learning enthusiasts use CLIP to generate all sorts of visual art by inputting text. Another model by OpenAI called DALL-E can generate images from text descriptions, but it hasn't been released to the public yet. This article talks about the AI art scene and the technologies behind it. There are many examples of AI-generated art in the article."
"A Chinese Satellite Just Grappled Another And Pulled It Out Of Orbit . Shijian-21, or SJ-21, is a Chinese satellite designed to test and verify space debris mitigation technologies. It was recently observed pulling a dead satellite out of its normal orbit and placing it a few hundred miles away in a graveyard orbit. The maneuver was performed during daylight hours when observations would be more difficult. Military experts are concerned that the capabilities demonstrated by SJ-21 could be used to attack working satellites. SJ-21 has made news headlines before for other questionable operations."
Havana syndrome: NSA officer’s case hints at microwave attacks since 90s . A mysterious syndrome that has affected members of the intelligence community since the 90s has been linked to a microwave weapon system. The system was designed to bathe a target's living space with microwaves and cause numerous physical effects. Victims report feeling strange when targeted and then show crippling neurological symptoms decades later. US intelligence agencies are now acknowledging the attacks and are starting to give some of the victims the treatments they need.
"These cute backyard houses can be entirely 3D-printed . Mighty Buildings is a startup that 3D prints homes. Its 3D printed homes can take a total of 24 hours to build and cost as much as 45% less than buying an average house in California. The company's process automates up to 80% of the total construction process. It uses a special material that immediately hardens and can support its own weight, making it possible to print horizontally in the air. Windows, plumbing, and electrical installations will have to happen on-site and a bathroom pod is made by another supplier. California is experiencing a labor shortage in the construction industry and will need to increase housing significantly in the next few years to meet demand and lower the cost of housing."
"I was at Amzn in 2000 when the internet bubble popped (Twitter Thread). In 2000, the internet bubble popped. Capital markets dried up and Amazon was burning $1 billion a year, with expensive Sun servers at their data centers as their largest expense. The company spent a year replacing Sun servers with HP/Linux machines, which formed the foundation for AWS. Linux kernel had only been released in 1994, the same year Amazon started, so it was a novel and risky approach at the time. The transition made Amazon freeze all new features for over a year, causing a deceleration in revenue growth. Amazon came close to going bankrupt around that time. With the infrastructure completed, Amazon then decided to rent it out as the company only needed high capacities during peak retail seasons."
"Intel Core i7-12800H CPU outperforms Apple M1 Max in new benchmark . Intel’s Alder Lake Intel Core i7-12800H features 14 cores and 20 threads. Recent benchmarks show that it outperforms Apple's M1 Max chip in single-core performance, with Apple's chip showing a slight edge in multi-core runs. While Intel's processor received noteworthy scores across the board, it has a distinct core and thread advantage over the M1 Max. Intel's Alder Lake-P chips will likely outperform previous generations by over 30%."
"Signal is testing a payments feature that lets you send cryptocurrency to friends . Signal is testing a new peer-to-peer payment system in the UK called Signal Payments. The system uses MobileCoin, a cryptocurrency with a close relationship with Signal co-founder and CEO Moxie Marlinspike. Signal will not have access to users' balances, full transaction histories, or funds. Users will have full control over their funds. A link to the Signal beta sign-up page is available for those who are interested in testing the feature."
"Uber sells its self-driving unit to Aurora . Uber has sold its self-driving unit, Advanced Technologies Group (ATG), to competitor Aurora Innovation. The deal values ATG at around $4 billion, down from $7.25 billion in 2019. Uber will invest $400 million into Aurora, resulting in a 26% stake in the company. Aurora plans to further develop self-driving technology to make transportation and logistics safer, more accessible, and less expensive. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi will join the company's board. Uber has made several other efforts to stem losses in its business this year, including major layoffs, selling its electric bike-sharing subsidiary, and growing its delivery business."
"Scientists create cyborg jellyfish with swimming superpowers . Californian scientists have developed a swim controller that can turn regular jellyfish into cyborg speed demons. The device enhances a jellyfish's natural motions using electrical impulses, similar to the way a pacemaker regulates heart rate. Once attached, the cyborg jellyfish can swim almost three times faster than unmodified jellyfish while using only twice the metabolic energy. The device doesn't harm the jellyfish and there are no negative effects after being removed. Scientists hope to be able to use cyborg jellyfish to carry sensors into the ocean to gather data from hard-to-reach locations."
Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt is working to launch a university that would rival Stanford and MIT and funnel tech workers into government work . The US Digital Service Academy is a federal initiative to train a new generation of tech workers for the government. It is set to rival Stanford and MIT. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt will lead the project. The school will offer degrees for digital skills such as cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence has voted unanimously to recommend the university to Congress.
"DeskGap (GitHub Repo). DeskGap is a framework for building cross-platform desktop apps with web technologies using a bundled Node.js runtime. Instead of bundling a web-engine, DeskGap relies on the operating system’s own webview renderer. Development is still in its early stages, and the API does not have full functionality of other similar frameworks such as Electron. DeskGap runs on Mac OSX and Windows 10."
"In A 1st, Scientists Use Revolutionary Gene-Editing Tool To Edit Inside A Patient . Scientists have used CRISPR for the first time to edit a gene while the DNA is still inside a person's body. The gene-editing tool was injected into the eye of a patient blinded by a rare genetic disorder. CRISPR has been used previously on patients who have cancers and rare blood disorders, but it is too soon to know whether the treatments have worked, despite promising results. In these cases, cells were removed from the body and treated first before being implanted back into the patient's body. If the treatment is safe and successful, it could open up a world of possibilities for scientists to be able to treat thousands of other genetic diseases."
"Google Maps updates help you cope with the pandemic . Google has announced changes to Google Maps, including updates to its COVID overlay, takeout ordering features, real-time crowdedness information for public transport, and Google Assistant driving mode. Google Assistant driving mode offers voice control for phone calls, media playback, messaging, and more. The COVID-19 overlay will now show information about the number of cases in an area as well as links to information provided by local authorities. Users in some countries have been able to order food directly from Google Maps since last year, but now they will be able to see predicted delivery or pickup times. Google has added almost 250 new features to Maps this year."
"CRISPR might be the banana’s only hope against a deadly fungus . The Colombian government has confirmed that a banana-killing fungus has invaded the Americas. Farmers cannot breed disease resistance into commercial bananas as these bananas are sterile and are populated by cloning. The most popular variety of banana in the first half of the 1900s was nearly wiped out by a fungus. It was replaced with the Cavendish banana, which had a natural resistance to the fungus. The Cavendish is not resistant to the new type of fungus, but scientists are working out how to give the banana resistance. To save the Cavendish, scientists are looking into adding genes for resistance, switching on existing but dormant genes that will give resistance, or shutting off the genes affected by the disease. Even if scientists are successful with creating bananas that are resistant against the fungal outbreak, it will still be some time before they are approved for sale by government regulators."
"Building a ""Spotify Wrapped"" clone (Sponsor). Follow this step by step guide with working code examples to build a ""Spotify Wrapped"" clone using Mux's Data API."
"Things I don't Know as of 2018 . This is a blog post by Dan Abramov, one of the lead developers of ReactJS, about things he doesn't know. There's some pretty basic stuff in here (Python, NodeJS, containers, basic algorithms, flexbox etc.), which just goes to show you even superstar developers don't know a lot of the things you probably know. Really humble, eye-opening post."
"Apple announces November 10 One More Thing event for ARM-based Macs . Apple has announced a third fall media event as expected. ""One More Thing"" will focus on ARM-based Apple Silicon processors and take place on November 10, 2020. The event will be streamed from the company's Apple Park headquarters starting at 10 AM PT. Apple decided to split its traditional fall media events into three separate streams due to the pandemic. macOS Big Sur will be the first Mac operating system to support both Intel CPUs and Apple Silicon processors. Apple Silicon Macs will be able to run iOS apps with little to no modification."
"CBP says traveler photos and license plate images stolen in data breach . The US Customs and Border Protection agency has confirmed that photos of travelers and vehicles passing through US borders have been stolen in a data breach. A subcontractor had copied the images directly to their private network, and the data was later obtained by a third party via a malicious cyber attack. The subcontractor, who has not been identified, is now having their other CBP-related work reviewed. According to the CBP, its networks remain secure. Less than 100,000 people were affected by the data breach, and no passport or travel document information was stolen. It is unclear whether the stolen data came from the CBP’s new facial recognition initiatives or from standard data collection procedures."
Apple’s Ad Business Surges After New Privacy Changes on Rivals . The market share of Apple's app advertising business has grown threefold in the six months after the introduction of the AppTrackingTransparency framework. The AppTrackingTransparency framework stops apps from tracking iPhone users across apps and targeting ads at them. Apple's Search Ads sells sponsored spots in App Store search results. They account for 58 percent of all iPhone app downloads from clicks on advertisements. Search Ads is primed to bring in $5 billion from ad revenue this fiscal year.
"Shenzhen's silent revolution: world's first fully electric bus fleet quietens Chinese megacity . All 16,000 buses in Shenzhen are now electric. This will cut the city's CO2 emissions by 48% and help tackle their smog problem. Each bus costs 1.8 million yuan, so it's pretty expensive, but more than half the cost was paid for by government subsidies. Charging stations are a big bottleneck, so the city has built 40,000 charging stations. The buses can get 200 km per charge. By the end of the month, Shenzhen will require all 22,000 of the city's taxis to switch to electric as well. An interviewed passenger said ""It's quieter, smoother and I only pay the same fare as before. I would say most people here are happy with the switch."""
"k0s - Zero Friction Kubernetes (GitHub Repo). k0s is a single binary Kubernetes distribution that can make building a Kubernetes cluster just a matter of copying an executable to every host and running it. It provides a robust and versatile base for running Kubernetes in various setups, while attempting to minimize the number of add-ons bundled in. k0s is not yet 100% stable, with the team aiming for a 1.0.0 release out in early 2021."
"Opera now has a game engine to go with its gamer-focused browser . Opera has acquired YoYo Games, a British team best known for GameMaker Studio 2, a popular platform for novice game developers. The company launched Opera GX, a gamer-focused web browser in 2019, and it plans to create a new division called Opera Gaming by combining the Opera GX and GameMaker teams. It is unknown what the company's end goal is, but it says, for now, it will improve GameMaker across all platforms."
"Inside the luxury nuclear bunker protecting the mega-rich from the apocalypse (16 minute read). The Survival Condo is a former Atlas Missile silo turned luxury condominium complex. It is an apocalypse bunker that features a swimming pool, rock climbing wall, hydroponics and aquaculture setup, and more. At a secret location around three hours drive from Kansas City airport, the heavily guarded facility is 200 feet underground. A unit in this complex is $1 million, plus an extra $2,500 a month to cover living expenses. It is built to withstand 12-kiloton nuclear warheads dropping half a mile away. The owner of the Survival Condo plans to build another facility around three times larger and they already have a waiting list of people interested in buying the new units."
"A new satellite system sucks in air to provide unlimited propulsion . Barcelona-based startup Kreios Space plans to send satellites on very low Earth orbit (VLEO) missions. VLEO is a zone between 95 to 250 miles of altitude. Most satellites operate at a higher altitude, where they can maintain a geostationary orbit with minimal thrust. Satellites in VLEO need to generate constant thrust in order to not deorbit. Kreios Space plans to use a system that creates thrust by absorbing air and using it to generate plasma. Satellites in VLEO do not leave space debris as they deorbit and disintegrate into the atmosphere. A video from Kreios showing how the propulsion system works is available in the article."
"My deepfake DALL-E 2 vacation photos passed the Turing Test . After a trip to Roatan, Matt Bell decided to run an experiment with his Facebook friends to see whether they could tell the difference between his real vacation photos and images generated by DALL-E 2, OpenAI's image generating AI system. 19 out of the 23 people who participated in a survey at the end of the photo reel missed the fact that there was something different about the DALL-E images. There could be many factors contributing to the results, such as it being a casual Facebook post and the fact that people are unfamiliar with ocean environments, but the experiment shows how far DALL-E 2 has progressed. The collection of images used in the experiment is available in the article."
"Spotify’s Car Thing debuts as a limited release for selected US users . Car Thing is a Spotify-only voice-controlled device for cars. It enables users to listen to Spotify without built-in infotainment systems or phone connections. Car Thing is only available for select Spotify premium users in the US. Users can sign up to a waitlist, but Spotify has not announced how many units it will be testing. Images of the device are available in the article."
"First Exomoon Found? Neptune-Sized World Possibly Spotted Orbiting Alien Planet . We have found about 3800 exoplanets (that's planets that orbit a star outside of our solar system). Now scientists think they've spotted the first exomoon, a Neptune-sized object that appears to be orbiting a Jupiter-sized exoplanet called Kepler-1625b 8000 light years away from earth. Scientists want to look at it some more with the Hubble telescope to confirm that it is indeed an exomoon, but they're pretty sure that this is the real deal."
"Apple’s smart glasses will arrive in the first half of 2020, top analyst says . Apple is planning to release a range of new hardware in the first half of 2020, according to TF Securities analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo. Included with the release will be a pair of AR glasses that Apple has developed with third-party brands. The new, lower-cost iPhone SE 2 and a new iPad Pro will also be released. A 5G iPhone is set to be released in the third quarter of 2020. Kuo did not mention the 16-inch MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, which was supposed to launch sometime this month. The new iPhone SE 2 will use the same A13 chip as the iPhone 11 and have a similar design to the iPhone 8. It should cost around $399."
attrs (GitHub Repo). attrs is a Python package that makes writing classes easier by removing the need to implement object protocols. It helps developers write concise and correct software without slowing down the code. attrs has been trusted by NASA for Mars missions since 2020.
"Facebook Gaming wants viewers to hop into the game with their favorite streamers . Facebook Gaming is introducing a new feature that lets viewers hop into game streams with their favorite gaming personalities. Viewers can now click a button to open games and join streamers in multiplayer mode for a small selection of games. Streamers can control who can use the feature, allowing them to limit its use to their most dedicated supporters. Facebook Gaming will give 100 percent of revenue to creators until 2022. The platform is still small, but its emphasis on mobile-friendly games could attract viewers who are unlikely to find themselves on Twitch."
"Iran nuclear: 'Terrorist act' at underground Natanz facility . A nuclear facility in Iran was hit by a terrorist attack after new centrifuges used for enriching uranium were inaugurated at the site. The centrifuges represent a breach of Iran's part in a deal made in 2015 with the US, which only allows Iran to produce and store limited quantities of uranium enriched up to 3.67%. Trump’s administration had abandoned the deal in 2018, but Biden’s administration is currently in the process of reviving it. There were no casualties or leaks due to the incident. Some sources have blamed Israel for the attacks."
"MeiliSearch (GitHub Repo). MeiliSearch is a powerful, fast, open-source, easy-to-use and deploy search engine. It features a search-as-you-type experience, full-text search, typo tolerance, Kanji support, synonym support, and more. It is easy to install and highly customizable."
"The world’s first 3D-printed neighborhood now has its first houses . A 33-foot-long 3D printer can build new homes in 24 hours. It is currently building a neighborhood in a rural area on the outskirts of a town in Southern Mexico. The technology could be part of the solution for affordable housing in some of the poorest communities in the world. It is the first time 3D-printed homes have been created at scale. Other attempts at 3D-printing homes have usually been in controlled conditions. The area where the houses are being printed is prone to earthquakes. There were a few delays to the project. It took some time to get government approval for land, and the 3D printer was stuck at customs for three months as the machine was in a brand new category that didn't exist. Vulcan II works by squirting out a concrete mixture. The mixture can be adjusted according to the weather. Local construction workers were hired to complete the parts of the home that couldn't be 3D printed."
"TikTok’s new Q&A feature lets creators respond to fan questions using text or video . TikTok is currently testing a new video Q&A feature that allows creators to respond to their audience's questions with either text or video answers. It is only available to select creators who have opted in. Q&As have become a popular way to engage with fans in other social media apps. Video responses allow creators to respond in more detail than a text comment allows. There is no limit to how many questions a creator can receive, but they don't have to reply to each one."
Microvium (GitHub Repo). Microvium is the world's smallest JavaScript engine at 8.5kB.
"Google bans its employees from using Zoom over security concerns . Google employees are now banned from using the Zoom teleconferencing platform due to security concerns. Google-provided machines will soon stop working if the Zoom app is still installed. Employees are still allowed to use Zoom through a web browser or via mobile. Zoom had been facing criticism over its lax privacy and security protections since before its recent boom in popularity. The service was not designed for consumer use at this scale, with the user base growing from 10 million to 200 million users in the past three months. To give feedback please reply to this email or message me on Twitter @tldrdan! If you don't want to receive future editions of TLDR, please click here."
"SpaceX Just Launched 60 Starlink Satellites (And Nailed a Milestone Rocket Landing). SpaceX launched 60 new Starlink internet satellites into orbit on the ninth Falcon 9 rocket flight of the year. It has been almost three months since SpaceX's last launch. The Falcon 9 rocket, which had been used three times already, was able to complete its fourth landing. Falcon 9 rockets are designed to be used 10 times. This is the first time SpaceX has reused a payload fairing. Starlink aims to provide internet connectivity to areas where there is little coverage and to compete with existing internet providers in well-covered areas. Other companies, including OneWeb, TeleSat, and Amazon, are also working to provide low-Earth orbit satellite internet. Starlink may be available in the US by mid-2020. Astronomers are concerned with Starlink's presence, saying that it will impede their research and make the night sky less enjoyable."
Awesome Developer Profile (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a list of curated Developer GitHub Profiles.
"Shareable quotes from experts about the next 50 years of digital life . In 1969, the first host-to-host packet-switching network was connected, a precursor to today's internet. The technology has significantly affected how the world works in the 50 years since, and it will likely continue to evolve in the next 50 years. Factors that may affect how the technology evolves may include what values we embed into the design of technologies and who controls these technologies. It will likely affect everyone in the world and become a normal part of life for everyone, integrating seamlessly into our lives. Our lives will be augmented through implants or wearables, improving our mobility, memory, intelligence, and other physical and neurological functions. Socially, it may begin to divide the population as technology may increase existing inequalities, as those who are disadvantaged may not have access to some developments."
"Elon Musk lays out funding for ambitious Twitter takeover . Elon Musk has laid out how he will fund the $46.5 billion purchase of Twitter. Musk will receive loans from Morgan Stanley worth $25.5 billion and cover the remaining $21 billion with his own funds. While Musk is the richest person on the planet, most of his net worth is tied up in Tesla stock. Twitter has not formally responded to Musk's offer, but the company's board of directors has approved measures to block the hostile takeover."
"Elon Musk says it’s more important for Tesla to make a robot than new car models this year . Elon Musk says that the company will put the development of a humanoid robot ahead of the Cybertruck and other Tesla vehicles this year. The company now has no plans to introduce the Cybertruck and has stopped working on a $25,000 vehicle. The ongoing chip shortage is making it impossible to release new model vehicles without resulting in fewer total vehicles being delivered. Musk claims that the Tesla robot could revolutionize the economy by performing dangerous, repetitive, and boring tasks and by preventing labor shortages."
"Crypto design challenges (20 minute read). This article discusses how several areas in the crypto space could be improved with better design. Crypto has been around for long enough to prove that there's something there, but the tech is still young enough that there's plenty of things left to figure out, define, and invent. While the technology behind crypto is based on cryptographic proof instead of trust, the way people interact with crypto still needs a lot of work before people will trust the technology. Getting the experience right for new users will enable more people to use the technology with confidence."
"PlayCanvas (Website). PlayCanvas is a game engine that allows developers to build HTML5 games and visualizations. It features real time collaboration, zero compile-time, on-device development and testing, easy debugging and profiling, mobile support, and more. PlayCanvas has been used by studios large and small to make a variety of games. Example projects are available."
"DALL-E vs Midjourney . This Twitter thread contains over 10 comparisons between images generated by DALL-E and Midjourney, two AI image generators. Each comparison uses the same text prompt. Midjourney tends to be more contextually creative and good with textures, while DALL-E deals better with very clearly instructed scenes."
"Now Dollar General will do same-day deliveries via DoorDash . DoorDash has partnered with Dollar General to provide same-day deliveries in more than 9,000 locations. Customers will not need to book time slots and there is no minimum order size. DoorDash plans to list more than 10,000 locations by December. The partnership will open up access and independence for customers who haven't had access to similar services before, but it will also put more pressure on Dollar Store employees and local independent retailers."
"ARWES (Website). Arwes is a web framework for building science fiction and cyberpunk styled user interfaces for web applications. It is built on top of React, JSS, Anime, and Howler. The website itself is a demo."
"Understanding Layout Algorithms (12 minute read). The same CSS code can sometimes output different and unexpected results. CSS is a complex system and subtle differences can change how properties behave. This article looks at layout algorithms to make sense of what is happening in CSS. Layout algorithms, or layout modes, affect every element as they are rendered in HTML. It can be difficult to understand the CSS mechanics without first understanding layout algorithms."
"The new, safer nuclear reactors that might help stop climate change . Coal was responsible for 38% of the world’s power in 2017, which is exactly the same level it was when the first global climate treaty was signed 20 years ago. In order to lower or reverse the impact of climate change, alternative clean energy sources, such as nuclear energy, must be employed. Many countries are actively shutting down nuclear plants or refusing to invest in nuclear technology due to operational costs or lack of support. However, new technologies are still being developed to deploy nuclear reactors in a fast, efficient, and economic way, especially in the US, Canada, and China."
Toxiproxy (GitHub Repo). Toxiproxy is a framework for simulating network conditions. It was designed for testing and can be used to prove that an app doesn't have any single point of failure. Toxiproxy has been used in all development and test environments at Shopify since 2014.
"10 JavaScript Hacks Every Web Developer Should Know . JavaScript is one of the most popular programming languages. This article contains 10 JavaScript hacks for writing cleaner code, saving resources, and optimizing efficiency. Each tip includes example code snippets."
"LHCb discovers three new exotic particles . The international LHCb collaboration has observed three new particles: a pentaquark, a doubly electrically charged tetraquark, and a neutral tetraquark. It was the first time a pair of tetraquarks has been observed. The discoveries will help theorists develop a unified model of exotic hadrons and better understand conventional hadrons."
"I switched to DuckDuckGo, the privacy-focused alternative to Google search that doesn't track your data — and I'm not sure it was worth it . A journalist tried out DuckDuckGo for a week. He liked that DDG had less ads, and that the quality of the search results seemed to be as good as Google. However, there's always this nagging feeling that Google is the best and he found himself double checking with Google at times even if he got good results. He missed Google's ""Top Stories"" feature that gives you little cards of top news stories, and Google's spell check. He says he wished DDG had more pages of results, and that he often visited the third or fourth page of Google's results. Overall, he liked the sense of privacy, but little things about Google made him want to go back. If you haven't tried DDG this article is probably worth taking a look at."
Hotwire: HTML Over The Wire (12 minute read). Hotwire is an approach to building modern web applications by sending HTML instead of JSON over the wire. It keeps template rendering on the server and allows for development in any programming language. This article discusses using Hotwire with a JVM backend. It includes code and examples.
"Facebook reportedly developing its own cryptocurrency for use in WhatsApp . Facebook is launching its own cryptocurrency to allow WhatsApp users to transfer money. It will be a stablecoin (a cryptocurrency pegged to a real world asset, in this case the US dollar), and the primary focus to begin with will be sending remittances to India."
"Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are still down for some users around the world . Facebook and its services today experienced widespread outages across the world. The outages affected all of its services, including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus VR. Users could not load content, send messages, or use apps that required a Facebook sign-in. An official response by Facebook said they were aware of the outages and that it was not due to a DDoS attack."
"Drug cocktail makes stem cells that could grow organisms from scratch . Researchers from China have developed a new drug cocktail that can convert cells into totipotent stem cells. Totipotent stem cells are able to become any cell in the body as well as supportive tissues. The drug cocktail contains a mix of three molecules: TTNPB, 1-Azakenpaullone, and WS6. This breakthrough could lead to the creation of living organisms straight from mature cells without the need for sperm and eggs."
"Blockly (GitHub Repo). Blockly is a library that adds a visual code editor to web and mobile apps. The editor uses graphical blocks to represent code concepts, allowing users to apply programming principles without having to worry about syntax. A live demo is available."
Phelia (GitHub Repo). Phelia is a reactive Slack application framework that allows developers to build interactive Slack apps without webhooks or JSON. It does this by using a custom React reconciler that serializes components into a custom storage. Phelia retrieves components and performs any actions when a user interacts with a posted message. An GIF demo is available.
"Couchbase Capella DBaaS: Store in JSON, access with SQL (Sponsor). Enterprise-grade performance and scalability. With built-in K/V, SQL, & full-text search. Flexible JSON docs align to your code. Build faster with in-memory performance & automatic replication & scaling. Try free today. No credit card required."
"Secret to keeping ice cream creamy (not crunchy). Ice cream develops a crunchy texture if left out of the freezer for too long due to overly large ice crystals. Scientists from the University of Tennessee have developed a technique that involves using a plant-based additive to stop the formation of these crystals. The technique was inspired by the structure and functionality of antifreeze proteins found in plants and animals that thrive in sub-zero temperatures. It could prove useful in the cryopreservation of cells, tissues, and organs. The additive could be in products within the next five years."
"Could video games be making kids smarter? A new study says yes . A study by a team of European researchers has found that playing video games may boost a child's intelligence. The study followed a cohort of children over two years and looked at their self-reported screen time. Children who played video games gained about 2.5 IQ points more than the average child over the two years. While the study had many limitations, it suggested that not all screen time is detrimental."
"Samsung’s working on a rollable smartwatch with a camera . Samsung filed a patent in June for a Galaxy Watch with a rollable screen. The watch looks like an average round-faced watch except that it can extend into a pill-shaped oval that's 40 percent larger. One of the drawings in the patent suggests that the larger screen could be used to watch videos. There will be a front-facing camera in the middle of the watch. While tech companies seem to be toying with the idea of watching videos and taking photos from the wrist, these applications may not be practical in real life."
"'BioSolar Leaves' are better at cleaning the air than trees, say the technology’s developers . A British start-up, Arborea, creates panels of photosynthetic organisms such as microalgae, diatoms, and phytoplankton, which use energy from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make food and grow. These panels can be installed on buildings and land, much like solar panels. The start-up claims that the panels are 100 times more efficient than real trees at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen and that the biomass generated from the panels can be converted into ingredients for sustainable, plant-based food products. Arborea aims to create food to help sustain the planet, as the human population is set to rise to nearly 10 billion people by 2050. The expanded population will demand 70 percent more food than is consumed today."
"SpaceX reveals plans for a Texas spaceport resort in new job ad . SpaceX has posted a job for a 'Resort Development Manager' to be based out of Brownsville, a town near its Boca Chica test and development site. The company is looking to turn Boca Chica into a 21st-century spaceport. Elon Musk has previously revealed plans to build floating spaceports for both interstellar and point-to-point Earth travel. SpaceX plans to offer orbital return flights to paying customers using Space Dragon. Space Dragon is in the final stages of human flight certification and SpaceX could be offering private trips as early as next year."
"Reddit is adding new real-time features, including a live upvote count . Reddit is rolling out new real-time features. Users will soon be able to see the number of upvotes, downvotes, and comments go up or down as they happen. The number of users reading a post will be shown when five or more people are viewing it and an indicator will pop up when two or more users are typing a comment. A pill-shaped notification will now appear when a new top-level comment is made. The changes will be available for mobile and users of the new desktop Reddit design. Old Reddit users will not have access to the new features. A GIF showing what the new features look like on mobile is available in the article."
"Scaling Kubernetes to 7,500 Nodes (14 minute read). Scaling a single Kubernetes cluster to 7,500 nodes is rarely done, but the team at OpenAI did so using a simple infrastructure that allowed its machine learning research team to move faster and scale up without changing their code. This post details how the team upgraded its infrastructure, summarizing the lessons learned along the way. OpenAI's needs and resources can be pretty different from other companies, so the solutions might not apply to everyone."
"Apple Card’s interest-free iPhone installment plan goes live, now with 6% back on Apple holiday purchases . Apple will launch a new program that will allow Apple Card users to purchase an iPhone over 24 months with no interest. Previously, customers could pay for iPhone purchases interest-free through a loan from Citizens One, but this involved some other fees. Customers can also bundle in AppleCare over the 24-month period. The payment plan may lay the groundwork for larger subscription offerings in the future. Apple is already experimenting with small subscription bundles that offer both Apple Music and Apple TV+ at a lower price for students. Customers who use their Apple Card to buy Apple products will receive a 6 percent cashback between December 10 and December 31. The cashback offer is available for purchases made at Apple Stores, on Apple.com, or through the Apple Store app."
Architects Design World's First Houses With '3D-Printed Steel Exoskeleton' . Madre Natura is a project in Sardinia that features the world's first 3D printed modular houses. The houses are designed to let wind pass through and provide renewable energy resources. An energy tower at the center of each building harvests energy from solar and wind. The homes are equipped with smart cameras and fire detectors. There are no stairs for the buildings as residents will be able to use the natural terrain instead.
"How They Test (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of resources about how software companies test their software. It includes books, blogs, articles, videos, and handbooks from companies such as Airbnb, ASOS, eBay, Twitter, and more."
"Huawei is bringing its search app to replace Google’s search engine . Since the US government has stopped Huawei from using Google’s services, Huawei has been forced to replace these apps. Huawei Mobile Services provides official services such as Mobile Cloud, AppGallery, Video, Themes, ScreenMagazine, and more. The most difficult function to replicate is Google’s search engine, but Huawei is working to develop Huawei Search to provide search functionality. The app will soon be available on all Huawei and Honor phones via AppGallery, and new models will have it pre-installed by default."
"Introducing Astro: Ship Less JavaScript . Astro is a static site builder. It supports many popular UI frameworks, TypeScript, Scoped CSS, Tailwind, any npm package, and more. Astro renders every page to HTML by default, only loading components that need interactivity when they enter the browser viewport."
"CodeSearchNet (GitHub Repo). CodeSearchNet is a collection of datasets and benchmarks that explore the problem of code retrieval using natural language. The primary dataset contains 2 million comment/code pairs from open-source libraries written in Python, Javascript, Ruby, Go, Java, and PHP."
"The New Wilderness . The need to regulate online privacy is so universally acknowledged that even Facebook and Google have petitioned regulators to make changes to the law. Recently, both Google and Facebook’s CEOs have written opinion pieces on privacy, ironically on websites which tracked every aspect of its visitors' movements while viewing the articles. Regulators have always seen privacy regulation as a way to keep private information safe. However, technological advancements require a new form of privacy to be defined. Ambient privacy is where people’s daily movements, conversations, interactions, and so forth should be left unrecorded. Until recently, ambient privacy was a fact of life, but now it is becoming more of an issue as technology develops and a lack of regulation means that data is being collected without users’ consent."
"Google is absorbing DeepMind’s health care unit to create an 'AI assistant for nurses and doctors' . Google is absorbing DeepMind's Health division into it's Google Health division. DeepMind currently has an app called Streams, which helps manage patients in hospitals in the UK. Google will be turning Streams into an ""AI-powered assistant for nurses and doctors"". DeepMind will continue to work on a number of ambitious research projects applying AI to healthcare, such as using AI to spot eye disease."
"New Technology Makes Real-Time 3D Holograms a Reality . Tensor holography is a new approach to holography that could create a technological revolution in fields like 3D printing and VR. It can generate holograms with near real-time fidelity on laptops and even some smartphones. The technique uses deep-learning AI to teach itself advanced physics. It won't be long until high-fidelity holograms are in the hands of ordinary products. The technology has many applications, for example, replacing animals in entertainment to remove the possibility of animal abuse."
"An embattled group of leakers picks up the WikiLeaks mantle . Julian Assange has been in a London jail for the last year awaiting extradition to the US as more charges are laid against him. A small group of activists known as Distributed Denial of Secrets has released a stream of hacked and leaked documents. Last week, it released a 269GB collection of more than a million police files, including emails, audio, and memos. According to the group's cofounder, its mission is to archive and publish leaked and hacked data of potential public interest. Twitter has banned the group's account, as well as any tweets that link to the DDoSecrets website. More details about DDoSecrets' work is detailed in the article."
"Twitch now lets anyone host an online movie party with the Amazon Prime Video library . Twitch's Watch Parties function is now available to the public, allowing streamers and their subscribers to watch Amazon's library of movies and TV shows together. Watch Parties was built specifically for Amazon Prime Video and is not currently available on mobile devices. Licensing complications will affect what viewers can see across regions. All viewers need to have an Amazon Prime account to use the feature."
"Neural implant lets paralyzed person type by imagining writing . A team of researchers used neural implants to enable a paralyzed person to type using their imagination. The implants were placed in the premotor cortex, an area that is thought to be involved in forming the intentions to perform movements. Catching the signals for intentions produced clearer results than trying to catch the signals for the movements themselves. The researchers trained a neural network to estimate the probability of a signal corresponding to each letter, resulting in a system that could type at roughly 90 characters per minute with an error rate of about 5 percent."
"A self-declared space nation called Asgardia is planning a fully functioning space economy and wants help from Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos . The Space Kingdom of Asgardia is a project to set up a nation that exists entirely in space. It currently has more than 300,000 members paying its residency fees and a parliament of 150 elected representatives. Asgardia aims to transport people to a space station by 2043 in order to build a new democratic society. The space nation has considered approaching Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos in order to help them to get into outer space. Asgardia aims to be a fully functioning and independent society, with its own constitution, national symbols, laws, and currency. It was founded in 2016 by billionaire Russian scientist and politician Igor Ashurbeyli, who has invested $12 million of his own money into the project to date. Asgardia plans to take a neutral stance on all Earthly matters."
"First Restaurant With Fully Automated Kitchen Opens In Beijing . Haidilao, a Chinese hotpot chain, opened the world's first fully automated restaurant on Sunday. Robots will take orders, prepare food, and deliver it to customers. There's an automated restaurant in the US as well, in Boston 4 MIT grads have created a mostly automated kitchen at Spyce, a fast casual restaurant that serves meals for $7.50 and has them ready within 3 minutes. Humans are still required for putting the final garnishes on food. There's a video in the article giving a tour of Spyce's automated system of kiosks and woks used to automate delicious asian fusion looking food."
"Google’s AirDrop competitor, Nearby Share, is reportedly getting a big upgrade . Android's Nearby Share feature is getting a new 'self-share' mode that will let users send files between their own devices with a single tap. The feature will only send files between devices that are physically close to the user and signed into the user's Google account. Other devices can still receive files using Nearby Share, but they will have to accept each file request. There is no release date yet for the feature."
"China's New Space Station Will Be Powered by Ion Propulsion System . China's Tiangong space station's first module will have an ion propulsion system that will greatly improve energy efficiency and slash journey times to Mars. While ion thrusters have been used since the 1970s, this will be the first time a crewed spaceship is propelled by one. Ion drives use electricity to accelerate ions as a type of propulsion. Using ion thrusters is more efficient than using chemical propulsion, so spacecraft will be able to carry significantly less mass in fuel on missions. While ion thrusters sound good on paper, they so far haven't been used as the thrust created has not been significant enough."
"Apple WWDC 2019: Mac Pro, iOS 13, Marzipan, and What Else to Expect (10 minute read). Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will be held next Monday. iOS 13 will receive a new Dark Mode option and a lot of official Apple app updates. Details for the Apple Arcade subscription service may be released, but Apple still has some time before Fall, so the announcements may be delayed. MacOS will gain the ability to run iPad apps and iTunes will finally break up into separate apps. There will be support built into MacOS to use an iPad as a second monitor. A new Mac Pro is expected to be announced as well as a 31.6 inch, 6K pro display. Updates will also be announced for WatchOS and TVOS."
"Supposed Google Health app leak shows early interface . Screenshots from the upcoming Google Health app have been leaked online. The app is designed to provide a portal to manage personal medical records, with the ability to add contacts to share the data. Users will have to link existing online healthcare accounts to take advantage of the app. The app is still in its very early stages of development. The leaked screenshots are available in the article."
How I Make CSS Art . This article explains how to create CSS art. Readers will learn how to create a cute ghost CSS art from scratch. It breaks down the process and explains the code.
Sequencing your DNA with a USB dongle and open source code . New techniques have greatly reduced the time it takes to decode a genome. What used to be a 15-day process now takes three days or less. A nanopore sequencer is a tool that can read a single strand of DNA one letter at a time. It costs around a thousand dollars and can connect to any computer via USB. The software used to analyze the output of nanopore sequencers is open source. This article explains how the technology was developed and it contains animations showing how a nanopore sequencer works.
Ecco (GitHub Repo). Ecco is a python library that explains Natural Language Processing models using interactive visualizations. It creates interactive visualizations in Jupyter notebooks to explain the behavior of Transformer-based language models.
"Project Fi is now Google Fi, and it will work with iPhones and most Android devices . Project Fi (now renamed Google Fi) is Google's cell service, which piggy-backs off T-Mobile, Sprint, and US Cellular's networks and allows users to dynamically switch between those networks based on which has the best signal in any given location. Until today, the service had only been available for a few phones (Google Pixel and a few others that Google sells). Now, the service is available for iPhone, Samsung, and most other Android users. It costs $20 for a phone line plus $10 per gig of data capped at $60/month."
"Amazon will pay you $10 in credit for your palm print biometrics . Amazon is offering $10 in credit for customers who link their palm prints to their Amazon accounts. The company introduced palm print scanners to its stores last year, allowing customers to pay for goods by waving their palms over the scanners. Amazon stores the palm data unless the feature is unused for two years, or if the customer chooses to delete it. While the feature may prove to be convenient, everyone should be cautious about giving away biometric data."
"Can COVID-19 Genes Integrate With Human DNA? More Evidence Says Yes . Some people who have had Covid-19 in the past still test positive on a polymerase chain reaction test even though they show no evidence of Covid-19 replication in their systems. A team of scientists believes that Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, can reverse integrate into human chromosomes, a process that is common for viruses. Recent experiments have strengthened the case for reverse-integration of Covid-19 RNA genes into human DNA. The studies have been widely criticized and there is still debate about whether reverse-integration occurs."
"Ikea goes all in on smart home tech . Ikea has announced that it will invest heavily in a new Ikea Home smart business unit with end-to-end responsibility for its portfolio of smart devices. Ikea first started releasing smart home devices in 2015 by introducing tables and lamps that could wirelessly charge Qi-compatible phones. Since then, Ikea has released affordable smart lighting and has partnered with Sonos to launch a relatively inexpensive whole-home audio system. It plans to release its first smart blinds on October 1st. Ikea's devices are platform-agnostic, supporting Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa through its Tradfri gateway. It is predicted that about 830 million smart home devices will be sold in 2019 and that number is set to double by 2023."
"A new energy storage system can store solar power for nearly two decades . Swedish researchers have designed an energy system that stores solar energy in liquid form for up to 18 years. The Molecular Solar Thermal system uses specially-developed molecules which turn into energy-rich isomers that can be stored in liquid form when in the sunlight. The current proof of concept device has a small output, but the system has the potential to be used to power small devices with more research. The researchers are now working on a version of the system that could be potentially used in homes."
"Algorithms can now detect your heart rate and stress levels over video chat . A startup called Binah.ai has created a system that uses plethysmography to detect slight changes in facial coloring in order to monitor stress levels. Studies have shown that slight facial color changes can indicate breathing and oxygen levels. The system can also test for heart rate, stress level, oxygen saturation, respiration, and heart rate variability using its AI algorithm. Affective computing is a field of artificial intelligence that tries to understand a person's emotional state. There are no published studies on the effectiveness of Binah.ai's technology. The system can be extremely helpful in healthcare settings as patients' vitals can be measured without human contact while they are waiting to be treated. Several healthcare institutions are already testing Binah.ai's algorithms. It may also have applications in law enforcement."
"Top 10 architectural oddities of 2021 . Some pretty wild architecture popped up in 2021. This article highlights 10 projects from around the world that offer something a little different. Entries include a house with a built-in skateboard ramp, a building that looks like a mirrored mixing bowl, an ultra-thin skyscraper, and a 100-foot-high sky pool between two high-rise buildings."
"This tiny car beat Tesla’s Model 3 in January and February . The Hong Guang Mini EV outsold Tesla's Model 3 in January and February. The vehicle gets roughly 106 miles per charge, reaching a top speed of about 62 miles per hour. It can seat four people, and the rear seats fold down for more storage space. An image of the vehicle is available in the article."
"Vitest (GitHub Repo). Vitest is a unit test framework powered by Vite. It features Vite's config, transformers, resolvers, and plugins, Jest Snapshot, workers multi-threading, and much more. Vitest is still in development and not stable yet."
"Game Design Curriculum (Website). URF Academy is an interactive game design workshop for high school students around the world. This page contains the curriculum guide for the entry-level course. The entry-level course teaches the fundamental elements of game design using a framework and interactive workshops. In the course, students learn core game design concepts and create a paper prototype of a multiplayer game."
"Tesla is now selling a $45 'bulletproof' t-shirt that pokes fun at the surprising moment when its Cybertruck launch event went off the rails . Tesla has released a t-shirt for sale that has an image of shattered glass on the front and the Cybertruck logo on the back, referencing the mishap during the reveal of the Cybertruck in November. The t-shirt costs $45 and is expected to ship within two weeks. While Elon Musk has tweeted that the t-shirt is bulletproof, according to Tesla's website, it is 100% cotton and not made of any bulletproof material. Telsa received 250,000 preorders for the Cybertruck just days after the November reveal."
"Facebook plans first smartwatch for next summer with two cameras, heart rate monitor . Facebook's smartwatch will feature two cameras on a detachable display. The device's front camera is designed for video calling and its back camera features a 1080p auto-focus lens. Facebook has contacted other companies to create accessories for attaching the device to things like backpacks. The watch will have LTE support, so it won't need a phone to work. It will come in black, white, and gold. Facebook plans to release the first version of the watch in the summer of 2022."
"Computer monitors were inventive and interesting at CES 2022 . A wide range of computer monitors was announced at CES 2022. Last year's monitors mainly featured a new HDMI 2.1 port, but this year, there were designs for a range of uses. Manufacturers responded to the shift to remote work during the pandemic by creating designs that suited a larger audience. This article presents some of the more interesting monitors to come out of CES this year, including Samsung's 55-inch curved Odyssey Ark monitor, LG's 16:18 aspect ratio monitor, and much more."
"Want to become a supervillain? Here’s a step-by-step guide (15 minute read). Ryan North is the author of 'How to Take Over the World: Practical Schemes and Scientific Solutions for the Aspiring Supervillain', a book that guides readers through a step-by-step process towards world domination. North is a webcomic pioneer and has written several Marvel Comics series. This article features an interview with North that discusses the new book and North's process in writing it."
"Honda global operations halted by ransomware attack . Honda has confirmed that a cyberattack has brought parts of its global operations to a standstill. Its customer and financial services are currently unavailable due to the attack. Honda likely fell victim to the Snake ransomware, a file-encrypting malware that holds data hostage until its victim pays a ransom in cryptocurrency. Honda expects its factories and plants to be brought back online soon."
"NXNSAttack technique can be abused for large-scale DDoS attacks . NXNSAttack is a vulnerability in DNS servers that can be abused to launch DDoS attacks of massive proportions. The vulnerability impacts recursive DNS servers and the process of DNS delegation. Using NXNSAttack can amplify a simple DNS query from 2 to 1,620 times its initial size. This can cause the DNS server to crash, taking the target website offline. Patches have been released to resolve the issue."
"Swift for TensorFlow (Website). This page contains tutorials for getting started with Swift for Tensorflow. Swift for Tensorflow is a next-generation platform for machine learning that integrates the power for Tensorflow directly into the Swift programming language. The project is still in its early stages so it is currently targeted at advanced ML researchers, who feel restricted by current ML frameworks, and beginner ML learners, as it may be one of the most productive ways to start learning the fundamentals of machine learning."
"People Are Experimenting With 'Digital Drugs' Delivered Via Sound... And It's Weird . People are experimenting with a method of alter their minds by playing conflicting frequencies into each ear. Those who listen to binaural beats report reduced pain, enhanced memory, and lower anxiety and depression. The theory is that the different frequencies induce changes in the brain, resulting in particular wave patterns. This article looks at the different ways people use binaural beats and some of the research into the phenomenon. Researchers have yet to prove the effectiveness of binaural beats."
"New Horizons Reaches Ultima Thule . NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flew past Ultima Thule, the most distant object ever visited just after midnight on New Year's Day. The tiny rock is part of the Kuiper Belt in the outer part of the solar system, a billion miles beyond Pluto. Ultima Thule is about 20 miles wide, and is thought to be a primitive fragment of the early solar system. There's a super super low resolution image from the flyby in the article, you can basically just make out the shape of the rock."
"Scientists use seismic noise to image first hundred meters of Mars . While NASA's InSight lander has a seismograph installed, it can only provide the big picture of Mars' internals, but not the small details, such as what is immediately below the lander. Scientists used seismic noise to reconstruct features and determine the makeup of the first hundred meters of Mars’ surface. Most of it is made up of what is likely sedimentary rock, with volcanic deposits layered through. The surface regolith appears to be only 1.5 meters thick. The data on the uppermost 20 meters is very uncertain. Using this data, the researchers were able to make conclusions about the planet's history."
"Old iPhones become faster if you change the region to France . Recent benchmark tests found that old iPhones, for example, the iPhone 7, run slightly faster after switching regions to France. A few years ago, Apple was found to intentionally reduce the performance output of old iPhones. Apple had to pay a fine in France, but it avoided paying fines in most other regions by adding battery health options in iOS and introducing a policy to reduce the price of replacement batteries. The reduction of iPhone performance doesn't affect new iPhones. Performance test results are available in the article."
"Venezuela may have Bitcoin and Ethereum, but it’s unsure how it can use them . The central bank of Venezuela is investigating possibilities into storing cryptocurrencies after a request by Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PSDV), the state-owned oil and natural gas company, to send Bitcoin and Ethereum to the bank. It is unknown how much cryptocurrency PSDV owns and how they obtained it. If PSDV was to sell its holdings on an exchange, it would have to open itself up to the standard cryptocurrency exchange diligence checks. Venezuela's international reserves hit a 29-year low of $7.9 billion in May, and the country is facing increased international sanctions. Storing and using cryptocurrencies may help the country overcome its isolation from the global financial system. Venezuela has its own state-run cryptocurrency, El Petro."
Twitter accepts Elon Musk's buyout deal . Twitter's board has accepted Elon Musk's offer to buy the company. The board had considered fighting the hostile takeover by adopting a poison pill strategy. It had concerns over the sale price and Musk's ability to fund the deal. The board changed its mind after Musk's SEC filing which detailed his plans to finance the deal. Musk is exploring a tender offer to purchase Twitter shares directly from shareholders. Twitter's board members have been asked to preserve records related to Musk's bid for a potential congressional probe and subpoenas.
"How to refuel a nuclear power plant during a pandemic . Nearly 1,000 specialized technicians from around the US gather at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station near Phoenix, Arizona every spring in order to refuel one of the plant's three nuclear reactors. Under normal circumstances, this process takes around a month. During the coronavirus pandemic, the plant operators have had to change their refueling plans. The plant will begin the refueling process in early April. All processes will be designed to ensure that the plant will be able to run for the next 18 months, but no non-essential repairs or maintenance will be completed."
"Deep Daze (GitHub Repo). Deep Daze is a command-line tool for text to image generation using OpenAI's CLIP and Siren. Users simply type a description of an image, for example, 'a house in the forest', and it will generate that image. Examples are available in the repository."
"Justice Department Sues Edward Snowden, Seeking Profits From His Book . The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Edward Snowden as his new book violates nondisclosure agreements he signed with the federal government. If successful, all the book profits will belong to the US. The lawsuit also claims that the government is entitled to money Snowden has earned from speeches. Snowden failed to receive pre-publication approval from the NSA and CIA. According to Snowden's lawyer, the book doesn't contain any government secrets that weren't already publicly known, and the government wouldn't have reviewed the book in good faith if Snowden had submitted it for review. Snowden has lived in Russia for the past six years as he faces criminal charges in the US over allegations of espionage and theft of government property."
Zed (GitHub Repo). Zed uses a super-structured data model to make data easier to manipulate and manage. It uses a data format that is syntax-compatible with JSON but with a comprehensive type system. Zed supports simple keyword searches as well as powerful data transformation operators that provide as much detail as desired.
Stripteasing Musk launches Tesla SUV program at new China factory (1 minute video). This short video shows Elon Musk dancing on stage at the launch of Tesla's Model Y electric sports utility vehicle program at the new Shanghai facory as the crowd cheers him on.
"Biden declares state of emergency over fuel cyber-attack . The US government declared a state of emergency after the Colonial Pipeline, the largest fuel pipeline in the US, was hit by a ransomware attack on Friday. The pipeline was knocked offline and Colonial is still working to restore services. It carries 2.5 million barrels of oil a day. Multiple sources have confirmed that the attack was caused by a cyber-criminal gang called Dark Side. The gang is threatening to leak the data onto the internet if the ransom is not paid by Friday."
"Bedbugs are giving Airbnb users headaches… and itchy bites (12 minute read). Some tenants have reported bedbugs while staying in Airbnb homes, but apparently, the company doesn't support the hosts well enough to fix the problem. There are no company procedures for handling outbreaks except that it suspends listings until hosts can provide evidence that the issue has been fixed. Airbnb takes an up to 20 percent cut of rental prices and is currently valued at $31 billion. Bedbugs can be introduced to properties by guests, attaching themselves to luggage when traveling. They are difficult to get rid of and can take a large financial and psychological toll on people. A typical extermination costs between $1,000 and $2,500."
"Learn Rust the Dangerous Way (Website). Learn Rust the Dangerous Way is a series of articles for low-level C programmers who want to learn Rust. The series discusses how to translate C programs to Rust, Rust references and C pointers, optimization, pointer casting, safe wrappers for unsafe operations, and converting programs to mostly-safe code."
"Apple is telling retail store workers to expect a limited supply of replacement iPhones for the next several weeks . Apple has warned its retail staff that the company is facing a shortage of replacement iPhones. Some stores are also running low on individual replacement parts. During the shortage, employees are instructed to offer customers loaner devices or to mail out replacement devices when they become available. Apple has closed all of its retail locations in China, and many of its suppliers' factories have been forced to close down temporarily. Like many companies, Apple has restricted employee travel and implemented additional hygiene measures. The coronavirus outbreak made a major impact on the stock market recently as businesses face disruptions."
"Google's quiet experiments may lead to smart tattoos, holographic glasses (17 minute read). Google Research is a branch of Google that focuses on technological breakthroughs. The Interaction Lab was created to make wearables and interface technology. It has developed several technologies such as sunglasses that can project holographic icons, a smartwatch with analog hands, temporary tattoos that can turn your body into a touchpad, and more. Google has been attempting to put a wearable to market for years. Wearable devices can collect personal data on users beyond what data mining on mobile devices can produce. This article takes a look at a few of Google's many experimental products, providing a video and explanation of each invention."
Floating UI (GitHub Repo). Floating UI is a low-level JavaScript library for positioning floating elements. It is tiny and features hyper-granular control of every positioning behavior and a powerful middleware system for extensions. Floating UI can run on any JavaScript environment that provides measurement APIs. Examples are available on the main website.
"Boeing’s Self-Flying Air Taxi Completes First Test Flight . Boeing announced the first successful test flight of NeXt, its autonomous, short-range taxi. This prototype was unveiled at CES 2019, and has a range of 50 miles. It's 30 feet long and 28 feet wide. Boeing's CEO says that this could shape the future of urban infrastructure, with fleets of autonomous air taxis hovering above city streets within a decade."
"Shopify breaks out of the website with 100+ new features including NFTs, local shopping and more . Shopify has launched around 100 new features for customers interested in social commerce, local shopping offers, cryptocurrency, B2B selling, and more. The new features are part of a semi-annual product sprint called Shopify Editions. This article covers some of the new features including B2B, Tokengated commerce, Shopify on iPhone, and Functions. The push for more features shows how the Shopify platform is expanding."
"Cerebras’s Giant Chip Will Smash Deep Learning’s Speed Barrier . One of the limitations of machine learning is the large amount of time it takes to train models. Some models can take up to six weeks to train, restricting the number of tests that data scientists can perform every year. A new chip by Cerebras is able to perform significantly better in both speed and efficiency compared with any other current system. The Wafer Scale Engine chip is 50 times the size of the largest GPU at 46,266 square millimeters. It has 1.2 trillion transistors, 400,000 processor cores, 18 gigabytes of SRAM, and interconnects capable of moving 100 million billion bits per second. Some of these chips have already been deployed. Previous attempts at creating wafer-scale chips have failed."
"The U.S. Army is building a giant VR battlefield to train soldiers virtually . The Synthetic Training Environment is an initiative to create a unified training environment that will allow soldiers to practice combat scenarios before being deployed into a battle zone. It will use cloud computing and the latest VR technology to simulate terrain from all over the planet in a massively multiplayer training simulation. The STE will allow soldiers to train in well-equipped training centers, at home stations, or even during deployment. Data can be gathered during training to fine tune soldiers’ performance and problems can be identified and rectified before they are encountered in the real world."
Hey From The Future (Web App). This is a cool app that lets you select your age and see advice that older people have left for people that are your age. You can also sign up to leave and upvote advice for people younger than you.
"Understanding How Facebook Disappeared from the Internet . BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is a mechanism for exchanging routing information between autonomous systems on the Internet. The Internet is a network of networks bound together by BGP. BGP allows one network to advertise its presence to all of the other networks that form the Internet. Facebook's recent outage was caused by a configuration change that caused its servers to stop announcing the routes to its DNS prefixes, making Facebook's DNS servers unavailable. More details about how the outage occurred are available in the article."
"Facebook stored hundreds of millions of passwords in plain text . Since 2012, a bug in some of Facebook's apps logged user's passwords and stored them in plaintext. Between 200 million and 600 million Facebook users are believed to have been affected, and while Facebook claims that there was no evidence of employee abuse, there is evidence that at least 2,000 employees accessed the files containing the passwords. Facebook claims that there is no evidence that the passwords were exposed externally, so there is no need for users to reset their passwords, however, they have not had the best track record for dealing with security issues in the past."
"New superbug treatment disables drug resistance in deadly bacteria . Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are predicted to claim up to 10 million lives a year by 2050. Bacteria that survive antibiotic treatment pass on genetic material to help other bacteria become resistant to the drugs. In a recent study, scientists targeted a protein that helped bacteria develop resistance. When the protein was inhibited with chemicals, the bacteria became vulnerable to existing antibiotics again. The next step in the research involves finding protein inhibitors that can be used in humans."
"Google wants to improve your smart home with iRobot's room maps . Google is partnering with Roomba to make smart homes smarter by using maps of customers homes collected by Roomba. They want to make an integration that will let you say ""OK Google, tell Roomba to clean the kitchen."" They also want to use the data to make everything in the smart home ""more thoughtful"" so that you could potentially say ""turn on the lights in the kitchen"" or ""OK future iRobot robot with an arm, go get me a beer"". The data will not be used for ad-targeting."
"SpaceX Starlink speeds revealed as beta users get downloads of 11 to 60Mbps . Starlink beta users are reporting download speeds ranging from 11Mbps to 60Mbps and upload speeds ranging from 5Mbps to 18Mbps, with latencies ranging from 20ms to 94ms. Users have been testing the network over the past two weeks, with some anonymous users posting their speed test results on Reddit. Beta testers must sign non-disclosure agreements, so information is restricted. SpaceX says that its network will eventually reach gigabit speeds and the company is targeting latency below 20ms. Its Starlink network currently has 600 satellites and the company has permission to launch nearly 12,000. Screenshots of the speed tests are available in the article."
"World's first living robots can now reproduce . Xenobots are living robots formed from the stem cells of the African clawed frog. They can move, work together in groups, and self-heal. The bots can also reproduce through kinetic replication. They can gather stem cells and use them to make new xenobots in days. Researchers used artificial intelligence to design xenobots that were more effective at this type of replication, which resulted in a design that resembled Pac-Man. Xenobots are still an early technology, but they have a host of potential uses, including collecting microplastics from the oceans, inspecting root systems, and regenerative medicine."
"Facebook just published an update on its futuristic brain-typing project . Facebook's brain-reading computer interface is able to look for patterns in activity in the brain and match them with specific words and phrases in real-time. In experiments, participants answered multiple-choice questions with their thoughts, which were then translated into words by the brain-computer interface. The system was able to detect when the participant was being asked a question, understand the content of the question asked, and translate the thought answer into words. The patients in the study were using highly invasive implants, and the system was very limited. It was only able to understand nine questions and 24 total answer options with between 61 to 76 percent accuracy. Even a very basic level of thought control could make huge differences in how we interact with VR systems. The technology could help improve the lives of people who can't speak due to paralysis or other issues."
"Alibaba Is Introducing a Hotel Room Service Robot Next Month . Alibaba is releasing a robot to deliver food and laundry to hotel guests. It will be slightly under one meter tall and moves at a speed of up to one meter per second. Guests can interact with the robot using voice commands, as well as touch and hand gestures. Responses are powered by Alibaba’s personal assistant, AliGenie. If the release is successful, the robot may be rolled out to hospitals, restaurants and offices."
"This is Google’s Pixel 4 . Google just tweeted an image of the new Pixel 4, which is expected to be released in October. The image features design changes from renders that were released only a few days ago. For the first time ever, there is no rear fingerprint scanner present on the device. The image clearly shows two rear cameras and a third sensor of some kind on the back of the camera, as well as a tiny dot on the lower right of the camera module. Previous Pixel designs have been leaked extensively, so it appears that this time Google is trying to control the narrative surrounding the release of the Pixel 4."
"Amazon drivers may soon build the furniture you purchase . Amazon is considering adding a new service that would have drivers build the furniture that they deliver. It will introduce the service in Virginia and at least two other markets. Most other companies in the furniture business already offer building services. Amazon has already been criticized for its labor practices, and the new service would add more labor to complete an already difficult job."
"Amazon will soon let you make campaign contributions through your Alexa device . People will soon be able to make campaign donations to selected 2020 presidential candidates through Amazon Alexa devices. Donations can only be made to principal campaign committees. Eligible candidates must have a US-based address, bank account, credit card, and phone number. Candidates will have to register as merchants, submit some Federal Election Commission forms, and send a list of variations of the candidate's name. Donations can be made by talking to Alexa. All donations will be processed through Amazon Pay, and donors will receive email receipts."
"Signal CEO Moxie Marlinspike explains his vision for the app — and what he sees as the biggest threats to privacy . Secure chat app Signal saw a huge spike in growth last year. People are attracted to the app as it makes private communication simple and accessible. Encryption is important as we will never be able to build secure computers, so it is the best way to protect our data. Consumers are now more aware of how technologies are not serving them anymore. The amount of data collected by companies is concerning, and governments are unlikely to try to intervene and regulate the tech industry."
"Researchers identify neurons that control hibernation-like behaviors in mice (10 minute read). Neuroscientists from Harvard Medical School have discovered neurons in mice that control hibernation-like behavior. When the neurons are stimulated, mice enter a state of torpor that can last for days. When the activity of these neurons is blocked, the mice wake up. A better understanding of this mechanism in mice and other animal models could eventually lead to inducing torpor in humans. If this is achieved, it may have a wide arrange of applications in medicine and space travel."
"U.S. State Department begins social media screening for nearly all visa applicants . Starting from yesterday, nearly all US visa applicants will be required to submit social media usernames, previous email addresses, and phone numbers as part of the application process. The requirement was first proposed in March 2018, with the US State Department citing national security reasons. Previously, only individuals who had traveled to areas with a high degree of terrorist activity had been required to submit this information. This new barrier to entry to the country comes at a time when competition for highly-skilled talent is at an all-time high, and critics argue that it will deter potential talent from wanting to come to the US. Other countries have lower barriers to entry, and this new requirement might incentivize free workers to start businesses or find work elsewhere."
"SpaceX aims to provide internet coverage with Starlink constellation as soon as mid-2020 . SpaceX plans to offer Starlink's broadband services to customers in mid-2020. It will require six to eight launches of 60 satellites per launch to get the service up and running. SpaceX has applied for the ability to launch up to 42,000 satellites into orbit. 60 satellites were launched in May. Three of those satellites failed, and two satellites were taken out of orbit to prove that SpaceX had the ability to remove them if necessary. The remaining satellites appear to be working. Elon Musk recently sent a tweet using a connection provided by the Starlink system. SpaceX still needs to finish developing its user terminal and sort out pricing and distribution before it will be available to customers."
"8 Reasons Python Sucks . I enjoy Python, but I have to admit, I have experienced most of the suckage this guy describes. He complains about versioning (the transition from Python 2 to Python 3 was a disaster), installation (pip is alright, I don't know that npm is better, are there any languages that get this really right?), syntax (I disagree on this one, I find Python super readable), quirks (Python strings are pretty confusing, I've wasted so much time on string encoding funkiness), and more. Surprisingly interesting article given the clickbait title, generally people really like Python so it's interesting to see the opposing point of view."
"Building a Feedforward Neural Network from Scratch in Python (18 minute read). A feedforward neural network, also known as a Multi-layered Network of Neurons, is a network of models where information only travels forward through input nodes and output nodes. Traditional models such as the Perceptron are limited to linear functions. Multilayered-Network of Neurons are able to handle the complex decision boundary between inputs and outputs. This article is a guide on how to build and test a simple neuron network from scratch."
"Tesla's Virtual Power Plant rescues grid after coal peaker fails, and it's only 2% finished . Tesla is building a Virtual Power Plant in South Australia. It is made of solar-powered, Powerwall-equipped homes. There are currently 900 homes forming the Virtual Power Plant, which is about 2 percent of Tesla's goal of 50,000 homes. In October, Queensland's Kogan Creek coal power station failed and Tesla's Virtual Power Plant stepped in, detecting the failure and providing power from its Powerwall batteries. There are three phases of development for the Virtual Power Plant, and it appears that the project is about to move into its final phase. Once the Virtual Power Plant is complete, it should deliver 250 MW of solar energy and store 650 MWh of backup energy for the region."
"Terrorists Turn to Bitcoin for Funding, and They’re Learning Fast . Due to the anonymous nature of Bitcoin and its underlying technologies, government authorities and organizations that track terrorist financing have begun to see an increase on its use for funding. Some websites are soliciting donations through Bitcoin, using individual addresses for each donation, making the flow of currency more difficult to track. Unlike traditional money, Bitcoin accounts can't be shut down or frozen, and anyone can create an address and start receiving funds without providing any personal information. Countries that face economic sanctions are looking into using cryptocurrencies to circumvent them."
"Far-UVC Light Safely Kills Airborne Coronaviruses . A study at Columbia University Irving Medical Center has found that Far-UVC light can safely kill 99.9% of seasonal coronaviruses present in airborne droplets. Conventional UV lamps can kill viruses but they aren't used in occupied public spaces as they are a potential health hazard. Far-UFC light cannot reach or damage living cells in the body, which makes it feasible and safe to use in occupied indoor public places, significantly reducing the risk of person-to-person transmission of viruses."
"This Clothing Line Was Designed By AI . Glitch is a clothing line that was designed by AI. Two recent MIT graduates used AI to redesign the classic ‘little black dress’. There are currently a few designs available for purchase, with 50 percent of sales being donated to an organization that supports women entering into STEM fields. So far, a majority of sales have been to women working in tech. Glitch hopes that its designs will inspire more women to work in tech. The company has released a tool that allows users to generate and choose their own dress designs."
"Masten Space Systems to develop a GPS-like network for the Moon . Masten Space Systems will develop a lunar navigation and positioning system similar to GPS as part of a contract awarded through the Air Force Research Laboratory’s AFWERX program. Current spacecraft heading to the Moon have to carry equipment onboard to detect hazards and assist with navigation. As the costs of going to orbit and beyond have decreased, it makes sense to establish a shared navigation network since space is likely to get a lot busier. A shared navigation network will lower spacecraft costs, increase payload capacity, and improve landing accuracy."
"Here’s what Google Chrome’s upcoming Reader Mode looks like, how to enable it in Canary . Chrome Canary v75 brings reader mode to the desktop browser, a feature that has been very popular on other browsers. The new version has a hidden setting which will add a ‘Distill page’ option in the drop-down settings menu. Instructions and screenshots showing how to use reader mode are available in the article."
"Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About WebRTC (11 minute read). WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) is a collection of APIs that allows for data to be transferred from peer-to-peer. It is used for streaming or P2P networks like Torrent. WebRTC still requires a server to connect peers, but the connection between peers is encrypted. This article explains how WebRTC works, covering only the core APIs."
"Facebook, telcos to build huge subsea cable for Africa and Middle East . Facebook and a group of telecom companies are collaborating to build a subsea cable to serve the African continent and Middle East region. Nearly a billion people are still offline in the region. The companies will lay a 37,000km cable through Europe, the Middle East, and 21 landings in 16 countries in Africa. It will have the capacity to handle up to 180Tbps on key parts of the system when it goes live in 2023 or 2024. The companies involved have not disclosed how much the project will cost."
"Headless recorder (GitHub Repo). Headless recorder is a Chrome extension that records browser interactions and generates a Puppeteer or Playwright script. It can record clicks and type events, copy to clipboard, show what events are being recorded, and more. Only certain events are recorded."
Tabler Icons (GitHub Repo). Tabler Icons is a set of over 300 free SVG icons for use in web projects. Each icon is designed on a 24x24 grid with a 2px stroke. A preview of the icons is available.
"Call to probe Boston police tests of 'dog' robots . Massachusetts State Police have been testing Boston Dynamic's Spot robot dogs in the past three months. The American Civil Liberties Union launching and enquiry as there are no regulations governing the use of the robots and they want to ensure that the use of the robots will not trample on established civil rights and liberties or lead to racial injustice. The Massachusetts State Police stated that the robots were being used as mobile remote observation devices to look at suspicious devices or locations that might be hazardous for human officers. Spot has been used in two incidents, working with the organization's bomb squad. Boston Dynamics leased the robots to the police in order to retain control over how they are used. There are explicit clauses in the lease that prevent the police from using the robots to physically harm or intimidate people."
"Modern Alchemy: Stanford Finds Fast, Easy Way to Make Diamonds – “Cheating the Thermodynamics” . Researchers at Stanford University and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have discovered a way to transform a substance found in fossil fuels into diamonds with pressure and low heat. Diamond synthesis usually requires a large amount of energy, time, or the addition of a catalyst, which adds impurities. Diamondoids are tiny, odorless, and slightly sticky powders that resemble rock salt. They are made up of atoms arranged in the same pattern as diamonds, but they contain hydrogen. Diamondoids can reorganize into diamonds with surprisingly little energy, without passing through other forms of carbon, such as graphite. The method is currently only able to make specks of diamonds, and it is impractical until larger crystals can be formed."
"Scientists develop an 'iron-air' battery that stores electricity for days . Form Energy has developed iron air batteries that can store electricity for days at a fraction of the cost of lithium-ion batteries. The batteries are made using iron, one of the most common elements on Earth. They convert iron into rust and back to store and discharge energy. The batteries are too heavy to use in electric cars. Form Energy plans to stack thousands of the washing-machine sized batteries into vast warehouses to store energy from renewable systems."
"A new Google Assistant feature, ‘Hold for Me,’ waits on hold so you don’t have to . 'Hold for Me' is a new feature for Pixel phones that lets users put down their phones while they are on hold and get an alert for when the call has resumed. Pixel device owners can activate the feature by pressing a button after they have been placed on hold. A message will be displayed on the phone that says 'Don't hang up'. The user can return to the call at any time and a message will let the user know if there is still music playing on the line. The feature will come with Pixel 5 devices and will be rolled out to older-generation Pixel devices in the next Pixel feature drop."
"Google is adding augmented reality to search . Google is adding 3D augmented reality to its searches, so users can now view product models as they would appear in real life, or see animals projected into their living room. While a few demos were given at their I/O conference, it's unclear how many results will actually have this feature. Google has been adding more and more AR features into their products as part of an arms race against Facebook, as Facebook develops its Spark AR platform for mobiles."
"Tesla Is No Longer the World's Biggest Electric Vehicle Producer . Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD is now the biggest producer of electric vehicles in the world. BYD is also the world's second-biggest producer of EV batteries. The Shenzhen-based company sold 641,000 vehicles during the first six months of 2022. Tesla was impacted by lockdowns in China that prevented production. BYD's factories are mostly located in regions that have not been affected by extended lockdowns."
"WordPressify (Github Repo). WordPressify is a nifty boilerplate for setting up WordPress projects, with lots of goodies right out of the box like a dev server, auto-reloading, babel, and gulp. Definitely worth checking out if you're a WordPress dev."
"Where are all the crypto use cases? . Many people claim that there are no use cases for crypto, but they're wrong. This article discusses the many different use cases for crypto. Crypto is successful at being money. Decentralized lending protocols allow anyone to take out cheap loans without involving a bank. There are also NFTs, smart contracts, decentralization, and much more."
catj (GitHub Repo). catj displays JSON files in a flat format. This makes it easier to understand the structure of JSON files. The output is valid JavaScript which can be used directly in code.
"Amazon tests having drivers make deliveries from local malls . Amazon is testing a program that will have its contracted Flex drivers pick up and deliver packages from malls. It involves the drivers collecting packages within local shopping centers rather than the post office. The program has been running since last year, but it is unclear where Amazon has been running its tests. Amazon has also been testing a similar service with rural mom-and-pop shops that pays them to deliver packages for the company. Allowing local stores to help with the final leg of deliveries lessens Amazon's reliance on the USPS or UPS."
"Heroicons (GitHub Repo). Heroicons is a set of free, MIT-licensed, high-quality SVG icons. There are outline and solid styles, with 140 icons per style currently. Developers can just copy the source code for the icon and paste it directly into their HTML."
"Facebook will reportedly launch a 'news' tab on Friday . Facebook plans to launch a dedicated news tab that will show news stories from hundreds of news organizations. The new feature has been rumored for a while now, and it will put Facebook in competition with Apple and Google in the news-delivery business. Facebook approached news outlets, including ABC News, Dow Jones, The Washington Post, and Bloomberg, offering to pay as much as $3 million to license content for the news tab. Social media giants such as Facebook and Twitter have been criticized for not doing enough to combat the spread of fake news. The news tab will present high-quality curated news from publishers."
"NASA’s New “Metallic Glass” Gears Can Withstand Impact, Freezing Temperatures During Lunar Missions . Solar systems are cold and exploration requires hardware that can withstand extreme environments. NASA's Bulk Metallic Glass Gears team is developing a material made out of metallic glass that can function in extremely cold environments without heating. Unheated gearboxes will reduce the overall power required for operations in cold environments. Currently, gears need to be heated before they can be used in space. The material has been through rigorous testing to ensure that it will not be damaged by the stressful events that occur during a mission. Gears made from this material could enable operations during the lunar night, on ocean worlds, and in other extremely cold and dark environments."
"Moderna: Covid vaccine shows nearly 95% protection . Early data from Moderna indicates that its vaccine is nearly 95% effective in protecting people against Covid-19. Its trial involved 30,000 people in the US. Out of the first 95 people to develop Covid-19 symptoms in the study, 90 had received the placebo treatment. There were 11 severe cases in the trial, but none of those occurred in people who received the vaccine. Moderna will apply to regulators in the coming weeks. It hopes to have up to one billion doses available around the world next year. The article further explains the mechanism of the vaccine and compares it to Pfizer and BioNTech's recently announced vaccine."
Mailwind (GitHub Repo). Mailwind lets users design HTML emails using Tailwind CSS. Tailwind makes it easy to design websites. Mailwind uses the same utility classes that are normally used for the web.
"Netflix is recreating iconic Stranger Things sets in LA, and you can drive your car through them . Netflix will transform a series of buildings in downtown Los Angeles into a unique Stranger Things immersive theatre production. Guests will be able to drive through the entire experience. It will feature iconic locations from the show. The audience will stop to watch actors perform scenes, similar to a standard haunted house or walk through theme park experience. Tickets will go on sale starting Wednesday, August 26th, with prices starting at $59 per car."
"Apple will use Tesla’s ‘megapack’ batteries at its California solar farm . Apple will use Tesla battery packs at its big battery storage project in Northern California. The setup will consist of 85 Tesla lithium-ion megapacks, which will store up to 240 megawatt-hours of energy. They will allow Apple to store energy generated by its 130-megawatt solar array. The battery system could power more than 7,000 homes for a whole day."
"Wails (GitHub Repo). Wails is a Go web development framework that allows developers to wrap both Go code and a web frontend into a single binary. It provides tools for handling project creation, compilation, and bundling. Wails is multiplatform and features pre-built templates, auto-generated TypeScript definitions for Go structs and methods, a unified eventing system, and much more."
Tuplex (GitHub Repo). Tuplex is a parallel big data processing framework that runs data science pipelines written in Python at the speed of compiled code. It generates optimized LLVM bytecode for the given pipeline and input dataset instead of using the Python interpreter. Tuplex can run data science pipelines 5-91 times faster than systems that call into a Python interpreter.
"Hobbling Huawei: Inside the U.S. war on China’s tech giant (15 minute read). Many governments fear that if Huawei were to supply the world’s 5G infrastructure, it would give China an unprecedented opportunity to attack critical infrastructure and compromise intelligence sharing with allies. This could have severe military consequences if anyone was ever in a war with China. Huawei continues to maintain that it is a company independent of the government and that it has never been asked to cooperate with any spying operations. It claims that it would refuse these requests if asked. While Huawei may be being truthful at present, vulnerabilities could be easily introduced through software updates, and it is possible that Huawei may be forced to deploy these updates in the future."
"MistQL (GitHub Repo). MistQL is a miniature embeddable query language for JSON-like structures. It uses a simple syntax that can chain together complicated expressions in an easy-to-read manner. MistQL has no dependencies and a small footprint, making it suitable for size-sensitive frontends."
"Introducing notebookJS . notebookJS is a Python library that enables the integration of Python and JavaScript with a single line of code. It takes care of all the boilerplate code for visualization in notebooks, automatically loads JavaScript libraries from the web, and supports code split in multiple JS and CSS files. notebookJS currently does not support JavaScript ES6 modules."
"The product analytics suite you can host yourself (Sponsor). The product analytics suite you can host yourself . With PostHog's open source analytics platform, customer data never has to leave your infrastructure.Featuring product analytics, session recording, feature flags, heatmaps, and more - all available for free.The best part is everything is seamlessly integrated, so you can spend less time configuring different tools and more time getting valuable insight into user behavior. Learn more."
"New robotic arm opens up musical worlds for “cyborg” drummer . The Georgia Institute of Technology recently unveiled a drum-enabling robotic arm. It allows amputee drummers to perform three distinctive stick patterns simultaneously. A video is available showing Jason Barnes, a below-the-elbow amputee, demonstrating the arm by playing the drums. The arm works using electromyography, reading signals from Barnes' upper arm. It is possible for fully-abled people to use the robotic arm, and the researchers are now exploring the possibilities."
"Create-React-Extension (GitHub Repo). Create React Extension is a tool to create React browser extensions with no build configuration. It features the same developer experience as the Create-React-App, a webpack dev server, support for any combination of chrome extensions, an automatic fork watcher, and more."
"Huge iPhone 12 changes inside & out leak in Apple 2020 roadmap report . The new line-up of iPhones could include four new smartphones, a 5G upgrade, and an infusion of iPad Pro styling and tech. Apple has supposedly reduced the size of the notch on the screen panel, flattened out the glass on the 2020 iPhone Pro, and increased the screen size of the iPhone 11 Pro Max’s successor. The 2020 iPhone Pro is expected to have three cameras and a LIDAR Scanner, and the iPhone 11’s successor will have two cameras. A new HomePod will be launched that will be roughly half the size of the original and will feature a smarter Siri. Apple AirTags are also expected to launch this year. There could be a delay in the release of some models due to the pandemic."
"Gatorade’s new Gx Sweat Patch tests your sweat for smarter hydration . The Gx Sweat Patch is a wearable from Gatorade that tests sweat to let the wearer know when to best rehydrate after working out. They are sold in packages of two for $25. The patches offer insight into how much body fluid was lost during a workout and how much sodium needs to be replenished. The Gx app can recommend how much to drink before, during, and after each workout. Each patch can only be used once. Gatorade recommends using a single patch to create a sweat profile for each type of workout that a person does."
"Google proposes new campus billed as a 'neighborhood' with homes and shops . Google has unveiled plans to build a new corporate campus in Mountain View, California. The 40-acre site will have a mix of office buildings, housing, shops, and public spaces. Google pledged $1 billion last year to help build 20,000 homes in the region over the next 10 years. Tech giants have faced criticism for contributing to higher rent prices in the Bay Area, which is one of the reasons Google is focused on housing. Google doesn't have much use for office space. Its workers aren't due back into offices until at least July 2021."
"Toyota's autonomous pod to transport athletes around Tokyo 2020 Olympics . Tokyo's 2020 Olympic Games is set to be a showcase of both technology and human sporting achievement. The medals will be made using scrap metal recovered from electronic waste, and a full line-up of robots will be assisting the public and staff. Toyota will supply 20 special edition e-Palette people movers for the Games. The vehicles will transport athletes throughout the Olympic and Paralympic villages. The special edition e-Palettes will have sport benches and lift-up seating, and will be able to transport up to four wheelchair users and seven standing passengers at a time. They will feature large sliding doors, low floors, and electric ramps. The design includes contrasting colors to help those with color blindness. A safety operator will be on board, but the vehicles will be using an autonomous driving system that can travel up to 12 mph with Level 4 autonomy. They will have a range of just over 90 miles per charge."
"This ailing scientist is trying to save his life by becoming world's first full-fledged cyborg . Peter Scott-Morgan was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in 2017. Since then, Scott-Morgan has embarked on a mission to become a cyborg, developing an exoskeleton that he hopes will eventually be able to give him superhuman strength and the ability to communicate while being paralyzed. People with MND eventually become locked inside their bodies, with fully alert minds but unable to move. Scott-Morgan has undergone several surgeries already, including a series of surgeries to reconfigure his digestive system to make the MND more manageable."
Enigmatic Designs Found in India May Be The Largest Images Ever Made by Human Hands . Large and mysterious land carvings have been discovered in India's Thar Desert. The geoglyphs may be the largest-ever graphical depictions designed by humans. They were discovered using Google Earth during a virtual survey of the region. The lines that make up the design are up to 10 centimeters deep and spread 20 to 50 centimeters wide. The largest geoglyph is made from a single looping line that runs for 12 kilometers. Another shape is composed of an 11-kilometer-long line. It is unclear what the meaning or function of the design is. The design is estimated to be at least 150 years old.
"DeepDream: How Alexander Mordvintsev Excavated the Computer’s Hidden Layers . Google engineers are allowed to spend up to 20 percent of their time on some other Google-related project, which is what allowed Alexander Mordvintsev time to develop DeepDream. DeepDream was created by Mordvintsev after he was inspired to inspect what happened between the layers of a convolutional neural network trained to identify things in images. The results were unique, with the neural network generating images that had portions of the items the network was trained on blended into the original image."
"Tesla tests Model S with an even faster ‘Plaid’ powertrain at Laguna Seca . A new powertrain by Tesla made its debut at Laguna Seca raceway, lapping the course in just 96 seconds. The Plaid powertrain uses three electric motors and will be available in the Model S, Model X, and the second-generation Roadster. It will cost more than Tesla's current offerings, but less than its competitors. Tesla's Laguna Seca run was not officiated by track officials, so Elon Musk's claims that it had set a new record for the fastest four-door ever at Laguna Seca are not entirely valid, even though its run was a second faster than the previous record. The Plaid Model S will be reviewed and tuned at Germany's Nürburgring next, but it will not be trying to break any records there yet."
"GitHub: Generate new repositories with repository templates . GitHub has introduced the ability to create repository templates in order to make boilerplate code management and distribution easy on GitHub. To create a template, users only need to select the option to mark a repository as a template, after which it can be used to generate new repositories with all of the required files and folders. Template repositories will display a ‘Use this template’ button. More features and template types will be coming soon."
"Google Photos launches private messaging for quickly sharing photos . Photos are as much about communications as they are a form of memory collection. Google Photos has launched a revamped share option that is effectively a private messaging feature. When users want to share photos, they can now send it in a message as long as the recipients have Google Photos. Users can use the feature to have a conversation. Group chats are enabled. Chat will add a social aspect to the Photos app, possibly drawing in more users. The feature will start rolling out over the next week and will be available on Android, iOS, and the web."
"Amazon drivers are reportedly competing against each other to snag new orders by hanging smartphones in trees outside Whole Foods stores . Amazon contract drivers are hanging phones on trees outside Amazon delivery stations and Whole Foods stores to get first dibs on accepting new orders. According to the drivers, Amazon's system chooses drivers based on who is closest to the pickup location. Competition has increased in the gig economy due to a steep drop in business. Drivers have complained to Amazon, but Amazon says that the system doesn't work in the way that the drivers had described and that waiting closer to the pickup location wouldn't increase one's chances of receiving an order."
"This Extremely Chill Landscape Was Drawn in Pure Code . Web designer Bill Evans creates art using cascading style sheets, drawing pictures by coding individual elements in a language normally used to make websites look good. Pure CSS drawings are rendered live in the browser, rather than being a static image file. Evans has created an interactive spider's web, a telephone box, a spinning playing card, an animated person taking a walk, and various still lifes using pure CSS. Links to view Evans' artwork are available in the article."
mongitaDB (GitHub Repo). mongitaDB is a lightweight embedded document database. It is a self-contained Python library that implements a commonly-used subset of the MongoDB/PyMongo interface. mongitaDB can be used as an alternative to SQLite or for unit testing.
"Microsoft Game Development Kit (GitHub Repo). The Microsoft Game Development Kit contains the tools needed to develop games for the Xbox App on Windows 10, Xbox Game Pass for PC, Xbox consoles (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One), and Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming. It is available for all developers for free to help them learn how to build games for the Xbox app. Additional licensing is required for building games optimized for Xbox consoles or to publish games."
"Barnes & Noble introduces a cheap e-reader to compete with the Kindle . Barnes & Noble has announced a new Nook e-reader. The Nook GlowLight 4e features USB-C, 8GB of storage, a 6-inch 212 PPI E Ink display with illumination, and page-turning buttons. It won't have any ads and users will be able to easily sideload content on the device. The Nook GlowLight 4e is now available for preorder for $119.99 and it will start shipping on June 7."
"Facebook’s redesign goes live with simplified navigation and dark mode . Facebook's redesign is finally official and will be rolling out to users this week. The redesign focuses on simplicity, taking cues from the mobile app. One of the most anticipated features of the redesign is its dark mode for desktop. The redesign makes it easier to create groups, pages, and ads. Facebook is open to receiving feedback, which can be sent via the Settings menu."
"Learn React App (GitHub Repo). Learn React App is a tutorial aimed at quickly getting a user up-to-date with React, a Javascript library for building user interfaces. Each tutorial contains guided exercises and solutions."
"The Tour de France Is Going Virtual, and It Starts This Weekend . The Tour de France will take place in a virtual format, with cyclists competing on stationary bikes in their homes. It will take place over three weekends, with six stages lasting one to two hours each. The race will be conducted on Zwift, a virtual training platform. Zwift has rushed to build new custom worlds for the Tour. 23 men's teams and 17 women's teams have registered for the virtual bike race and the event will be broadcast worldwide."
"dlaicourse (GitHug Repo). This repository contains notebooks for deep learning. Each notebook contains practical exercises and explanations related to deep learning, starting from a ‘Hello World’ exercise and delving into deeper topics, such as Natural Language Processing."
"New P2P botnet infects SSH servers all over the world . A botnet that focuses on infecting SSH servers has been discovered targeting millions of servers around the world. The botnet distributes its administration among many infected nodes rather than relying on a central server, making it harder to spot and more difficult to shut down. There have been at least 20 versions of the software binary since January. Researchers have developed a program to analyze the botnet. Servers that don't have both a strong password and a cryptographic certificate may already be infected with the malware. A detailed report is linked. The report includes a script that can spot infected machines."
"Mind-Controlled Flamethrower . Nathaniel F built a mind-controlled flamethrower by combining brain-computer interface technology with machine learning. The system fires the flamethrower when it detects the correct thought patterns. It was created using a Mindflex, a Raspberry Pi 4, an Arduino, and a flamethrower. A 7-minute video showing how the flamethrower was made is available in the article."
"Elon Musk doesn’t back down after Ford challenges Tesla to an ‘apples to apples’ tug-of-war rematch . Ford unveiled its Mustang Mach-E last week, the company's first battery-powered SUV. Elon Musk had tweeted out his congratulations, but then later in the week he tweeted a video of the Cybertruck pulling an F-150 uphill. The clip has been viewed almost 13 million times. Critics have pointed out that the F-150 is a rear-wheel drive and that there was no payload to put more weight on its rear wheels to give it more traction. Sundeep Madra, the vice president at Ford X has tweeted back at Musk, saying that Ford would complete a real comparison if Musk would send him a Cybertruck. Musk has accepted the challenge."
"Apple Co-Founder Wozniak Announces a Cryptic Space Startup . Privateer Space is a new space startup founded by Steve Wozniak. The company has not revealed much about what it does, but a business partner hinted that it may be trying to address the issue of space junk. More details about its plans are likely to be revealed at the Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference this week. A short video from Privateer Space is available in the article."
Future Crunch (Newsletter). Future Crunch is a once every other week newsletter full of optimistic news and breakthroughs in science and technology.
"Coinbase will shut down for four weeklong breaks this year . Nearly all of Coinbase will shut down for four separate weeks throughout the year so that employees can enjoy their downtime without work piling up. The breaks will ensure that the company's growth pace is sustainable for the long term. Coinbase has tested recharge weeks before, adding more when it was discovered that employees weren't taking enough time off. The company's flexible time-off policy will remain the same, but employees are encouraged to schedule vacations during recharge weeks when they can."
"Ford shares a year's worth of self-driving car data . Ford is releasing a comprehensive self-driving dataset to academics and researchers. The data was collected over a year and it comes from multiple self-driving vehicles. Ford is also sharing a plug-in with data visualization tools. Other companies have released self-driving data as well, but Ford's data is unique in that it contains a variety of weather conditions and diverse scenarios."
Launch your mobile app within weeks (Sponsor). This is your chance to bring alive that mobile app idea you always had. Follow this masterclass and go from idea to market with React Native + Node.JS.
"Watch crazy video of Tesla Model 3 autonomously picking up owner in parking lot . Tesla’s new Enhanced Summon mode has been rolled out to beta testers, who are reporting that the feature is a bit ‘hit or miss’ mostly due to the system being too cautious. The feature allows vehicle owners to get their cars to drive to their position or to a selected position as long as the owner is within 150m of their vehicle. Tesla vehicles already have a Summon feature, but this only allows owners to move their cars backward or forwards in their parking spaces. A video showing Enhanced Summon being used is available."
"Astronauts mix cement on ISS, pave way for future space colonies . Concrete is a technology that humans have used for 5,000 years to construct buildings. Astronauts have successfully mixed cement aboard the International Space Station inside a microgravity environment, opening up possibilities for building structures in space. The space cement had a more uniform density than cement mixed on Earth due to the lack of strong gravity, but the lack of gravity also created larger air pockets as well. The uniform density increased the strength of the cement, while the air pockets weakened it. It has yet to be confirmed whether the space cement is stronger than Earth cement. Concrete is a good choice for building in space as it is an excellent insulator and radiation shield, is sturdy, and can be molded into any shape or structure. The ingredients to make concrete can also be easily harvested from any planet with rocks and dust."
"A from-scratch tour of Bitcoin in Python (36 minute read). Blockchain is a genuine innovation in computing paradigms, where everyone shares a running computer and anyone anywhere can use it in an open and permissionless manner. This article walks through how to make a transaction in pure Python from scratch with zero dependencies. A jupyter notebook version of the article is available."
"spark-joy (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a list of tools to easily add personality to your product. Categories include typography, CSS, animations and transitions, icons, avatars, sound, styling forms, and more. Most links contain free resources. Paid or premium resources are labeled."
"Building the Mathematical Library of the Future (13 minute read). Lean is a proof assistant that helps mathematicians prove theorems by checking the working and automating some of the steps in a proof. Mathematicians are translating mathematics into a form that Lean can understand in order to digitize mathematics, eventually allowing computers to solve open problems. The people working on the project hope that it will be able to understand some questions in senior-level exams in a few years."
"A robot named Little Peanut is delivering food to people in quarantine amid the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak . A video filmed in a hotel in Hangzhou, China, shows a robot called Little Peanut moving from door to door carrying food to residents. Multiple robots were used to serve guests on each floor of the 16-story hotel on Monday and Tuesday in order to reduce human contact and prevent the spread of the 2019-nCoV coronavirus. The guests were passengers from a flight to Hangzhou from Singapore. They were quarantined after two passengers were found with a fever. As of Wednesday, the coronavirus has killed 132 people in China and infected nearly 6,000 people worldwide."
"Exclusive: Apple in talks with potential suppliers of sensors for self-driving cars - sources . Apple has been in talks with at least four lidar sensor suppliers as it works on developing its own lidar unit for self-driving cars. It appears that Apple is trying to find the smallest, cheapest, and most easily mass produced lidar units in order to create its next-generation lidar. Current lidar units are large and expensive, making it impractical for mass-produced vehicles. It is unclear whether Apple is looking to build its own vehicles, but their interest in long-distance sensors make it clear that they intend to create a fully self-driving system, rather than an adaptive cruise control system similar to what exists in today’s autonomous vehicles."
"iPhone 13 could feature next-gen vapor chamber cooling technology . The iPhone 13 is rumored to feature next-gen vapor chamber cooling tech. Apple is confirmed to be testing the technology, but it is not clear if it will be ready for a 2021 launch. The cooling system is a miniature version of those seen on high-end gaming computers. A liquid is evaporated by the heat generated by the device, and then the thermal energy spreads out through the whole of the casing. Improved cooling would mean less chance of over-heating and potentially faster speeds."
Making friends on the internet . The internet can be a great place for finding friends. This article discusses several strategies for using Twitter or other platforms to find friends on the internet. It also tells a personal story of how the author developed their internet friendships.
"Early Decision . Tech Incubator YCombinator has announced that it will be accepting Early Decision applicants (like colleges) where you can apply early in the fall for entrance into next summer's batch of startups. This is designed with undergrads, grad students and postdocs in mind as they commonly decide what to do next year early in the fall, but the application is open to anyone."
"These Impossibly Tiny Organs Could Finally End Animal Testing . Drugs are expensive to develop, and many drugs are pulled from shelves because current testing models can't predict whether or not the models could be toxic to humans. Researchers at the Wake Forest School Institute for Regenerative Medicine and The Ohio State University have created microscopic organ replicas that can be used for drug testing. The organs are assembled together similar to how they are assembled in a human body and then embedded onto a computer chip. It is the most sophisticated lab model of the human body ever created and it may have the potential to reduce or eradicate animal testing altogether."
"A.I. Robot Cast in Lead Role of $70M Sci-Fi Film . A robot named Erica has been selected to be the lead actress in a science fiction film. The robot was created by two Japanese scientists as part of their study of robotics. They simulated her motions and emotions through one-on-one sessions, talking through her feelings and coaching character development and body language. The robot was originally set to debut in a different project directed by Tony Kaye (American History X) but there were scheduling issues."
"Theoretical interview questions (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a list of questions for data science interviews. Questions are labeled according to difficulty. Sections include Linear regression, Validation, Classification, Random forest, Gradient boosting, and more. The repository is still a work in progress and many questions have not yet been answered."
"Disney+ surpasses 10 million sign-ups since launch . Disney+ has already received more than 10 million subscriptions since its launch on Tuesday. There were some technical issues at launch, but that did not deter customers. Disney stock went up by 7.35 percent by Wednesday's close. There is a seven-day free trial, so not all the sign-ups represent paying customers. Verizon is also offering customers a free year of Disney+. Disney has made a significant move against its rivals only a day after its US launch. It will slowly roll out to the rest of the globe, with Australia and New Zealand receiving the service starting on November 19. Disney+ is $6.99 per month, or $69.99 per year in the US, which is significantly cheaper than competitors such as Netflix."
"SF, Silicon Valley rents plunge amid downturn: 'Never seen anything like it' . The cost of rent in the San Francisco Bay Area plummeted in May due to layoffs and increased flexibility in working from home. Rent prices dropped by nearly 16% in Mountain View. While rent prices have dropped all across the country, the drop was most severe in the areas that have been most attractive to tech entrepreneurs and their investors. Many tech employees are now permanently allowed to work remotely, which means they are no longer required to live in these areas. A table showing the average rent and the percent change in rent prices between May 2019 and May 2020 in the Bay Area is available at the end of the article."
"Ask HN : How to get back in employment market after working on side projects? (Hacker News Thread). Taking time off work for side projects can mean that you end up with a gap in your resume that future employers might be curious about. Spending time with side projects doesn't mean you're not working, and work that you do for yourself isn't less valuable than work that a boss tells you to do. Treat the side projects as a business and discuss what problems the business solved. People in tech are usually familiar with working on side projects, so they likely relate to your experience."
"lazygit (GitHub Repo). lazygit is a simple UI for git commands. While git may be a powerful tool, many of the things that make it powerful are hard to do. lazygit makes it easy to add files, resolve merge conflicts, check out recent branches, and much more. GIF examples are available."
"Scientists discover brain hack that improves language abilities by 13% . It can be difficult for adults to learn other languages even after years of exposure. In animal studies, vagus nerve stimulation has been shown to prime adult sensory-perceptual systems and make them more plastic. Researchers have created a device to stimulate a person's transcutaneous vagus nerve through painless electric pulses. The device was shown to increase the ability to learn Mandarin tones in English speaking adults. More studies are required, but the researchers hope that a product will be available within the next two to five years."
"Google is building a new augmented reality device and operating system . Google recently hired a lead for its Operating System team for Augmented Reality and posted job listings that indicate that the company is getting serious about AR. Most of the new roles are in the US, but some are located at the offices of Canadian smart glasses maker North, which Google acquired last year. Google has dabbled in AR before, but its interest appeared to cool down even as Facebook and Apple invested heavily in it. Apple and Facebook's CEOs have both described AR as the next big computing platform after smartphones."
"Ask HN: How to learn sales? (Hacker News Thread). Starting a business involves more than just building a product. The product needs to be sold to customers, which involves a different set of skills that someone who has spent a lifetime in engineering might need to brush up on. Sales and marketing are similar yet separate skills, where marketing brings in leads and sales is the conversation that closes the deal. There are different levels to these topics, which the thread goes in-depth about. The thread contains many reading recommendations for business development and selling, as well as anecdotes and advice regarding starting a business."
Sunsetting Jobs & Developer Story . Stack Overflow Jobs and Developer Story will be discontinued on March 31. Features will start being restricted from late January. Stack Overflow will continue to support the advertising component of its Talent offering and companies can keep using Employer Branding solutions to promote their brand. The changes aim to help developers evaluate companies to decide whether they offer the right opportunities.
"How The U.S. Hacked ISIS (20 minute read). When ISIS burst onto the scene, it had done something no other terrorist organization had done so far: it had turned the internet into a weapon. The organization used encrypted apps, social media, and online media to spread its message, find recruits, and launch attacks. In response, the NSA and US Cyber Command created a secret task force that ended up becoming one of the largest and longest offensive cyber operations in US military history. This article details some of the operations that the task force participated in."
"gotestfmt (GitHub Repo). gotestfmt outputs Go test results in a beautifully formatted fashion. It can be easily installed and set up in a CI system. gotestfmt supports several CI systems, or users can add their own CI. Output examples are available through the link in the about section."
Ira Design (Website). Ira is a tool for creating illustrations using gradients and hand-drawn sketch components. It features more than 200 individually designed components and a mix of five gradient colors. The illustrations can be scaled to any size. Examples of websites built using Ira are available.
"To design and develop an interactive globe (18 minute read). The new Stripe.com features a 1:40 million-scale interactive 3D model of the earth. It was built using existing and custom tools. This article discusses in detail how the team explored the different tools available, how they decided what to use, and how they used these tools to customize their solution. It includes code and features interactive examples."
"Microsoft’s new $249 Surface Laptop SE is its first true Chromebook competitor . Microsoft has unveiled a new $249 Surface Laptop SE. It will be sold exclusively to schools and students. The laptop will be running Windows 11 SE, a new student edition designed to compete with Chrome OS. It will feature an all-plastic body, an 11.6-inch display with 1366x768 resolution, a 1-megapixel front camera, a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack, and more. Schools will be allowed to replace components inside the laptop and it will come with standard screws."
"Ask HN: Any certification that is worth it? Legitimately helped your career? (Hacker News Thread). This Hacker News thread discusses certifications that legitimately helped in people's careers. The top suggestions include Offensive Security's OSCP course, Microsoft's MCSE, and Amazon AWS certifications. One post is a warning about how too many certifications can have an adverse effect as hiring managers may see them as a waste of time compared to real-world projects."
"Why Epic is burning its own cash to cook Apple . Fortnite may be free to download, but its in-app purchases helped Epic earn an estimated $1 billion in 2020. Apple takes a 30 percent cut of all transactions on the App Store for larger developers. iOS customers accounted for $700 million in revenue for Epic in the two years it was available. Epic wants to build an online haven called the metaverse, where superhero IPs owned by different companies can interact. It is burning cash fighting Apple now as the company is set to make much more as it expands."
"Here’s everything Apple could announce at its March 8 ‘Peek performance’ special event . Apple will hold its 'Peek Performance' virtual event on March 8. The event will be live-streamed from Apple's website, its YouTube channel, and on the Apple TV app. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone SE 3, iPad Air 5, iOS 15.4, a new Mac mini, a new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air with M2 chips, and a 27-inch iMac or iMac Pro. More details about the expected lineup are available in the article."
"New Mercedes Screen Spans Nearly Entire Width of Car, Regulates With AI . Mercedes-Benz's newest electric luxury sedan will have a large curved screen that will fill the full width of its dashboard. The MBUX Hyperscreen feature will be available on the EQS sedan. It uses artificial intelligence to learn the driver's most used functions and to suggest functions. The screen can display media to the front-seat passenger while obscuring it from the driver to keep them focused on the road. Pictures of the Hyperscreen, as well as a link to a YouTube video from Mercedes about it, are available in the article."
Sight of mouthwatering meals triggers inflammation linked to diabetes . A study has demonstrated how the sight or smell of a meal can trigger an inflammatory response that guides insulin production.
"States’ massive Google antitrust probe will expand into search and Android businesses . The antitrust probe into Google is now moving beyond the company's advertising business and will start to investigate its search and Android businesses. The civil investigative demands into Google might not be served immediately. Each state is investigating different parts of Google's business. At the moment, the investigation is solely focused on online advertising. States can be more aggressive in antitrust investigations compared to federal regulators due to less lobbying and political pressures. The states have committed to sharing resources for the Google investigation. Most of Google's offerings are free to the user, making it difficult to prove antitrust violations. Google has been fined before for breaking antitrust rules, but these fines have not stopped the company from expanding into other businesses. It has recently started to enter into health care."
"Facebook’s new app Bars will let you rap over premade beats . Bars is a new iOS app from Facebook's New Product Experimentation group. It lets users post and share videos of them rapping over beats provided by the app. There are different levels in the app, with an auto-rhyme dictionary for beginners, and a Freestyle mode for more advanced rappers. The app is still in a closed beta. It is unlikely to make an appearance on the Android Play Store."
"Terraforming Mars with strange silica blanket could let plants thrive . Two main issues with living on Mars is that the temperature can drop down to below -100 degrees Celsius at night and that there is no protective atmosphere to shield against harmful UV radiation. The solid-state greenhouse effect is observed when sunlight passes through layers of snow or ice and is absorbed, which insulates the covered area and warms it up at the same time. Scientists tested a 2-centimeter thick silica aerogel covering and found that it blocked more than 60 percent of UV radiation while allowing the area underneath to warm up by 50 degrees Celsius. By combining the aerogel with other materials, structures can be created that could support life on Mars without permanently changing the environment on the planet."
"6 Most Important Things Every Junior Developer Should Know . You don't need a computer science degree to become a software developer. The skill can be self-taught. Having patience with yourself during the learning process will allow you to easier learn from your mistakes. Good companies will understand that you are learning. The ability to learn is vital since the field is always changing. Knowing the key concepts of programming will help you adapt, as while languages, frameworks, platforms, and other things might change, the core concepts will stay the same. Always try to see if there are existing libraries in order to save time. Reading other people's code is a great way to learn how others have solved problems. You do not have to learn all by yourself. There are many resources and forums out there. Finding help in the form of a mentor can be very beneficial in your career development."
Keras Tuner (GitHub Repo). Keras Tuner is a hyperparameter tuner for Keras with TensorFlow 2.0. Data scientists can tune hyperparameters for their neural networks using random search and easily create compiled models with these parameters. Pre-tuned models for computer vision are available.
"The Architecture Behind A One-Person Tech Startup (25 minute read). This article breaks down the setup used to run a one-person Software as a Service business. It covers the tech stack, how traffic is directed to the cluster, deployment, scaling, managing subscriptions and payments, and much more."
"The coronavirus crisis could pave the way to universal basic income . Countries around the globe have effectively shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic and this is likely to cause a global financial crisis. Leaders around the world are starting to consider implementing a Universal Basic Income. A UBI is a regular cash payment to the population with minimal or no conditions. Some experts believe that the economy may not be able to revive itself without a UBI. Spain is looking to implement a UBI as soon as possible. The US recently released its first wave of stimulus relief checks, but these checks are unlikely to have a positive effect on the economy as people are hesitant to spend money if they don't know when they will get paid next. Give feedback by replying here or messaging me on Twitter @tldrdan! If you don't want to receive future editions of TLDR, please click here."
"Ultra-Locally Grown Urban Farming Takes Off in Germany (10 minute read). Urban farms apply techniques gained from years of research with technology to create mini-ecosystems that can be used to cultivate food in city areas. Fish are farmed along with plants, producing natural fertilizers and food. Growing the plants indoors means that almost no pesticides or antibiotics are used, and 90 percent of the water can be recycled. Shorter transportation routes means fresher foods and less need for refrigeration. Urban farming also has a smaller carbon footprint. Indoor farming will play a significant role in the future as climate change and depleted soil begins to have more impact on farming outcomes."
"ZTE announces the world’s first phone with a behind-the-screen camera . ZTE has unveiled the ZTE Axon 20 5G, a device with a behind-the-screen camera. The under-display camera works by thinning out the pixels above the display to allow light to reach the camera. ZTE claims the camera is completely invisible, and an unboxing video seems to support this claim. The phone has a 6.92-inch 2460x1080 OLED display, a Snapdragon 765G SoC processor, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, and a 4220 mAh battery. The phone costs around $321 US in China. It is unlikely to be sold in the US as ZTE is banned in the country."
"Meet the new generation of puzzle-makers bringing mystery to your door (18 minute read). A new type of puzzle game gives players experiences where they need to delve into the history and reality of the world. Tale of Ord was an adventure puzzle that came in four separate packages which culminated into a final exam puzzle that required putting everything the players learned from the previous experiences to unlock a real wooden box. The industry has flourished in recent years, and the demand for puzzles has increased significantly due to the pandemic. This article discusses various new ideas for bringing the live puzzle experience to people in their homes. It includes several galleries of different puzzle packages."
McDonald's uses AI for ordering at drive-throughs . Human servers will soon be replaced with voice-based technology in McDonald's US drive-throughs. McDonald's acquired Apprente earlier this week. The start-up will help implement the AI technology that will make the ordering process more efficient. Up to 20 million jobs in the manufacturing industry alone could be replaced by robots in the next decade. McDonald's has expanded its new McD Tech team by hiring more engineers and data scientists. It has recently invested in technology that alters drive-through menu panels depending on the weather and other factors.
"The Code Review Pyramid . This page contains a code review pyramid focuses on the sections that matter the most during a code review. It also shows parts that could and should be automated. The most important sections are API and implementation semantics, followed by documentation, tests, and code style, in order. The image provides questions to ask for every section."
"Open-Source Insulin: Biohackers Aiming For Distributed Production . Insulin is essential for a diabetic, and it can be expensive, especially for those without good insurance. A growing movement of biohackers is trying to build a distributed system of insulin production with the goal of making it affordable. Today, most insulin is produced through genetically engineered bacteria. Commercial insulin production is complicated and expensive due to how it must be scaled up to be financially viable. The Open Insulin Foundation is now looking to scale its operations, with plans for a factory that could produce insulin at around $6 a vial."
"U.S. Charges Huawei With Stealing Trade Secrets, Bank Fraud . US prosecutors have filed charges against Huawei, alleging that the company stole trade secrets from an US rival and committed bank fraud by doing business with Iran, a violation of sanctions against the country. Huawei has asked for charges against their CFO, Meng Wanzhou to be dropped, claiming that the prosecutors were making a mistake."
"Alphabet reportedly buying North after ‘minuscule’ Focals smart glasses sales . Alphabet is rumored to be acquiring North, a startup that sells smart glasses, after the company reported minuscule sales for its first-generation Focals devices. North released the smart glasses in 2019 and it is unlikely that more than 1,000 pairs were sold, even after the prices were cut from $999 down to $599. Buying the smart glasses required a fitting process that was only available at certain locations. North started looking for a buyer earlier this year, despite cutting monthly spending in half to $3 million and taking on additional investments and loans."
"StartupWatching (Newsletter). This newsletter is full of handy lessons and inspiration for people who are looking to create their own startups. There are lots of articles about how to acquire your first customers, whether or not to take funding, how to get traffic, and all sorts of stuff like that. It's curated by Andrew Askins, CEO of Krit."
"Warner Bros. will release all of its new 2021 movies simultaneously on HBO Max . Warner Bros. will release every single one of its movies in 2021 on both HBO Max and in cinemas simultaneously. The movies will only stream for one month before leaving the platform for some time. Warner Bros. plans to test this business model for one year. All films will stream in 4k Ultra HD and HDR. A list of the movies Warner Bros. plans to release is available in the article. Other media companies have experimented with new strategies during the pandemic. Disney released Mulan exclusively on Disney Plus in September and it performed well enough to make the case to Disney executives that a Premier Access Strategy could work. By releasing exclusive titles every month, streaming services are better able to retain subscribers."
"China is forcing Alibaba and Tencent to cut over 50,000 jobs . Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings are preparing to lay off up to 15% of their workers due to the country's regulatory crackdown. Chinese regulators have taken a heavy-handed approach towards controlling the growth of its tech giants due to antitrust and cybersecurity concerns. WeChat, owned by Tencent, experienced stunning daily user growth in 2021 despite the crackdown. Alibaba has been targeted since its founder Jack Ma publicly criticized Chinese regulators in 2020."
"Twilio Set To Acquire Cloud Customer Data Startup Segment For $3.2 Billion . Twilio has agreed to acquire Segment for $3.2 billion, with part of the sale based on Twilio stock. Segment was founded in 2012 and works with more than 20,000 businesses. The customer data infrastructure company's services overlap with Twilio's, which also helps clients connect with their customer base. Twilio currently trades at a market capitalization of over $45 billion. It provides a communications infrastructure that allows businesses to communicate with customers through text messages, voice, and video calls."
"Microsoft Edge surpasses Safari as the second most popular desktop browser . Microsoft Edge is now the second-most popular desktop browser after Google Chrome. A recent analysis by Statcounter shows that Microsoft Edge has surpassed Safari in users. The number of Safari users is decreasing, possibly due to the redesign introduced during WWDC 2021. Firefox almost surpassed Safari in February."
"Tesla is now selling a $1,900 electric Cyberquad ATV for kids . Tesla is selling a mini Cyberquad designed for kids for $1,900. The Cyberquad can get up to around 15 miles on a full charge, which takes five hours. It can reach a top speed of 10 mph, but this can be limited to 5 mph. The Cyberquad is designed for kids 8 and up, with a max weight of 150 lbs. It is only available in the US and there is no guarantee that Tesla will deliver in time for Christmas. A picture of the Cyberquad is available in the article."
"Jeff Bezos took the controls of some 'weirdly natural' giant robot hands but could not solve the riddle of a Rubik's cube . Jeff Bezos demonstrated a pair of remote-controlled robotics hands at Amazon’s re:MARS conference in Las Vegas this week. The robot hands were able to perform delicate tasks, such as stacking cups. Bezos described using the hands as ‘weirdly natural’ and that the haptic feedback provided by the gloves was ‘tremendous’. The robot exhibit was a collaboration between Shadow Robot, HaptX, and SynTouch. Shadow Robot specializes in building dexterous robotic hands, HaptX develops technologies for touch feedback, and SynTouch makes robots that can sense touch. A 44 second video is available showing Bezos using the device."
"New Type of Aurora Borealis Discovered . Physicists from the University of Iowa have discovered a new type of aurora in a nearly two-decade-old video. Diffuse auroral erasers are a part of the background-like glow of auroras that sometimes go dark and suddenly reappear. It is unknown whether they are rare, as they have just been noticed and scientists haven't started looking for them yet. A 20-second video showing diffuse auroral erasers is available in the article."
"WeWork parent says IPO still on despite setbacks . We Company will complete its initial public offering by the end of the year despite canceling its launch this week due to concerns over lack of interest by investors. It faces issues over its corporate governance standards, as well as the sustainability of its business model. We Company relies on a mix of long-term liabilities and short-term revenue, which may pose a problem during an economic downturn. In January, We Company was valued at $47 billion, but recent valuations set the company at between $10 billion to $12 billion. We Company has recently made changes to its corporate governance, reducing the CEO and co-founder Adam Neumann's grip on the company. Neumann will now have less voting power and any future successor will be selected by the board. The WeWork brand is strongly tied to Neumann and he had planned to have his wife, WeWork's co-founder and We Company's current chief brand officer, to become his successor."
"GM's Cruise partners with DoorDash to test autonomous food delivery . GM's Cruise self-driving division will team up with DoorDash to test autonomous food delivery in San Francisco, starting in early 2019. Cruise has 180 vehicles and over 400 safety drivers, and will be using the service to start experimenting with commercial uses of its self-driving technology as it doesn't yet have a license from the state to operate as a ride-sharing company."
"How to Make Your Code Reviewer Fall in Love with You (17 minute read). Code review conversations usually focus on the reviewer, and not around how developers should prepare their code for review. Improving code review techniques helps you learn faster, makes others better, and minimizes team conflicts. This article gives 13 tips for optimizing your code reviews. The golden rule is to value your reviewer's time, allowing them to focus on interesting parts of your code rather than requiring them to untangle code or police simple mistakes."
"OnlyFans bans sexually explicit content to appease banks and payment services . OnlyFans will ban sexually explicit material on its platform from October 1 to comply with the requests of its banking partners and payout providers. The company has yet to reveal its new rules, but nudity will still be allowed. OnlyFans is having trouble attracting investors due to its racy content. The company, founded in 2016, has 200 employees, 150 million registered users, and over 1.5 million content creators. It has paid out over $3 billion in creator earnings since its founding."
"Scientists Beamed Shapes and Motion Directly Into Monkeys’ Brains Using Light . Attempts at beaming images directly into people's brains have so far only resulted in very low-resolution devices. Most devices require electrodes to be placed on the brain's surface, which limits the resolution significantly. In a new experiment, scientists used tiny needle-like electrodes to create a high-resolution array that allowed monkeys to identify complex shapes. The tiny electrodes were able to reach deeper into the brain tissue, allowing the scientists to use smaller currents with more precision. Adapting the technology to be used in humans will prove challenging as the same area of the brain in humans is much deeper."
"Tesla sues former employees for allegedly stealing data, Autopilot source code . A lawsuit filed by Tesla claims that Guangzhi Cao, a former engineer at Tesla, stole more than 300,000 files related to autopilot technology before leaving the company and joining Xiaopeng Motors Technology Company Ltd, a Chinese self-driving car startup. Xiaopeng has released a statement claiming they did not know about Cao's misconduct and were conducting an internal investigation on the matter. As Tesla is currently building a vehicle assembly facility in Shanghai, Xiaopeng is now a direct competitor in the world's largest electric vehicle market. Tesla has also filed a separate lawsuit against another four former employees and a US self-driving car startup, Zoox Inc, alleging the employees stole proprietary information and trade secrets for developing warehousing, logistics, and inventory control operations."
"Spark Learning Guide (GitHub Repo). Apache Spark is a cluster computing platform that can schedule, distribute, and monitor applications across many worker machines or a computing cluster. This repository contains a comprehensive guide on Spark with information gathered from multiple sources. It can be used as a guide to learn Spark or as reference material."
Laravel Learning Path (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a learning path for Laravel. It lists topics to learn in order and provides links to resources.
"Snapchat launches a TikTok-like feed called Spotlight, kick-started by paying creators . Spotlight is Snapchat's new TikTok-like feed that lets users watch short, entertaining videos in a vertically scrollable video format. It will showcase the community's creative efforts, with Snapchat's algorithms surfacing the most engaging Snaps to show to each user on a personalized basis. Snaps in the new feed will be ranked according to a combination of factors, including negative factors, in a similar system to what TikTok uses for its 'For You' feed. Spotlight will feature Snaps from both private and public user accounts. Snaps from private accounts will have user information removed. The Spotlight feed will be moderated according to Snapchat's new Spotlight Guidelines."
"A Former Walmart Executive Wants to Build 'the Most Sustainable City in the World' . Marc Lore, a former Walmart CEO, is planning to build a city from scratch in a desert somewhere in the western US, potentially in Nevada or Idaho. The city of Telosa will be built on land that will be donated to a community endowment to help fund the city's development and improve the lives of citizens. The project will use eco-friendly building materials and processes and will be built with bikes and pedestrians in mind. Telosa will be built on the principles of inclusivity and openness. Concept images of the city are available in the article."
"Foxglove Studio (GitHub Repo). Foxglove Studio is a visualization and diagnosis tool for robotics. It features interactive charts, 3D visualizations, camera imaging, and diagnostic feeds to help with a wide range of common robotics tasks. The layout can be customized to accommodate any project's unique needs and workflows. It is available for Linux, Windows, and macOS."
"Zoom became Saturday Night Live’s breakout star in historic all digital, remote episode . Zoom hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live as the cast of the show was stuck working from home. The producers were limited in what they could do on the show, but they made it work by having actors filming skits from their homes and using Zoom backgrounds for visual gags. While the episode was one of SNL's most heartfelt, it is a reminder of how much work technology allows us to accomplish from home. Give feedback by replying here or messaging me on Twitter @tldrdan! If you don't want to receive future editions of TLDR, please click here."
"Clubhouse accidentally leaked its own private messaging function . Clubhouse leaked a messaging feature called Backchannel to some users last week. Backchannel is a way for users to communicate over text instead of audio. The feature was not referenced in the app's release notes and it was clearly unfinished. Clubhouse was quick to remove it from the app. It released a statement acknowledging the feature, but warned that it was in testing and might not become a part of the app."
"Kernel Helmet That Is Claimed to Read Human Mind Starts Shipping for $50,000 in US (20 minute read). Kernel will start shipping its mind-reading helmet over the next few weeks. The helmets contain sensors for measuring and analyzing a brain's electrical impulses and blood flow at the speed of thought. While the technology has existed for some time, it was expensive and impractical. The helmet design allows people to walk around while still being monitored. They are lightweight and relatively inexpensive. The first helmets will be going to brain research institutions and companies for product development. A picture of one of the helmets is available in the article."
"China completes world’s first 5G remote surgery in test on animal (1 minute video). Doctors in China have conducted remote surgery on a test animal, removing its liver by controlling robotic surgical arms over a 5G connection. This is possible because 5G is so fast that despite the 30 mile distance between the doctor and the patient, the lag time was only 0.1 seconds so surgery was still possible. The hope is that this technology could be used to help people in disaster areas, or for doctors at large hospitals to help colleagues in smaller institutions."
Researchers Demonstrate The World’s First Quantum Radar . A team of researchers in Austria have created the first quantum radar. Quantum entanglement is when pairs or groups of particles' quantum states cannot be described independently of the other's state even when separated by a large distance. The quantum radar works by creating pairs of microwave photons using a superconducting device called a Josephson parametric converter. It uses low power and is more precise than conventional radars used today. The quantum radar is able to reach larger distances while remaining undetectable over background noise.
"Awesome Podcasts (GitHub Repo). This GitHub Repo contains an organized list of podcasts targeted at software engineers. Each entry gives a quick description of each podcast, how often episodes are released, and the average play time. There are over 30 topics, each with several podcasts listed."
"Apple developing new 'Apple Studio Display' with 7K resolution . Apple is reportedly developing an Apple Studio Display with 7K resolution. It is unclear if the display will be a successor to the Pro Display XDR or if it will be a higher-resolution option in the same range. The display could feature a built-in A13 processor. No pricing details have been reported, but it will likely be less than the Pro Display XDR's $4,999 price tag."
"AT&T will automatically block fraud calls for new customers . AT&T will start automatically blocking fraud calls for new customers at no extra charge. Customers are able to opt out of this service if they don’t want the company to screen their calls for them. Existing customers will have to wait a few months for this feature to be added automatically to their accounts, or they can turn on the feature using the AT&T Call Protect app or through their myAT&T account settings. While there are no extra fees for this service, there are no rules that prevent AT&T from raising its subscription rates for offering the service."
"Spotify tests a TikTok-like vertical video feed in its app . Spotify is currently testing a new vertical video feed feature called Discover. Discover's interface is similar to TikTok's, with a vertical feed of music videos that users can scroll through. Users can tap a heart to like songs, and a menu is available for bringing up song information. The feature appears to use artists' Canvas videos. A video showing the new feature is available in the article."
"Micronaut (GitHub Repo). Micronaut is a JVM-based full stack microservices framework designed for building modular, easily testable microservice applications. It aims to provide all the tools necessary to build microservice applications while avoiding the downsides of frameworks like Spring, Spring Boot, and Grails. Example Micronaut applications are available."
"Homer (GitHub Repo). Homer is a Python package to make text more clear, simple, and useful. It provides information on the overall text and individual sections, such as the average sentences per paragraph and the length of the sentence. It was designed to help improve writing for a non-native English speaker."
Mario on Vim (GitHub Repo). This is an implementation of the classic Mario game in Vim. It requires the vim-game_engine plugin to work. A GIF demo is available in the repository.
"Ask HN: What's a promising area to work on? (Hacker News Thread). This thread contains opinions about the next popular and profitable trend. Past trends include social networks in 2004, mobile apps in 2010, or vlogging in 2014. There are many emerging technologies that are proving to fit the description, including machine learning, security and privacy, sustainable energy, sustainable food production, and gene therapies. Many of these technologies are set to change the way the world works, for example, cryptocurrency technology has the potential to change the way we trust others."
"19 States Voting Records Being Sold on the Dark Web . The voting records of over 35 million Americans are available on the dark web. There are records from 19 states, and it's being hinted at that the data leak is not technical, it may be coming from a leaker within the government. You can buy voter records from a state for between $150 and $12500, battleground states tend to cost more."
"Square Plans to Build a Decentralized Bitcoin Exchange, Says Jack Dorsey . Square CEO Jack Dorsey has announced that Square is working on a new decentralized exchange called TBD. TBD will be a fully permissionless and decentralized exchange built around Bitcoin that will let users fund any kind of Bitcoin wallet using fiat currency. Square aims to develop the project using only Bitcoin infrastructure. There is no timeline for when Square plans to launch TBD."
"Snap Camera (Desktop App). This is Snapchat's desktop app that will let you use Snapchat lenses (like the doggy face, rainbow barf, etc.) while video chatting on your computer. The cool thing about this is that it allows you to use any third party video chatting services (like you can stream with Twitch while using Snapchat lenses), you just have to select Snap Camera as your webcam device, and the filters will be available."
SpaceX successfully launches and lands its Starship prototype rocket . SpaceX successfully launched the 15th prototype of its Starship rocket in a test flight that landed upright as planned. A small fire broke out shortly after landing but it was contained. It is the first prototype to land intact. A 16-minute video showing the test launch is available in the article.
"IceFireDB (GitHub Repo). IceFireDB is a distributed disk storage system based on the Raft and RESP protocols. It features distributed consistency, reliable LSM disk storage, a cold and hot mixed data storage structure, multiple groups of raft clusters, advanced cache implementation, and more."
"Aboard the giant sand-sucking ships that China uses to reshape the world . In recent years, China has created an armada of huge ships that dredge up sand from the ocean floor. The largest of these ships can suck up 8,000 cubic yards of sand per hour. They then use that sand to build man-made islands in the South China Sea, one of the world's busiest shipping routes. Many countries lay claim to the Spratly Islands in the middle of the sea. In the last 18 months, China has used these ships to add nearly 3,000 acres of new land to their portion of the Spratlys, and is now installing surface to air missiles, runways for military aircraft, and ports for warships. This sand is causing environmental problems, as it is dumped on top of coral and causing ""the most rapid rate of permanent loss of coral reef area in human history."""
"The Complete Guide to Full Stack Web3 Development (30 minute read). This in-depth tutorial teaches the tools, protocols, and frameworks for building full-stack web3 apps. It walks through how to deploy an app to Polygon, a network with low transaction costs, fast block times, and current network adoption. The app will be built on the Ethereum Virtual Machine, which is used on dozens of blockchains."
"Talking to Animals: Using AI to Decode the Language of Whales . Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative) is a scientific endeavor with the goal of using machine learning to better understand sperm whale language. Sperm whales communicate through a series of intensely loud clicks called codas. The clicks can reach up to 230 decibels, allowing them to communicate with each other over hundreds of miles. Sperm whales have brains six times the size of human brains and they contain cells responsible for empathy, social organization, and speech. CETI plans to collect as much data as possible to see if AI can process the codas into something we can understand."
"SpaceX Starlink engineers take questions in Reddit AMA—here are highlights . SpaceX Starlink engineers took part in a Reddit AMA on Saturday. Starlink will try to avoid having data caps on their service, but there may have to be measures in the future to prevent abuse and to ensure everyone has a quality service. The beta will be expanding in late January. Starlink is currently looking for more staff, and people are encouraged to apply. Other topics covered in the AMA, such as mobility, weather, coverage, power consumption, and more, are summarized in the article. A link to the original Reddit thread is available."
"Bill Gates backs startup using sunlight to create 1,000C-plus heat . Heliogen is a company that has created a system to concentrate sunlight in order to reach temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius. The system represents a technological leap forward in tackling the emissions that make up 75% of the world's carbon footprint. Heliogen uses a large array of mirrors to reflect sunlight at a target. Its system can generate temperatures high enough to manufacture cement without fossil fuels. Cement is the world's third-largest source of emissions behind oil and coal. Bill Gates, along with other private equity investors and entrepreneurs, is backing Heliogen's efforts to replace fossil fuels."
"Loom Is Async Video For Work (Sponsor). Loom Is Async Video For Work . Instead of spending your day in back-to-back meetings, try a new kind of face time where you never need to repeat yourself and it's easy to be yourself.A 3 minute recorded Loom video could replace your next 30 minute meeting.Get Loom For Free."
"PySlowFast (GitHub Repo). PySlowFast is an open-source codebase that provides state-of-the-art video backbones for video understanding research. It supports rapid implementation and evaluation of novel video research ideas. PySlowFast includes the implementations of five different backbone network architectures - SlowFast, SlowOnly, C2D, I3D, and Non-local Network."
Mitochondrial transplants between living cells could save dying organs . Mitochondrial transplantation is an experimental therapy that has shown promise in animal studies as a way to rejuvenate tissues affected by mitochondrial dysfunction. Scientists at ETH Zurich have developed a method of mitochondrial transplantation that is minimally invasive and has a high success rate with unparalleled efficiency. It involves using a specially-developed nanosyringe to transplant mitochondria. The research could result in new ways to treat diseased organs and methods to rejuvenate cells damaged by age.
"The transhumanists who are 'upgrading' their bodies . A growing number of people who call themselves 'transhumanists' believe that they can improve beyond their physical and mental limitations and upgrade their bodies by incorporating technology. Modifications can include implanting RFID chips to make interaction with technologies easier, magnets to sense electromagnetic fields, and LED implants for cosmetic reasons. Not all the modifications are practical. Microchips are usually delivered by a syringe to the back of the hand and can be programmed to do various tasks. RFID chips are used for many technologies, for example, key cards, bank cards, public transport tickets, and sharing other information. Buying parts online and performing the procedures at home can be risky. Most tattoo artists and body piercers are covered to do implants."
"New AI Dupes Humans into Believing Synthesized Sound Effects Are Real . AutoFoley is an AI that can synthesize background sound effects based on a scene. It analyzes the movement in video frames and then creates artificial sound effects to match the scene. In a study, a majority of people who viewed clips generated with AutoFoley believed that the fake sound effects were real. Three examples of sound effects generated by AutoFoley are available in the article."
Elon Musk: Tesla is working to make Steam video games work in its vehicles . Elon Musk says Tesla is working to make Steam's library of games work on its onboard vehicle computers. Tesla has been building a video game platform called Tesla Arcade that will run inside its vehicles. The company has been working with video game studios to port games to the Arcade. Musk believes that entertainment will be critical when cars become autonomous. Tesla plans to offer paid packages of different video games. The company recently deployed a new entertainment computer in its Model S and Model X.
"World's Largest All-Electric Airplane Flies for Historic 30 Minutes . magniX is an air travel startup made up of members from companies like Airbus, Boeing, Google-X, SpaceX, and Tesla. It recently flew an all-electric Cessna 208 aircraft for 30 minutes over Moses Lake in Washington. The aircraft has a battery-powered electric engine and can carry up to nine passengers. magniX estimates that the cost to run a retrofitted electric fleet could be as much as 50 percent less than using conventional fuel aircraft. Retrofitted aircraft have a range of about 100 miles, while specially designed electric aircraft will have a range that could be up to five times that."
"TensorTrade (GitHub Repo). TensorTrade is an open-source Python framework for building, training, evaluating, and deploying robust trading algorithms using reinforcement learning. It is designed with user-friendliness in mind and functionality can be easily extended through modules. One of the main goals of TensorTrade is to be able to enable fast experimentation with algorithmic trading strategies."
"""Schrodinger's Bacterium"" Could Be a Quantum Biology Milestone . Quantum physics has been verified to work on tiny scales but we aren't sure where the cutoff mark is for the microscopic quantum world and the more intuitive macroscopic world. For example we've never seen a quantum entangled planet or living organism. Until now! Scientists have managed to successfully entangle bacteria with photons, they used bacteria that do photosynthesis, and shot light at them in such a way that the bacteria's photosynthetic systems became entangled with the light. Essentially, certain photons were simultaneously hitting and missing photosynthetic molecules within the bacteria. One of the lead researchers wants to push further, saying ""The long-term goals are foundational and fundamental. This is about understanding the nature of reality, and whether quantum effects have a utility in biological functions. At the root of things, everything is quantum."""
"A third CRISPR baby may have already been born in China . At the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing, held in Hong Kong last November, it was revealed that a scientist in China had edited the genes of a pair of twins using CRISPR technology. It was also revealed that he had performed the procedure on another embryo and that the pregnancy was only recently confirmed at the time of the summit. After the summit, the scientist and his studies were hidden from the public as China sought to cover up the news. It is unknown what happened to the second pregnancy. However, if the pregnancy was carried out to full term, the baby will be born around this time. All of the babies had the same CCR5 gene removed."
"Harvard scientists will soon send chemicals into the atmosphere to test whether a last-ditch planet-hacking plan could keep Earth habitable . Harvard scientists are testing a radical plan to combat global warming: in 2019 they will spray particles into a small part of the sky to help reflect some of the sun's rays back into space. This sort of thing has been observed to work in nature, when Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991 in the Philippines, it released enough sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere to bring down the planet's temperature by 0.5 degrees Celsius for 1.5 years. Skeptics say solar geoengineering could harm the ozone layer, disrupt wildlife ecosystems, and lead to military use of weather-altering tech."
"This Man Created Traffic Jams on Google Maps Using a Red Wagon Full of Phones . An artist in Berlin pulled a red wagon full of smartphones around town in order to create virtual traffic jams on Google Maps. The 99 smartphones had Google Maps open, causing the app to flag his location as jam-packed and to start diverting traffic to other routes. Simon Wreckert, the artist, wanted to get people to think about the space we give to cars in public life and the data we rely on every day. The generated maps weren't reality, but rather an interpretation of the data that the algorithm saw."
"MIT muscle-control system for drones lets a pilot use gestures for accurate and specific navigation . MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab has released a video showing pilots using gestures to control drone devices. Pilots using the system can guide a drone through a series of rings just using hand and arm gestures. The technology allows for specific control, opening it up for potential use in industrial applications. The video is linked in the article."
"A Driverless Truck Got a Shipment Cross-Country 10 Hours Faster Than a Human Driver . TuSimple, a company focused on self-driving technology for heavy-duty trucks, shipped a truckload of watermelons from Arizona to Oklahoma using the truck’s autonomous system for over 80 percent of the journey. The truck drove the route in just over 14 hours, 10 hours faster than the average time it takes a human driver to drive the same route. The cargo arrived at its destination in better condition as it was a day fresher. A human driver is still required to act as a safety and last-mile driver. The technology may be able to help fill a shortage of labor in the long-haul trucking industry."
"Speeding up a Git monorepo at Dropbox with <200 lines of code . In 2014, Dropbox migrated from Mercurial to Git to improve local performance and consolidate repositories that hosted backend code. Git performance issues grew linearly as the monorepo grew. With a small wrapper of custom code, the engineering team was able to speed up Git operations without fragmenting the unified and growing repository. The process of growing the repository and optimizing it is detailed in the article."
"Uber to buy leading alcohol delivery service Drizly in $1.1bn deal . Uber will buy on-demand alcohol delivery platform Drizly for about $1.1bn. The acquisition will allow Uber to offer beer, wine, and spirits in the majority of US states. Uber has had to branch out to new categories of delivery due to lockdown measures. Revenue for Uber Eats surpassed rides revenue in the second quarter of 2020. Lantern, a cannabis delivery service launched by Drizly in May 2020, is not part of the deal."
"How Data Brokers Sell Access to the Backbone of the Internet . ISPs are selling data that can be used to trace traffic through VPNs. Netflow data can be used by digital investigators to create a picture of traffic flow and volume across a network. It can show which servers have communicated with each other and approximate the physical location of a user. This article investigates some of the companies and organizations involved in the business of netflow data, how the data is used, and the impact the industry has on citizen surveillance."
Blizzard is planning a new Warcraft mobile game . Blizzard is working on a new Warcraft mobile title for a 2022 release. The news was part of Activision Blizzard's quarterly earnings report. Activision Blizzard also plans to release Diablo Immortal this year. The quarterly earnings report revealed that consumers spent over a billion dollars on Call of Duty mobile in 2021.
"LG will make OLED TVs that roll up like posters a reality in 2019 . LG is expected to release OLED TVs that roll up like posters in February of 2019. They initially debuted the concept last January, but it wasn't ready for an actual commercial launch. The TVs are expected to be 65-inches and will retract automatically when you press a button, like a garage door."
"Twitter’s Jack Dorsey Is Giving Andrew Yang $5 Million to Build the Case for a Universal Basic Income . Jack Dorsey is giving $5 million to Humanity Forward, a group launched by Andrew Yang, to build the case for a universal basic income. Humanity Forward will distribute the contribution in the form of small cash grants to nearly 20,000 people who were affected economically by the pandemic. The group has already given away nearly $2 million in direct cash assistance. Yang campaigned for president with universal basic income as the centerpiece of his campaign. He ended his bid after disappointing finishes in the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries. The pandemic has created another push for a universal basic income. Dorsey sees universal basic income both as a means of helping people through the pandemic and as a safety net during a fast-changing economy. It will provide stability for people as the world changes and innovations in automation take over traditional jobs."
"First Death Reported in China After Monkey B Virus Infection . A 53-year-old veterinarian from China has died from a Monkey B virus infection. Monkey B is a type of Herpes virus that is transmitted horizontally and through direct contact with bodily fluids. It is rare in humans, with only one other case documented in the 1990s. The victim was dissecting two dead monkeys in early March and developed symptoms a month later. He died in late May. There were over 500 macaques infected with the virus in The Silver Springs State Park in Florida last year."
This bug doesn’t exist on x86: Exploiting an ARM-only race condition (30 minute read). This article explains how to exploit a double free vulnerability and get a shell on ARM architecture. It walks through how to discover vulnerabilities and explains how this particular vulnerability works in the architecture. The full exploit code is provided.
"This New Virtual Reality Glove Lets You Grab Digital Objects . A team of engineers in Korea has designed a new Virtual Reality glove that can create the sensation of touch when manipulating digital objects. VR gloves are not new, but they typically focus on creating a sense of texture, rather than shape. The new VR gloves have a small air bubble encased in a thin silicone skin at the fingertips which can change shape when an electric current is applied to the silicone. In a test, the engineers used the gloves to pick up a virtual knight from a computerized chessboard. They described being able to feel the knight's shape and being able to pick up the object and hold it, demonstrating that the glove's sensors can stay 'on' over periods of time."
Researchers develop a paper-thin loudspeaker . MIT engineers have developed a paper-thin loudspeaker that can turn any surface into an audio source. The speaker can produce high-quality sounds on a variety of surfaces. It can be made into any size and uses only a fraction of the power used by traditional loudspeakers. The speaker has a high enough resonance frequency to be used for ultrasound applications. A video showing off the speaker is available in the article.
"DNA of Giant ‘Corpse Flower’ Parasite Surprises Biologists (10 minute read). The Rafflesiaceae are a family of rare parasitic plants that have shed superfluous genes and acquired new ones from their hosts. Researchers recently mapped the genome for a species of Rafflesiaceae and found that it was missing nearly half of the genes widely conserved across plant lineages. There were no functional genes in its chloroplasts, like in other members of the Rafflesiaceae family. While the genome seemed to be missing a lot of DNA, it is still roughly the same size as ours. Most of the genome is filled up with copies of stolen genes. Horizontal gene transfer is rare outside of bacteria."
"FBI document shows what data can be obtained from encrypted messaging apps . An FBI document released earlier this month contains a list of messaging services, what kind of data can be obtained from the operators of the services, and the legal processes required to obtain that information. Law enforcement can access the content of encrypted messages from services like iMessage, Line, and WhatsApp, but not from Signal, Telegram, Threema, Viber, WeChat, or Wickr. The document is available in the article."
"Facebook app developers leaked millions of user records on cloud servers, researchers say . Researchers from the security firm UpGuard have found a database containing hundreds of millions of unencrypted user records on publicly visible cloud servers. The records included information such as Facebook user activity, account names, and IDs. There was data for an app which included passwords to access the app. It is unknown how long the data was exposed for, but it was removed as soon as Facebook was notified of its existence by UpGuard."
"The world’s largest bacteria is visible to the naked eye . A bacteria discovered in a mangrove swamp in Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles has an average length of about one centimeter. It is by far the largest bacteria known today. The bacteria has developed a unique organelle called a 'pepin' that contains DNA. The bacteria poses no threat to humans. A close-up image of the bacteria is available in the article."
"They spent 12 years solving a puzzle. It yielded the first COVID-19 vaccines . A small group of government and university scientists who spent more than a decade studying viruses contributed a critical piece to the most promising candidates for the COVID-19 vaccines. The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein can change shape, making it difficult to neutralize. Previous research into cold vaccines found that stabilizing the shapeshifting protein resulted in more neutralizing power. This technique was used to design an experimental mRNA vaccine for MERS, then later was used in developing the COVID-19 vaccines."
Dawn (GitHub Repo). Dawn is a reference theme from Shopify. It has Online Store 2.0 features and only uses JavaScript when required. Dawn is built on theme code principles that ensure fast websites for mostly logged-out traffic.
"SoftBank to take control of WeWork: Sources . SoftBank is in advanced talks to take control of WeWork. It plans to spend up to $5 billion in new funding and existing shares. WeWork will be valued up to $8 billion after the deal, which could be announced as soon as Tuesday. SoftBank will have 70 percent or more control of WeWork. Last month, WeWork terminated plans to go public after its IPO prospectus revealed a $900 million loss in the first six months of 2019. There were also concerns over its corporate governance which resulted in Adam Neumann leaving the CEO position. WeWork has since started focusing on raising new capital and becoming profitable. Up to 15,000 employees may be laid off in the coming weeks."
"How Miami Seduced Silicon Valley (27 minute read). Miami is rebranding itself to attract tech companies and startups. Many tech investors, cryptocurrency bulls, new-media tycoons, start-up founders, and other wanna-be billionaires have been buying up property in the city. Miami was the top migration destination for homebuyers in the US in July, while San Francisco had the largest homeowner exodus. This article discusses how Miami is making itself more attractive to investors and the impact that this migration has had on the city and the tech industry."
"NASA Found Another Way Into Nuclear Fusion . Lattice confinement fusion is a type of fusion that takes place in the narrow channels between atoms, resulting in a Goldilocks effect where the atoms are neither supercooled nor superheated, but they reach fusion-level energy. The energy required to induce fusion is significantly lower when atoms are packed densely within the atomic lattice of another element. Other methods of inducing fusion require immense temperatures that continue to create logistical problems. Scientists will need to find a way to increase the rate of atomic reactions manyfold before lattice confinement fusion is practical."
"Taco Bell’s bright new Times Square Cantina is completely no-contact . Taco Bell's new Times Square location is completely contactless. Customers can only order online or at touchscreen kiosks, and they pick up their meals from secure food lockers. The new Cantina is located on the bottom floor of the Paramount Building. There is seating available. If the system fares well, it will likely spread to other locations too. A limited-edition Bell Apple Freeze drink will be available at the location."
"Moderna Will Develop mRNA Vaccines for 15 of the World’s Worst Diseases . Moderna has announced plans to develop mRNA vaccines against 15 different pathogens. mRNA vaccines are essentially plug and play, so scientists can add in codes specific to the virus they hope to protect against without having to develop and manufacture an entirely new formula. They are also easy to scale in production at a relatively low cost, making it possible to screen multiple vaccine candidates with low resources. Moderna will prioritize viruses classified as persistent global health threats. It aims to have all 15 vaccines in clinical trials by 2025."
"Spotify is in talks to buy Gimlet for more than $200 million. That’s a big deal for the podcasting world . After an unsuccessful attempt at entering into the streaming video market, Spotify is now in talks to acquire Gimlet, the podcast content creator that first introduced the show ‘Homecoming’. While Spotify has bought other companies before, this is the first time Spotify has bought a content creator and distributor."
"Alphabet’s Loon balloons provide their first commercial internet service in Kenya . Loon has launched its first commercial service in Kenya. Alphabet's fleet of around 35 floating balloons will provide 4G LTE service to Telkom Kenya subscribers within a 50,000 square kilometer region across western and central areas of the country. Loon has been testing its balloons in Kenya for several months now, connecting 35,000 unique users to the internet. The balloons fly at roughly 20 km above the ground, analyzing the weather to ride around on stratospheric winds. They stay in the air for over 100 days before returning to earth. The balloons were designed to supplement existing connectivity options rather than to replace them."
"Long Live the Multiverse! . Multiverse theory has existed for centuries, and many prominent figures have debated the existence of multiple universes. As our understanding of our universe evolved, so did our theory of multiple universes. The discovery of other galaxies expanded the size of our universe, and its possibilities, significantly. If the big bang was followed by a burst of rapid expansion, these events could have happened in other areas of space as well. While multiverse advocates have been right in the past, it doesn't mean that multiverse theory is correct. Multiverse theory can not be tested, but it can be used as a prediction for other theories that can be tested."
Cool Vendors in Software Engineering: Enhancing Developer Productivity (Sponsor). Cool Vendors in Software Engineering: Enhancing Developer Productivity . Download the 2022 Gartner Cool Vendor Report to learn how Sourcegraph helps engineers and engineering leaders boost developer productivity while mitigating security risks. Get access to the report and see why Gartner included Sourcegraph among its industry-leading tools. Learn more.
"Apple, Hyundai set to agree electric car tie-up . Hyundai Motor and Apple Inc are planning to sign a partnership deal on autonomous electric cars by March. The companies will either build the cars at Kia Motors' factory in Georgia or will invest jointly in a new factory. They plan to produce 100,000 vehicles by around 2024. A beta version of Apple's car might be released next year. Both companies have declined to comment on the rumors."
Hacking-Security-Ebooks (GitHub Repo). This repository contains 100 hacking and security e-books that are free for download. Each book is listed with its total number of pages.
"AI is sending people to jail—and getting it wrong . The US imprisons 2.2 million adults and has 4.5 million more in correctional facilities (that's 1 in 38 adult Americans). To reduce prison numbers without increasing crime, they are trying to use AI to predict who to let out, where to police, and how to identify suspects. Unfortunately, the AI is based on historical data and mostly targets low-income and minority communities and marks them as having high recidivism scores. Over 100 civil rights groups signed a statement against their use, but more states including California are adopting this tech."
"A hospital introduced a robot to help nurses. They didn’t expect it to be so popular . Nurses are currently in high demand. The number of nursing jobs was estimated to grow by 15 percent between 2016 and 2026. A robot designed by Diligent Robotics helps nurses by completing approximately 30 percent of the tasks that nurses are required to do that do not involve interacting with patients. Moxi is preprogrammed to run errands automatically, such as delivering an admission bucket to a room after a patient is discharged. The robot was unexpectedly popular with patients and staff during testing, especially after the team added some social functions. It is designed to look non-threatening while remaining highly functional. The workload that the robot takes off nurses means that nurses have more time and energy to focus on patients."
"Zoom buys Keybase — its first acquisition — as part of 90-day plan to fix security flaws . Zoom has bought security start-up Keybase, which will allow it to implement end-to-end encryption in its meetings. Users will not be able to call into encrypted meetings via phone, and cloud-based recording will be disabled. The encryption key will not be held on Zoom servers. It will take some time to implement Keybase's technology into Zoom's software. Encrypted Zoom calls will be a paid service."
"How to animate SVG signature . It is possible to draw appealing animations with just a little SVG, Javascript, and CSS knowledge. This tutorial shows you how to create an animation using JavaScript functions to calculate SVG path length and CSS to animate SVG strokes. The final result, along with the demo code, is available to view and download."
"Spotify’s big bet on podcasts is starting to pay off . Spotify reported that its podcast audience has grown by over 50 percent since last quarter, with its total number of premium subscribers growing by nine percent in the same period. The growth in Spotify's podcasting business suggests that its investments in acquiring podcast networks are paying off. Spotify has recently announced a multi-year podcasting deal with Higher Ground Productions, Barack and Michelle Obama's media company, which will mean exclusive podcasts for the streaming service. Despite the rise in subscriber revenue, Spotify continues to remain unprofitable."
Scientists developed a clever way to detect Deepfakes by analyzing light reflections in the eyes . A new AI tool developed by computer scientists from the University of Buffalo can spot Deepfake images by looking at the light reflected in the eyes. It was 94% effective at detecting Deepfake images in tests on portrait-style photos. The corneas of the eyes reflect patterns when illuminated by light. Deepfake generators typically fail to capture this reflection accurately. The method only works on clear portrait images with a good source of lighting.
"Inside YouTube’s plan to win the music-streaming wars (12 minute read). YouTube's track record with artists has been complicated at best in the past. Artists have previously complained about royalties and copyright violations on the platform. The current situation is better for artists, with new royalty deals and more ways for artists to engage their fans. Google has a track record of not sticking to projects, with many previous abandoned music projects in its library. Getting the right videos into its Music app can be difficult, as YouTube has a lot of content, not all that could be suitable for a music app. YouTube already has a large head start in the market, it just has to figure out how to help people discover new music and keep them from leaving when they do."
"A New ‘Extreme Ultraviolet’ Microchip Machine Could Revive Moore’s Law . Dutch company ASML has developed a next-generation extreme ultraviolet lithography machine that can produce microchips with unparalleled levels of precision. ASML's machines have produced many of the latest and most advanced chips. The new machine can minimize the wavelength of UV light used, reducing the size of many microchip features while boosting performance. The US has already successfully lobbied the Dutch government to decline export licenses for shipping the machines to China, stopping the country from making leading-edge chips."
"NASA's InSight successfully lands on Mars after 'seven minutes of terror'
NASA successfully landed its InSight mission on Mars, after six and a half months of travelling through space, using a supersonic parachute to decelerate from 12,000 miles per hour to just 5 miles per hour on impact. The probe will deploy a seismometer to listen for earthquakes and a drill to dig beneath the Martian surface and explore the Martian interior.
Tools, Media, & Open Source
Sites, tools, podcasts, videos, open source libraries, and other interesting stuff you should check out
). NASA successfully landed its InSight mission on Mars, after six and a half months of travelling through space, using a supersonic parachute to decelerate from 12,000 miles per hour to just 5 miles per hour on impact. The probe will deploy a seismometer to listen for earthquakes and a drill to dig beneath the Martian surface and explore the Martian interior."
"Scientists May Have Discovered The First Planet Orbiting Three Stars At Once . GW Ori is a star system 1,300 light years away from Earth. It has three stars and is surrounded by a massive disk of dust and gas. The disk is divided in two, and it is hypothesized that the gap in the disk may have been caused by the formation of one or more planets. Recent models suggest that a massive gas giant the size of Jupiter exists in the system. Observations over the next few months could confirm the existence of the planet."
"uBlock Origin (Open Source Browser Extension). This is the adblocker I use everyday. It's already pretty well known, but the reason I'm sharing it today is because they've just added functionality to stop javascript execution on an individual page to give you a greater degree of privacy (only the HTML and CSS would load). Honestly can't recommend these guys enough, really handy and completely free."
"Spotify launches its lightweight listening app Stations in the US . Spotify Stations has launched in the US. Stations is designed for users who wish to have a more radio-like experience rather than having to build their own music playlists. The app keeps things minimalist, with a scrollable list of playlists and tools to customize playlists. Free users will hear ads and won’t be able to skip tracks, unlike premium users, who will have a skippable, ad-free experience. Playlists will customize to the user over time, and users can speed up the process by letting the app know who their favorite artists are. Stations is currently only available in Australia and the US."
"Machine Learning for Beginners - A Curriculum (GitHub Repo). This repository contains the Machine Learning for Beginners curriculum by Azure Cloud Advocates at Microsoft. The course is 12-weeks long and consists of 24 lessons. Each lesson includes quizzes, assignments, and more to allow students to learn while building."
"Get the Job Done for just $10 (Sponsor). Packt's Spring Sale is on and for a limited period, all eBooks and Videos are only $10. Our Products are available as PDF, ePub, and MP4 files for you to download and keep forever. All the practical content you need - by developers for developers. Learn more."
"Olric (GitHub Repo). Olric is a distributed cache and in-memory key/value data store. It can be used to instantly create a fast, scalable, shared pool of RAM across a cluster of computers. Olric can be used both as an embedded Go library and as a language-independent service."
"Motion One (Website). Motion One is an animation library built on the Web Animations API. It is small and responsive, using hardware-accelerated animations where possible. Motion One features keyframes, timelines, paths, and more. A quick start guide is available."
"MKCert (GitHub Repo). This is a simple command line tool that creates local certs so you can use https://localhost instead of http://localhost. I don't know enough about security to understand how this works, but it looks really easy to set up."
"The biggest announcements from Google’s Pixel 6 event . Google has finally revealed its Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones. Both phones will feature Google's Tensor processor, a 50-megapixel camera, and an ultra-wide camera. The Pro has a telephoto camera that upgrades the selfie camera with a wider lens and higher resolution. The Tensor processor is competitive with Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon processors, but with added machine learning capabilities. Pixel owners will be able to quickly access Snapchat's camera using a special button on the back of the device. A Pixel Pass service is available that will allow people to purchase a Pixel device along with some Google subscription services for a monthly plan cost. More announcements are available in the article."
"Guy Who Reverse-Engineered TikTok Reveals The Scary Things He Learned, Advises People To Stay Away From It (15 minute read). A Reddit user made a post detailing their findings when reverse-engineering the TikTok app. The investigation revealed that the app contained some huge security concerns, including the ability to run remote code, detailed access to device data, and the ability to set up a local proxy server on your device for transcoding media. The app tries to obfuscate its functionalities when being reverse-engineered, showing that the company has put a lot of effort into hiding what it does. Governments around the world are banning the app due to privacy concerns. The post, which includes more details on what the TikTok app does, is linked in the article."
min(DALL-E). This repository contains a minimal implementation of DALL·E Mini.
"How to safely open-source internal software - Some best practices . Before open-sourcing a piece of internal software, it is important to make sure that the code is ready to be seen by the public. The code should be scanned for company secrets and internal contacts, the repository should be set up with clear guidelines and processes, and there should be a project introduction, at the very least. This article provides a checklist and guide for properly setting up an open-source repository."
"Chinese scientists discover gene associated with epilepsy . Scientists from South China's Guangdong province have discovered a gene responsible for epilepsy. UNC13B variants were found in eight unrelated families from 446 cases with partial epilepsy. Partial epilepsy can also be caused by trauma, infection, immune abnormalities, or neoplasm. A further analysis found that partial epilepsy caused by the gene variants can be clinically managed with antiepileptic therapy."
"OpenAI launches new company for funding safe artificial general intelligence . OpenAI, a non-profit organization created in 2015 to ensure AI benefits humanity, today announced the creation of OpenAI LP, a for-profit company that is owned and controlled by the OpenAI board of directors. The goal of creating the new company was to accelerate the development of a safe Artificial General Intelligence system. Investors in OpenAI LP will have pre-negotiated caps in their returns, and any excess profit will be donated to the OpenAI project. As OpenAI LP focuses on the development of safe AI technologies, OpenAI will continue to focus on educational programs and policy initiatives."
"Tesla Model S refreshed with a radically redesigned interior and 520-mile range . Tesla has unveiled its long-rumored refresh for its Model S sedan. It has a new front bumper, a tweaked rear diffuser, and new 19- and 21-inch wheel designs. The exterior trim is now finished black, but the paint color palette remains the same. It has a new steering wheel that looks like something out of a Star Wars movie, with the turn signals, lights, and other features being controlled by touch buttons. The interior features a large 17-inch central screen, which is basically a gaming computer with 10 teraflops of processing power. More details, along with images of the vehicle, are available in the article."
"Amazon Workers to Stage Coordinated Black Friday Protests in 15 Countries . A series of coordinated protests and strikes will be held on Friday by Amazon warehouse workers and social and environmental justice activists around the world. #MakeAmazonPay coincides with Black Friday, one of Amazon's biggest sales events of the year. Amazon has profited greatly during the pandemic, with the company becoming a trillion-dollar corporation and Jeff Bezos becoming the first person in history to amass $200 billion in personal wealth. The workers are demanding that Amazon respect workers' rights to participate in union activities, that the company pay its taxes in full where it does business, and for the company to commit to higher environmental standards."
"Physicists could do the 'impossible': Create and destroy magnetic fields from afar . Scientists were able to create and cancel magnetic fields from afar by running an electric current through a special arrangement of wires. With this technology, it is possible to create a magnetic field inside the body that magnetic nanoparticles can be attracted to. Doctors could use the technology to deliver targeted treatment to specific areas of the body. It can also be used to reduce the noise from external magnetic fields. The next step for the researchers is to build a configuration that allows for the creation of 3D magnetic fields from afar."
"Amazon's own 'Machine Learning University' now available to all developers . Amazon has opened up the curriculum it uses to train its own engineers and data scientists in machine learning to the public. It has 30 courses with 45 hours of videos and labs targeted at developers, data scientists, data platform engineers, and business professionals."
"Square announces permanent work-from-home policy . Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter and Square, has told Square employees that they will be able to work from home even after the COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders end. Twitter had recently announced similar news. The companies believe that employees should be able to work where they feel most creative and productive. Employees will still be able to come into the office. Other tech companies like Facebook, Google, and Microsoft have extended their return to work dates. Only Twitter and Square have made remote work options permanent."
"Over 100 Riot Games Employees Walked Out to End Forced Arbitration . Employees at Riot Games sign away their rights to sue the company when they are hired, and any disputes are handled through a forced arbitration process. There are currently several ongoing complaints against the company for sexual harassment within the workplace that are currently being handled through arbitration. Employees organized a walk out to protest against the forced arbitration. Riot Games stated that after these cases have been handled, new employees will be allowed to opt out of the arbitration process, but employees still walked out in protest as they believed that all employees should be able to opt out of arbitration."
"Stripe built a payments powerhouse by focusing on e-commerce. Now it's following its customers into bricks and mortar. . Popular online payments service Stripe is now offering brick and mortar stores a way to collect payments, charging a 2.7% + 5 cents fee on each payment collected with Stripe Terminal (an in person payment platform). Warby Parker and Glossier are already planning to use the solution, and Stripe believes that its technology will be a key differentiator. Cofounder John Collison says ""The question we started asking ourselves was, 'Can we make the offline world as simple as the online word?' and we think it's very much possible."""
"In Brain Waves, Scientists See Neurons Juggle Possible Futures . Researchers in California have found a mechanism in rat brains that is involved in decision-making and imagination. Special cells in the hippocampus are responsible for mapping an animal's location as it moves through space. A lot of consistent neural activity in these cells can be observed when the rats are about to make a decision. The pattern in cell activity suggests that the rat's brain is testing out, or imagining, different possibilities. It also suggests that the rats are able to store past possibilities to return to."
SvgPathEditor (GitHub Repo). SvgPathEditor is an in-browser SVG path editor. Users can use the controls to specify a path or create an image using the graphical interface. Paths can be easily copied to be used in your own code.
"YouTube’s homepage redesign means people will see bigger thumbnails and fewer videos . YouTube will launch a new homepage design today that includes bigger thumbnails, meaning users will see fewer videos on the homepage. Extra details about videos will be available, and creators will be able to use longer titles. The aim of the redesign is so users can view all the video information at a glance, rather than requiring them to hover their cursor over a video or click through to see more. Categories like News and Music will no longer be placed on the front page. Desktop users will now be able to tell YouTube to stop recommending channels that the user is not interested in. They can also now add videos to a queue."
98.css (GitHub Repo). 98.css is a design system for building faithful recreations of old UIs. It doesn't use any JavaScript and it is compatible with all frontend frameworks. Examples of 98.css being used with React and with JavaScript are available.
"The Pandemic Might Have Killed Off Some Flu Strains for Good . Two common strains of the seasonal flu have vanished from circulation, likely due to public health measures meant to slow down the Covid-19 pandemic. Scientists monitor the evolution of flu viruses to predict which strains will circulate in the coming year in order to produce vaccines. There have been significantly fewer cases of the flu all over the world since early 2020. Fewer strains of the flu in circulation will mean that predicting which strains to create vaccines for will be a simpler task."
"Did you know JavaScript is the most popular programming language, with nearly 16.5M developers using it globally? (Sponsor). Take the Developer Nation survey, share your views on the most important coding skills, tools or platforms for 2022. You will get a virtual goody bag with free resources such as discount codes, vouchers, data, & insights! And this is on top of the prize draws! Start now."
"China regulator orders Didi ride-hailing app removed from stores . The Cyberspace Administration of China has accused Didi of illegally collecting users' personal data and ordered app stores to remove its Chuxing app from their libraries. Didi has 377 million users in China alone. The company went public on June 30 as one of the biggest Chinese IPOs since Alibaba. Customers who have downloaded the app can still use it normally. China's regulators have been cracking down on tech companies over the past several weeks, focusing on anti-competitive practices, inconsistent pricing, and incorrect data handling."
"Technology-oriented religions are coming . Modern religions have generally been unsuccessful in scaling beyond the cults of personality or the niches of Scientology. However, as technology evolves, it can become a platform for new types of technology-based religions. People have already started incorporating technology into their spiritual views. The internet is helping ideas spread quickly to wide audiences. New technologies can help people achieve self-improvement, for example, there are now apps and wearables that aim to help users achieve mindfulness. Modern surveillance methods can help support a new type of peer-pressured submission. 84 percent of the global population identifies as religious. Many new social movements rely heavily on technology, and it is just a matter of time before new religious movements appear."
"Easegress (GitHub Repo). Easegress is a cloud-native traffic orchestration system. It features multiple protocols, rich routing rules, meaningful and readable statistics, simple integration with other systems, and much more. Examples are available in the repository."
"State of Javascript 2018 (Survey). This is the annual State of Javascript survey, complete with salaries and demographics of Javascript developers, popularity of Javascript frameworks and libraries, and awards!"
"Archaeologists find evidence of neurons in glassy brain of Vesuvius victim . Vitrification is when organic matter fuses into glass. It occurs at extremely high temperatures, which many of the victims from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius would have experienced. Scientists found evidence of vitrified brain matter inside the skull of a victim buried in volcanic ash. It was estimated temperatures around the victim could have been as high as 520 degrees Celsius, but it may require more than just heat for vitrification to occur. Scientists are still trying to find out why the tissues didn't just vaporize when heated to extreme temperatures."
"The Seniority Roller Coaster and Down-Leveling in Tech (14 minute read). Switching jobs in tech usually comes with either a financial or title upside, but not always both. There can be many reasons for receiving a lower title while getting an increase in compensation. This article discusses down-leveling when changing jobs, the reasons this can happen, and what to do when it happens."
"Apple, Google and WhatsApp condemn UK proposal to eavesdrop on encrypted messages . 47 tech companies have signed an open letter to the Government Communications Headquarters in the UK protesting its new ‘ghost protocol’ proposal. Intelligence agencies have been trying to figure out a way to access end-to-end encrypted communications without undermining the privacy, security, or confidence of users. The ghost protocol proposes that messaging services enable law enforcement agents to silently enter into private chats as a third party, effectively creating a group chat that can be monitored. Implementing this change would mean that all chat apps would need to change their encryption methods, and they would also have to mislead customers by suppressing the usual notifications that appear when a new user joins a chat. In response to the letter, the National Cyber Security Center stated that the proposal was hypothetical and was intended to begin a discussion on methods for law enforcement to access private data."
"An Amazon warehouse worker in New York has died of COVID-19 . A worker at an Amazon fulfillment center in New York has died of COVID-19, and the number of workers diagnosed with the virus continues to climb. The deceased employee was last on site on April 5th and was placed on quarantine after his diagnosis on April 11th. Workers say that Amazon's safety precautions are insufficient and that their jobs often require them to be close to each other. Amazon announced last week that it planned to spend $4 billion on its COVID-19 response. So far, Amazon has only closed down one facility in the US. It has hired 175,000 workers in recent weeks in response to surging demands."
"Social distancing in 100 square feet: Hong Kong's cage homes are almost impossible to self-isolate in . Hong Kong's 'cage homes' are rooms that are often smaller than 100 square feet, with space only for a bed and some clothes. Bathrooms are mostly communal and there are usually no kitchens. Rooms are usually divided by makeshift or removable walls. It is difficult to practice social distancing. Nine in 10 people in Hong Kong live in an area smaller than 70 square meters, and yet they pay some of the highest rent and property prices in the world. As many public places are closed due to the pandemic, people who live in cage homes are suffering as they have nowhere to escape their tiny spaces. Landlords are quick to kick out tenants who are unable to pay rent, despite job losses. Hong Kong has recorded fewer than 1,050 infections and 4 deaths from COVID-19 since January."
"Epic’s new MetaHuman tool lets you craft realistic faces inside a browser . Epic Games has announced a new browser-based tool that can craft highly realistic human faces. MetaHuman Creator can be used with modern motion capture and animation techniques. It can create photorealistic humans in minutes, equipped with unique hairstyles and clothing. Epic has not announced a specific release date, but it will be released this year. Two one-minute videos released by Epic to showcase the technology are available in the article."
"‘Incredible’ gene-editing result in mice inspires plans to treat premature-aging syndrome in children . Progeria is a rare, fatal genetic disease that causes symptoms much like early aging. It affects an estimated 400 people in the world. Scientists have used a technique similar to CRISPR to correct the condition in mice. Treated mice lived twice as long as untreated animals, giving the scientists hope for its use in humans. The scientists aim to treat a human child with the technique within the next 3 years."
"Shark Gives 'Virgin Birth' to Miracle Baby in All-Female Tank . A smooth-hound shark gave birth in what could be the first and only example of pathogenesis in the species. Pathogenesis occurs in some other animals that normally reproduce sexually, usually in low-density populations where females have little chance of meeting partners. Babies born from pathogenesis are basically clones of the mother but with genetic sequences similar to those born of inbreeding. The baby shark appears to be in good health and its DNA will be analyzed to confirm its parentage."
"Zoom is testing showing ads to free users . Zoom is rolling out ads to free users in certain countries. The ads will appear at the end of calls hosted by other Basic tier users. Zoom says that it won't use meeting, webinar, or messaging content to target ads."
image2csv (GitHub Repo). image2csv is a Python program that converts images of array numbers to corresponding CSV files. The program works better with images of higher resolution. An example is available in the repository.
"First Round State of Startups 2019 (10 minute read). The State of Startups surveyed 950 startup founders and employees to explore the startup industry. Founders are more concerned than ever in 2019 that the technology startup bubble is about to burst and that fundraising will be harder in 2020. Bias within startups is prevalent, with females reporting that it was harder for them to land roles or raise funds. Employees tend to enjoy diverse environments, and they take Glassdoor reviews seriously. Many employees prioritize the type of work that they will be doing over the pay that they receive. Female founders were more likely to report enlisting a therapist or psychiatrist compared to their male counterparts. A similar difference was seen between founders over and under the age of 40. Most founders report building a community of users as important to their business."
Roku Stock Rebounds 20% Amid Reports of Possible Acquisition by Netflix . Roku employees have discussed the possibility of the company being acquired by Netflix in recent weeks. The company is preventing its employees from selling vested stock. This strategy is usually employed shortly before a company makes an announcement that will impact its share price to prevent potential insider trading. Roku's experience in streaming advertisement technology could be valuable to Netflix as it prepares to deliver its own ad-supported subscription tier.
"Here’s What It’s like to Get a COVID Antibody Test . Newly-developed COVID antibody blood tests can measure a person's immune response to the disease. This means that people can test to see if they have already had the coronavirus. The presence of antibodies might indicate resistance to the virus, but this has not been proven yet. The antibody test involves a small blood sample from a finger prick and the procedure takes about a minute. There are three outcomes to the test - negative, positive (and the antibodies are still fighting the disease), and positive (recovered). The validity of the tests is still under some debate, and there is no scientific evidence yet that immunity actually exists."
"A Conspiracy To Kill IE6 (10 minute read). A bug in Internet Explorer 6 made it try to run code that it couldn’t run, causing the browser to either get stuck in a recursion loop or make it crash into the blue screen of death. This only happened in IE6 and it caused many problems for web developers as they had to make their sites compatible with the browser. A team of developers at YouTube decided that the best way to fix the issue was to threaten to drop support for the browser so that more users would upgrade, eventually making support for the browser unnecessary. Using special privileges, without YouTube’s official permission, they inserted a banner available only for IE6 users that stated that YouTube was going to stop supporting development for the browser and that users should upgrade. The tactic was successful, and eventually, upper management made the deprecation of the browser into real policy."
Uber can now deliver prescriptions in Seattle and Dallas . Uber has partnered with NimbleRx and expanded its Uber Health Business to include medicine delivery in Seattle and Dallas. Uber Health was launched in 2018 to help provide access to healthcare for patients and their caregivers. Uber drivers will connect to pharmacies via Uber Direct. The service will be particularly useful now as many people may be unable to travel to their local pharmacy safely.
"Report: TikTok limited the reach of users with visible disabilities . TikTok limits the reach of users who have some visible or obvious form of disability or disfigurement as an attempt to protect users from cyberbullying. Users who have autism, Down syndrome, facial disfigurements, or other disabilities may have their videos restricted to only be shown in their own country and removed from the For You feed. TikTok claims that the restriction on these videos was a temporary measure and that it has since altered its rules. The short-form video service has previously been accused of censoring users who express certain political opinions."
"MIT’s latest artificial intelligence can rewrite outdated Wikipedia pages . A new text-generating system created at MIT is able to update outdated Wikipedia pages with information gathered from the internet in a human-like style. The system only requires a few pieces of information to rewrite a relevant article on any topic. It is able to analyze style and grammar and make sure that the output matches the desired style. The system also has a fact-checking and neutrality component that scans for polarizing words and can remove information. At the end of the day, the system will still need a human to review its output to make a call on whether the information is correct."
"Google Pay team reportedly in major upheaval after botched app revamp . Google Pay's recent revamp was a disaster, with a difficult transition period for customers to a service with less features. The app transition was also frustrating for employees, with dozens of employees and executives leaving the Google Payments team in recent months. Google had wanted to update Google Pay to be more in line with the version the company had built for India. The service only had a 3 percent market share for NFC mobile payments. Google plans to open a full banking service in partnership with Citibank."
"Google Memo on Cost Cuts Sparks Heated Debate Inside Company . A Google memo from 2016 discussing cost cutting measures leaked to employees in an internal discussion forum. They proposed reducing promotions by 2% (workers didn't know the existing rate so wouldn't notice if it declined), reducing wage bumps on promotions, eliminating emails that reminded managers that they could give ""spot bonuses"" for good work, and converting holiday gifts into charitable donations (something Google ended up doing in 2016). CEO Sundar Pichai said that Google doesn't have quotas on promotions and the rate of promotion has stayed relatively constant."
"Design Bonos (Website). Design Bonos is a directory of free resources that can be used commercially. Categories include Fonts, Illustrations, Stock Photos, Design Inspirations, and more."
"Apple will reportedly fund Apple-exclusive podcasts . Apple has been focusing on providing services and original content recently and is now reportedly investing in exclusive shows for Apple Podcasts. In the past, Apple has been neutral with podcasts, allowing anyone to upload their podcast RSS feeds onto Apple’s platform for distribution. While there were curated lists, none of these shows were funded directly by Apple. Once Apple starts releasing its own podcasts, it may start promoting its own shows over others. Other podcast platforms have also been moving toward the same business model."
SpaceX is hosting a new fellowship on space-based surgery. It could save lives . SpaceX has partnered with the University of Arizona and Banner Health to host an Aerospace Surgery Fellowship. It will be the first-ever fellowship training program in the US that delves into the field of aerospace surgery. The program will train astronaut surgeons for future space programs. Graduates of the program will be eligible for board certification in aerospace medicine. Fellows have the opportunity to spend six months conducting research with SpaceX.
"Dark Lightning: Uncovering the Strongest Energy Discharge on Earth . Dark lightning are bursts of gamma rays that can happen during thunderstorms. When it was first detected, scientists thought the gamma rays were coming from space, but later observations confirmed that they came from a terrestrial phenomenon. Dark lightning could be dangerous to people traveling on a plane during a thunderstorm, but pilots tend to evade storms and dark lightning is rare, only occurring once for every thousand visible lightning bolts. It usually dissipates before becoming dangerous to living things on Earth. The only way to tell if passengers are exposed to dark lightning is by flying with radiation detectors on board."
Scientists Create the World’s Toughest Self-Healing Material . Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research have developed a transparent material that is hard and self-heals when cracked. It is based on a piezoelectric organic material that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy and vice versa. The arrangement of the material results in a strong attractive force that can heal fractures when they occur. It may still be some time before the material appears on any smartphones.
"Scientists Splice Human Gene Into Potatoes to Make Them Grow Huge . A team of scientists has increased the size of their potato crops by splicing a human gene that encodes a fat-regulating protein into them. The potatoes grew 50 percent larger than usual, opening up the possibility of growing more food without taking up more space for agriculture. Plants don't have a protein comparable to the one the scientists spliced in, so the scientists had no idea what the outcome of the experiment would be. The scientists plan to conduct various safety and replication studies to confirm their results."
Push-button installer of macOS on VirtualBox (GitHub Repo). macos-guest-virtualbox.sh is a Bash script that installs macOS on a virtual guest machine on Virtualbox. It uses unmodified macOS installation files downloaded directly from Apple servers. Users will only need to follow the prompts to install macOS.
"Samsung leaks images of its new Galaxy S20 . Samsung accidentally revealed the Galaxy S20 through a set of marketing images posted on one of Samsung's online stores in a European country. The posts were quickly removed but they confirmed a few details about the new phone, including its Galaxy S20 name, a hole-punch selfie camera, and a tall camera bump. A new gray case with LEDs similar to the LED case for the Galaxy S10 was also included in the leak. Samsung's Unpacked event is on February 11 and it is expected that Samsung will be revealing three variants of the S20 and a new vertically folding phone."
"Sony Launches Wearable Air Conditioner, Personal Heater for Roughly $130 . Sony has released a wearable, pocket-sized air conditioner. The Reon Pocket can cool the wearer's body by 13 degrees Celsius and raise body temperature by around 8 degrees Celsius. It is around the size of a card-holding wallet and is designed to be worn inside a special undershirt with a feature pocket at the base of the neck. Users control the device using an app. The device has a battery life of around 90 minutes, with a 2-hour charge time. It will sell for around $130 online on various Japanese sites."
"Real Dev (Website). Real Dev provides real-world projects so that developers can practice and develop their CS skills. Projects involve real technical problems like building HTTP server endpoints, writing scripts, or building webpage frontends. Completed projects can be submitted at any time and will be assessed instantly. A leaderboard for high scores is available."
"What's next for developers in 2022? (Sponsor). Take a quick survey on your favorite programming languages, tools, and platforms to get a chance to win a Nintendo Switch and more prizes. Your answers will help decision makers in the tech industry spot new trends and better serve developers. Take the survey today!"
"learngo (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of Go examples, exercises, and quizzes to accompany the Learn Go Programming: Complete Bootcamp course. There are thousands of examples. A link to the course is available."
"Everything you need to know from the tech antitrust hearing (10 minute read). Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, and Sundar Pichai recently testified in Congress that their business practices don't amount to anti-competitive monopolies. Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Google had all become key channels of distribution, using data and surveillance of other companies to buy, copy, or cut off competition. The companies all used their platforms to preference their own products, dictating all terms and conditions, to the point of having the powers of a private government. A breakdown of the five and a half hour hearing is available in the article. It contains a summary of the hearing and specific quotes from the CEOs."
"Tesla CEO Elon Musk has told friends and associates he plans to move to Texas . Elon Musk has told several of his close friends and associates that he is planning to move to Texas. Musk put his Californian houses on the market and expanded operations in Texas this year. He spends most of his time between Austin and Boca Chica. California has seen an exodus of notable tech names in the last year as companies cut costs and shift to remote work. Musk has frequently complained about California's policies. Moving to Texas, a state with no income tax, could save Musk billions of dollars."
"'Remarkable' decline in birth rates . A study on birth rates between 1950 to 2017 (across all countries) showed a crazy decline in birth rates from 4.7 children per woman in 1950 to 2.4 children per woman last year. In over half of countries, this number is now below 2, meaning there aren't even enough children to maintain the population size. There were no countries like this in 1950. As countries get richer, three factors cause women to have less children: fewer deaths in childhood, greater access to contraception, and more education and work opportunities. On the low end, in Taiwan women only have 1 child on average, whereas women in Niger have 7.1 children on average. Ultimately, society may have to change substantially to cope with these demographic changes perhaps by increasing immigration, encouraging women to have more children, or raising the retirement age."
"NASA worked out how to make food out of thin air - and it could feed billions . A company from Finland, Solar Foods, is planning to sell a protein powder that is made out of CO2, water, and electricity. The idea for Solein originally began at NASA, and it is made by capturing CO2 from the air then combining it with solar energy, water, nutrients, and vitamins to promote a natural fermentation process similar to the one that produces yeast and lactic acid bacteria. Solein contains 50 percent protein, up to 10 percent fat, and 20 to 25 percent carbs. It can be produced indoors, so production is not dependent on the outside environment. The impact of meat production is one of the main drivers behind many of the planet's problems, so creating food from two of the most renewable things on the planet, CO2 and sunlight, will help provide food for our growing population without increasing our impact on the planet. Solein is expected to be available in 2021."
"Chinese Scientists Create System to Care For Embryos in Artificial Womb . Scientists from China have developed an AI system that can monitor and care for embryos as they grow inside artificial wombs. It has already been used to care for a number of animal embryos. Experimentation on human embryos is forbidden under international law, but the scientists claim that the system would be safer than natural childbearing. Despite its potential ethical issues, the technology could one day help couples that are struggling to have children finally become parents."
"This Keyboard Lets People Type So Fast It’s Banned From Typing Competitions . The CharaChorder is a typing peripheral that lets people type at superhuman speeds. It has 18 finger-sized joysticks that move in every direction and can hit every button on a regular keyboard. The CharaChorder uses chorded typing, an input method similar to stenography. The CEO of CharaChorder has won several online gaming competitions using the device. A video of the CEO hitting 500 words per minute using the CharaChorder is available in the article."
"Tableau CEO Adam Selipsky is returning to AWS to replace Andy Jassy as CEO . Tableau CEO Adam Selipsky will be replacing Andy Jassy as AWS CEO. Selipsky spent 11 years helping Jassy build AWS before moving to Tableau in 2016. Jassy has been with AWS since its early days, from its beginnings as an internal experiment on web storage to a mega division currently on a $51 billion run rate. He will be moving on to replace Jeff Bezos as Amazon's executive chairman."
"NuScale’s small nuclear reactor is first to get US safety approval . Small modular reactor designs could mean safer, cheaper, and easier to install nuclear facilities. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved its first small modular reactor design. A two-minute video is available in the article that explores NuScale's design. The basic design is conventional and uses a passive cooling system. It has passive features that ensure that the plant shutdowns safely and remains safe under emergency conditions."
"Snapchat releases rebuilt Android app . Snap has finally released a version of its Android app that has been rebuilt from scratch in order to bring it on par with its iOS counterpart. There have been almost no changes to the look and feel of the app, but it should be faster, less laggy, and have fewer bugs than the previous version. Future updates for Android will be easier to write and it is possible that the Android version may receive new features faster than iOS."
"Yaade (GitHub Repo). Yaade is a collaborative API development environment. It is self-hosted, secure, and persistent and it features a dark mode default. Requests can be called on localhost as well as on remote servers. Screenshots are available."
Belgian-Dutch child prodigy gets bachelor’s degree in physics at age 11: “Immortality is my goal” . A child prodigy from Belgium has obtained his bachelor's degree in physics at the age of 11. It only took Laurent Simons a year to complete the three-year degree. Simons wants to replace as many of his own body parts as possible with mechanical parts in a quest for immortality. He has already mapped out a path to his goal. Simons will now obtain his master's degree in physics while working on his Ph.D. at the same time.
"Disney Over the Top: Bob Iger Bets the Company (and Hollywood's Future). Disney is set to challenge Netflix with the launch of Disney+. Over the past two years, Bob Iger has prepared Disney for its streaming future. Iger invested $2.6 billion to acquire streaming technology, created a new direct-to-consumer division, cut ties with Netflix, and spent $71.3 billion to increase 21st Century Fox's production capabilities and content library. Disney+ will be available for $7 per month and will have nearly 500 Disney titles, more than 7,500 episodes of television, and a suite of original films. The company is projecting between 60 million and 90 million global subscribers by 2024."
"The world finally has an approved vaccine against Ebola . Europe has granted approval for the world's first Ebola vaccine. Ervebo was developed in 2014 and has been used during the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo based on a compassionate use protocol. The current outbreak in the DRC is the second-largest recorded, with nearly 3,300 cases and 2,200 deaths. Preliminary vaccine data shows that Ervebo is 97.5 percent effective at preventing Ebola. It protects against one of the four species of Ebola known to infect humans. The vaccine is expected to be approved in the US in the first half of 2020. Ervebo has been prequalified by the World Health Organization, which means that it meets WHO standards for safety, quality, and effectiveness. Five years ago, there was no vaccine or therapeutics for Ebola. The disease is now preventable and treatable."
Virgin Galactic gets first official OK to fly passengers to edge of space . Virgin Galactic has received approval to begin flying customers to the edge of space. The approval follows a successful test flight last month. It is valid through to July 2022 for missions launching from Spaceport America in New Mexico or the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. Virgin Galactic is still planning three more test flights with its employees. Richard Branson plans to be onboard one of the test flights.
"Does Bionic Reading actually work? Test for yourself! . Bionic Reading is a typographical technology that is supposed to increase reading speed. It involves bolding the first few letters of each word. The system claims to deliver faster reading speed with no loss of comprehension. A study of the system found that Bionic Reading slightly increased reading speed, but there was not enough evidence to suggest that the difference in reading speed was significant. It also lowered comprehension. A link for readers to test out Bionic Reading for themselves is available at the end of the article."
"South African scientists copy Moderna’s COVID vaccine . Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines, a biotechnology company in South Africa, have recreated very small amounts of Moderna's mRNA-based vaccine against Covid-19 without any involvement by Moderna. The company developed the vaccine as part of an initiative launched by the World Health Organization to build capacity for vaccine manufacturing in low- and middle-income countries. mRNA vaccine developers have sent more than 70% of their doses to wealthy nations. Millions of orders to poorer countries have been delayed. While Afrigen's vaccine won't help curb the pandemic this year, it will lay the foundation for a more globally distributed mRNA vaccine industry in the future."
"Ikonate (GitHub Repo). Ikonate is a set of fully customizable vector icons. Developers can clone the repository and run the code themselves, or visit the website to download the icons. Each icon download contains an SVG as a standalone file, an SVG sprite with an HTML demo, and an HTML demo of the icons as inline SVG."
"Italians over 80 'will be left to die' as country overwhelmed by coronavirus . Italian hospitals may have to turn away coronavirus victims from intensive care if they are more than 80 years old or in poor health. A crisis management unit in Turin has proposed a protocol for determining which patients receive treatment in intensive care if there are insufficient spaces. Intensive care capacity is running short in Italy as the virus continues to spread. Doctors need to be able to balance the clinical needs of patients and the effective ability of intensive resources. More than 15,000 people in Italy have been infected with the virus, with 1,000 people dead. Italy has 5,090 intensive care beds."
"Who was Fahim Saleh, the tech CEO brutally dismembered in NYC? . Fahim Saleh was a tech entrepreneur who lived in New York. Described by one of his friends as 'the Elon Musk of the developing world', Saleh founded and co-founded several startups, including ride-hailing company Pathao, Nigeria-based motorcycle ridesharing company Gokada, venture capital firm Adventure Capital, and others. Saleh was murdered and dismembered in his apartment in what appeared to be a professional killing on Monday. Video footage showed his suspected murderer attacking him, leaving no blood in the apartment."
"Google’s ‘Project Hug’ paid out huge sums to keep game devs in the Play Store, Epic filing claims . Google paid game developers hundreds of millions in dollars to keep their games on the Play Store, according to a complaint from Epic Games in its antitrust suit against Google. Project Hug was an effort to keep developers on the Play Store rather than follow Epic Games' lead and release apps on their own websites. Epic Games had released Fortnite on its own website in 2018 to bypass Google's 30 percent fee. Project Hug was largely a success, with most of its targets signing deals to stay on the Play Store by the end of 2020."
"Google’s search engine for scientists upgraded for better data scouring . Dataset Search is now out of beta, containing almost 25 million datasets on a wide range of information. Google's search engine for datasets launched in 2018 in order to unify the world of online open-access data. Institutions like universities, governments, and labs were encouraged to add metadata tags to their webpages, allowing Google to index their data. This has caused the community to start publishing metadata more seriously, with publications like Nature rolling out policies to require data sharing with proper metadata. Dataset Search's new features include the ability to filter data by its type, whether it is free to use, and the geographic areas it covers."
"Op-Eds From the Future (Website). As our technology develops, things that were impossible in the past may soon be possible in the future, such as altering human DNA, extending human life-spans, and creating cyborgs. Other decisions made today may also drastically alter our future, for example, our environmental and social policies. This series of Op-Eds explores our possible futures as a commentary on our world today."
"Facebook is giving $1,000 to every employee to help them amid the coronavirus pandemic . Every Facebook employee will receive a $1,000 bonus and an 'exceeds' rating for their first six-month review of 2020 in order to help them during the coronavirus pandemic. The bonuses will be distributed throughout April. Facebook is continuing to pay some contractors while they remain home. It has committed to paying its hourly workers even if they can't work and have to be at home due to COVID-19. Seattle and Bay Area employees have been asked to work from home, and social visitors are banned from offices. Mark Zuckerberg is funding an increase in coronavirus testing in the Bay Area through his philanthropic groups."
Twitter expressed interest in buying TikTok's U.S. operations . Twitter has announced its interest in purchasing TikTok from ByteDance. Microsoft is also bidding for the brand. Both companies have 45 days to negotiate and complete a deal before President Trump's executive order to ban the service takes effect. Twitter will need to raise additional capital to fund the deal and it might not have enough borrowing capacity. Investors may prefer Twitter over Microsoft as it is not active in China and it would face less regulatory scrutiny than Microsoft.
"US investigates Autopilot after 11 Teslas crashed into emergency vehicles . US government regulators are opening an investigation into Tesla's Autopilot system. The investigation will cover 11 crashes that have happened since 2018. All of the crashes involved Teslas hitting first responders' vehicles that had been parked and marked with flashing lights and other traffic markers. The investigation will cover how the Autopilot system monitors and enforces driver attentiveness and engagement, as well as how it detects and responds to objects and events on the road. Automakers have been able to develop these systems without significant regulatory oversight, but the investigation suggests that this is about to change."
"Kickstarter Employees Win Historic Union Election . Kickstarter employees have voted to form a union with the Office and Professional Employees International Union. The final vote was 46 for and 27 against. This is the first time workers at a major tech company in the US have successfully unionized. Kickstarter will support and respect the decision. Employees feel like the most important issues for the union will be creating clearer policies and support for reporting workplace issues and also creating clearer mechanisms for hiring and firing employees. Prior to the vote, Kickstarter had hired Duane Morris, a Philadelphia law firm that specialized in labor-management relations and maintaining a union-free workplace. Kickstarter has been considered as one of the most ethical places to work in tech, but employees have been disagreeing with some of the company's decisions in recent years."
"Tesla's giant battery saved $40 million during its first year, report says . Tesla's 100MW Powerpack battery has provided South Australia with the same grid services as peaker plants, but cheaper, quicker, and with zero-emissions through its battery system. The energy system cost just $66 million, and has already saved Australians $40 million. Basically peaker plants are power plants that are only run when there is a spike in demand that outstrips supply so they are able to demand really high prices. Tesla's giant battery allowed power to be saved efficiently to prevent these shortages, saving Australians tons of money."
"Blood-thinner with no bleeding side-effects is here . Blood thinners work by blocking enzymes that help stop bleeding after an injury, meaning that almost all blood thinners can lead to serious bleeding in the event of an injury. Coagulation factor XII (FXII) is an enzyme that normally helps blood clot. In a study a few years ago, scientists found that genetically modified mice who lacked the enzyme had reduced risk of thrombosis, a condition treated by blood thinners, without having bleeding side-effects. Scientists have developed a synthetic inhibitor of FXII and it is showing to be a promising candidate for use during lung transplants."
"After 7 years, a spent Falcon 9 rocket stage is on course to hit the Moon . In 2015, SpaceX launched NOAA's Deep Space Climate Observatory on a Falcon 9 rocket. The rocket's second stage didn't have enough fuel to return to Earth's atmosphere and it lacked the energy to escape the gravity of the Earth-Moon system, so it has been tumbling around in space for the last seven years. It is now on course to hit the far side of the Moon in early March. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and India's Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft, which are both currently orbiting the Moon, will be able to observe the impact crater. It will be the first time a piece of space hardware unintentionally strikes the Moon."
"The Speed of Sound on Mars Is Strangely Different . High-frequency sounds travel more than 10 meters per second faster on Mars than low-frequency sounds due to the unique properties of carbon dioxide molecules at low pressure. During the day, the warming of the surface of Mars generates convective updrafts that create strong turbulence, resulting in temperature and pressure fluctuations. The discovery was made using microphones and lasers aboard the Perseverance rover. Changes in the speed of sound also helped researchers measure large and rapid temperature changes that other sensors were not able to detect."
"Modern Unix (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of modern alternatives to common Unix commands. There is a screenshot or GIF demo for each tool, as well as a short description of what the tool does."
"Uber announces deeper push into financial services with Uber Money . Uber has announced a new division called Uber Money which will offer a digital wallet and debit and credit cards. The service will allow its drivers to have access to a mobile bank account to get paid after each ride. By building a financial ecosystem, it could keep drivers and riders loyal to its platform. Many of Uber's customers use credit cards to pay for rides and food orders, and these services could eventually remove costs related to financial middlemen and generate new revenue streams. Uber's debit card is essentially a no-fee bank account and allows drivers to have access to funds immediately. A no-cost $100 overdraft feature allows drivers to pay for gas to kick off a working day. More and more tech companies are beginning to offer financial services. Apple has recently launched a credit card with Goldman Sachs and Facebook has revealed plans to launch its cryptocurrency, Libra. Uber's credit card will be a joint product with Barclays."
"New Eye Drops Improve Aging Vision Without Glasses. Here's How They Work . Vuity is an eye drop that was approved by the US FDA in late 2021 for treating presbyopia. Presbyopia is a common condition that makes the eyes unable to focus on close objects. It typically begins when people are in their 40s. The drops work by causing the pupils to get smaller, making it so that the light entering the eye is better concentrated onto the retina. They can cause issues with seeing in low-lighting conditions, but for some people, it could be a great alternative to glasses or surgery."
"Hubble Captures Crisp New Image of Jupiter and Europa . The Hubble Space Telescope took new images of Jupiter when the planet was 653 million kilometers from Earth in August. They show a new storm brewing in the planet's atmosphere and a cousin of the Great Red Spot changing color. While it is common for storms to form, the new disturbance appears to have more structure behind it and researchers speculate that it may be the beginning of a longer-lasting spot. The Great Red Spot now measures 15,800 kilometers across, and while it is still shrinking, its rate of shrinkage appears to have slowed. Red Spot Jr, a smaller spot below the Great Red Spot, has started taking on a darker reddish hue. Hubble also captured a new multi-wavelength observation of Jupiter. The images are available in the article."
"numpy-ml (GitHub Repo). numpy-ml is a collection of machine learning algorithms implemented exclusively in numpy. It includes a range of models, data preprocessing methods, and utilities."
"Neutralino (Github Repo). Neutralino is a lightweight and portable application framework for cross-platform application development using JavaScript/TypeScript, HTML, and CSS. It offers an alternative to Electron and NWJs and it doesn't require a NodeJS installation or hundreds of dependency libraries. Benchmarking results are available."
Scientists create diamonds at room temperature in minutes . Diamonds are usually created from pressure and heat far beneath Earth's surface over billions of years. Scientists in Australia have created two types of diamond at room temperature in minutes by applying immense pressure in a twisting force to carbon. The process was able to create diamonds hard enough to be used to cut through ultra-solid materials on mining sites. A close up image showing one of the diamond rivers from the experiment is available in the article.
Hush (Website). This site contains an introductory guide to Hush. Hush is a modern shell scripting language. It aims to enable the development of robust and maintainable shell scripts. Hush is a good fit for scenarios where external programs need to be put to work together.
"I'm Making AlgoDaily Free . AlgoDaily’s premium course is now completely free. Jake Z, the creator of the course, felt that the course tackled the wrong problems and that he wanted to contribute back to the community. There is currently a lot of content on the internet regarding coding interview preparation. However, this information is lacking guidance on how to get programmers to the point of being comfortable in doing an interview, consistency in getting programmers to complete exercises, and full immersive interview experiences. The AlgoDaily course will be ad-supported until Jake brainstorms a new solution to tackle these problems."
"Millennials are causing US divorce rate to plummet . The US divorce rate dropped 18 percent from 2008 to 2016. Even controlling for factors such as age, the divorce rate still dropped 8 percent, so this isn't just about an aging population. ""One of the reasons for the decline is that the married population is getting older and more highly educated,"" says Maryland sociology professor Philip Cohen, who conducted the study. Many poorer and less educated Americans are opting not to marry at all. They're living together, and often raising kids together, without tying the knot. And studies have shown these cohabiting relationships are less stable than they used to be. Other millenials are poor, single and write daily tech newsletters."
"Exclusive TED chats are coming to Clubhouse . TED will be bringing weekly exclusive chats to Clubhouse starting on July 12. It will start with one room at 11 AM ET on Mondays, with plans of launching more rooms soon. TED is free to sell brand partnerships or ads without giving Clubhouse a cut. The company has been successful with its podcasting efforts, with 1.65 million downloads per day from all over the globe. Companies are locking down talent as a strategy to win in the social audio market."
PureORM (GitHub Repo). PureORM is a pure ORM SQL toolkit library for Node that lets you write regular native SQL and receive properly structured pure business objects. Examples are available in the repository.
"Parsr (GitHub Repo). Parsr is a document parsing and extraction tool that generates usable data for data scientists and developers. It can perform document hierarchy regression, page number detection, whitespace removal, link detection, and more. It takes an image or PDF as input and outputs JSON, Markdown, text, CSV, or PDF."
"World-first 3D bionic eye could enable superhuman sight, night vision . Researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have created an Electrochemical Eye (EC-Eye), an artificial eye that has the potential to see better than a real human eye. The EC-Eye is modeled after a real retina, with a concave curve and a surface studded with an array of tiny light sensors designed to mimic the photoreceptors on a human retina. Wires made of liquid metal connect the sensors, acting as the optic nerve. The eye can capture images relatively clearly compared to existing alternatives. An 18-second video is available showing the EC-Eye processing the shapes of a few letters."
"One man’s two-decade quest to suck greenhouse gas out of the sky . As the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide approaches 410 parts per million, researchers are still trying to find an economically feasible method to clean up our air. Temperatures have risen nearly above 1˚C since pre-industrialized levels, causing intensified droughts, wildfires, and other natural disasters, and it looks like the problem is only going to continue to grow. One of the main issues with removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is the high cost. Estimates put the cost at between $600-$1000 per ton, which discourages people and companies from wanting to help clean the air. Klaus Lackner and other researchers have been working on ideas to lower the cost, aiming to reduce it to $15-$50 a ton, at which point it would be economically feasible for companies to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere."
"How Machine Learning Made Hops-Free Hoppy Beer (and Other SynBio Wonders). Synthetic biology has the power to change the world. Using synthetic biology, scientists can reprogram cells to produce specific molecules, such as insulin. Due to its complexity, reprogramming a cell is far harder than rewriting software, and the process can take many years. A team of scientists has engineered a machine-learning algorithm called the Automated Recommendation Tool (ART). ART was trained with data from all proteins in a cell to build a model to predict how changes to these proteins affect the cell. It can return educated guesses on how to alter cells so they produce desired biochemicals. Using ART, the scientist bioengineered yeast to brew ethanol and also synthesize chemicals that produce a 'hoppy' flavor, resulting in a hops-free hoppy beer."
"Researchers Have Achieved Sustained Long-Distance Quantum Teleportation . A team of scientists has successfully teleported basic units of quantum information across 22 kilometers of fiber. Using equipment that is compatible with both existing telecommunications infrastructure and emerging quantum technologies, the research provides a realistic foundation for a high-fidelity quantum internet. Previous attempts at quantum teleportation have proven to be unstable over long distances. The team's goal is to eventually create quantum networks that use entanglement and superposition to vastly increase computing speed, power, and security. A more detailed explanation of quantum teleportation is available in the article."
"The happinesses and stresses of full-time FOSS work . Working with free and open-source software can be fulfilling and engaging work, but it can also be stressful to work in the field full time. It is possible to do work that you are more passionate about. Working on well-known free software means that your name might become more well known, leading to more opportunities. Being famous in the software world is not always positive, as some people may have objections to decisions you have made, and they can be vocal about it. It is difficult to join a community without at least a few people who don't already have preconceptions of who you are. There is a lot of work to be done, especially for software that is used by millions of people around the world, and this can have a large impact on a developer's personal life."
"Next-generation spinal implants help people with severe paralysis walk, cycle, and swim . A new spinal stimulation device has enabled three men paralyzed in motorcycle accidents to stroll outside with a walker within a few months. The device stimulates nerves to send signals beyond the injury site to trigger leg movements. For now, users have to select a desired movement on a tablet, which then routes the command to a pulse generator implanted in the abdomen that activates electrodes along the spine. The process can take up to ten minutes. A clinical trial for the device with up to 100 participants is scheduled for 2024."
"FoundersGrid (Weekly Newsletter). FoundersGrid is a bi-weekly newsletter that includes a curated list of stories in tech, actionable business guides, and discounts on new tools and products. Sort of like a weekly version of TLDR!"
Ask HN: How to raise a seed round in a down market? (Hacker News Thread). This thread is full of tips on how to attract funding from Venture Capitals despite the recent market downturn.
"Mexican scientist discovers cure for 100% elimination of human papillomavirus . Eva Ramón Gallegos, a Mexican scientist, has discovered a treatment that has been 100% successful in treating HPV in humans. Photodynamic therapy involves injecting the patients with a drug which enters into infected cells. The cells are then targeted with a special laser beam and destroyed. The treatment only affects damaged cells, leaving healthy cells intact."
Delta Air Lines has tested Elon Musk’s Starlink for in-flight internet . SpaceX and Delta Air Lines have held talks regarding Starlink's broadband technology. The airline conducted exploratory tests of the technology but has declined to reveal specifics. Starlink was working on getting certified for Boeing and Airbus planes last year. There is a growing demand for Wi-Fi on planes. The number of connected aircraft is expected to double by the end of the decade.
"The First Battery-Powered Tanker is Coming to Tokyo . The e5 is a new tanker ship powered only by lithium-ion batteries. It will be the first all-electric vessel of its kind. The 60-meter-long tanker will launch in Tokyo Bay next year. Asahi Tanker will own and operate the vessel, which will carry marine diesel fuels to refill the tanks of other cargo ships in the Bay. Its 3.5-megawatt-hour energy storage system is about the size of 40 Tesla Model S battery packs. Battery storage and cargo capacity are large factors for ocean-crossing cargo ships, so companies like Corvus are starting to develop large-scale hydrogen fuel cell systems for ships."
Samsung Patents Phone Display That Projects Star Wars-Like Holograms . Samsung has patented a new holographic device that will project high quality 3D images into the air R2D2 style without you having to look at it from a specific angle. The light beams are reflected by a series of micro-lens arrays that supposedly cause the light to focus into a 3D image in mid-air. File this one in the I'll believe it when I see it category.
"The Popular Family Safety App Life360 Is Selling Precise Location Data on Its Tens of Millions of Users (15 minute read). Life360, a company that makes an app marketed as a way for parents to track their children's movements using their phones, has been selling its users' location data. Two former employees of location data brokers claim that Life360 is one of the largest sources of data for the location data economy. Life360 uses data as a core part of its business model. It made $16 million in 2020, 20 percent of its revenue that year, from selling location data. The location data industry is a growing, multi-billion dollar industry with few safeguards to prevent the misuse of this sensitive information."
"Epic pulls plug on Fortnite in China . Epic Games is shutting down its efforts to bring Fortnite to the Chinese market. New users won't be accepted anymore and the game will shut down on November 15. Epic had built a version of Fortnite specific to China with changes to make the game meet local laws and requirements. China has cracked down on gaming in recent months, limiting game time amongst youths. The country has also limited access to other international cultural content through regulation."
"TikTok expands maximum video length to 10 minutes . TikTok has expanded the maximum length for uploads to 10 minutes. The platform's rise to popularity was founded on a never-ending stream of short videos, but the company has been pushing for longer content for a while now. It introduced three-minute-long videos last July. Other platforms, such as YouTube, have introduced short-form videos to compete with TikTok."
"Samsung's Pokémon-themed Galaxy Z Flip 3 is a delight . Samsung is releasing a Pokémon Edition of its Galaxy Z Flip 3 foldable smartphone on April 25. The phone will come with a number of Pokémon-themed accessories, ringtones, themes, and wallpapers. There is currently a Pokémon Bread craze happening in South Korea. It is not the first time that Samsung has released custom versions of its foldable phones."
"The Often-Hated Open Floor Plan Gets a New Savior: The Office Pod . Studies have shown that open floor office plans decrease face-to-face time and increase the number of email interactions. Employees experience increased stress levels, conflict, blood pressure, and higher turnover rates when working in an open floor office. Companies such as ROOM and ZenBooth have started offering office pods, personal cubicles which are minimal in design, containing a chair, a table, outlets, a skylight, glass doors, and soundproofed walls. Pods can vary in sizes and accommodate individual users or small groups of people. ZenBooth was started due to the founder finding it difficult to work in an office with an open floor plan. Pods can be delivered to an office within 10-15 business days and set up in under an hour while constructing office walls can take more than three months. Some pods are already tested to meet fire regulations, and the costs are less than renting traditional sectioned offices."
"Facebook Preparing Antitrust Lawsuit Against Apple for 'Unfair' Approach to Privacy and Default Apps . Facebook plans to launch an antitrust lawsuit against Apple for anticompetitive behavior regarding App Tracking Transparency and iMessage. The suit claims that Apple abuses its power by enforcing App Store rules that Apple itself doesn't have to follow. Facebook claims that Apple's App Tracking Transparency feature is unfair as its prompts don't appear on Apple's apps, offering them a competitive advantage. Apple's apps do not track users or share data for advertising purposes. Facebook also claims that Apple's refusal to allow third-party messaging apps to be installed as the default option is an attempt to prevent people from switching to competing brands."
"Apple and Stanford’s Apple Watch study identified irregular heartbeats in over 2,000 patients . The Apple Heart Study, a joint effort between Apple and the Stanford University School of Medicine, released its results today both in a press release and at the American College of Cardiology’s 68th Annual Scientific Session and Expo. Of the over 400,000 participants, 0.5% received notifications alerting them of heart irregularities over the course of the study, at an 84% accuracy rate. The study showed that the Apple Watch wasn’t prone to ‘over-notification’, which was a growing concern with wearable devices. While the Apple Watch was shown to be a useful tool in the early detection of health issues, these devices have to be much more accurate before they can be relied on for health decisions."
"Disney's ""Holobricks"" could stack up for larger holograms . A new hologram system from Cambridge and Disney uses modular holographic blocks called holobricks to create high-quality scalable holographs. Each holobrick is made up of a spatial light modulator, a scanner, and coarse integrated optics. The system can create images that can be viewed from multiple angles in full color with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels at 24 frames per second. Holobricks can be combined to create larger images. The technology could be used to create video walls or interactive kiosks at Disney theme parks in the future."
"TikTok inks licensing deal with Merlin to use music from independent labels in videos and new Resso streaming service . TikTok has been building a new music streaming service to compete against Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. It recently announced a licensing deal with Merlin, a global agency that represents hundreds of thousands of artists, to use the labels' music legally on TikTok anywhere that the app is available. TikTok has secured deals with other major labels but has been restricted from going public on the details. The licensing deal with Merlin covers TikTok's upcoming music subscription service, Resso. Resso was first spotted in the wild as a test app in India and Indonesia. Despite being one of the most popular apps, TikTok still struggles to gain revenue, and a music streaming app is one way for it to generate revenue. It has been working on ways to become independent from China as it continues to face regulatory scrutiny for its acquisition by ByteDance."
"AWS Ground Station – Ingest and Process Data from Orbiting Satellites . Do you ever launch your satellite and realize that you forgot to set up a ground station to process the data stream? Well you're in luck, AWS has launched Ground Station, a Ground-Station-as-a-Service that allows you to spin up a satellite ground station as easily as you would a virtual machine. So you could get one up and running for a specific event like severe weather, a natural disaster, or a sporting event, or you could rent one long-term. As satellites get cheaper (there are really small satellites now like CubeSats, PocketQubes, and SunCubes), this service could be nifty to get data down from your satellites and into S3, Redshift, or any other AWS service."
"Gmail Classic (Github Repo). This is a project that lets you revert back to the old Gmail layout before the recent redesign. The project includes not only the original CSS, but also a handy Chrome extension that will apply the CSS automatically."
"First-ever artificial neuron could let us repair brain injuries with silicon . Scientists have created a 'solid-state neuron' that accurately models the behavior of biological nerve cells. It can be plugged directly into biological neural circuits to repair damage or disease. One of the challenges in building an artificial neuron is emulating a real neuron's non-linear responses. Scientists collected data from two types of rat neurons in order to build a model that emulated how neurons responded to stimuli from other nerves. The chip is roughly 0.1 millimeters in diameter and it only uses 140 nanoWatts of power, making it practical for long-term applications inside the body. Potential applications for the technology include repairing defective circuits that cause conditions like heart failure or sleep apnea, replacing damaged nerves caused by spinal injuries, or helping connect robotic limbs to people's nervous systems."
"New Brain-Computer Interface Transforms Thoughts to Images . Researchers at the University of Helsinki have used artificial intelligence to create a system that translates signals from the brain into images of what the person is thinking of. Research on brain-computer interfaces has so far been limited to simple actions. Using machine-learning enabled the researchers to create a more flexible, adaptable system. The researchers used a generative adversarial network to train the system by having participants focus on different areas of images and then validating the computer-generated response. The results from the experiment show strong evidence that the method is highly effective."
"Is Sergey Brin really building the world's biggest aircraft? Here's everything we know . Google co-founder Sergey Brin loves airships, and he has been working on building a giant sky yacht. He wants to use the airship for humanitarian aid. Airships can land and deliver goods almost anywhere. They are also zero-emission alternatives to airplanes. Airships are faster and have fewer emissions than cargo ships. Brin's airship will be about 650 feet long and cost as much as $150 million to construct. It will run on hydrogen."
"Hotjar – See Like Your Users (Sponsor). Hotjar – See Like Your Users . Hotjar provides product experience insights that show how your users behave on-site, where they click or stick. Leading product teams like Microsoft, Nintendo, and HubSpot use Hotjar to go beyond basic analytics.Understand your users by connecting the dots between what's happening and why it happens. Sign up today to see how users actually experience your site – it's free!"
"Antibiotic Game-Changer: Phages Can Anticipate Bacteria’s Location and Destroy Them Before They Cause an Infection . Phages are viruses that specialize in invading and killing specific bacteria. Many phages have trouble fighting bacteria in the gut due to a sticky protein called mucin. Researchers have found a rare phage that can be used to target and kill specific bacteria, even in the gut. They were able to demonstrate its effectiveness on bacteria inside complex environments with lab studies. It is the first case where a bacterial infection has been treated with the use of targeted drugs."
"World's largest plant: 112-mile-long seagrass found off Australian coast . Researchers from Australia have discovered a plant that covers a total area of 200km2. The researchers took samples of seagrass shoots from the area and examined genetic markers and found that it was all a single plant. It is estimated to be around 4,500 years old. The giant seagrass meadow appears to be extremely resilient. It can survive in an environment that would be typically highly stressful for most plants."
"Awesome Data Science with Python (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a curated list of resources for practicing Data Science. It includes libraries, tutorials, code snippets, blog posts, talks, and more. Links are followed by a short description and organized according to topics."
"Oculus announces a VR subscription service for enterprises . Oculus has announced business versions of their VR headsets, designed for enterprise use. The Oculus Go for business will start at $599 (64 GB) and the Oculus Quest for enterprise will begin at $999 (128 GB). Oculus for Business also provides enterprise device management and support at a fee of $180 per year per device. The fees for the first year of the Oculus for Business subscription is included with the purchase of a device."
Apple launching ‘Apple Music for Business’ to provide music to retail stores . Businesses can now sign up to play licensed music in their retail locations through Apple Music for Business. Apple will provide human-curated playlists and even custom recommendations matched to fit the culture of the store. A special iOS app will be provided for businesses to control the music being played. Different licensing terms for businesses means that they need to make deals with special providers to get legal in-store music. Spotify and Apple have both started to address the retail audience. Harrods department store has been using the service for a few weeks now and it gets an affiliate commission if customers sign up to the Apple Music service.
"Infecting Mosquitoes With Bacteria Could Have A Big Payoff . Last year, nearly 400 million people experienced dengue, a painful viral disease. An outbreak throughout Southeast Asia is guaranteed every rainy season. Previous efforts to control outbreaks have involved trapping infected mosquitoes. The World Mosquito Program is cultivating and releasing mosquitoes that have been infected with a bacterium called Wolbachia. Wolbachia occurs naturally in many insects, but it is not common in the mosquitoes that carry dengue. The bacterium can be passed down to future generations. It stops the mosquitoes from transmitting arboviruses such as dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika. A 75 percent reduction in dengue cases was seen in communities where the Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes were released. The WMP deployed the infected mosquitoes in Brazil and saw a 70-75 percent reduction in cases of chikungunya. It is theoretically possible to use Wolbachia to wipe out dengue entirely."
"usernames (GitHub Repo). GitHub prohibits account name squatting. Inactive accounts can be removed or renamed without notice. This script generates a list of inactive accounts on GitHub with rare usernames so people can try to claim what they like. Pre-scraped lists are available. Not all GitHub activity is publicly available, so the usernames generated might still be technically active even if they appear to be inactive."
"Robinhood will give retail investors access to IPO shares, a longstanding Wall Street realm . Amateur investors will soon have access to initial public offering shares through Robinhood. Retail traders usually have to wait until companies are listed on an exchange to begin trading. Robinhood's IPO Access will give retail traders the same opportunity to access IPOs previously reserved for Wall Street's institutional investors or high-net-worth individuals. Medical scrubs company Figs will be the first company to offer its IPO shares on the platform. Robinhood will go public in the first half of 2021, but it is unclear whether its clients will be able to invest in its IPO."
"Mark Zuckerberg on taking his massive workforce remote . Mark Zuckerberg announced on Thursday that Facebook will be making most of its open roles in the US open for remote recruiting and hiring. Later this year, many of Facebook's employees will be able to request to switch to remote work, and within the next decade, most of Facebook's workforce will likely be remote. Remote work may not necessarily reduce costs as the company will still require offices and will still need employees to attend some events. Facebook is known for paying employees to live closer to its offices, but the company has decided that this is not critical for the way it will move forward, especially with technologies such as AR and VR. Moving to remote work will mean that Facebook will have wider access to talent."
"Supercharge your command line experience: GitHub CLI is now in beta . GitHub CLI is now in beta for macOS, Windows, and Linux. It can filter lists using labels, quickly view the details of issues, create pull requests, and easily view the status of a project. Examples of how to use GitHub CLI are provided."
"Artificial photosynthesis devices that improve themselves with use . An artificial photosynthesis device invented by a University of Michigan professor uses nanowires of gallium nitride to convert carbon dioxide into clean chemicals and fuels. Usually, the efficiency of artificial photosynthesis devices falls steeply after just a few hours of use, but the device instead becomes more efficient as it is used. A team of scientists determined that this effect was due to the gallium nitride absorbing oxygen, creating more sites for hydrogen production on the material's surface. Future studies will investigate how nitrides contribute to stability in artificial photosynthesis devices."
React Preview (Website). React Preview can preview any React component in a codebase. It can provide instant feedback inside the IDE without writing any extra code. GIF examples are available.
"Uber introduces an Amazon Prime-style monthly subscription service . Uber is launching a $14.99/month ($24.99/month in Los Angeles only) subscription service that gives riders discounted fares on Uber rides that will also not be subject to surge pricing. The fares will be based on historical data and will reduce fares by up to 15%. The service, called Ride Pass, is available in Los Angeles, Austin, Orlando, Denver, and Miami. The Los Angeles version of Ride Pass also includes free bike and scooter access."
"A big bet to kill the password for good . The FIDO Alliance, an industry association that specifically works on secure authentication, has published a white paper on its vision for solving the usability issues associated with passwordless features. It identifies the process for switching or adding devices as being the main thing preventing passwordless schemes from achieving mass adoption. The proposed solution involves operating systems developing a credential management system that can sync between devices. It would allow people to use existing hardware to physically authenticate new devices. Introducing passwordless schemes will make phishing a thing of the past."
"Screenflow: an unfinished attempt at a cross-platform server-driven UI at Uber (12 minute read). Uber's apps are available on iOS, Android, and the web, which means that they need to be written three times and usually by different developers. This requires time and careful coordination, and delays potentially meant that Uber couldn't operate as a business. The solution was to use server-driven UI so that the app would fetch its configuration from the server. This article discusses the Screenflow project and how Uber built an interactive UI that could be updated at any point."
"Tesla smart home HVAC: Elon Musk considers the new product again . Elon Musk has been discussing making new smart home HVAC systems for a while, and now the coronavirus outbreak is making the CEO revisit the idea. Tesla has developed HVAC systems and HEPA systems for a few of its vehicles already. According to Tesla, its systems can remove at least 99.97% of fine particulate matter and gaseous pollutants, as well as bacteria, viruses, pollen, and mold spores. Musk has also talked about collecting and utilizing the condensed water produced from these systems, rather than just throwing it away like other similar systems."
"Russia Declassifies Video From 1961 of Largest Hydrogen Bomb Ever Detonated . A 40-minute documentary posted on YouTube on August 20 shows footage of the 1961 Tsar Bomba hydrogen bomb test, the largest bomb ever detonated on Earth. The footage shows the blast from several angles and is linked in the article. Officially named RDS-220, the Tsar Bomba was 26 feet long and almost seven feet tall. It had a destructive force over 3,000 times larger than the bomb used to destroy Hiroshima. The flash from the blast could be seen 620 miles away."
"Feds Seized Robinhood CEO's Phone in GameStop Trading Halt Investigation . Robinhood still intends to go public on Thursday. The company is subject to at least 49 class-action lawsuits over its restriction of the purchase of GameStop stock in January. It is under investigation by a series of regulators, state attorneys general, the SEC, and the US Department of Justice. The company's CEO had his cell phone seized by federal attorneys. Robinhood acknowledges that the fallout from its restrictions has the potential to be disastrous for the company."
"My First Year as a Freelance AI Engineer (12 minute read). Most people aren't suited to being a freelancer due to the work environment, the high quality requirements, and the job uncertainty. It is possible to be paid well, especially in the right market. Most clients are found through networking. There is a lot of freedom with being a freelancer, but this requires being good at time management. It is a viable career path to be a freelance AI Engineer, as long as you understand the risks and requirements."
"The Brain Can Recall and Reawaken Past Immune Responses . Scientists from Israel have recently proved that mice brains can remember immune responses. The study involved giving mice a bout of colitis and then marking neurons active on the day the inflammation peaked. After the mice recovered, the scientists were able to trigger the immune response by stimulating the same neurons. Mice that had those neurons inhibited showed less severe disease symptoms. The study shows that the brain is inseparable from the immune system and this finding could have far-reaching implications."
GPT Neo (GitHub Repo). GPT Neo is an implementation of model parallel GPT2 & GPT3-like models. It can scale up to and above GPT3 sizes using the mesh-tensorflow library. Pretrained models are available.
"How Google Protected Andy Rubin, the 'Father of Android' . This article is about sexual harassment by high level Google executives including Android creator Andy Rubin. Andy Rubin was having an extramarital affair with a woman, who claims that he ""coerced"" her into oral sex. Google investigated, and felt the claim was credible enough that Larry Page asked Rubin to resign, and gave him a $90 million severance package (Google had approved a $150 million stock grant for him just weeks earlier so this was a bit of a downgrade). Rubin denies that the sex was non-consensual. Rubin had previously had his pay docked for having porn on his work computer. In his 2015 divorce proceedings, his ex-wife provided evidence that he had multiple ""ownership relationships"" with other women, one of whom he emailed saying ""You will be happy being taken care of. Being owned is kinda like you are my property, and I can loan you to other people."" Richard Devaul, a director at Google X, told a female interviewee that he and his wife are ""polyamorous"", and invited her to Burning Man where he asked her for a back rub. She refused, so he settled for an awkward neck rub. She did not get the job. Amit Singhal a senior vice president in charge of search, groped an employee at an off-site event. He resigned and was given an exit package worth millions."
"Facebook’s first ‘smart glasses’ will be Ray-Bans, coming next year . Facebook will be releasing its first pair of consumer smart glasses next year in a partnership with Ray-Ban. The details of the device haven't been released yet, but Facebook has said it will not be classified as an AR device and it will not have an integrated display of any kind. Project Aria is Facebook's project to create a full-fledged pair of AR glasses. Facebook will start testing Aria in the real world starting next month. The company released white papers and prototype design images for hybrid AR-VR devices earlier this year which may have included a version of Project Aria."
"Dwarf planet 'The Goblin' discovery redefining solar system . Scientists have discovered a dwarf planet called ""The Goblin"". They made this discovery while looking for a ninth planet in an icy region called the Oort Cloud. The dwarf planet is just 300km across, and its orbit ranges from 2.5 times as far from the sun as Pluto all the way out to 60 times as far from the sun as Pluto. It appears to be under the gravitational orbit of a giant unseen object, which scientists think might be a ninth planet. This is the third dwarf planet discovered in the outer solar system, and all three are in the same region, which is another part of what makes scientists think there is a large object somewhere out there yet to be discovered."
MLOps Primer (GitHub Repo). This repository contains resources for keeping up with the latest in the world of MLOps.
"Microsoft wins U.S. Army contract for augmented-reality headsets, worth up to $21.9 billion over 10 years . Microsoft has won a contract with the Pentagon to build more than 120,000 custom HoloLens headsets for the US Army. The deal could be worth up to $21.88 billion over 10 years. Microsoft's HoloLens enables people to see holograms overlaid on top of their environments and interact with them. An earlier prototype made for the Army displayed a map and compass and had thermal imaging to reveal people in the dark. Some Microsoft employees are against the project, saying that they did not sign up to develop weapons."
"Ticketmaster will pay $10 million for hacking rival ticket seller . Live Nation, parent company to Ticketmaster, hired a former employee from rival ticket seller CrowdSurge and used their knowledge of old usernames and passwords to infiltrate the company's computers. They used this access to interfere with CrowdSurge's operations. Live Nation lost access to the system when CrowdSurge merged with Songkick in 2015. Songkick sued Ticketmaster for violating antitrust laws, but it accepted a $110 million settlement after shutting down its business and selling its remaining assets to Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster was fined $10 million for the incident."
"GameStop Redditors Invest in Gorilla Conservation . Redditors from the subreddit WallStreetBets have banded together under the slogan 'Apes Together Strong' and donated over $350,000 to foundations that focus on ape conservation in under a week. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, one of the foundations on the receiving end of these donations, will use the funds for its field programs, where they track, monitor, and study gorillas in their natural habitats. Members of the WallStreetBets subreddit previously garnered attention for causing the price of GameStop stock to skyrocket in January."
"MIT’s tiny artificial brain chip could bring supercomputer smarts to mobile devices . Scientists at MIT have published a paper detailing a new type of artificial brain synapse that can potentially produce devices that can handle complex AI computing locally without having to connect to a data center, while remaining small and power-efficient. Tens and thousands of these synapses can be combined on a chip physically smaller than a single piece of confetti. The 'memristors' are created using alloys of silver and copper. They offer a gradient of values, as opposed to a binary state, and are also able to remember states. The goal of the project was to create dedicated hardware that could perform tasks that currently require significant GPU computing power to run."
"zoxide (GitHub Repo). zoxide is an alternative to the cd command that tracks the directories that are used most frequently in order to navigate to the best match. It is inspired by z and z.lua, but it runs significantly faster than both. A quick usage and installation guide is available."
"Say Goodbye to Manual Compliance and Hello to Automation (Sponsor). Say Goodbye to Manual Compliance and Hello to Automation . Your organization is growing at an impressive rate, but is your security & compliance stack set up to scale with you? Drata is the simplest way to achieve continuous SOC 2, ISO 2700, PCI DSS, & HIPAA compliance. Through a suite of 50+ integration - from AWS, to Github, to Cloudflare - Drata puts your security compliance on autopilot.TLDR subscribers: save 10% and get your free compliance assessment."
Avatarify (GitHub Repo). Avatarify creates avatars for Skype and Zoom. A one-minute video showing an Avatarify-generated Elon Musk crashing a Zoom conference call is available.
"Tesla’s trumpeted solar shingles are a flop . Tesla purchased SolarCity in 2016, and announced soon after that they would be releasing a line of solar panels that were designed to look like shingles. Part of the original deal involved Tesla buying panels from Panasonic and investing in one of Panasonic’s gigafactories. In a statement by Panasonic, most of the solar panels produced at their factories were being sold overseas, rather than being used to fill orders for Tesla’s Solar Roofs. A separate source reported that only 21 Tesla solar systems had been installed in California. Overall, installations have plummeted by more than 76 percent since Tesla acquired SolarCity."
"Humans are about to touch the deepest corners of the ocean for the first time — an endeavor as dangerous as landing on the moon . In December, explorer and investor Victor Vescovo and scientist Alan Jamieson, will begin exploring the deepest parts of each of the world's oceans in a $48 million submarine. 45% of the ocean has been essentially ignored by explorers, so they will be diving in 5 spots, and they're hoping they will find a new deepest spot in the ocean (the deepest known spot is the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, which is almost 7 miles down). All five of their dives into the ""Five Deeps"" will be between 5 and 7 miles down. There will be no rescue crew."
"US cybersecurity firm FireEye says it was hacked, probably by 'nation-state' . One of the largest cybersecurity companies in the US, FireEye, claims it was hacked by a foreign government. Internal tools used for testing clients' defenses were stolen in the attack. FireEye has an array of business contracts across the national security space in the US and around the world. The stolen kit targets a myriad of different vulnerabilities in popular software products. All of these vulnerabilities should already be public, but FireEye has not disclosed what systems may be affected. Typically, companies will release patches for known vulnerabilities, but users do not always download these patches."
A new standard could let companies build processors out of Lego-like chiplets . Chipmakers worldwide are working together to create a new system for integrating chiplets together in future semiconductor designs. Almost every major name in the industry is involved with the project. The standard will use the same broad model that PC components have used for years but for specialized chips called chiplets that only do a few specific functions. Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express (UCIe) will be a standard for connecting chiplets together to make it easier to mix and match different components when building custom processors.
Airbnb announces it won’t dock employees’ pay if they go remote . Airbnb will allow the vast majority of its employees to work remotely without having to take a pay cut if they move away from the company's offices. The company had its most productive period over the last two years while working remotely. Employees will be able to live and work in over 170 countries for up to 90 days a year in each location. There will be regular team gatherings for employees to meet and connect. Airbnb plans to release two major products a year.
"Tesla's Navigate on Autopilot is like Waze on steroids . Navigate on Autopilot is a new feature by Tesla that is moving it closer to its self-driving future. It offers step-by-step navigation overlayed on a map (like you would get from Google Maps or Waze) but the cool thing is that if you give it permission, it will execute the directions by itself. It can also be tuned for aggressiveness, with four modes: Disabled, Mild, Average, and Mad Max. This article is written by a reporter who got to try out Navigate on Autopilot for the first time, and he was very impressed, saying that he was ""overcome with an ice-cold 'this is the future' feeling."""
Pig heart transplant failure: Doctors detail everything that went wrong . A recently published paper goes through everything that happened to prepare for the transplant and the weeks following.
"Voice AI is scary good now. Video game actors hate it . A game modder recently released a The Witcher 3 PC mod that uses AI to generate brand-new lines for the characters. Companies are increasing their use of AI voices in game development and it is making voice actors in the industry nervous. Game companies use AI voices for testing purposes and for scenarios where it is impossible to record in advance, for example, when the dialogue requires details generated from players' choices. The ethics of the technology are also complicated, as no one can prohibit synthesizing any voice. A two-minute video showing scenes from the fan-made mod is available in the article."
"Open Source Maintainer Sabotages Code to Wipe Russian, Belarusian Computers . A software developer who maintains a repository for a popular networking tool, node-ipc, recently updated the software to make it add a file containing a message of peace to users' desktops. While the developer claims that the update only added the file, users in Belarus and Russia reported that it overwrote files on their computers with a heart emoji. The reaction to the update was extremely negative. The developer is now being targeted by hackers."
"Microsoft announces Azure Quantum, a cloud quantum computing service . Microsoft has announced plans to release an open cloud quantum computer service in private preview. It has open-sourced its Quantum Development Kit and Q# compilers and simulators. Microsoft has partnered with the startup IonQ to enable developers to use Microsoft products with quantum computers. IonQ uses an approach to quantum computing that focuses on trapping ions. Microsoft Azure Quantum will be launched in the coming months. Other companies such as Rigetti and D-Wave Systems also offer quantum computing on the cloud. IBM has plans to eventually make its 53-qubit computer available on the cloud."
"Herpesviruses steal one cell’s protein, use it to infect another . Herpesviruses latch on to a protein in the first cell they infect and then carry this protein along with them to other cells. The protein helps the virus latch onto a motor protein that carries it towards the cell nucleus. The virus was no longer able to spread after scientists mutated the gene that encodes the protein to remove its ability to latch onto the motor protein. It is possible that similar processes happen in other well-studied viruses given how difficult it was to detect this process in herpesviruses."
"Hailing a driverless ride in a Waymo . Waymo has begun to ramp up its operations by offering an early rider program to selected customers. These customers are selected based on ZIP code and are required to sign NDAs. The customers won't be able to request a fully driverless ride, but they will be matched with a driverless car if one is nearby. Driverless rides are currently free. The decision to operate fully-autonomous driverless cars shows Waymo's confidence in its technology. The firm has completed 10 million real-world miles and 10 billion simulation miles. Fully driverless rides are currently only taking place in a geofenced area, implying that Waymo's confidence levels are still highly situational. One of the problems with driverless rides is the user experience. Passengers might have issues with specifying exact drop-off points or communicating plan changes. Waymo's user experience research team is currently working on these challenges."
"Hacker's guide to deep-learning side-channel attacks: the theory (25 minute read). Side-channel attacks are one of the most effective ways to attack secure hardware as they target algorithm implementation rather than the algorithm itself. Implementing algorithms in a way that leaks no information is difficult and requires complex software and hardware countermeasures. This article, the first in a two-part series, goes through the core concepts and setup required to carry out a machine learning-based side-channel attack to recover the AES key used by a TinyAES implementation running on an ARM CPU."
"This Hive-Like House Is 3D Printed, Carbon-Neutral, and Made of Clay . The TECLA is a 3D printed house that was designed based on the hives of a species of wasp found in the northern hemisphere. It is made of materials taken from local terrain. Printing a TECLA house takes about 200 hours and about 60 cubic meters of materials. The building process consumes 6 kilowatts of energy. A 2-minute video showing a TECLA house being printed is available in the article."
Open-Source App Lets Anyone Create a Virtual Army of Hackintoshes . A developer has created a way to scale macOS using docker. Each instance is able to access services like iMessage as Docker-OSX generates unique codes for its macOS hardware. The developer has recently released a standalone code generator. Anyone can now participate in Apple's bug bounty program without having to own Apple hardware. Apple doesn't encourage the use of VMs.
"They Got Rich Off Uber and Lyft. Then They Moved to Low-Tax States . Many millennials who had worked on startups such as Uber and Lyft from the beginning have moved from California to low-tax states. As these tech startups have become huge and stock values rise, these original employees, many who were initially incentivized through stock options, have become rich. Most state that they are moving away from California due to wanting to be away from the startup scene, rather than for just the obvious tax breaks, but it is rare to see one of these new millionaires move to a high-tax state such as New York."
"Experts Agree: Smart Investing Now = Earlier Retirement (Sponsor). Experts Agree: Smart Investing Now = Earlier Retirement . If you’re a business owner or high earner, investing in solid financial assets should be your #1 priority. With the stocks and crypto on life support, the most sought-after investment by those looking for long-term growth is art.Here’s why:Helps protect your cash from inflationNear 0 correlation to stocks according to CitiContemporary art outpaced the S&P 500 by 164% (1995-2021)No wonder over 440,000 members signed up for this white-hot art investing app.Bonus: TLDR subscribers can get priority access to this smart app hereSee important Reg A disclosures"
New Rocket Mining System Blasts Through Moon Rocks to Reach Ice . Masten Space Systems is a Californian-based startup that is developing a robotic rover system to mine ice on the Moon. The Rocket M rover will extract lunar ice using controlled rocket blasts. It can travel at speeds of up to 2.14 mph and climb 20 percent inclines. The rover can electrolyze stored water for power. Lunar ice can be used for vital resources in future missions. A 5-minute video explaining how the rocket mining system works is available in the article.
"Understanding Software Engineering Salaries in 2022, in 5 Charts . Hired's 2022 State of Software Engineers report looks at over 366,000 interactions between companies and software engineers to provide insights for both engineers and employers. This year, the survey found a boost in demand for security engineers, a high demand for Go programmers, that Silicon Valley still offers the highest salaries, and that the average salary for software engineers in 2021 was $156,000. More findings from the study are available in the article."
"This is what the new Chromium-based Edge looks like . Microsoft is working on a new version of its Edge browser that is based on Chromium. Many of the design features are still similar to the current Edge browser, but some changes will be familiar to Chrome users. Bing is integrated into the browser, and a new tab will open into a personalized news feed powered by Microsoft News, with Bing’s image of the day as the background. While existing Chrome Web Store extensions are compatible with the new Edge browser (after changing a setting), Microsoft will maintain their own extension store for the new Edge. A gallery of screenshots is available that showcases the new Edge browser."
unplugin-icons (GitHub Repo). unplugin-icons features thousands of on-demand icons as components. It uses Iconify as its icon data source. unplugin-icons works with all major build tools and frameworks and the icons can be customized and even animated.
"When seeing is no longer believing: Inside the Pentagon’s race against deepfake videos . Deep fakes or videos created using artificial intelligence technology and these videos are increasingly common and easy to make. The US government has taken notice of this technology and its potential for abuse and has begun to develop techniques to identify deep fakes. The article contains videos explaining in depth what deep fakes are, how they are created, and how the deep fakes can be identified."
"NASA and SpaceX are Developing Tech to Refuel Spacecraft While in Orbit . NASA's Artemis program is a collaboration between NASA and 13 private US companies with the aim of taking humans back to the Moon by 2024. SpaceX will be part of the Artemis program, developing technologies that will help spacecraft refuel while in orbit. Pulling away from Earth's gravity is typically where most fuel is used, so being able to refuel a spacecraft while in space would greatly improve the efficiency and range of space travel."
"Google just put a photo of the Pixel 4A on its store . An image of Google's Pixel 4A was mistakenly published on its Canadian store. The image is available in the article. It features the 4A in a matte black finish with a light blue power button. The phone has one camera and a headphone jack. It supposedly passed FCC approval last month, suggesting it might be released soon. The screen inside the image has a date of May 12th, indicating that Google had originally planned to launch the phone during its annual developer's conference before it was canceled."
"Self-Driving Mercedes Will Be Programmed To Sacrifice Pedestrians To Save The Driver . Mercedes Benz's future Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous driving cars will choose to save drivers before pedestrians in the event of an accident. Driverless vehicles may have to make decisions concerning lives, for example, in a collision with a pedestrian, it might have to choose between saving the life of the driver or saving the life of a pedestrian. Engineers at Mercedes have decided that in any situation, autonomous vehicles should save the lives inside the car since that is where the engineers have the most control. While autonomous vehicles may sometimes have to make these kinds of decisions, they will most likely create a safer driving environment, resulting in less fatal accidents."
"WeWork sells off social network Meetup to AlleyCorp and other investors . Meetup is a social networking platform designed to connect people in person. WeWork has sold Meetup to AlleyCorp and other private investors. Meetup currently serves 49 million registered members, with an average of 15,000 in-person events created per day. The company had been struggling before the COVID-19 pandemic and now it is trying to position itself as a place for groups to meet online during times of crisis. It is unclear what the future holds for Meetup but it is clear they will need to adapt their business strategy in the months to come."
Pose Animator (GitHub Repo). Pose Animator transforms 2D vector illustrations into real-time animations based on the recognition result from PoseNet and FaceMesh. It is possible to create your own design to animate. Sample files and GIF demos are available in the repository.
"Swiss region to take cryptocurrency for tax payments in 2021 . Switzerland's Zug canton has said that it plans to accept cryptocurrencies for tax payments starting next year. The canton will accept tax payments of up to 100,000 Swiss francs starting in February. A pilot program is expected to launch in the next few weeks. Taxpayers who want to pay in cryptocurrency will receive a QR code for payments after notifying tax authorities. An attempt by Ohio to accept cryptocurrencies for tax payments was ruled illegal by the state's attorney general last year."
"Dynamic tattoos promise to warn wearers of health threats . Nanotech tattoos have been developed over the past few years. They can signal changes in a person's biochemistry, warn wearers of radiation exposure, or detect the presence of UV light. A tattoo that warns users to wear skin protection if there is too much UV light uses a UV-activated dye inside of a plastic nanocapsule. The nanocapsule is required to keep the body from cleaning out the ink. After they are applied, the tattoos are invisible until they are exposed to UV rays, at which point they turn blue. The scientists are also working on temperature-sensitive inks to use as thermometers. Wearable temporary electronic tattoos can be used for sensing electrophysiological signals as well as for controlling mobile devices. They are much less permanent than traditional tattoos, but they can use battery-powered electronics. Little is known about the safety of normal tattoo inks as the US FDA doesn't regulate them. More research is needed to understand the long-term effects of implants in the skin."
"Element Plus (GitHub Repo). Element Plus is a Vue.js 3.0 based UI component library for developers, designers, and product managers. It was designed with consistency, feedback, efficiency, and controllability in mind. Examples and demos are available on the main website."
"This ‘robot lawyer’ can take the mystery out of license agreements . A new service from DoNotPay aims to help customers understand license agreements. DoNotPay is a robot lawyer service that helps people contest parking tickets and even sue people. Do Not Sign is included with DoNotPay's $3 monthly subscription fee. It uses machine learning to highlight important clauses in contracts. The service will identify and explain any issues or loopholes that it finds in license agreements that users upload or link. Do Not Sign was developed in order to help customers take advantage of any rights they might be owed by signing contracts. It can help users find and opt-out of certain terms, and it can also help send letters on customers' behalf. There are around 200 key terms that the service searches for in contracts. The system is not perfect, and may miss some terms. It may sometimes offer incorrect or incomplete advice, or advice that is difficult for the user to understand. Do Not Sign is now available in the US and DoNotPay hopes to launch the service in the UK by the end of December."
"Frontend Bootcamp (GitHub Repo). Frontend Bootcamp is a two-day workshop created by Microsoft that will teach the basics of frontend development through building a working web app. The course is designed to be accessible by anyone but previous experience with programming and web technologies is recommended. The first day will focus on fundamentals such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and the second day will be on advanced topics such as TypeScript, testing, and state management. The project is still under development."
"Amazon Plans to Split HQ2 in Two Locations
Image . According to ""people familiar with the decision-making process"", Amazon now plans to have its second headquarters split into two different locations with 25,000 employees each. Inside sources say that Amazon is close to deals with the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens and Crystal City, Virginia, an urban neighborhood south of downtown Washington DC. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says ""I am doing everything I can...I'll change my name to Amazon Cuomo if that's what it takes. Because it would be a great economic boost."""
"awesome-web-effect (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of cool web page effects. The effects can be simply inserted into any page. Categories include mouse effects, background decorations, image effects, SVG animations, and more."
"Brandless, the pioneering Amazon alternative, shuts down . Brandless is shutting down, just two and a half years after it launched. It had an original idea designed to disrupt the traditional grocery industry, but it could not perform under the pressure of its investors. Brandless blames the crowded e-commerce market, as the competition in the direct-to-consumer market is fierce. SoftBank poured $240 million into the company in mid-2018, a year after it launched. After it received the cash infusion, Brandless underwent major leadership changes, partly due to the fact that SoftBank was pushing Brandless to quickly turn a profit and meet steep financial targets. The company board decided to shut down the company while there was still enough money to provide severance packages to employees."
Disappearing-People - Person removal from complex backgrounds over time (GitHub Repo). Disappearing-People is a JavaScript library for removing people from complex backgrounds in real-time. It uses TensorFlow.js in the web browser. A GIF showing a person being removed from the background of a webcam video is available.
"Researchers ready world-first vision restoration device for human clinical trials . Scientists at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia have produced a device that can restore vision to the blind using a combination of smartphone-style electronics and brain-implanted microelectrodes. The researchers are now preparing for the first human clinical trials to take place after successful preclinical studies and trials on sheep. There are still many steps required before the device will be available for commercial use. The technology works by transmitting converted image data from a camera to neurons via microelectrodes that are thinner than a human hair."
"A controversial startup that charges $8,000 to fill your veins with young blood is opening its first clinic . A startup called Ambrosia Medical that charges $8,000 to fill your veins with the blood of young people plans to launch its first clinic in New York City at the end of this year. In 2017, Ambrosia enrolled people in the first US clinical trial designed to find out what happens when the veins of adults are filled with blood from the young. While the results of that study have not yet been made public, Ambrosia CEO Jesse Karmazin told Business Insider the results were ""really positive."" Because blood transfusions are already approved by the Food and Drug Administration, Ambrosia's approach has the green-light to continue as an off-label treatment. So far, the company has already infused close to 150 patients ranging in age from 35 to 92 with the blood of young donors, aged 16 to 25. People in the trial paid $8,000 to participate. Other researchers say that there's no clinical evidence that this actually works. Theranos 2.0 anyone?"
"Rocket Lab will directly challenge SpaceX with its proposed Neutron launcher . Rocket Lab has announced plans to build a rocket capable of lifting 8 tons. The Neutron booster will be able to launch constellations of satellites. Its design will balance affordability and carrying capacity. Many larger rockets are capable of carrying up to 20 tons of payload, but the average payload size for all rockets is about 4.5 tons. The reduced costs due to size will mean that Rocket Labs will be able to directly compete with providers like SpaceX. Neutron will be reusable and capable of human spaceflight."
"SpaceX confirms Starlink internet private beta underway, showing low latency and speeds over 100Mbps . SpaceX's Starlink internet service has demonstrated low latency speeds and download speeds over 100Mbps. Its capabilities far exceed the capabilities of most options in poorly covered areas. SpaceX expects more features to be unlocked as the network is updated. Starlink recently completed its first inter-satellite link between its satellites. The ability for Starlink satellites to communicate with each other via optical laser will be a core feature of the network."
"Amazon jumps into virtual tourism, offering live one-on-one experiences around the world . Amazon Explore is Amazon's new tech platform and marketplace that offers access to live virtual experiences with people from around the world. The platform was in the works long before global travel restrictions took effect. A public beta of the service will launch soon for Amazon's US customers. Prices on the platform are set by the host and can be between US$10 to US$200 for a session that lasts around 35 minutes to an hour. Amazon uses its own tech platform for Amazon Explore. It displays audio and video and customers can easily save images from the experience and download them afterward. When the global pandemic finally ends, Amazon will have established relationships with tour guides around the world, allowing the company to expand its service into in-person tours and experiences."
Researchers make a quantum storage breakthrough by storing a qubit for 20 milliseconds . Researchers from the University of Geneva broke a new record by storing a qubit in a crystal for 20 milliseconds. The development could help create secure long-distance quantum telecommunication networks. Photons that carry qubits disappear after traveling a few hundred kilometers inside optical fiber cables. The storage could be integrated into repeaters to extend network ranges. The researchers aim to have a system on the market within 10 years.
"GM unveils a new electric vehicle platform and battery in bid to take on Tesla . General Motors showcased its electric vehicle strategy to investors on Wednesday, along with an all-new modular electric vehicle platform called Ultium. The platform is designed to be flexible and multifaceted, allowing it to be built into a variety of vehicle types and shapes. Ultium also features an improved battery pack that is unique due to its large-format, pouch-style cells, which allow them to be stacked vertically or horizontally inside a battery pack. The batteries will supply power ranging from 50 to 200 kWh, allowing for a driving range of over 400 miles. Aluminum is used in the batteries, reducing cobalt content by 70 percent. GM is planning to release 20 electric nameplates by 2023 across all four of its brands."
"HeyDesigner (Newsletter). This is a daily curated newsletter for product people, UXers, PMs and frontend developers. Curated by typography, alien, and robot enthusiast Tamas Sari."
"Netflix takes first stab at mobile gaming in its Android app, but only in Poland . Netflix has released two Stranger Things games on its Android app in Poland. The games have been available for years outside of the Netflix app. Netflix plans to bring ad-free games to mobile devices, and maybe even to consoles, at no additional cost to subscribers. The company has named gaming as one of its toughest competitors because of the massive amount of hours they command worldwide."
"YouTuber Builds an Electric Skateboard With Tank Tracks . YouTuber Ivan Miranda created a custom electric skateboard with tank treads using 3D printed parts. The board features brushless DC motors, a lithium polymer battery, and a remote control system. The 19-minute video of the build is available at the end of the article."
"SpaceX’s Starlink is in talks with ‘several’ airlines for in-flight Wi-Fi . SpaceX's Starlink team has been in talks with several airlines to connect aircraft to the internet. The company has an aviation product in development and it is hoping to release something soon. Starlink has launched nearly 1,800 satellites. It will need 4,400 to provide global coverage. The design for SpaceX's airline antennas will be similar to its consumer terminals. Starlink's satellites will require inter-satellite links to provide connectivity to airplanes flying over remote parts of the ocean. Competition is growing in the low-orbit satellite internet industry, but SpaceX appears confident that it can provide the best experience."
Facebook and Instagram roll out personalized ‘Year in Review’ features . Meta is rolling out Year in Review features for both Facebook and Instagram. Facebook users will be able to share a personalized card with highlights from 2021 until the end of December. Instagram users will be able to share a Playback time capsule made up of up to ten stories to their IG Story for several weeks. The review features on both platforms are fully customizable. They will be available to users all around the globe over the next few days.
"Amazon more than doubles top base pay of corporate and tech workers . Amazon has increased the maximum base pay of workers in corporate and technology roles up to $350,000. It will increase overall compensation ranges for most jobs globally. Amazon has historically offered lower base pay than other tech giants, making up the difference with restricted stock units instead. These other compensation components will stay following the pay increase. The labor market has become more competitive in the past year, forcing the company to increase its compensation to attract and retain staff."
"Google says Matter is still set to fix the biggest smart home frustrations (11 minute read). Matter is a smart home interoperability protocol supported by Apple, Google, Amazon, and other companies in the Connectivity Standards Alliance. It allows smart home devices from different manufacturers to work together. This article features an interview with Michele Turner, the senior director of Google Smart Home Ecosystem. In the interview, Turner discusses how Google plans to implement Matter and what it will mean for Google's Nest products and the Google Home app when Matter is released later this year."
"GitHub investigating crypto-mining campaign abusing its server infrastructure . GitHub is investigating a series of attacks against its cloud infrastructure that allows the attackers to use the servers for crypto-mining operations. The attacks abuse a feature called GitHub Actions, which allows users to execute tasks and workflows. It involves forking legitimate repositories, adding malicious GitHub Actions, and then filing Pull Requests with the original repository. The attacks target project owners who have automated workflows that test incoming pull requests via automated jobs. They create huge computational loads for GitHub's infrastructure, but they don't appear to damage users' projects in any way."
"InfluxDB is the essential time series toolkit (Sponsor). InfluxDB has everything you need to build time series applications – a multi-tenanted time series database, UI and dashboarding tools, background processing, and monitoring agent. All this makes deployment and setup a breeze. Get started for free today!"
"Snyk - Developer Loved, Security Trusted (Sponsor). Snyk is security that even developers love. It automatically scans your code, dependencies, containers, and cloud configs — finding and fixing vulnerabilities in real time from the tools and workflows you already use. Create your Snyk account for free!"
DuckDuckGo is working on a privacy-focused desktop browser . DuckDuckGo is working on a desktop browser that will help users avoid being tracked. The browser will have robust privacy protection turned on by default and function in the same way as its mobile app. Early tests indicate that the browser is significantly faster than Google Chrome. It is currently in a closed beta test on macOS and there is no word on when it will be publicly available.
"For the first time, humans have been placed in biostasis . Scientists have been able to place humans into biostasis for the first time by replacing a person's blood with a very cold saline solution, rapidly cooling the person's body to about 10 to 15 degrees Celsius. The technique was developed to give doctors more time to work with patients who have acute trauma. Putting the body into biostasis slows down or stops all chemical reactions, which means the body's cells need less oxygen. It is unknown how long humans can safely remain in biostasis."
"Amazon offered vendors ‘Amazon’s Choice’ labels in return for ad spending and lower prices . Amazon has recently come under fire as it was discovered that it previously allowed vendors the ability to bid for an Amazon's Choice badge by lowering prices and spending more money on advertising. The Amazon's Choice label gives certain products and items priority and better visibility in search results. Vendors with the label would see an increase in sales. Amazon has denied that this bidding program existed. The company has since switched to using algorithms to determine who gets the Amazon's Choice badge. However, with the new algorithm, Amazon frequently recommends inferior and defective products, as well as products whose reviews have been manipulated by the seller. Two senators have asked Jeff Bezos to explain how products are chosen for Amazon's Choice, as if sellers can pay for the badge, it would limit competition in the marketplace."
Didi says it will delist from the U.S. and prepare to list in Hong Kong . Didi will start delisting from the New York Stock Exchange and will list in Hong Kong instead. Chinese regulators asked the firm's executives to delist from the NYSE due to concerns over sensitive data. China doesn't want tech companies listing in US markets as it brings them under the jurisdiction of US regulators. The US Securities and Exchange Commission recently finalized rules that allow it to delist foreign stocks for failing to meet audit requirements. Almost all US-listed Chinese tech companies are expected to relist in Hong Kong or the mainland.
China starts large-scale testing of its internet of the future . China has launched a large-scale experimental network to test the future of internet technology. It connects 40 of the country's leading research universities with huge bandwidth and far lower latency than the existing internet. The network will connect to almost everything for seamless communications in an AI-driven society. China launched a massive effort to replace Western hardware in its information infrastructure after it was revealed how Western technology was riddled with back doors.
"Sri Lanka to Construct 100 MW of Floating Solar Projects in Maduru Oya Reservoir . The government of Sri Lanka has approved a proposal to build a photovoltaic farm in the Maduru Oya Reservoir. A call has been made by the government for international contractors to provide competitive proposals to build the solar farm, which will cover 4% of the reservoir’s surface area. The Sri Lankan government has approved several solar initiatives recently and they aim to install 200 MW of solar projects by 2020, and 1,000 MW of solar projects by 2025."
"Starsky Robotics Becomes First Uncrewed Truck To Hit 55 MPH . A Florida-based unmanned trucking company, Starsky Robotics, has set a record for the fastest that an unmanned truck has driven on a public road. It hit 55 MPH in a speed test on the Selmon Expressway outside Tampa. Building a driverless truck that can handle highway speeds could solve a $726 billion dollar problem in the trucking industry. Starsky’s trucks aren’t completely autonomous. Instead, they have a remote driver that controls the trucks between freight depots and the freeway, after which an automated system takes over. Truck drivers are increasingly harder to find as the work hours and conditions are unappealing, and employees have to stay away from family for long periods of time."
Blood test that finds 50 types of cancer is accurate enough to be rolled out . A test developed by US-based company Grail can detect more than 50 types of cancer before any clinical signs or symptoms of the disease emerge. It is accurate enough to be rolled out as a screening test and will be piloted by NHS England in the autumn. The test looks for chemical changes in fragments of genetic code that leak from tumors into the bloodstream. It has an impressively high level of accuracy with a low false-positive rate.
"BoTorch (GitHub Repo). BoTorch is a library for Bayesian Optimization built on PyTorch. It is designed for researchers and sophisticated practitioners in Bayesian Optimization and AI. BoTorch can be used as a low-level API for implementing new algorithms in Ax, a machine learning optimization platform."
"Netflix has biggest quarter with nearly 16 million new subscribers signing on . Netflix gained 15.77 million paid subscribers globally in the first quarter of 2020, its biggest quarter yet. It earned $709 million, with revenue growing to $5.77 billion in the quarter. Netflix is currently working on more than 200 projects in post-production. It expects to continue with its releases throughout 2020 and 2021. Shares for the company have risen by 13.6% in the past 12 months. 🚀 Science &"
"How I operated as a Staff engineer at Heroku (12 minute read). Amy Unger worked effectively as a Staff engineer at Salesforce for five years. During this time, she worked on the Heroku Add-ons project and the Heroku API team. This article discusses her role in the company, the daily operations of a Staff-plus engineer, sponsoring other engineers, and networking at a remote company."
"Nikola’s founder steps down from board as company faces fraud allegations . Trevor Milton has stepped down from Nikola's board of directors. Milton will be replaced by Stephen Girsky, a former vice-chairman of GM. Nikola shares fell 22 percent in US pre-market trading. After GM announced that it would take an 11 percent stake in Nikola, short-selling firm Hindenburg Research released a report that accused Nikola of exaggerating its progress in technology. Nikola had recently released a video showing one of its trucks cruising down a hill, but Hindenburg claims that the video was staged. The Securities and Exchange Commission and the US Department of Justice are reportedly investigating the company."
Brave is bypassing Google AMP pages because they’re ‘harmful to users’ . Brave has announced a new feature for its browser that automatically bypasses pages rendered with Google's Accelerated Mobile Pages framework and takes users to the original website. The company believes that AMP is harmful to users and the web. AMP was created to simplify and speed up mobile websites. Google is facing a lawsuit over making non-AMP ads load slower.
"Snapchat will launch Bitmoji TV, a personalized cartoon show . Snapchat users will soon be able to watch their Bitmoji avatar in a full-motion cartoon series called Bitmoji TV. Users can register their interest on Snapchat's website to be notified about its release in February 2020. Many of Snapchat's core features have been copied by Facebook's family of apps. Facebook is developing Facebook Avatars to compete with Bitmoji. Bitmoji originally placed avatars in comic strips, and TV is a return to these roots. Snapchat's 210 million daily users can use Bitmojis as overlays in snaps, Fitbit smartwatch faces, characters in comic strip stories, game and profile avatars, and more. Snapchat has even launched merchandise based on Bitmoji characters. The success of Bitmoji TV will depend largely on the quality of writing."
New energy-dense lithium-sulfur battery works at extreme temperatures . A new type of lithium battery can operate in freezing cold and scorching hot temperatures while storing double the energy of current batteries.
"Microsoft Office now available on Apple's Mac App Store . Microsoft's full Office suite including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and OneDrive are all available in the Mac App Store. The big benefit here is that the apps will be automatically updated through the App Store. It costs $7/month for the personal version."
"How To Create A Kickass GitHub Profile Page . This article teaches you how to create a GitHub profile page that automatically updates itself with your latest content, shows GitHub stats, and displays tech stack icons. An example profile is provided at the beginning of the article. A 23-minute video version of the tutorial is available."
"Exclusive: First look at the LG Wing with its twisty dual display . The LG Wing is LG's latest take on dual-display phones. It features a secondary display that flips out in a twisting motion. An 11-second video is available that shows the phone in its T-formation configuration. The video demonstrates how the second screen can be useful. Specs for the phone haven't been released yet. There are no details on release dates or pricing, but it is expected to be launched well before Christmas."
"Towards ‘Eternal Sunshine’? New Links Found Between Memory and Emotion . Emotionally-charged memories can seem to transport us back to those life events, creating vivid visions. Studies have found that a special group of cells in the hippocampus synchronize their activity to speak to the amygdala every time mice recall trauma. Disruption to this pathway could potentially be an easy and specific path towards emotional relief."
"Bugs bogging down code? Never miss an error with Airbrake (Sponsor). Built by developers for developers. As one user said, ""Airbrake is the only tool I use for real-time bug monitoring & my team can react in a manner of minutes."" Get started with a free dev account & receive unlimited monitoring for 30 days with Airbrake."
"Spotify's standalone Kids app is now available in the US . Spotify’s stand-alone app for kids allows parents to play music for their kids without affecting their own algorithmically generated playlists and recommendations. The beta is now debuting in the US, Canada, and France. Spotify Kids is COPPA compliant and ad-free. There are no algorithms to determine playlists. Playlists are created by experts in children’s entertainment. Parental controls are built into the app and Spotify plans to expand controls over the app content. Podcasts for kids will also be available soon."
"Twitch is going to fund new reality programming . Twitch is looking to fund a slate of new unscripted series to help broaden its audience in a time when its audiences are bigger than ever. The company wants live, interactive programming that airs a few times a week. It will spend between $50,000 to $250,000 a week on the project. A large part of Twitch is the interactivity with the audience. Twitch chat can get fairly chaotic, so it will be interesting to see how the format fares with unscripted TV."
"Locked In: Bitcoin’s Taproot Upgrade Gets Its 90% Mandate . Taproot is a new upgrade to Bitcoin that adds a new signature scheme known as Schnorr signatures. It allows for new possibilities for privacy, multi-signature wallets, and scaling. The update now has enough mining support to begin the activation process. Miners and nodes now have five months to update their software to the newest version of Bitcoin Core that contains the Taproot soft fork. After Bitcoin reaches a specified block height, all upgraded nodes and devices will be able to recognize and accept transactions using Taproot."
"What Other Coronaviruses Tell Us About SARS-CoV-2 . Medical researchers have had more than half a century’s experience with coronaviruses, with the first human version being identified in 1965 and multiple animal coronaviruses known before then. Four coronaviruses cause the common cold, and more serious variants have been identified recently, such as SARS in 2003, and more recently, SARS-CoV-2. Other coronaviruses can help confirm some information about SARS-CoV-2, such as whether it causes gastrointestinal issues and loss of the senses of smell and taste. They can also give clues to how the virus might behave so we can develop strategies to prevent its spread."
"Beyond Meat Details Plans for Initial Public Offering . Beyond Meat has filed for an Initial Public Offering which they hope will value the company at about $1.2 billion. Like many of the other tech companies that have been going public this year, Beyond Meat is also running at a loss, but their revenue is growing faster than losses. The market for meat replacements in the US grew around 22% last year. Beyond Meat stocks their pea and beetroot based meat alternative in supermarkets, and sales statistics show that 93% of people who purchase Beyond Meat products also purchase real meat. Ethan Brown, the founder of Beyond Meat, started the company as a way to combat the effects of the meat industry on the environment."
"Entire Crew Of A Russian Nuclear Submarine Is In Quarantine After COVID-19 Exposure . One of Russia's submarines is in quarantine after one of the crew members was possibly exposed to COVID-19. The virus is starting to impact the readiness of military forces around the world. Russia claims that it tested more than 3,700 individuals across its armed services for COVID-19 on March 30th, all of which came back negative. There are currently 1,836 cases in Russia, and Moscow has declared total lockdown."
"EU Approves Landmark Legislation to Regulate Apple and Other Big Tech Firms . The rules will target 'gatekeepers', large companies that own platforms with large numbers of users in an entrenched and durable position."
"Color Thief (GitHub Repo). Color Thief uses JavaScript and the canvas tag to find the dominant color and color palettes from any image. It could be useful for sites that search by color, or creating a UI that adapts to the colors of an image."
"Scientists say they can read nearly the whole genome of an IVF-created embryo . A Californian company claims that it can decode almost all of the DNA in days-old embryos created using in vitro fertilization. The technique requires fully sequencing both parents' DNA and reconstructing the embryo's genome with the help of the data. While the technique could be used to screen for genetic diseases, the science of screening embryos for genetic diseases is still new and primarily used only in research. There are still many limitations to the technology and scientists are still learning about what works."
"I thought I made a hard game and then speedrunners totally destroyed it. Here is what that feels like . Developer Zukalous spent over one year creating a challenging platform game called 1 Screen Platformer. As it was his first game, he decided to make it short and focused on making it as hard as possible. After the release, the game became unexpectedly popular with speedrunners, who began to tear apart the game section by section to complete it in the fastest time possible. At first, some bugs were discovered, which the developer quickly patched. As time went on, more and more shortcuts and tricks were found, and the community began competing for the fastest times possible. A video for the fastest speed run is available, as well as other clips showing speedrunners demonstrating exploits they had discovered."
"EA is reportedly seeking a sale or a merger . Electronic Arts is actively looking for a buyer or another company willing to merge with it. It has held talks with Disney, Apple, Amazon, ESPN, Comcast, and other potential buyers or partners. Comcast was the closest to closing a deal, but the agreement fell through within the last month. Electronic Arts has been trying to find a sale or merger since Microsoft announced that it was buying Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion."
"Silicon Drinkabout (Community). Silicon Drinkabout is a global network of local startup communities. They host meetups in dozens of cities (mostly in Europe, South America, and Canada), so if you're into startups and you live in one of those places you should definitely check it out!"
"Spotify is buying Bill Simmons’s The Ringer to boost its podcast business . Spotify has bought The Ringer, a podcast-centric media company owned by Bill Simmons. Simmons and his employees will all be absorbed in the deal. The Ringer has around 30 titles, ranging from an NBA chat show to a show devoted to rewatching old movies. Neither company disclosed a sale price for the deal, which is expected to close in the first quarter of this year. Spotify did not make Gimlet Media's podcasts exclusive to its platform when it purchased the company last year, so The Ringer's podcasts should still be available on all platforms. This is the fourth podcast company Spotify has acquired in the last 12 months."
"A Mysterious Desert Bacterium Has Evolved Its Own, Unique Ability to Photosynthesize . Researchers have discovered a species of bacteria from the Gobi desert that can photosynthesize using a unique structure. It obtained the genes for photosynthesis from an ancient proteobacterium, demonstrating the power of bacteria's horizontal gene-transfer skills. The bacteria has a central reaction center, an inner sunlight-capturing ring, and an outer ring, making it larger than other photosynthesizing bacteria. Its structure could hold the secrets to building a future of solar-powered synthetic biology."
Netflix brings spatial audio to its lineup of original series and movies . Netflix has partnered with Sennheiser to bring spatial audio to its original programming for all devices. The feature will start rolling out today. It was previously only available on specific Apple devices. Spatial audio will be automatically enabled when using stereo audio. Users can search for shows with the feature by typing 'spatial audio' into the search bar.
"Plasmid, Virus or Other? DNA ‘Borgs’ Blur Boundaries . Scientists from the University of California have discovered unique genomic structures within fragments of DNA obtained from samples of mud from wetland environments. The unknown DNA may be from a new type of genetic entity called Borgs. Borgs are able to pick up DNA from their hosts and carry them to the next host. Scientists are still debating whether Borgs are really a new genetic entity, or whether they are another type of large virus or plasmid."
"Imagen - Pytorch (GitHub Repo). This repository contains an implementation of Google's text-to-image neural network, Imagen. Imagen is architecturally much simpler than DALL-E 2. A Discord community is available for developers interested in replicating Imagen."
"A New Quantum Computing Method Is 2,500 Percent More Efficient . Q-CTRL has discovered a way to reduce computational errors in quantum systems. The new method increases the likelihood of quantum algorithms succeeding by 2,500%. It uses specialized software to alter quantum logic gates. It can be used on any quantum system, so we could see more breakthroughs in the industry soon."
"Marriott Data Breach Is Traced to Chinese Hackers as U.S. Readies Crackdown on Beijing . The cyberattack on Marriott hotels that leaked the information of 500 million guests was done by Chinese hackers, who also hacked health insurers, other hotels, and the security clearance files of millions more Americans. They are suspected to be working for the Chinese Ministry of State Security. US officials believe that the hacks were intended to gather intelligence to root out spies, and the Marriott data would give the hackers access to an important element: travel habits. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs denies involvement, saying ""China firmly opposes all forms of cyberattack and cracks down on it in accordance with the law."""
"Atuin (GitHub Repo). Atuin replaces shell history with an SQLite database and records additional context for commands. It can synchronize fully encrypted shell histories between machines and calculate statistics such as 'most used command'. Atuin can run on zsh, bash, and fish."
Netflix plans real-life Squid Game reality TV show with $4.56m prize . Netflix is recruiting for a reality TV show inspired by Squid Game. 456 recruits from around the world will play games with a $4.56 million prize at stake. The 10-episode series will be filmed over four weeks in early 2023. Participants need to be over 21 years old and speak English. Netflix has confirmed that Squid Game will be renewed for a second season.
"With ‘Mulan,’ Disney Tests Out Entirely New Early VOD Model . Disney will release Mulan on Disney Plus on September 4. Mulan won't be available directly to Disney Plus subscribers. Instead, they will have to pay $29.99 to rent the movie on top of the usual subscription fee. Many movies have been delayed due to the pandemic as cinemas remain shut down around the world. The movie will be released in cinemas where Disney Plus isn't available. Disney's decision to mix things up with Mulan may mean that other future releases may follow this model. AMC Theatres and Universal recently announced an agreement to debut some movies on home entertainment platforms within 17 days of theatrical debut."
"Experimental drug holds promise for treating the coronavirus . At least two hospitalized patients diagnosed with COVID-19 have quickly recovered after receiving a drug called remdesivir. Remdesivir has also shown promise in treating MERS, another type of coronavirus. The drug appeared to have an immediate effect, but it is too early to tell whether it was due to the drug or whether the patient would have recovered anyway. Remdesivir is now in clinical trials, with results expected in late April."
China Aims for a Permanent Moon Base in the 2030s . China and Russia are aiming to build an international moon base. All interested countries and partners are invited to cooperate in the project. China has planned a series of missions to set up infrastructure beginning in the early 2030s. This article details the plans so far to build the International Lunar Research Station. It includes diagrams of the vehicles that will be used in each mission.
"TensorNetwork (GitHub Repo). TensorNetwork is a tensor network wrapper for TensorFlow, JAX, and Numpy. Tensor networks are data structures originally designed for simulating quantum many-body physics, but they are currently also applied in other research areas, such as machine learning. Examples of how to use TensorNetwork are available along with links to articles regarding tensor networks."
"Average Software Engineering Salaries by Country in 2022 (17 minute read). This article discusses and compares average software engineering salaries in over 20 countries. The US, Switzerland, and Israel have the highest developer salaries. Those who work in major cities tend to get paid better than workers living outside of urban areas. The lowest paying countries are Nigeria, India, and the Philippines. The countries with the highest demand for software engineers are Canada, Australia, and Russia."
"Venezuela's Socialist Regime Is Mining Bitcoin In a Bunker to Generate Cash . Venezuela is mining bitcoin in a last-ditch effort to save its economy. Inside a bunker at a military base outside Caracas, a facility houses several S9 AntMiners, a specialized type of computer for mining bitcoin. The Venezuelan government is under sanctions by the US and it isn't able to buy and sell using dollars. It has rolled out a series of laws and regulations that it hopes will save its sinking economy. The Venezuelan military was accused of raiding mining farms and stealing equipment three years ago. Venezuela's cheap electricity made the country attractive to crypto miners. The country tried to launch its own cryptocurrency in 2018, but it failed."
Company Unveils Robot Boots for VR Locomotion With Half-Life Demo . Ekto VR has unveiled a pair of robotic boots called the Ecto One. The boots allow users to move through VR environments using real steps without moving through the room. It doesn't require any wires or straps. The shoes are made from carbon-fiber material and Ekto claims they are lightweight. There are rotating plates at the bottom of the boots that can twist with the user's motion and a series of wheels to control the user's position. It is equipped with brakes to stop the boots from moving when the user is standing still. A 3-minute video is available in the article that demos the boots being used to play Half-Life: Alyx.
"Lens (GitHub Repo). Lens is a cross-platform user interface for managing Kubernetes clusters. It has support for multi-cluster management, real-time cluster state visualization, terminal access to nodes and containers, and more. A three-minute video is available that explores the Lens UI."
"A “no math” (but seven-part). Quantum mechanics have entered into our everyday experience with modern technology, and the importance of quantum effects will only grow in the decades to come. This article is part of a seven-part series that introduces quantum mechanics and explains how it applies to our everyday world. The series promises no maths, no philosophy, and only experimentally verified information. This part of the series answers the deceptively simple question, ""How do particles move?"""
"Uber and DoorDash reportedly held failed talks to merge last year . Last year, SoftBank urged Uber and DoorDash to discuss a potential merger. Although the companies did not come to an agreement, they have not yet completely ruled out the idea. SoftBank has heavy investments in both companies. Uber Eats has struggled to become profitable, despite high growth. It has recently sold its business in India and exited South Korea. The food delivery market has proven competitive, but many have struggled to generate a profit, except for Grubhub."
"Change My View Reddit Community Launches Its Own Website . The subreddit /r/changemyview is a large community of over 700,000 people in which anything is debatable. Users enter into debates following certain rules of engagement, such as requiring a reason for agreement/disagreement, and it is now known as an online oasis for people who enjoy discussions. The founder of ChangeMyView has launched a website where users can continue using the same format of discussion without the restrictions of Reddit. Researchers have commented on the difference in the quality of conversation that occurs on the subreddit, as it is quite different from debates that occur elsewhere on the internet."
"The Trauma Floor (20 minute read). As one of the largest social networks, Facebook receives a massive amount of content from users all over the world. While Facebook has rules regarding the type of content that is allowed on the platform, not all users follow these rules. A team exists which reviews the content to see if it should be removed or not. Some of the content is extremely graphic and can cause lasting mental health issues with the employees who are tasked with viewing it. Employees in this team are paid significantly less than the average Facebook employee and are subject to harsher work conditions."
"I took a huge pay cut for a more meaningful job, and it was nothing like I expected . Moving away from a high-earning job in order to chase more fulfilling activities may have varying results. Some people are able to manage their own businesses well and eventually earn more than their previous roles. People who leave their high-paying jobs to work for lower-paying companies or organizations usually find that their lifestyles had to be significantly changed to fit their new budgets. Those who had significant others who were employed and supportive or a significant amount of savings and investments found the transition to be a lot easier than those who depended on their income. Timing was important, as the financial burdens of reality play a large role in determining whether the decision is viable."
"Reddit buys TikTok rival Dubsmash . Reddit has acquired Dubsmash, a short-form video social platform. Dubsmash will continue to exist as a separate platform and brand, but its software will be integrated into Reddit. Reddit has allowed video uploads since 2017, but its video-editing tools are limited. Dubsmash has declined to share its total number of users, but its share of the USA's short-form video market is second only to TikTok. Reddit specifically cited Dubsmash's user base as a reason for its acquisition."
"Facebook executive: we got Trump elected, and we shouldn’t stop him in 2020 (10 minute read). A leaked memo by a Facebook executive, Andrew Bosworth, talks about how the social media platform was responsible for electing President Donald Trump in 2016, and warned employees against using the company's power to stop Trump's reelection in 2020. The memo discusses some of Facebook's high-profile scandals. Bosworth claims that the reason that Trump won the 2016 election was due to him running the best digital ad campaign Bosworth had ever seen. While Facebook has enormous power to influence the outcome of the next election, Bosworth believes that the company should remain impartial and not interfere with the results. The full memo is available to read in the article."
A new and outlandish delivery drone concept can carry 100 pounds up to 80 miles . Austria-based Cyclotech and Japanese delivery firm Yamato have partnered to create a concept delivery drone. The CCY-01 will use a thrust vectoring propulsion system developed by Cyclotech that will enable it to land in confined spaces and handle challenging wind conditions. The drone is able to produce horizontal sideways thrust without tilting. The CCY-01 has a payload capacity of 99 lbs and it can fly up to 25 miles at speeds of around 80 mph. A video of the CCY-01 performing its first free flight is available in the article.
Social media influencer/model created from artificial intelligence lands 100 sponsorships . Rozy is a virtual human created by Sidus Studio X. She has been keeping an active online presence since December of last year. Rozy has advertising contracts and a significant amount of sponsorships. Virtual humans appeal to advertisers as there is no fear of advertisements being suspended due to celebrity scandals. The models can also be active for longer as they don't get sick or grow old. Pictures of Rozy are available in the article.
NVIDIA Neural Modules: NeMo (GitHub Repo). NeMo is a framework-agnostic toolkit for building AI applications powered by Neural Modules. Researchers can define and build new speech and NLP networks easily using applications built with NeMo.
"A Whistle-Stop Tour of 4 New CSS Color Features . An upcoming change to CSS will bring new color models and new functions that map color models differently. This article discusses the new changes and how they will affect how colors are set and displayed. The new features include Display-P3, which allows developers to take advantage of modern monitors that can display more vibrant colors, relative color syntax, and the ability to define custom CSS color spaces."
"California Bill Makes App-Based Companies Treat Workers as Employees . The bill to require Uber and Lyft to treat contract workers as employees has passed in California. Starting from January 1, workers must be designated as employees if a company controls how they perform their tasks or if the work is part of a company's regular business. Other states are also considering similar bills. Many app-based companies have built their businesses on inexpensive independent labor and have avoided giving employees access to basic protections like minimum wage and unemployment insurance. It is estimated the bill will cause the costs of hiring workers to rise by 20 to 30 percent. Uber and Lyft have warned that they will have to start scheduling drivers rather than allowing them to work whenever they want. This means that the number of drivers who are allowed to work during non-busy periods may be restricted as the companies can not justify the payroll costs for employees."
"pika/web (GitHub Repo). JavaScript has become a more difficult platform to begin development on as more and more tools are required. Pika aims to make the process simple again by installing npm dependencies that run directly in the browser, removing the need for Browserify, Webpack, or import maps. It does not require any bundlers, is able to handle dependency trees of any size, and the browser only downloads dependencies when they change."
"Shrimp made from algae that looks and tastes like the real thing (4 minute video). This is a cool video from a company called New Wave Foods, showing off their shrimp replacement product made from algae that definitely looks (and supposedly smells and tastes) like real shrimp!"
"Strange life forms found deep in a mine point to vast 'underground Galapagos' . Organisms have been discovered 7,900 feet below the surface inside Canada's Kidd Mine. The dark waters in the mine contain single-celled organisms that breathe sulfur and live off pyrite, also known as fool's gold. Other organisms have been discovered in deep areas, including boreholes, volcanic vents on the bottom of the ocean, and in sediments far beneath the seafloor. These areas have no light, air, or any connection to the surface, and may help us understand how life started on our planet, as well as on other planets. Some of these organisms are able to live in temperatures well above the boiling point of water, and others can withstand pressures 20,000 times higher than the air pressure at sea level. Due to these conditions, the organisms' cellular metabolism can be different from that of those on the surface, with some organisms surviving for thousands of years or more without dividing."
"A Chinese AI startup is tracking lost dogs using their nose prints . Megvii is a Chinese AI startup that supplies facial recognition software for the Chinese government’s surveillance program. It has released an app that is able to recognize dogs by their nose prints, which are unique, just like our fingerprints. Owners are required to take photos of their dog’s snouts from multiple angles to register. Megvii claims that it has a 95 percent accuracy rate and that the app has reunited 15,000 lost pets with their owners. Due to Megvii’s relationship with the Chinese government, the app may also be used to track owners to make sure that they keep their pets controlled and clean in public areas."
"Openstacks (Website). Openstacks helps developers discover tech stacks from companies that are leading the way in transparency and openness. Each listing has a link to the company website, as well as a list of the technologies that they use. Users can easily contribute to the list, as well as receive updates when new tech stacks are added."
"New Yorkers protest Amazon HQ2: 'We should be investing in housing, not in helicopters' . Amazon is bringing 25,000 jobs with average salaries of $150,000 to Queens in New York City, but locals are protesting the $1.525 billion ($48,000 per job) that Amazon is receiving in incentives. The city is also giving Amazon permission to build a helipad so execs can easily access the new campus. Labor leaders and activists say that they're worried about people's ability to stay in the neighborhood, and that the money given to Amazon was needed for underfunded schools. The protest was organized by New York State Senator Michael Gianaris who represents the neighborhood Amazon is moving into."
"Facebook is testing a video speed-dating app called Sparked . Sparked is a new video speed dating app from Facebook's New Product Experimentation (NPE) Team. During events, the app cycles people through speed video dates that last four minutes. If the date goes well, the pair can schedule a longer meeting. Users have to fill in questions when signing up that indicate that kindness is a major factor when qualifying for the app. The NPE Team has launched many apps with little success, so it is unclear how committed Facebook will be to this project."
"RISC-V AI Chips Will Be Everywhere . RISC-V is a free and open-source computer instruction set architecture introduced in 2010. For many years, it was assumed that general-purpose computer architectures would never keep up with GPUs and other purpose-built architectures for machine learning and AI. Esperanto Technologies has created a RISC-V AI processor intended to compete against powerful GPUs in AI-recommendation systems. There will be 25 million RISC-V AI chips produced in 2027, worth $291 billion in revenue. Intel is creating a $1 billion fund to help drive further adoption of RISC-V."
"awesome-mobile-security (GitHub Repo). This repository contains resources on mobile security. There are two main sections, Android and iOS. Each section contains links to general resources, books, courses, tools, labs, talks, and some other miscellaneous information."
"CodeSwing (GitHub Repo). CodeSwing is an interactive coding environment for VS Code that allows developers to have a traditional web playground directly within their highly-personalized editors. Developers can view a live preview of their web apps as they type, without compiling or bundling anything. Demos and examples are available in the repository."
"Facebook Parent Meta Is Opening Its First Store. Here's What It's Like Inside . Meta has opened its first store at its campus in Burlingame, California. The store allows customers to demo several of the company's devices, such as the Portal Go, Oculus Quest 2 headset, and Ray-Ban smart glasses. It is open Monday to Friday from 11 AM to 6 PM. A gallery of images showing what it is like inside the store is available in the article."
"Apple Watch Could Gain Breakthrough Health Upgrade . Rockley Photonics produces sensors for the Apple Watch. The company is preparing to go public in New York. A recent report suggests that its new sensors, which can detect blood pressure, blood glucose, and alcohol levels, could be in devices as early as 2022. Rockley Photonics' CEO did not confirm if the sensors will appear in an Apple product. Apple is Rockley Photonics' biggest customer, and it is unlikely that the sensors the report are referring to belong to any other company."
"Google.com tests a busier homepage with a row of info cards . Google is testing a new homepage with a row of information cards at the bottom. The cards currently show weather information, trending searches, viewing recommendations, stocks, local events, and COVID news. Users have the option to turn off the cards. A screenshot showing the cards on the new homepage is available in the article."
"Hiring qualified remote software developers just got easier (Sponsor). Hiring qualified remote software developers just got easier . ReadyTal is the easy way to hire vetted, English-speaking developers from around the world. Every developer on our platform has passed rigorous coding challenges to verify their skillset. Find the most qualified candidates through our streamlined process, grow your team with ReadyTal. Learn more."
"Earth's final frontier: the global race to map the entire ocean floor . Scientists around the world are racing to map the ocean floor by 2030 to help countries prepare for tsunamis, protect marine habitats, and monitor deep-sea mining. As of 2017, only 6% of the ocean was mapped in accurate detail. The lack of ocean maps plays a role in nearly every critical ocean issue, including sea-level rise, ocean acidification, and biodiversity. Mapping the ocean presents many difficult challenges and expeditions can be costly. The goal of completing the ocean map by 2030 seems possible, but there will still be much more to discover after it is done."
"Words Are Hard - An Essay on Communicating With Non-Programmers (10 minute read). The ability to correctly communicate an idea or concept in a way that others can understand is by far the most important skill to have as someone working in a software-based small business. Programmers have developed their own jargon to communicate with each other which people outside of the programming world might not understand. The simplest explanation that includes the most important information is usually the best. Using jargon to try to demonstrate intelligence and superiority is usually the wrong way to go about conveying an idea. Being respectful to others goes a long way in getting them to want to understand you. Practicing pitching ideas to non-technical friends can help you receive useful feedback. Techniques like analogies, anecdotes, and metaphors are great tools for getting ideas across. It's ok to admit when you don't know something, and it is often better than losing respect for getting something wrong, as long as you take the initiative to self-educate."
"natto.dev (Website). natto is a tool for manipulating JavaScript expressions on a spatial canvas. It uses panes to evaluate expressions, store values, and display data. Canvases are saved in the browser."
"Animals Can Count and Use Zero. How Far Does Their Number Sense Go? (14 minute read). Practically every animal ever studied can distinguish between different numbers of objects in a set or sounds in a sequence. This ability seems to be a general ability that has evolved multiple times throughout the animal kingdom. Researchers are uncovering increasingly complex numerical abilities in animals, with some displaying the capacity to grasp the quantitative concept of zero, a concept that very young children sometimes struggle with. Researchers are now trying to pin down the genetic mechanisms underlying numerical ability and have identified genes that seem to be associated with a math learning disability in humans."
"Humans had never seen a spacecraft land on another planet — until now . NASA has released a video showing several viewpoints of last week's Mars landing. The video shows the descent starting from the release of the parachute. About 30GB of data was captured during the descent. The footage will be used to sharpen knowledge about future entry, descent, and landing technology. One problem identified by the footage is the large amount of dust that was kicked up by the descent stage, which will be an important issue for larger spacecraft. The video of the landing is available in the article."
"Practical Deep Learning for Coders (Website). This site covers the 2019 version of a practical deep learning course for coders. It is assumed that students have been coding for at least a year. The course recommends that beginners rent cloud machines as many have pre-installed AI setups, which means that students can focus on studying deep learning rather than figuring out how to install everything. Students can communicate with other students and AI practitioners through the course forum."
"Court orders China sales ban on older Apple iPhones in Qualcomm case . A Chinese court has granted Qualcomm an injunction against Apple in a patent infringement case. The patents affect all devices sold with iOS 11 or earlier, so all iPhones from the 6S through the X. The iPhones are currently still on sale in China, Qualcomm has to file a complaint to the enforcement tribunal to get the ban enforced, and Apple will have a chance to appeal. Apple says ""Qualcomm's effort to ban our products is another desperate move by a company whose illegal practices are under investigation by regulators around the world."""
"Exclusive: Amazon Confirms First Known Coronavirus Case in an American Warehouse . Workers at an Amazon warehouse in Queens, New York, have been informed that a coworker had tested positive for COVID-19. This may impact Amazon's operations significantly at a time when many people are stuck at home and ordering products online. Amazon is already struggling to meet demand. Two office workers at Amazon's Seattle headquarters were also diagnosed with the disease. The Queens facility is deep cleaned daily and is now temporarily closed. Employees at the facility were sent home with full pay."
"This tiny edible sofa was 3D-printed from milk . Scientists at the Singapore University of Technology and Design have developed a method for 3D printing with powdered milk. The process doesn't require the milk to be heated up, preserving its key nutrients. It also doesn't require the additional stabilizers that are usually used in colder methods of 3D printing. The researchers were able to fill the milk objects with syrup and cream. This method could be used to formulate various nutritious foods, particularly for those who have special dietary needs. Images of the 3D printed milk designs are available in the article."
"Apple will bring Live Captions to the iPhone, iPad, and Mac and more gesture control on Apple Watch . Apple has announced a new wave of accessibility features as part of its recognition of this week's Global Accessibility Awareness Day. The features include Live Captions, Assistive Touch gesture recognition controls for the Apple Watch, enhancements to the VoiceOver screen reader app, a Detection Mode for Magnifier in iOS, and much more. Apple stores will offer live sessions to help people learn more about the features and an Accessibility Assistant shortcut rolling out this week will recommend specific features for users on Mac and Apple Watch based on their preferences."
"On rebooting: the unreasonable effectiveness of turning computers off and on again . Rebooting works because it resets the system to its initial stable state. The initialization sequence is generally reliable, so it can transition into other well-behaved states. When the system reaches a defect, it enters a broken state, which makes any attempt to bring it back into a working state improvisational. While this is true for most cases, there are other nuances to consider. This article discusses rebooting systems and the reasoning behind developing crash-only software."
"Magic Grid (GitHub Repo). This is an open source Javascript library for dynamic grid layouts. This makes it easy to have a bunch of grid items that aren't the same height, and it automatically reshuffles the tiles when a window is increased or decreased in size. Looks really cool if you're building any sort of directory style website with a lot of pictures."
"Australia passes social media law penalising platforms for violent content . A new bill passed by the Australian government will make it an offense for service providers and hosting services to fail to notify the Australian Federal police regarding, or fail to remove, content which contains 'abhorrent violent conflict’. The Sharing of Abhorrent Violent Material bill was met with opposition by the tech industry as it would punish companies for content uploaded by users. However, the aim of the bill was to make companies more responsible for the content that is hosted, as it seems that some companies do not care about hosting offensive content, even after requests for the content to be removed."
"I spent a week in a VR headset, here's what happened (17 minute video). What would happen if you spent a week in Virtual Reality? Jak Wilmot sets out to answer that question by spending 168 hours inside a VR headset. He planned to eat, sleep, work, and play for a week all while inside VR, even when showering. The windows of his room were blacked out so that he couldn’t tell whether it was night or day, and he was only allowed 5 seconds at a time to switch headsets. The whole experience was live-streamed, showing his daily life. He could exercise in one environment, then switch to an office that overlooked a sunset in another. He could explore the world of Skyrim, and then experience what it was like to be blind in a simulation after. In the end, he concluded that virtual reality is whatever you want it to be, with its many possibilities, even though a week may be a little too much."
"Simple Tensorflow Cookbook (GitHub Repo). The Simple Tensorflow Cookbook contains general architectures and functions that are useful for Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and classification. GANs are unsupervised machine learning algorithms where a neural network aims to create a result, while another network tests to see whether the result is ‘correct’. Users can quickly develop neural networks using the code contained in the Tensorflow Cookbook. A quick description of how to use the code is provided along with diagrams of how each architecture works."
"Automate the Debugging Process With Airbrake (Sponsor). Airbrake Error and Performance Monitoring automates the process of finding bugs quickly. When you install Airbrake, you’ll be alerted to any errors within your application, right down to the exact line of broken code. Add Airbrake to your tech stack, today! Learn more."
"Central Bank of Bahamas Launches Landmark ‘Sand Dollar’ Digital Currency . The Central Bank of the Bahamas has launched the sand dollar, a digital version of the Bahamian dollar. The Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) was designed to create more inclusive access to regulated payments and other financial services. China, the US, Russia, and the European Union are also looking at launching their own CBDCs. Funds will be accessible via a mobile app and secured with multi-factor authentication. The Sand Dollar is backed 1:1 to the Bahamian dollar."
"New from Satellite 2020: GitHub Discussions, Codespaces, securing code in private repositories, and more . GitHub has announced four new products this week to help software communities work together. Codespaces is a fully-featured, cloud-hosted dev environment that loads directly within GitHub. It can be configured to load code, dependencies, developer tools, extensions, and dotfiles. GitHub Discussions is a place for the community to discuss ideas, help new users, and collaborate on best practices. Code scanning is now available as a GitHub-native experience. Secret scanning is now available for private repositories. GitHub has announced GitHub Private Instances. Private Instances will provide enhanced security, compliance, and policy features for enterprise customers."
"Hedy (GitHub Repo). Hedy is a gradual programming language aimed at teaching programming and Python. It increases its syntactic elements as the student progresses, building to more complex syntax and additional concepts. There are currently 13 levels, covering topics such as printing and input, variables, code blocks, colons, brackets, and more. Hedy follows design principles based on research on learning."
"My Ordinary Life: Improvements Since the 1990s (10 minute read). Many things have changed since the 1990s, especially in our quality of life. It is difficult to see how new things change our lives when they first come out, but one can see the impact of an invention by looking back at their downstream effects. Many small inventions have added up to create the lives that we live in today. The internet, human genetics, AI, and VR now exist, and many small changes have made everything faster, more easily usable, and more organized. People no longer need to carry around a lot of equipment to do basic tasks - in fact, almost all machines are now smaller and much more convenient, for example, hearing aids. We wear better clothes, with specially designed fabrics. Medical procedures that used to be out-of-reach for average citizens are now affordable, for example, LASIK surgery. Society is now a lot safer and interconnected. Food is widely available in many places, and food quality and cleanliness are high. Most public places now have smoking restrictions."
"tfquery (GitHub Repo). tfquery is a framework for running SQL queries on Terraform code. It can analyze Terraform infrastructure, locate resources, run security compliance checks, and more. tfquery allows developers to have full coverage of their infrastructure without being locked to a specific provider."
"Microsoft surprises with new foldable Surface Duo phone running Android . Microsoft has announced a new foldable Surface Duo phone that runs Android. It resembles the dual-screen Surface Neo, except that its displays are smaller. Each display is 5.6 inches and can rotate 360 degrees, allowing it to unfold into an 8.3-inch tablet mode. The displays can run different apps at the same time, or one of the displays can be used as a keyboard or game controller. Some details on the phone are unknown, such as whether the device will have a rear camera. The device will be out during the holidays in 2020."
"sish (GitHub Repo). sish is an open source alternative to serveo/ngrok. It implements an SSH server that only handles forwarding. sish supports multiplexing connections over HTTP/HTTPS with WebSocket support, multiple types of forwarding, authentication, custom domains, and more."
Magazine Layout (GitHub Repo). This is a nifty open source library from AirBNB that makes it really easy to display images in a grid on iOS. If you're making anything that needs a nice directory layout like AirBNB this library looks pretty cool.
"Payload (GitHub Repo). Payload is a TypeScript headless Content Management System and application framework built with Express, MongoDB, and React. It features powerful function-based access control, hooks for every action, conditional logic for showing and hiding fields, customizable components, and more. Payload allows developers to build websites, SaaS apps, native apps, and anything else without hitting any functionality roadblocks."
"Miller (GitHub Repo). Miller can edit named fields in CSV, TSV, JSON, and positionally-indexed files without needing to count positional indices. It can add, drop, and sort fields, aggregate statistically, pretty-print, and more. A screenshot is available."
"Open Source Insights (Website). Open Source Insights is a service that helps developers better understand the structure, construction, and security of open-source software packages. It constructs a full, detailed graph of a package's dependencies and properties to provide data on how the software is put together and what effects its dependencies have. Open Source Insights has scanned millions of open-source packages and updates the data regularly."
"After Uproar, Instacart Backs Off Controversial Tipping Policy . Instacart, an app that allows users to have groceries and other household items delivered, has changed it’s tipping policy. The previous tipping policy included tip amounts in it’s minimum payouts, which resulted in delivery drivers missing a large portion of their pay. Delivery drivers will now receive their tips on top of the expected payouts and Instacart has promised to implement the new policy retroactively so delivery drivers will be paid fairly for their previous work."
"Researchers Say They Caught an iPhone Zero-Day Hack in the Wild . ZecOps, a San Francisco-based startup, recently revealed that it had discovered two zero-day exploits for iOS that were being used in the wild. The exploits will be patched in an upcoming release of iOS 13. One of the vulnerabilities could be triggered remotely, while the other required an additional vulnerability to be triggered remotely. They were used widely to target individuals working in companies. The hacks were discovered after ZecOps investigated a series of suspicious crashes on customers' iPhones. 🚀 Science &"
"Undesign (Website). Undesign is a collection of free design tools and resources for makers, developers, and designers. There are 21 categories available, and each tool is listed with a short description. Users can register to be notified of any updates to the collection."
Google Stadia now free to anyone with a Gmail address . Google Stadia is now free to anyone with a Gmail address. New users will receive two months of Stadia Pro for free. Existing Stadia Pro users won't be charged for the next two months. Nine games are included with the offer. Access to Stadia previously required purchasing a Google Stadia Premier Edition bundle for $129. Stadia Pro will cost $9.99 a month after the two-month trial period ends. Users can cancel their subscriptions online at any time.
"FoldnFly (Web Tool). This is a tool that gives you schematics for building the paper airplane of your dreams. You can select whether you want to build one optimized for things like distance, time aloft, aesthetics, etc. and also select a difficulty. The internet is awesome."
"LG's latest CineBeam 4K projectors promise improved daytime viewing . LG's new CineBeam 4K projectors have upgrades that improve their daytime viewing capabilities. The HU710P peaks at 2,000 lumens of brightness and the HU715Q delivers a 2,500-lumen output. The HU715Q can produce a 100-inch picture from just 8.5 inches away. Both projectors feature three HDMI ports, two USB 2.0 ports, and support for AirPlay 2, HomeKit, and screen sharing. While they aren't cheap, the new brightness upgrades may make the projectors suitable as replacements for large-screen TVs."
"I tried a $7,600 desk that lets you get horizontal at work . The Signature Altwork Station is a highly-adjustable desk that retails for $7,650. It allows the user to sit in a horizontal position, giving them a sense of relaxation and weightlessness. It comes with a magnetic keyboard and mouse setup, but no other hardware is included. A one-minute video showing off the features of the workstation is available in the article."
"Data-thieving hackers strike again, stealing EA source code and police data . EA Games and the Presque Isle Police Department in Maine have both been hit by a ransomware attack. The hackers stole 780GB of source code and tools for FIFA 21 from EA. No player data was stolen. EA is working with law enforcement on the case. The Presque Isle Police Department refused to pay its ransom and 200GB of data was published on a website hosted on the dark web. The data includes emails, police reports, witness statements, files documenting cases, and personal information belonging to victims and defendants."
"YouTube’s TikTok clone, “YouTube Shorts,” is live in the US . YouTube Shorts is now rolling out in the US. The feature was first launched in India in September. It functions just like TikTok, except that you can dislike videos. Shorts will also show up on the channel's page and in subscription feeds like normal videos. TikTok is expected to hit one billion users in 2021. A majority of its users are in China, with only around 40 million users in the US. YouTube Shorts receives more than 3.5 billion daily views in India, where TikTok has been banned since June."
"Google developing own CPUs for Chromebook laptops . Google is developing its own central processors for its notebook and tablet computers and plans to roll them out around 2023. It is also ramping up its efforts to build mobile processors for its Pixel smartphones and other devices. Google's new CPUs and mobile processors are based on the blueprints of Arm chips. Many tech companies are racing to build their own semiconductors to differentiate their offerings. Building chips requires massive investment and long-term commitments, and there is limited production capacity."
"Uber will now let users book rides 30 days in advance and pick a favorite driver . Uber riders in 20 US cities will soon be able to reserve rides up to 30 days in advance with their favorite driver. The feature will show up in the app from next week. Drivers will not be penalized for not accepting rides. The fare and driver will be shown to the user ahead of the trip. Riders are given a 15-minute grace period in case they are running late. If a driver is more than one minute late, the rider will receive $50 in Uber Cash as compensation. Drivers will receive the full fare of the trip if the Reserve ride is canceled within an hour of the trip. A list of the initial launch cities is provided at the end of the article."
"China to ban online gaming, chatting with foreigners outside Great Firewall . The Chinese Communist Party recently blocked Animal Crossing from being distributed in China due to custom items and scenes that players created in the game that supported the 'Free Hong Kong' movement. Players were also mocking the Chinese government's handling of the coronavirus outbreak. The CCP has now noticed a vacuum in its authority on online gaming platforms and is starting to draft laws to expand the scope of online censorship to video games. These laws may even prohibit gamers from meeting and chatting with people outside of the country. Online one-player games will be subject to surveillance. The new laws also ban games that feature zombies and plagues, map editing, roleplaying, and the organization of unions."
"Linux SysOps Handbook . This book contains notes on common knowledge and tasks for Linux system admins. Topics include processes, user management, permissions, distros, network essentials, and storage. A small list of recommended books, websites, and blogs is available."
"Elon Musk's Boring Company is reportedly pitching freight tunnels . The Boring Company wants to build freight-focused tunnels for moving shipping containers underground on battery-powered freight carriers. It is unclear how many clients the idea has been pitched to. The company has envisioned freight almost from the beginning, so it is mostly just a shift in focus from its commuter plans. Its Las Vegas Convention Center Loop system did not turn out as hoped. The larger freight tunnels might be more attractive to clients."
"Innovative capsule allows mRNA vaccines to be delivered orally . Scientists from MIT have demonstrated a technique that can deliver mRNA therapies directly to the digestive tract using a capsule. The technique uses capsules coated with microneedles that inject their contents directly into the wall of the gut. It was first used to deliver insulin into pigs, but new studies have demonstrated that it is also effective for mRNA delivery. More work is still needed to determine whether mRNA vaccines administered in this way can lead to systemic immune responses."
"Filament (GitHub Repo). Filament is a real-time physically based rendering engine for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, and WebGL. It offers a set of tools and APIs for Android developers to enable them to create high-quality 2D and 3D rendering with ease. Examples of rendered scenes are available."
"Airbnb says it plans to temporarily house 20,000 Afghan refugees . Airbnb will house 20,000 Afghan refugees around the world in the properties listed on its platform. The stays will be funded by Airbnb, but the company has not specified how much it plans to spend or how long the refugees will be housed. The US has evacuated roughly 48,000 people from Afghanistan in recent days. The Taliban has set an airlift deadline of August 31, and thousands are still trying to escape. Brian Chesky, Airbnb's CEO, hopes that his company's actions will inspire other business leaders to help the refugees. Airbnb has hosted 75,000 people in times of crisis since 2012."
"Woman successfully treated for depression with electrical brain implant . A woman with severe depression was successfully treated using an experimental brain implant. The implant works by detecting patterns of brain activity linked to depression and interrupting them using tiny pulses of electrical stimulation. It has only been tested on one patient. The experiment demonstrated for the first time that the brain activity underlying the symptoms of mental illness can be reliably detected and nudged back into a healthy state. While the success was significant, the device would only ever be suitable for those with severe illness."
"SpaceX wins launch contract for NASA mission to study unique metal asteroid . NASA’s Psyche mission will study a unique metal asteroid that is between Mars and Jupiter. SpaceX has been awarded a $117 million launch contract for the mission and will be lifting a 5,750 lb spacecraft named 16 Psyche into space sometime in 2022. Psyche is an asteroid that is composed of iron and nickel and it is interesting as it could potentially be a metal core from a dead planet. As it is currently impossible to study Earth’s core directly, Psyche could provide insight into our own planet as well as others. The spacecraft will use an experimental laser technology that was designed to improve communications over vast distances. There will also be two secondary payloads destined for Mars-based missions."
"Every Single Patient in This Small Experimental Drug Trial Saw Their Cancer Disappear . Every patient in a small trial for a drug that treats rectal cancer had their cancer successfully go into remission. The drug is an immunotherapy drug already used in the treatment of endometrial cancer. It may be the first time that successful cancer remission was seen in every trial patient. The trial is still ongoing, so the success rate may be lower when the final results are tallied. The success of the trial may mean that an immunotherapy approach could be a viable option for treating other types of cancer."
"Git Alias (GitHub Repo). GitAlias is a collection of git version control alias settings with short aliases such as s for status, command aliases such as chart and churn, and lookup aliases such as whois and whatis. This repository contains a collection of GitAlias commands, sorted into sections such as workflow aliases, tooling aliases, and convenience aliases. An index of all the aliases in alphabetical order is available."
"Guide to Kotlin (GitHub Repo). This is a beginner's guide to Kotlin for people who already know Java. I really like this idea, since most people thinking about picking up Kotlin will already know Java. It explains a lot of the differences between the two, and since the two are quite similar, assuming knowledge of Java actually helps a lot when teaching Kotlin."
"The ambitious Android tablet option Google tossed away . While Android is the world's most popular operating system, Android tablets have failed to gain popularity. Chromebooks are almost always better purchases as they are updated much more often than tablets, so users are supported with the latest privacy, security, and performance standards. 12 years ago, Google bought a company called BumpTop that created a computing interface that made desktops look and act like a physical desk. This article tells the story of the acquisition and how the software could have changed the way people interact with touchscreen devices."
"Galaxy S10 photo leak shows Samsung wireless Galaxy Buds . Samsung is expected to announce its new Galaxy S10 phone in a few weeks. A photo has been leaked showing small wireless earbuds (nicknamed ‘Galaxy Buds’) resting in a case on the back of a Galaxy S10 Plus. It appears that the headphones may charge wirelessly from the back of the phone, similar to how the Huawei P20 charges Huawei’s Freebuds 2 Pro wireless earbuds. It is unclear whether these form a new line of products, or whether it is a continuation of Samsung’s Gear IconX headphone range."
"Cloned mice created from freeze dried skin cells in world first . Researchers have cloned mice from freeze-dried skin cells. Storing skin cells for cloning in liquid nitrogen can be expensive and risky. Freeze-drying the samples allows cells to be preserved cheaply and safely, even in developing countries. While the process can produce both males and females, it can be used to create only females to revive endangered species where only males survive. The resulting clones are fertile."
"Apple to establish North Carolina campus, increase U.S. spending targets . Apple will establish a new campus in North Carolina, expand its operation in several other US states, and increase its spending targets with US suppliers. Most of the jobs at the new site are expected to focus on machine learning, artificial intelligence, software engineering, and other technology fields. Apple could receive as much as $845.8 million in tax reimbursements if it hits job and growth targets. The company will fund several local projects."
"What technologies did you learn in 2018? (Hacker News Thread). Pretty good mix of old and new technologies in here. A lot of new hotness like Rust and Elixir like you would expect, but also a lot of people still learning PHP and Perl! If you're looking for new technologies to check out, this thread has a lot of good inspiration."
"Amazon launches CodeWhisperer, a GitHub Copilot-like AI pair programming tool . Amazon has launched an AI pair programming tool similar to GitHub's Copilot. CodeWhisperer can autocomplete entire functions based on comments or a few keystrokes. It currently supports Java, JavaScript, and Python. The tool can scan code for potential security issues. CodeWhisperer is available in preview as part of the AWS IDE Toolkit. It works for developers outside of the AWS ecosystem."
"Supreme Court deals Apple major setback in App Store antitrust case . The Supreme Court has ruled that iPhone users can pursue their antitrust lawsuit against Apple and its App Store. Apple charges a 30 percent commission on sales through the App Store. This charge is usually passed onto consumers. iPhone developers and users are claiming this system is an unfair abuse of Apple’s monopoly on the marketplace. Apple claims that it is up to developers to set prices for their apps and that their business in the App Store is fair. The results of this case may affect how all online marketplaces structure their business, and there may be millions of dollars of fines for Apple if they are found guilty of unfair practices."
"Resources-for-Beginner-Bug-Bounty-Hunters (GitHub Repo). This repository contains resources for new hackers learning the basics of Web Application Security. It covers the basics, as well as topics like Mobile Hacking, Smart Contracts, and Hardware."
"TabFS (Website). TabFS is a browser extension that mounts browser tabs as a filesystem on macOS and Linux systems. It has full support for Chrome, with lesser support for Firefox. TabFS allows you to apply all the existing tools on your computer that deal with files and use them to control and communicate with your browser."
"Lip-reading CCTV will have people 'cupping hands over their mouths' in street, warns surveillance watchdog . Technology that can read lips and recognize people via their gait, among other things, could have a large suppressive effect if they aren't regulated. People may start covering their mouths when having conversations outside, as football managers currently do while giving instructions for the fear of being exposed. Facial recognition is being increasingly used in the UK in shopping centers, museums, conference venues, and other public areas. Millions of people are having their faces unknowingly scanned and stored in databases. These technologies could be an important tool for law enforcement, but we are currently at risk of losing a free and open society due to the impact of technology."
"Pwning Ebay - How I Dumped Ebay Japan's Website Source Code . So this guy was basically scanning for vulnerabilities in Alexa's Top 1 Million websites. He found that Ebay Japan ran a version control system that wasn't properly secured, so he just went to www.ebay.co.jp/.git/HEAD and used GitTools to dump their entire codebase including production database passwords. He informed them of the bug, and Ebay didn't have a bug bounty program, but one employee was nice enough to donate $500 to Doctors Without Borders in his name. Happy ending all around, yay!"
"Huawei’s foldable Mate X2 leaks just before launch . Huawei has unveiled the Mate X2, a new foldable device with a large screen that unfolds from the inside. The phone features a second screen on the outside for use when the device is folded. As it is a Huawei device, the Mate X2 will launch without support for Google's apps or services. The phone will be available in China starting at around $2,785 for 256GB of storage or around $2,940 for 512GB of storage. Images of the device are available in the article."
"Inside Google's Civil War (22 minute read). Google has recently faced many employee protests in its offices across the globe, with employees disagreeing with the company’s handling of sexual harassment within the business. While working at the tech giant may seem like a dream, many employees are starting to see issues with the company’s growing power and reach. Employees previously were able to suggest changes for the company, but the power structure has changed and more decisions are now made ‘from the top’. After the initial protests, many employees believed they experienced retaliation by the company. Employees continue to rally against Google in order to bring about a change in the company’s culture."
"TikTok confirms pilot test of TikTok Stories is now underway . TikTok is piloting a new feature called TikTok Stories. The feature works similar to how Stories work on other social media platforms, except that comments are public and users can see how many other people have viewed a story. Stories will disappear after 24 hours. The pilot has only been running for a few days in non-US markets. Screenshots of the feature are available in the article."
"tfsec (GitHub Repo). tfsec spots potential security issues using a static analysis of your terraform templates. It supports terraform v0.12+. tfsec checks for sensitive data inclusion across all providers, scans modules, evaluates expressions as well as literal values, and checks for violations of AWS, Azure, and GCP security best practice recommendations. Example outputs are available."
"Prototyping an IoT Application with InfluxDB (Sponsor). It's easy to stand up an IoT monitoring app in InfluxDB. Here's a step-by-step tutorial. The prototype is serverless, with zero infrastructure to manage and free — we built this app on the free tier of InfluxDB. Learn more."
"Apple and Amazon Cut a Deal that Upended the Mac resale Market (11 minute read). On January 4, a deal between Apple and Amazon went into effect where only the largest companies and specially authorized providers were allowed to sell Apple products. Sellers logged onto the platform that morning to find that all their listings had disappeared. Small businesses without brick and mortar stores are completely barred from doing any business on Amazon, as to qualify as an authorized reseller, a business is required to have a physical store. Apple resellers are now forced to move to other platforms to sell their stock. In the past, Apple has been against people’s right to repair their own devices and this move echos that sentiment in that it attempts to block third parties from repairing and reselling hardware."
"How Nextdoor Courts Police and Public Officials (16 minute read). Nextdoor is an ad-supported social network that connects people within neighborhoods, creating a sort of digital 'neighborhood watch', as well as a local message board. Users can share urgent alerts, community events, and other information to residents who have verified that they live in the area. The company works with public agencies so that both the social media platform and the government can do their jobs better. It recruits police departments to help grow the service. Nextdoor plans to build a monetized, premium version of Nextdoor for public agencies. Its marketing strategies generally do not conflict against city policies, but there are concerns about the company's practices. Endorsements by public officials can cause issues as the company exists for profit, rather than public welfare."
"Centering in CSS . This article explores five different CSS centering techniques and stress tests each strategy to see the limits of each technique. The stress test sees how the technique performs through five criteria: squish, squash, duplicate, edit, and flow. A 12-minute video version of the article is available."
Alpine.js (GitHub Repo). Alpine.js is a framework for composing JavaScript behavior in markups. It offers the reactive and declarative nature of big frameworks like Vue or React at a much lower cost. A small guide to use the 12 directives and 3 magic properties in Alpine.js is available.
"Uber Black launches Quiet Driver Mode . Uber Black and Uber Black SUV premium rides will now have a new ‘Quiet Mode’ feature that allows users to signal their preferences to a driver in-app. Users can now select ‘Quiet preferred’, ‘Happy to chat’, or ‘No preference’ when hailing a ride. This is a feature that has been often requested, since many users would prefer to have a quiet ride, but may not want to directly request it to a driver. Other options have also been recently added, such as a ‘Bags’ option that lets the driver know that the rider has luggage that will require the driver to pull over to help with, and a ‘Temperature control’ option that allows the customer to request that the air conditioning be set to their preferred temperature."
"MoviePass cofounder Stacy Spikes has bought the company back and is planning a relaunch . MoviePass is coming back under the ownership of cofounder Stacy Spikes. The company was acquired out of bankruptcy for an undisclosed amount below $250,000. Spikes plans to relaunch the business sometime next year. Customer data and emails were not part of the sale. Spikes currently runs a company called PreShow Interactive that offers gamers the ability to unlock in-game currency by viewing branded content. It is unknown if PreShow tech will be part of MoviePass."
"The drone boat of ‘Shipwreck Alley’ (10 minute read). Many ships have wrecked along the Thunder Bay, off Michigan's northeastern coast, and some of these ships are still intact, despite being underwater for a long time. Divers flock to Shipwreck Alley each year, and last spring, they were joined by an autonomous boat named BEN. BEN was developed by researchers to make underwater maps. Mapping the ocean requires the use of boats, which usually means maintaining a crew, so our oceans have largely remained unmapped. An autonomous ship would be able to cheaply and efficiently collect data compared to a crewed vessel. BEN is equipped with sonar, radar, cameras, LIDAR, and GPS systems."
"FastAPI (GitHub Repo). FastAPI is a web framework for building APIs with Python 3.6+ based on standard Python type hints. It is one of the fastest Python frameworks available, fast, easy, and intuitive to code, and based on the open standards for APIs."
"Apple Hiring Engineers to Develop 6G Wireless . Apple recently posted job ads looking for wireless system research engineers for current and next-generation networks. The people hired for the positions will research and design 5G wireless communication systems for radio access networks. 6G isn't expected to be rolled out until around 2030, but Apple wants to be involved in the earliest stages of development. Apple currently relies heavily on Qualcomm for its 5G modems. It started development on its first custom modem last year."
"Karate (GitHub Repo). Karate is a tool that combines API test-automation, mocks, performance-testing, and UI automation into a single framework. It uses BDD syntax and has powerful JSON and XML assertions built-in. Developers can use Karate to write tests in a simple and readable syntax designed for HTTP, JSON, GraphQL, and XML. Examples and detailed documentation are available."
"5 coding interview questions I hate . This article covers five common types of tech interview questions. They include trivia-type questions, questions asking about technical specifics, questions obfuscated with fuzzy wording, and questions with unspecified behavior or missing context. The article also discusses how interviewers can improve on these questions and the best way for candidates to answer them."
"New UI tools and a richer creative canvas come to ARCore . New tools and features have been released for ARCore. An Augmented Faces API allows developers to create high-quality effects for human faces, and users can now create animations in Sceneform, allowing scenes to come alive. In the new version of ARCore, the workflow to create AR apps has been simplified, and new UI components such as plane finding and object manipulation have been added so users do not need to reinvent the wheel for every app. Shared camera access has also been added so developers can pause their AR experience to access the camera more conveniently. A short video that demonstrates the application of features on ARCore Elements is available."
"SwiftUI (Website). SwiftUI is a method of building user interfaces across all Apple platforms using Swift. It uses declarative syntax, so developers can easily state what the UI requirements are. Xcode 11’s design tools work seamlessly with SwiftUI, so changes are displayed immediately in the preview as soon as code is typed. It also works in reverse, so code is updated as soon as design elements are changed in the preview."
"Level 4 aerial autonomy: Drones can now fly themselves . Exyn Technologies, a company that develops autonomous drone technology for industry and defense, recently demonstrated level 4 autonomy in an aerial system. Its drones are now capable of free-flight exploration of complex spaces at speeds of up to two meters per second. The company will roll out its new level 4 autonomous capabilities in the next few months. A 1-minute video that shows one of Exyn's drones autonomously mapping out an area is available in the article."
"What Glassdoor interview reviews reveal about tech hiring cultures (12 minute read). Chip Huyen used interviews from Glassdoor in order to answer the question of what percentage of people who attended machine learning interviews received an offer, as well as what percentage of people accepted the offer. While Glassdoor data suffered from many biases, it was hoped that the volume of data helped to smooth out the noise. 15,897 reviews from 27 major tech companies were analyzed. It was found that the difficulty of interviews rose depending on the level of expertise required. 18.83 percent of candidates at Google received offers, with 70 percent of applicants accepting these offers. There was a high correlation between onsite offers and offer acceptance rate. Companies tended to select candidates more often through referrals for senior roles, whereas candidates for junior roles were sourced mainly through campus recruiting. Candidates who were interviewed for junior positions were more likely to report a better experience than ones who interviewed for more senior roles."
"Twitter’s Jack Dorsey wants to build an app store for social media algorithms . Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey wants people to be able to choose which algorithm controls their social media content from a marketplace, rather than relying on a single company to get it right. This will be a part of how decentralized social networks will work. Companies will have access to much more data on a decentralized network. They will compete based on how they can serve relevant content to users. Decentralization could help platforms deal with laws around user-created content. Twitter has been developing Bluesky, a decentralized social network, since the end of 2019. It is still firmly in the research phase."
"Apple secretly buying ads for their apps, say big developers – and they aren’t happy about it . Apple is secretly buying ads for apps on its platform to drive customers to use its in-app subscription service instead of the developer's website for subscriptions, giving Apple its 15% or 30% cut. The ads appear without developer consent and Google won't delete them. Apple's ad purchasing is creating more competition for ads, which is driving up the cost of ads for other developers. Its anti-competitive behavior is likely to prompt more antitrust scrutiny."
"Scapy (GitHub Repo). Scapy is a Python-based interactive packet manipulation program and library. It can forge or decode packets from a wide range of protocols, match requests and replies, and send, capture, read, or store requests using pcap files. Scapy can handle most standard tasks like scanning, tracerouting, probing, unit tests, and more."
AT&T Suspends Broadband Data Caps During Coronavirus Crisis . AT&T has suspended all broadband usage caps in preparation for millions of Americans self-isolating in order to slow the rate of COVID-19 expansion. Consumer groups and a coalition of Senators are pressuring other service providers to follow suit. Broadband caps and overage fees don't serve any real technical purpose and are a result of ISPs taking advantage of an uncompetitive market. Internet usage is expected to go up as people start using video-conferencing and other bandwidth-heavy applications while they work from home or try to entertain themselves for an unknown period of time.
"MindGeek: The secretive owner of Pornhub and RedTube (13 minute read). MindGeek is the company behind some of the world's largest porn sites. Despite its size, it is relatively unknown as it tries to keep itself out of the spotlight. This article discusses the many controversies that the company has been involved in over the years, including how it built its empire on stolen content, how it forced many production studios and performers out of business, its handling of content takedown requests, and more. MindGeek boasts access to big data on the next level, allowing its employees to uncover user habits overnight that might take other companies months to find. Around 15 terabytes of data is uploaded to its sites every day."
"Toyota announces new capabilities for domestic robots . The Toyota Research Institute has developed new capabilities for its line of domestic robots, including the ability to recognize and manipulate transparent objects and to wipe down counters and tables. Japanese robot manufacturers have made it clear that they plan to create robots that will serve as domestic helpers. Japan has one of the oldest populations in the world. Robots will be able to perform tasks that people find more challenging as they get older. A video from Toyota showing off the new capabilities of its robots is available in the article."
"Hosting SQLite databases on Github Pages . Using private backend servers for small projects that need to use a database can become annoying. Hosting a static website is much easier. There are many free and reliable options, and it can scale without any effort. This article presents a tool that allows statically hosted websites to use real SQL databases. It is a full SQLite query engine and it can use SQLite JSON functions."
"‘Unidentified Aerial Phenomena,’ Better Known as UFOs, Deserve Scientific Investigation . The Pentagon officially released videos earlier this year showing 'unidentified aerial phenomena' (UAP) in our skies. While there was a lot of interest in studying UAPs in the 1960s, interest has waned for various reasons. An international and interdisciplinary approach to studying UAPs would be more viable now. UAPs are generally ignored due to their transient nature and the topic being taboo, but there may be many things we can learn from them using a modern scientific approach."
"A Google VP Told The US Senate The Company Has “Terminated” The Chinese Search App Dragonfly . Information about a secret project by Google to launch a search engine in China was leaked in August, causing internal backlash from employees who did not want their work to be used unethically. At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Google's vice president of public policy said that Project Dragonfly had been terminated. Google has been saying since March that it has no plans for a search engine in China and that the employees working on Project Dragonfly have moved onto other projects. Employees at Google have been active in voicing their opinions on controversial projects through protests and petitions."
Amplication (Website). Amplication is a development tool that helps you develop quality Node.js applications. It has simple interfaces for creating data models and configuring role-based access control. Amplication can continuously push to Github and create Docker containers.
"SpaceX now offers Starlink for RVs for remote travels . SpaceX now offers Starlink for RVs, campers, and other large vehicles. The antenna is too big for cars to use. The service will provide high-speed, low latency internet in areas marked 'available' on Starlink's map. Regions on the waitlist will experience notably slower speeds during peak hours. The service is not designed for use while in motion. It will be available for most of the US and some areas of Canada, South America, the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand."
Ask HN: How to come up with monetizable side project ideas? (Hacker News Thread). A user (sunilkumarc) on Hacker News asked for ideas to come up with side projects that would generate a few hundred dollars of revenue a month. I think a lot of the advice in this thread (especially the top comment by a13n) was really informative. Definitely worth checking out if you're thinking about starting a side project to generate some passive income.
Huawei tops Samsung as world’s No. 1 smartphone company for first time . Huawei has surpassed Samsung as the world's number one supplier of smartphones. It shipped more smartphones in the second quarter of 2020 than any other company in the world. Apple and Samsung have competed for the top spot for the last nine years. Analysts say that Huawei managed to achieve this feat by taking advantage of China's economic recovery after COVID-19 shutdowns. A majority of Huawei's smartphones are sold in China.
"Luminary has launched. Is the latest “Netflix for podcasts” worth it? . Luminary, a new platform for podcasts that offers its own original content, has launched at $7.99 a month. Apple Podcasts has been losing market share in the podcast space as more companies move in. While Luminary offers access to hundreds of existing shows, some popular shows such as ‘The Daily’ and ‘Reply All’ will not be available on the platform. The article contains reviews on five of the exclusive shows that Luminary has produced."
"Google Rumored to Soon Launch 'Pixel Buds Pro' to Rival Apple's AirPods Pro . Google is planning to launch a high-end version of its Pixel Buds. The Pixel Buds Pro will come in four colors and will likely feature Adaptive Sound, a feature that adjusts volume level depending on a user's surroundings. More details about the earbuds could be announced at Google I/O next week."
"House Democrats are considering a bill to ban Facebook from the finance industry . A new bill dubbed the ‘Keep Big Tech Out of Finance Act’ is currently being considered by Democrats in Congress. The bill states that large platforms, tech companies with an annual global revenue of $25,000,000,000 or more, may not be affiliated with a financial institution. This would mean that Facebook would not be able to continue with its Libra cryptocurrency project. It is unclear how this will affect companies like PayPal if their annual revenue reaches $25 billion. Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin expressed concerns over the Libra cryptocurrency, saying that it could be misused by money launderers and terrorist financiers. The bill has not yet been introduced to Congress, so its contents are not final."
"China Deploys World's First Commercial Hydrogen Streetcar . The world's first commercially operated hydrogen energy streetcar is officially in use in Foshan, China. Running for 17.4 kilometers, the hydrogen energy trolley line has a top speed of 70 km/h and can accommodate up to 285 riders. Each tram car has six gas storage tanks of 20-kilogram storage capacity. Foshan has pledged to add another 80 hydrogen-powered buses to their fleet."
"Salesforce enters the streaming wars . Salesforce+ is a new video streaming service aimed at business professionals. It will debut at Salesforce's annual mega-conference Dreamforce in September. The free service will show original content from Salesforce and its clients. There will be 6 original series premiering at launch. Salesforce has built its own in-house studio and hired around 50 editorial leads to help launch the service, with plans to hire more as it builds up its programming slate. The company has no plans to sell ads or charge for the content."
"Ask HN: Advice for a new and inexperienced tech lead? (Hacker News Thread). When you become a tech lead, your role becomes all about creating your team, nurturing your team, training them, and teaching them how to think critically. As a tech lead, your aim is for your team to create a good product - which means having to push against the company sometimes in order to maintain quality. Good communication between the team is key to making sure everything is running smoothly. The role involves a lot of social ability, not just tech expertise, as it is more about being a good leader than a good developer."
"self-driving-desktop (GitHub Repo). self-driving-desktop is a desktop automation framework written in Python. It uses steps (instructions) within playlists (groups of actions) to automate tasks. A list of example uses is available, and users can customize playlists to complete their desired tasks."
"2020 State of Software Engineers (13 minute read). In 2019, the average salaries for top engineering roles went up by nearly 13% in London, 7% in Toronto and New York, and 6% in the SF Bay Area. Demand for AR/VR is up by 1400%, similar to blockchain's strong demand last year. Many companies are evolving into becoming tech companies and demand for front and backend engineers is growing steadily. The full impact of AR and VR technology will be seen in the next five years. Salary growth for the top engineering roles in San Francisco and New York is double the rate of most Americans. Most software developers choose their careers due to passion for the role, rather than just for the pay. Half of all software engineers point to machine learning as the most interesting field in software today. More than half of engineers wouldn't hesitate to hire a candidate without a computer science degree."
"Facebook now lets most users opt-in to dark mode & desktop redesign . Facebook has officially released its desktop redesign which features a dark mode, a tabbed home screen, and a cleaner profile. Users can now start to opt-in to the new design before it becomes the default for everybody later in the year. Facebook has dedicated itself to simplifying its apps after a decade of making them more visually complex."
"Klio (GitHub Repo). Klio is an ecosystem built by Spotify for its large-scale audio intelligence systems. It is an ecosystem for processing audio or binary files at scale. Klio jobs are opinionated data pipelines in Python built upon Apache Beam, tuned for audio and binary file processing."
"Inside BitClout, the Dystopian Social Network with Big Backers and Vocal Critics (11 minute read). BitClout is a decentralized social network that tokenizes its personalities. Every BitClout account is tied to a 'coin' that changes in value depending on how many people use it, allowing users to monetize themselves. The company created 15,000 profiles based on popular Twitter personalities without asking for anyone's permission. Users who want to claim their profiles need to publicly tweet that they have joined BitClout. The company was criticized for using people's profiles without permission. This, in addition to other controversies, has unnerved some investors."
"MuseNet . MuseNet is an AI that can generate musical compositions. The AI can generate four minute musical compositions made up of 10 different instruments. It can also combine different styles of music ranging from country to Mozart to the Beatles. There are many examples of compositions the MuseNet has produced available, and people are invited to try MuseNet now through to May 12."
"Classify This Robot-Woven Sneaker With 3D-Printed Soles as ""Footware"" . Adidas’s Futurecraft.Strung running shoes have customized 3D-printed soles that are made up of around 2,000 threads from 10 different sneaker yarns. The design process uses motion capture of the wearer's foot and feedback from the wearer to customize it to the person's specific gait. With Strung, each thread's properties are accounted for and serves a purpose. Adidas' robots can weave a pair of Strung sneakers in one hour and 30 minutes. It plans to bring the shoes to market by the end of 2022."
"Apple, Big Sur, and the rise of Neumorphism . Neumorphism is a focus on how light moves in three-dimensional space. In the context of a GUI or simulation, Neumorphism focuses on how light interacts with a variety of objects in a purely digital space. Apple introduced macOS 11 Big Sur, its newest version of macOS, at its WWDC event this week. It features a new user interface design that has been criticized for its use of Neumorphism. However, despite the criticism, Neumorphism is said to be the next wave in UI design, and there will likely be an explosion of development around the possibilities of the system soon."
"Next.js 11 . The Next.js 11 update is now live. It features Conformance, improved performance, Webpack 5, the ability to code in the browser in real-time with a team, and more. The update introduces a few breaking changes for legacy features, which should not affect the majority of users."
"Elon Musk overtakes Bill Gates to become world’s second-richest person behind Jeff Bezos . Elon Musk is now the world's second-richest person in the world with a net worth of around $128 billion. Musk ranked 35th on the list in January. A visual of this level of wealth compared to the average American household is linked. Tesla's market cap has gone from under $100 billion at the beginning of the year to almost $500 billion, despite producing a fraction of the cars of most established automakers. SpaceX has also seen recent success, sending four astronauts to the International Space Station last week. Bill Gates was on top of the Billionaires Index until 2017 when Jeff Bezos took over. Gates has donated over $27 billion of his wealth since 2006."
"Apple promises ‘white glove experiences’ for its most helpful community members . Apple is rewarding the most active and helpful members of its support forums with its New Community Plus program, which will offer members access to exclusive perks and experiences. Only a small group of people will be added to the program every year. There aren't many details about what the Community Plus program will give members. The program could be similar to Microsoft's Most Valuable Professional award program, which has rewarded its members with trips, subscriptions, and free training materials."
"The weird rise of cyber funerals . After we die, our physical affairs may be easily taken care of, but our digital footprint is much more difficult to remove. Specialist companies exist that provide ‘digital undertaking’ services, where the company will track down and remove information about the deceased, and failing to do so, will flood search engine results with false information to hide real information about the deceased. Social media companies such as Facebook have introduced features such as allowing a legacy contact to delete or memorialize a deceased person’s page. With the increasing amount of data that we volunteer to the internet, removing the information after we die is increasingly important."
"AI Gahaku (Website). AI Gahaku is an AI artist that can generate artwork from photos that you upload. You just have to upload a photo that shows your entire face and then select the art style that you want. Uploaded images will be automatically deleted from the server. Give feedback by replying here or messaging me on Twitter @tldrdan! If you don't want to receive future editions of TLDR, please click here."
"NocoDB (GitHub Repo). NocoDB turns any MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, SQLite, or MariaDB into a smart spreadsheet. It features a gallery view, rich spreadsheets, workflow automations, collaboration tools, programmatic access with APIs, and more. Screenshots are available in the repository."
"Finally, useful engineering metrics you define. Meet Code Insights (Sponsor). Finally, useful engineering metrics you define. Meet Code Insights . Transform your code into a queryable database to create customizable, visual dashboards in seconds. You can track everything in your codebase, from migrations to code smells, in a seamless and precise way based on the power and accuracy of Sourcegraph Code Search. Learn more."
"Amazon wants to take Sidewalk beyond the neighborhood . Amazon has launched the Amazon Sidewalk Bridge Pro, a device designed to extend the Sidewalk network into public spaces. Sidewalk is a network that connects devices together so they can share bandwidth and be controlled or tracked. The Sidewalk Bridge Pro has a range of five miles in ideal scenarios. Amazon aims to connect billions of third-party devices to the Sidewalk network. It plans to work with businesses and municipalities to deploy the bridges."
"Facebook Pay lets you buy goods and send money inside Facebook's apps . Facebook Pay will start rolling out to the Facebook and Messenger apps for US users this week. It will eventually be available on all apps across Facebook's ecosystems in more countries. Facebook is aware of potential security and privacy issues. However, while payment data is encrypted and monitored for fraud, customers' shopping history will be used to influence ads. Facebook Pay is separate from the Calibra wallet that will be used to handle the Libra cryptocurrency. The payment system is similar to services like Venmo or Apple Pay. However, Facebook's large ecosystem may make the payment system more convenient for users."
"DirecTV races to decommission broken Boeing satellite before it explodes . DirecTV has asked the Federal Communications Commission for a rules waiver so it can move a broken Boeing satellite out of its standard orbit in order to limit the risk of an accidental explosion. The 15-year-old Spaceway-1 satellite is at risk of explosion due to damage to its batteries. DirecTV has already disabled the satellite's primary function. The satellite can still operate on power reserves from its solar panels, but not during the upcoming eclipse season starting at the end of February. Satellites usually discharge all of its fuel prior to being taken out of their normal orbits, but this isn't possible due to the explosion risk. Spaceway-1 will be moved to a graveyard orbit 300km above the geostationary arc."
"Why It’s Great To Be A Consultant . Working as a consultant is great because you are working outside the company hierarchy, which means you can avoid all the baggage that comes with being a permanent employee. You will be continually thrown into new environments, which will force you to keep learning to remain competitive. Working with multiple organizations will expose you to more technology, organizational structures, and cultures. This will help develop a deeper perspective on your work and what's possible. Consulting will also mean you will meet lots of people, which can be beneficial in many ways."
"Digitizing Burning Man (14 minute read). Burning Man is usually held in late August inside Nevada's Black Rock Desert, but this year, the organization is looking to create a virtual experience using a network of small indie teams willing to donate their own time. The event will involve eight projects, or experiences, each taking a different approach to recreating the virtual festival. Each experience will be accessible on both mobile and desktop. It is unclear how the event will be monetized as each virtual experience will use different technology."
"Amazon is introducing private investors to high-risk start-ups in a new pilot program . Amazon has started a new program called Pro-Rata to connect high-risk start-ups with private investors. The program is purely for introductions and does not involve any funding from Amazon itself. Amazon contacts private investors and offers them an opportunity to invest in these companies, however, just because these investors have been invited into the program, it does not guarantee them access to the investment. Investors will need to fulfill several criteria, including minimum investment amounts ranging from $20,000 to $500,000. It is unknown whether Amazon is making any money from this venture."
"The Best Imitation-Meat Burgers . The success of Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods has led to other plant-based meat replacements appearing in the market. 18 vegetable-based burgers, seven black bean burgers, and eight meat-analogue burgers were rated for their taste, texture, and appearance. The Impossible burger outperformed every other contender in every category, with tasters commenting on how all aspects of the plant-based meat was similar to a real meat burger. Beyond Meats burger came second, losing points on appearance. The Grillers Original Burger from MorningStar Farms was third place. Tasters thought that the flavor was bland, its appearance was unappealing, and said that the patty felt dry. Generally speaking, tasters were unenthusiastic about burgers that were not produced by Impossible or Beyond."
Apple’s M2 chip has entered production and will ship as soon as July . Apple's custom-designed M2 chips entered production this month. The chips will be introduced with new Macs in the second half of 2021. They are being manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing.
"BMW's Vision iNext concept car is the ultimate self-driving machine . BMW's Vision iNext is an autonomous electric SUV concept car. BMW has completely rethought the inside of the car, drawing inspiration from boutique hotels. The dashboard has been replaced by 2 widescreen LCD televisions. The seating has touch-sensitive areas that recognize gestures such as swipes. The arm rests have been replaced by a wooden surface that acts as a coffee table of sorts. The front seats are bendable so passengers can easily converse with people sitting in the back. The steering wheel and pedals are still there in case you feel like driving, but they retract when not in use. There's a sketch of the interior design inside."
"Tesla dissolves its PR department — a new first in the industry . Tesla has dissolved its PR department, becoming the first automaker who doesn't talk to the press. The company hasn't responded to press inquiries in months. Tesla's PR team dissolved after Keely Sulprizio, the person in charge of PR/communications at Tesla, left Tesla to join Impossible Foods last December. There are still PR managers working in Tesla's European and Asian markets and test-drive promotions for YouTubers. No official reason has been given for the move, despite CEO Elon Musk's past complaints about unfair treatment by the press."
"Hands on with Apple's first public beta of macOS 10.15 Catalina (52 minute read). Apple has released its first public beta of Catalina. This update starts to merge iOS features with Mac OS, combining many of the functionalities of the mobile platform into the desktop environment. Apple has been developing custom hardware for its devices, and the end result of cross-platform compatibility is now being realized. iOS apps are now able to run on Mac OS through Catalyst. Catalina also introduces new augmented reality tools, machine learning abilities, a suite of apps to replace iTunes, and more. Most of the visual elements remain unchanged from Mojave. Older Macs that don’t support Metal (introduced in some models in 2012) will not be able to run Catalina. Users should keep in mind that Catalina is still in its testing phase, so there may still be issues with running the new operating system."
"Researchers turned fat cells into stem cells to repair injuries . Stem cells have the potential to treat many conditions. The source of these cells has been a topic of controversy ever since they were discovered, so scientists have been trying to find new ways of producing them without using embryos. A team from Australia has created a method of turning fat cells into stem cells that can then be used to repair wounds. The research has only been conducted on mice so far. Using this method of making stem cells reduces the chance of tumors compared to other methods. Since they use cells from the patient's own body, there is far less chance of rejection. There is still a lot of research to conduct before the technique can be used in clinical settings."
"The 5G iPhone is coming in 2020, says analyst Ming-Chi Kuo . Ming-Chi Kuo, the most trusted source when it comes to Apple rumors, has revealed that Apple plans to release 5G smartphones in 2020. After Apple cut its ties with Intel, it was unsure whether the company would be able to produce a 5G smartphone. However, sources claim that the development of the new phones is right on schedule. Both a new, smaller 5.4-inch iPhone and a larger 6.7-inch device will be released in 2020. A 6.1-inch iPhone XR successor will also be released but will stay on LTE for now. All of the new iPhones will have OLED display panels."
"Psychedelics Without the Trip Could Be ‘Healing Magic’ for Mental Health . While psychedelics are starting to be seen by doctors as a tool for treating mental illness, their mind-altering effects can be a serious detriment to patients. Treatment using traditional psychedelics requires the drugs to be administered and monitored inside clinics instead of the patient taking a pill at home like for many other conditions. A team of scientists recently engineered several synthetic cousins of LSD that could quell depressive symptoms in mice without getting them high. It will take a long time before the drug can be tested in humans, but the research could result in an entirely new treatment regime for mental health issues."
"Froala Design Blocks (Bootstrap Components). Froala has put out v2 of their popular Design Blocks library. It's a bunch of components built on Bootstrap that makes it really easy to make commonly used elements like login/signup forms, headers, pricing tables, testimonials, calls to action etc. It also comes with a simple website builder, that lets you build a quick site with the components and download the html (no signup required!). It's all open source, and there are Sketch/PSD files included for designers."
"How I Keep up with technology as a software developer with a chronic health condition . Keeping up with tech while dealing with health issues can be difficult, but not impossible. Scheduling your time for learning, practice, or working on projects, and being strict about the schedule, will help keep health a priority while encouraging learning. It is important to remember to take small steps as the goal is to try to create a habit. As health should be a priority, taking frequent breaks is important as is being mindful of your mental health. If you have a desire to continue learning and development while dealing with other problems, the most important thing to do is to start taking action."
"The Inside Story of How Signal Became the Private Messaging App for an Age of Fear and Distrust (15 minute read). Signal is an end-to-end encrypted messaging service owned and operated by a non-profit foundation. It has wide-ranging security protections and it is endorsed by figures like Edward Snowden, who uses the app every day. People have been increasingly using Signal as trust in the authorities continues to decline. It has been used extensively during the recent US protests and in Hong Kong after China imposed a controversial national security law. Signal's privacy features include tools to blur people's faces out of photos, servers that don't store user information, encrypted phone calls, and more. The app has not been popular with the authorities, who aren't able to demand that the service turn over information as the service doesn't retain any. This article follows Signal's story so far, exploring how the app was developed with privacy in mind and how it continues to maintain its stance despite governmental pressure."
"Amazon’s new physical retail analytics service gives brands insights about product and ad performance . Amazon is launching a new physical retail store analytics service that will give brands anonymized insights about their products in stores that use Just Walk Out and Dash Cart technologies. Brands will have access to information about how their products are discovered, considered, and purchased, as well as data on how their products rank and perform. The data is aggregated and anonymized, and it doesn't contain any personal information. Shoppers can opt-out of data collection while using Just Walk Out or Dash Cart through Amazon's Store Analytics website."
Now’s the time to get your name on NASA’s next mission to Mars . The public will again have the chance to have their name sent into space as part of a NASA mission. NASA will be sending the next Mars Rover in 2020 in order to discover clues as to whether the planet has ever hosted alien life. It will also be preparing dirt samples for collection by a future mission. People can submit their names to be engraved onto a silicon chip which will be installed in the Rover.
"The highest paid workers in Silicon Valley are not software engineers . According to online hiring platform Hired, who analyzed 30000+ interview requests across 1800+ Silicon Valley firms, product managers on average make $133,000, while software engineers make $123,000 and designers make $115,000. The gap between product managers and engineers has only widened over the past couple of years, and exists even after controlling for experience (product managers are paid more to start and more after 6 years of experience). Data scientists were briefly paid more than product managers in 2015, but supply began increasing faster than demand, so now product managers are back on top."
"What will a Chromium-only Web look like? . There are three major browser engines, and they're all open source. Many in the Chromium community are arguing for a Chromium-only web. A Chromium-only web would make interoperability on things like parsing HTML perfect while still allowing people to choose the browser with the features that they want. However, this would affect governance over web standards, especially in a future where the web is regulated by multiple governments."
"Las Vegas takes a chance on having Elon Musk’s Boring Company build transit tunnel . An underground express tunnel that connects downtown Las Vegas, the city’s convention center, airport, and other points of interest will be built by the Boring Company at an estimated cost of between $35 to $55 million, depending on the final plans. The Las Vegas Convention Center’s expansion is planned to be completed in 2021. When it is complete, attendees would have to walk around 2 miles to get from one end to another, which explains the need for a rapid transit route. Elon Musk estimates that the tunnel will be complete and operational by the end of the year, however, past projects have not gone as smoothly as predicted."
"Apple Reportedly in Talks With Toyota About Apple Car Production Starting 2024 . Apple is rumored to be visiting several car manufacturers in Asia to mass-produce a branded car by 2024. The company will likely make its EV batteries in the US, but it might seek partnerships with established vehicle makers to do so. Apple is developing a new battery design to reduce the cost of batteries and increase the vehicle's range. While Apple aims to begin production in 2024, the ongoing global health crisis and current chip shortage could cause delays."
"Halley Game Engine (GitHub Repo). Halley is a lightweight game engine written in C++ designed to create high performance, easy to maintain, cross-platform games. It has been tested on Windows 10 Professional 64-bit, Mac OS 10.9.6, and Ubuntu 16.04. Full documentation is not yet available for the engine."
"The Great Resignation is here. What does that mean for developers? . 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs at the end of November 2021. Resignation rates were highest among those who worked in fields that experienced extreme increases in demand due to the pandemic. Many developers feel burnt out due to an increased workload. The demand for developers has increased as more industries start relying on software. Many people have changed how they see their lives due to the pandemic. This article explores how these factors, among many others, have resulted in the Great Resignation, and how this will affect the labor market."
"Samsung confirms hackers stole Galaxy source code . Samsung has confirmed that hackers successfully stole internal company data and source code. Hacking group Lapsus$, who recently stole data from Nvidia, has claimed responsibility for the attack on Samsung. No personal data belonging to either customers or employees was stolen. It is unclear if any threats have been made to Samsung to try to extort specific concessions."
"Ocean Battery stores renewable energy at the bottom of the sea . Ocean Battery is an energy storage system developed by Dutch startup Ocean Grazer. It is designed to be installed on the seafloor near offshore renewable energy generators. The system is made to function on a principle similar to that of a hydroelectric dam. Excess electricity from renewable sources can be used to pump water into a bladder, and when energy is required, the bladder can squeeze the water back through spinning turbines to generate power. A 3-minute video with animations showing how the Ocean Battery will work is available in the article."
"BerylDB (GitHub Repo). BerylDB is a data structure server that provides access to structures via a wide range of commands. It gives users access to lists, maps, keys, and channel subscriptions for their clients. BerylDB allows developers to use fewer lines of code to store, retrieve, and manage data in their apps. The server is currently available for GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, and macOS."
"Zoom is releasing a new tool to let paid users charge for admission to online events like conferences or fitness classes . OnZoom is Zoom's new online event hosting platform. Hosts can organize free and paid events on OnZoom, with PayPal integration for ticket sales. It will only be available to paid subscribers in the US at launch. There are no additional fees for paid users to use OnZoom, but Zoom may take a cut of ticket sales next year. A new feature called Zapp allows Zoom users to open apps like Dropbox, Slack, and Asana directly inside a Zoom meeting. Zoom is also focusing on integrating online education tools."
"Campus is closed, so college students are rebuilding their schools in Minecraft . University of Pennsylvania students recreated their campus in Minecraft after being told that their college commencement would be held online. Students report it being a rewarding experience to be able to recreate the campus they are graduating from, allowing them a chance to properly finish out their experience. Minecraft servers and creations are now being shared on Discord, Facebook, and Reddit. Minecraft has become a place where students can log in and process the sudden loss of an on-campus community. In May, there will be in-game graduations on a server specifically created to host Class of 2020 graduations for students from hundreds of different universities. At least 278 institutions have signed up so far."
"Colossal marine skull reveals Earth's earliest known giant animal . Cymbospondylus youngorum may have been the first giant animal that ever lived on Earth. The new type of ichthyosaur was discovered in the Augusta Mountains of Nevada with a skull measuring 2 meters long. It existed around 246 million years ago. Ichthyosaurs dominated the oceans for about 150 million years, with some species stretching over 20 meters long. The new ichthyosaur was not the largest of its family, but it may have been the largest animal Earth had seen up until that point. A picture of the skull, with a researcher for scale, is available in the article."
GoDaddy Employees Used in Attacks on Multiple Cryptocurrency Services . A recent attack on several cryptocurrency trading platforms involved scams that targeted employees at GoDaddy. The fraudsters tricked employees into allowing them to assume control over at least half a dozen domain names. This allowed the attackers to change DNS records and take control of internal email accounts. GoDaddy has not disclosed how its employees were tricked into making unauthorized changes. There has been an increase in large corporations being targeted in voice phishing scams as more employees have been working remotely due to the pandemic. A list of security recommendations from the FBI/CISA advisory to mitigate the threat from voice phishing attacks is provided at the end of the article.
"Rulex (Website). Rulex is a portable regular expression language. It transpiles Rulex expressions into normal regular expressions. Rulex supports Unicode, number ranges, and variables. It provides error messages that are informative. Examples are available."
"How to build your own TinyPilot . TinyPilot is a device for controlling computers remotely. It works before the operating system boots, so it can be used to install new OSes and debug boot failures. It can be created for under $100 using a Raspberry Pi. A complete walkthrough is provided in the article."
"Architects are planning a beautiful Martian city in the Dubai desert . A group of architects in Dubai were commissioned to design an experimental Martian city that covers 176,000 square meters of desert. The United Arab Emirates government budgeted $135 million for the Mars Science City project. It will help engineers and scientists understand how we can best mitigate risks associated with living on Mars. Renders of the design are available in the article."
"Microsoft to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion . Microsoft is acquiring Activision Blizzard in a deal valued at $68.7 billion. Many of Activision's games will be added to Xbox Game Pass once the deal closes in the fiscal year 2023. It will take a long time for the deal to close as Activision Blizzard operates in many markets, making receiving regulatory approval more complicated for Microsoft. Activision Blizzard was recently sued for promoting a culture of constant sexual harassment. Bobby Kotick will continue to serve as CEO of Activision Blizzard until the deal is fully closed."
"Avoid These Common Data Privacy Pitfalls in 2022 (Sponsor). Avoid These Common Data Privacy Pitfalls in 2022 . Innovating and delivering products quickly is essential to any company’s survival, but taking shortcuts on data security and privacy is very costly in the long run. As you aim to balance speed and security, don’t lose sight of the most common privacy pitfalls and how you can avoid them. Download the free white paper today."
"Ripple Takes $50 Million Stake in MoneyGram in Push to Deploy XRP . Cryptocurrency company Ripple has announced a major partnership with MoneyGram. MoneyGram will start using Ripple’s cryptocurrency, XRP, as part of its day-to-day operations. Ripple has long argued that banks should use XRP for transferring money across borders, rather than having cash reserves tied up as collateral in foreign accounts. Last year, Western Union trialed the use of XRP but claimed that it did not produce significant savings. The cryptocurrency is currently the third most valuable in the world, after Bitcoin and Ethereum. Ripple will not immediately receive a seat on MoneyGram’s board, but will instead have observer status."
"100 most asked JavaScript Interview Questions and Answers (23 minute read). JavaScript is a scripting language that can pretty much create anything. It can be inserted into HTML pages to be executed by web browsers, so it is used in many environments. This article contains 21 commonly asked JavaScript interview questions and answers, with more coming soon."
Meta Reveals VR Headset Prototypes Designed to Make VR ‘Indistinguishable From Reality’ (11 minute read). Meta recently unveiled a collection of VR headset prototypes. The company is aiming to develop a headset that can completely convince the visual system that what's inside is actually real. It has identified four key visual challenges that VR headsets need to solve before the visual Turing Test can be passed. The prototype headsets function as proof-of-concept for potential solutions to these challenges. Details about the challenges and the prototype headsets are available in the article.
"Apple plans to give away original content for free to device owners as part of new digital TV strategy . Apple is planning on spending over $1 billion on video content this year for its upcoming video streaming service. They currently have 24 shows in production and development. This content will be free for all iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV owners through a yet-to-be-named pre-installed app due out next year."
"BlurHash (GitHub Repo). BlurHash is able to create placeholders for images so a website can still retain its look and feel as it loads. It takes an image and returns a short string that represents the placeholder for the image. When the page is loaded, the string is loaded first while the real image loads in the background. There are implementations for C, TypeScript, Python, Java, and many more languages."
"T-Mobile launches long-promised 5G home internet service . T-Mobile's 5G home internet service is now available for 30 million homes in the US, 10 million of which are in rural areas. There will be no data caps, hardware rental fees, or annual contracts. Customers will be able to self-install the equipment. While there are no data limits, customers are still subject to data slowdowns during times of network congestion."
"Scientists Made a Biohybrid Nose Using Cells From Mosquitoes . Scientists at the University of Tokyo have created an artificial nose using mosquito odor receptors. The team placed the mosquito receptors on a chip and monitored the setup with a computer. Using the sensors, the scientists could detect odors with unprecedented sensitivity. The technology was able to detect a chemical often found in cancer patients' breath with over 90 percent accuracy. The team hopes to eventually use their bionic nose as a way to detect the early stages of diseases."
A new plant-based material can replace plastic food packaging for keeps . A team of scientists has developed a biodegradable and antimicrobial food packaging solution that could finally put an end to the need for plastic-made food packaging items.
bun (GitHub Repo). bun is an all-in-one tool for JavaScript development.
"Amazon is opening a new store that sells items from its website rated 4 stars and above . A new store called Amazon 4-star will open today in New York's SoHo neighborhood. The store is permanent (not a pop-up store) and will only sell items that have 4 star ratings or above on Amazon. Amazon Prime members will pay ""the Amazon.com price"" when they shop there. The store will have digital price tags, presumably to keep prices consistent with the Amazon.com website."
"NASA's Astrobees used to test feasibility of satellites capturing tumbling space junk . Space junk is becoming more of a problem as satellite technology becomes more affordable and more objects are being sent out to space. TumbleDock/ROAM have just finished a series of tests on using robots called Astrobees to find and retrieve space debris. Astrobees are cube-shaped robots that move through space by using compressed-air thrusters. As the tumbling motion of a satellite can be quite complex, the robots need to be able to autonomously close in on a satellite on their own. The Astrobees are able to chase down targets in a lab setting, but now the scientists need to figure out how to grapple them."
"Amplication (GitHub Repo). Amplication is a development tool that helps Node.js developers create quality applications without having to spend time on repetitive coding tasks. It auto-generates fully functional apps based on TypeScript and Node.js. Amplication helps developers build applications with visually managed data models, role-based access control, auto-generated source code, and more."
"The cinemas now hiring out their screens to gamers . South Korea's largest cinema chain, CGV, has begun hiring out its screens to gamers. CGV came up with the idea as a way to bring in new revenue as it deals with the effects of the pandemic. It costs $90 to hire the screen for two hours before 6 pm and $135 after. Up to four people can join a session, but they have to bring their own consoles, games, and controllers with them. CGV has booked more than 130 sessions since the start of the year, with the majority of customers being men in their 30s or 40s. Customers can order cinema food to be delivered."
"DeepMind is developing one algorithm to rule them all (10 minute read). DeepMind is trying to create a deep learning model that can learn how to emulate any algorithm to generate an algorithm-equivalent model that can work with real-world data. Algorithms possess fundamentally different qualities to deep learning methods. If deep learning methods could better mimic algorithms, the type of generalization seen with algorithms might become possible with deep learning. A network that could learn algorithms would be able to plug those algorithms together to form complex pipelines and programs."
"Samsung’s ‘artificial human’ project definitely looks like a digital avatar . Neon is Samsung's mysterious artificial human project. It appears that the company is building realistic human avatars that can be used for entertainment and business purposes. The Core R3 technology used in Neon can autonomously create new expressions, movements, and dialog, all of which can be completely different from the original captured data. A video was leaked that shows lifelike human figures that may have been generated with Core R3. It is still unclear to what extent the avatars in the videos were computer-generated. A big claim with Neon is that the avatars can be mistaken for real humans. The leaked footage can be viewed in the article."
"Scientists Are Getting Better and Better at Levitating Objects With Sound Waves . A new video shows researchers making polystyrene beads and water particles levitate inside a special enclosure using hundreds of small speakers. The team was able to develop a system that could handle interference, resulting in 3D displays that can exist outside of a vacuum. The technology opens up the possibility for fully immersive virtual reality experiences and interactive holograms. A video demonstrating the technology is available in the article."
"toolbox (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a curated list of libraries for a faster machine learning workflow. The list is divided into the different phases of machine learning development, and then further broken down into different steps, methods, and categories."
Dev Degree (Website). Dev Degree is a learning program that combines hands-on developer experience at Shopify with an accredited Computer Science degree. Students will take three university courses on campus each term and spend around 25 hours a week at Shopify over four years. Applicants can choose to attend either Carleton University or York University. The program teaches students development skills and technologies through real-world problems and mentorship from industry leaders.
"YouTube’s new AR Beauty Try-On lets viewers virtually try on makeup while watching video reviews . YouTube has a new feature that will allow viewers to try on makeup products while watching video reviews. AR Beauty Try-On will show a stream of the viewer’s face below the video that they are watching and allow the viewer to test out different products using augmented reality. During testing, YouTube found that while only 30 percent of viewers tried the feature, these users were engaged and spent more than 80 seconds trying out different products. Other apps also offer features for users to try on virtual makeup. YouTube’s AR Beauty Try-On is one of the first types of AR-powered ad campaigns. Google has also recently introduced Swirl, allowing users to view products in a 360 format. These new tools will be open to all brands and advertisers this Summer."
"Unprofessional Landing Pages: How To Make Your Pages Look Like a Design Team Was Behind It . First impressions matter for professional pages. It only takes a very short amount of time for someone to form an opinion about a website. Clarity is important because there isn't much time to get a message across, so it is important not to add clutter. This article discusses how to make more professional-looking pages with above-the-fold design patterns, some UX open secrets, and tips on how to improve the scan-ability of pages."
"Manipulating photons for microseconds tops 9,000 years on a supercomputer . An optical quantum computer built by Canadian startup Xanadu is able to sometimes perform operations with more than 200 qubits. Simulating one of the operations, which only takes a few-dozen milliseconds on the optical quantum computer, would take 9,000 years on a supercomputer. Xanadu's hardware uses a chip to put photons in a specific quantum state then it forces photon pairs to interact in ways that entangle them. More details about the technology are available in the article."
"Rocket Lab unveils details of new reusable Neutron launcher . Rocket Lab has unveiled details about its Neutron rocket. The rocket will be made out of a special carbon composite and will be mostly reusable. It will have its second stage inside of the first one, so the first stage remains with the rocket after its fuel is spent. The second stage will be attached to the payload and stay housed inside the body of the rocket. The top of the rocket will open up once in space to release the second stage and payload. The payload will then be released through a hinged fairing. A video featuring Rocket Lab's CEO Peter Beck eating a hat and then explaining the design is available in the article."
"System Design Interview Tutorial – The Beginner's Guide to System Design (12 minute read). System Design is an important topic for software engineers, so it is a good idea to get a head start on learning about it. System design interviews are open-ended and the lack of structure can be intimidating. This article aims to provide a roadmap for navigating system design interviews. It covers what system design interviews are and why they are used, the main stages of a system design interview, and an example interview problem. An 18-minute video version of the article is available."
"A CRISPR first produces squid as clear as glass . Researchers have used CRISPR-Cas9 on cephalopods for the first time, making some longfin inshore squid transparent by deleting a gene called TDO. TDO encodes a protein that adds pigment to the squid's eyes and chromatophores. The squids were treated as embryos and the treatment successfully affected more than 90% of the cells in the squid, suggesting that the technique could be used to modify genes involved in cephalopod brain function."
"1 in 5 corporations say China has stolen their IP within the last year: CNBC CFO survey . In a survey of North American-based corporations on the CNBC Global CFO Council, seven out of the 23 companies surveyed say that Chinese firms have stolen from them in the past decade. The council represents nearly $5 trillion in market value across a variety of sectors. Businesses are unhappy with current US-China trade negotiations as the terms against IP theft are too relaxed. China has recently issued a memo that detailed punishments for IP violators. Trade policies are now the biggest issue in Europe, as many European businesses say that US trade policies were the biggest risk to their businesses."
"Reddit is raising a huge round near a $3 billion valuation . Reddit is raising up to $300 million in its next ‘Series D’ round of funding, rumored to be lead by Chinese giant, Tencent. The funding could put the valuation of Reddit at nearly $3 billion. Reddit has recently been making a big deal out of selling their new cost-per-click ads, which helped push the yearly revenue of the site to over $100 million in 2018."
"Anti-viral drugs can successfully make old human eggs young again . Women are born with all the eggs they will ever have, and the quality of chromosomes and DNA within each egg declines with age, resulting in less chance of pregnancy with older age. A team of researchers from Israel have shown that treating mouse eggs with an antiviral medicine can reverse the age of older eggs. The reverse-aged eggs haven't been tested yet against fertilization, but they may provide hope for women over 40 who want to be mothers. The researchers hope that the technology will be available for human use within the next 10 years."
"Byte, Vine’s successor, has been purchased by another TikTok clone . Clash, a TikTok competitor, has purchased Byte, another TikTok competitor. The details of the purchase are still vague, but Clash's website now directs visitors to download Byte and the app is no longer available on the iOS App Store. Clash's co-founder says that the two apps will be released together as one product within a few months. The market for short-form video apps has become extremely saturated, and Clash will face a lot of competition. Byte was created to be a successor to Vine, but TikTok had blown up by the time it finally launched."
"Bitcoin plunges 26%, its sharpest selloff in 7 years . Bitcoin has plummeted by 26% in its worst daily selloff in seven years. The digital currency has lost nearly a third of its value in the past five days. While many people believed that crypto investments were immune to the current stock market volatility, the recent downturn is evidence that the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the markets. Bitcoin passed the $10,000 mark in early February. Despite the downturn, it is still up by over 50% over the past 12 months."
"Google is buying Fossil's smartwatch tech for $40 million . Fossil is selling its smartwatch IP to Google for $40 million. Some Fossil employees will be joining Google, and it looks like Google will be working on a smartwatch that they hope will be for Wear OS (their struggling wearable operating system) what Pixel is to Android."
"Pfizer, BioNTech say Covid vaccine is more than 90% effective . Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine was more than 90% effective at preventing COVID-19 in those without evidence of prior infection. The FDA had set a threshold of 50% effectiveness for a vaccine to merit approval. There haven't been any serious safety concerns reported yet in a trial of 43,538 participants. US stock futures skyrocketed in response to the news, with some airline and cruise company stocks jumping up as much as 30%. The vaccine requires two doses, with protection achieved 28 days after the initial vaccination. It could be available as early as late December, and widely available by the third quarter of 2021. Pfizer expects to produce up to 50 million vaccine doses in 2020, and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021."
"The new Flying-V substantially upgrades speed and carries passengers in its wings . The Flying-V is a novel plane design that improves fuel efficiency, speed, and passenger room. Its passenger cabin, cargo compartment, and fuel tanks are all located in its wings. The aerodynamic form of the Flying-V lowers fuel consumption by 20% compared to contemporary aircraft. A video that explains the design is available in the article."
"Ztext (Website). Ztext creates 3D typography for any website and font using HTML attributes or JavaScript. It is easy to integrate Ztext with CSS animations and transitions. Ztext works for SVG, emoji, and images. Examples are available on the website."
Soft Serve (GitHub Repo). Soft Serve is a self-hosted Git server for the command line. It allows users to browse repos with an SSH-accessible TUI. Soft Serve features easy access controls and the ability to create repos on demand. A GIF demo is available.
"Meta's acquisition of Giphy is set to be blocked by an antitrust regulator . The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is expected to reverse Meta's acquisition of Giphy by December 1. Facebook announced the deal in May 2020, but antitrust regulators stopped the sale to investigate whether the merger would harm competition. Provisional findings said that the sale would give Meta an unfair advantage over rival platforms. While both companies are from the US, the CMA has jurisdiction over any acquisition where the combined parties control over 25% of a particular good or service supplied in the UK."
"Redditors Aim to 'Free Science' From For-Profit Publishers . Sci-Hub is a site that gives free access to a huge database of scientific papers that would otherwise be locked behind a paywall. It has been the target of multiple lawsuits. Members of the subreddit DataHoarder have come together to archive the 77TB of data that is on the site. They aim to have approximately 8,500 people torrenting the papers and to create a new uncensorable website. The subreddit community has previously completed a similar mission by archiving 33TB of data from Library Genesis. Much of the science published in these articles is publicly funded."
"Ever wondered what happens when you type in a URL in an address bar in a browser? . This diagram gives a brief overview of what happens when a user types a URL into an address bar in a browser. It gives a simplified, high-level view of the process. A higher resolution version of the diagram is available in the comments."
"Zillow, Other Tech Firms Are in an ‘Arms Race’ To Buy Up American Homes . The high-tech house flipping market, otherwise known as the iBuyer industry, is in a race to buy up as much inventory as possible. Companies are trying to gain inventory and market share rather than focusing on profits. The companies buy mid-level homes for cash, make a few repairs, and put them back on the market, making the process quick and convenient for buyers and sellers. The scale of these operations makes them very profitable. While homeowners may do better on the open market, the convenience that iBuyers offer is worth it for some sellers."
"Russia Plans to Cut Off Some Internet Access Next Week . Russia planned a test of its RuNet program on December 23. The test temporarily shut off many of its citizens' internet access. RuNet aims to help the government better control internal digital traffic, launch cyber and information attacks against other nations, and track and censor dissidents. The test evaluated RuNet's ability to intercept subscriber traffic, reveal information about subscribers, and block communication services. Results from the test will help the government assess its ability to control key internet nodes should a crisis develop. Experts are concerned that other countries may attempt to create isolated domestic internets to control citizens. Some countries already suspend internet access as a means of control, but Russia's solution will allow communication and business to continue on the Kremlin's terms."
NASA's Curiosity rover kicks off epic 'summer road trip' across Mars . NASA's Mars Curiosity rover will soon make its way across the Gale Crater and begin to explore the next section of Mount Sharp. The sulfate-bearing unit is an area that might give clues to how the climate and prospects for life changed on the planet three billion years ago. Curiosity should reach the region later this year. A mosaic image of the area that Curiosity will be traveling across is available at the beginning of the article.
"The race for coronavirus vaccines: a graphical guide . There are more than 90 vaccines being developed against SARS-CoV-2, with at least six already in human trials. Virus vaccines use a weakened or inactivated form of the virus, similar to those used against measles and polio. Viral-vector vaccines use a genetically engineered virus to produce coronavirus proteins in the body. Nucleic-acid vaccines inject DNA or RNA for producing a coronavirus protein that prompts and immune response into human cells. Protein-based vaccines inject coronavirus proteins directly into the body. With accelerated steps, researchers are hoping to have a vaccine ready in 18 months."
"Annual Smart Speaker IQ Test . These guys tested four smart speakers, Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, and Cortana, with 800 questions each. Google Asssistant won with 88% of questions correctly answered vs. Siri at 75%, Alexa at 73%, and Cortana at 63%. The questions were in 5 categories: local, commerce, navigation, information, and command. Google Assistant was the best at every one except for commands (where Siri was the best). Siri and Google were head and shoulders above the rest in Local and Navigation in particular, due to their proprietary maps data. Siri has greatly improved over the past year, where it answered only 52% of questions correctly."
"Apple announces a new… iPod touch . The new iPod touch has been announced. It will use the A10 Fusion chip, which was introduced with the iPhone 7, and comes in many new colors. The device will look similar to older versions, with a four-inch display and a classic home button. It will not support Touch ID or Face ID but it notably has a headphone jack at the bottom of the device. The new iPod is $199 for a 32GB model, $299 for 128GB, and $399 for 256GB of storage."
"Jony Ive leaving Apple after nearly 30 years to start new design firm . Jony Ive, Apple's chief design officer since 1996, will leave Apple later this year to form an independent design company. LoveFrom will count Apple as one of its primary clients. Ive has worked on all major Apple products, including the design of Apple retail stores. He had a close working and personal relationship with Steve Jobs and has largely maintained a private life despite his high profile."
Why Pebble failed (15 minute read). This article tells the story of Pebble and why it failed. Pebble was a company that made a smartwatch that raised over $10 million on Kickstarter in 2012. The company sold 2 million watches over the next few years and did well over $230 million in sales. Pebble failed to create a sustainable business and sold parts of its business to Fitbit at the end of 2016.
"Google's Sidewalk Labs Plans to Package and Sell Location Data on Millions of Cellphones (10 min read). A program known as ‘Replica’ allows companies to simulate real traffic data using real-time mobile location data. While vendors like Sidewalk Labs attempt to obfuscate their data before selling it to companies such as Replica, there are still concerns about the de-anonymization of data and the regulation of data collection. Data is gathered without our knowledge or consent from devices that we carry all the time and depend on, and business models are being built to exploit this information."
"Musk's SpaceX, Bezos' Blue Origin land contracts to build NASA's astronaut moon lander . SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Dynetics were selected on Thursday by NASA to build lunar landing systems capable of carrying astronauts to the moon by 2024. The contract, worth $967 million, will be split between the three companies. Boeing proposed a concept for the project last year but was not selected. It lost another contract to SpaceX last month, with NASA noting that Boeing’s proposal was the most expensive and lowest-rated under the Mission Suitability factor."
Illustrations (Website). This website features over 120 completely free illustrations. 100 of the designs were made during a 100-day illustration challenge.
"Today’s Firefox Blocks Third-Party Tracking Cookies and Cryptomining by Default . A new update for Firefox on desktop and Android will block third-party tracking cookies and crypto miners by default. Enhanced Tracking Protection will be turned on by default for users as part of the 'Standard' setting in Firefox. Currently, only 20 percent of Firefox users use Enhanced Tracking Protection. The feature stops companies from forming a user profile based on tracking behavior across websites, which is often done without peoples' knowledge or consent. A view of the companies which have been blocked from tracking is available in the settings. Some websites have built-in crypto miners that mine cryptocurrencies for the site while the user is browsing. Firefox's new update will include a default option to block these scripts from working."
"Tesla co-founder and CTO JB Straubel stepping down . Elon Musk announced during a conference call on Wednesday that Tesla co-founder and CTO JB Straubel will be stepping down as an executive at Tesla. Drew Baglino, vice president of technology, will take over his duties. Straubel was responsible for some of Tesla's most important technology, especially around batteries. Unlike other high-profile executives who left Tesla this year to join Apple, Straubel will be involved with a company called Redwood Materials, which focuses on recycling technology."
"What’s next for the popular programming language R? . Languages evolve over time, and programming languages are not exempt from this rule. R has changed significantly in the last few years. Older users would barely recognize how the language is typically used today. Hadley Wickham is R's most important developer. He built 'tidyverse', a set of popular data analysis and visualization libraries which has become the standard for new learners. Wickham has seen many changes in R in the last decade, for example, the R community has grown more welcoming, and the introduction of R Markdown has allowed code to be presented more easily. He sees Python and R as having separate use cases and both being powerful in their own areas. Wickham hopes that R and Python will continue to grow together and for R to fit more seamlessly into the data science workflow. R will continue to be developed so that it can handle cutting edge data science, with a focus on its visualization capabilities."
"Meta Tags (Web Tool). Here's a nifty tool that lets you check the meta tags on your website. When I make a new site, I always check these tags one by one on Twitter's card validator, Facebook's graph debugger tool etc. but this tool basically lets you check that your meta tags are being set correctly on Google, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Slack all at once just by typing in the URL."
"GitHub is done depositing its open source codes in the Arctic . GitHub has completed archiving its data into an Arctic vault after delays caused by the pandemic. 21TB of repository data was written onto 186 reels of piqlFilm, a type of archival film that can be read by a computer or a human with a magnifying glass. The goal of the Archive Program was to ensure that future generations will have access to existing code. GitHub originally planned for the project to be completed in February but it had to wait for Svalbard to reopen its borders. Every developer who contributed to the Arctic Vault will receive a special badge to be displayed in the highlights section of their profile."
"French inventor makes 'beautiful' flight across Channel on hoverboard . Franky Zapata, a French inventor, has successfully crossed the Channel on a jet-powered hoverboard, taking off from Sangatte in northern France and landing in St. Margarets Bay in England. The journey took just over 20 minutes. Last month, Zapata failed an attempt as he missed a platform mounted on a boat to refuel the hoverboard. Uninjured from the incident, he has since worked 15 to 16 hours a day to rebuild the machine. Zapata has plans for a flying car and has signed contracts for the project. The French military has invested $1.4 million to pay for the testing of Zapata's hoverboard as it may have several military applications."
"Humanity has wiped out 60% of animals since 1970, major report finds . A report by the World Wildlife Foundation involving 59 scientists has found that humanity has wiped out 60% of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles since 1970. Other studies have shown that humans have wiped out about 83% of mammals, and even if we stop now the natural world will take 5 to 7 million years to recover. Many scientists believe that this is the sixth mass extinction, the first to be caused by a single species. The biggest causes of death are the destruction of natural habitats, followed by killing for food (300 mammals are being eaten into extinction). Mike Barrett, executive director of science and conservation at WWF, says ""We need a new global deal for nature and people and we have this narrow window of less than two years to get it. This really is the last chance. We have to get it right this time."""
Deno.js in production. Key takeaways . Deno.js is a new JavaScript runtime that is basically a rewrite of the Node.js JavaScript engine. It can transition a codebase from JavaScript to TypeScript without transpilation or magicware. Teams considering switching to Golang may be interested in Deno.js as it provides a lot of overlap in terms of use cases.
"London scientists build 'ultra broadband nearly three million times faster' than UK home fibre optic internet connections . Scientists in London have achieved a record download speed of 178 terabits per second by transmitting data in a greater range of colors than normally used in optical fibre. A 25-mile fibre optic loop was used for the speed test. Customized amplifiers were used to boost signal power. If deployed commercially, an amplifier will need to be installed for at least every 25 miles of cable."
Go Beyond Issue Tracking with Shortcut (Sponsor). The best issue tracking software is one that software developers are actually happy to use. Shortcut provides the ease of use of a simple project management tool with the power of an overly complex one that you wish you weren’t being forced to use. Learn more.
"NVIDIA wants to make video calls better with AI . NVIDIA Maxine is an AI-powered suite of tools for video chat that features camera adjustment, resolution upscaling, background noise removal, facial reorientation, avatars, real-time closed captioning and translation, and more. Developers can use the suite to add features to their apps. Maxine's video compression can reduce the bandwidth required by 90 percent compared to H.264. It uses NVIDIA Tensor Core CPU acceleration on cloud servers so apps can still use these features without advanced hardware. Developers can now apply for early access."
"hck (GitHub Repo). hck is a cut clone that can use a regex delimiter instead of a fixed string. It makes common things, such as reordering output fields or splitting records on a weird delimiter, easy. hck is fast, and benchmarking results are available."
"Toyota’s robot butler prototype hangs from the ceiling like a bat . Toyota has unveiled some of the prototypes it has been testing in mock-up home environments. The aim of Toyota's robotics division is to develop mechanical helpers for the home to keep older generations healthy and happy. One of the robots hangs from the ceiling so it can complete tasks without adding to the limited floor space in many homes. Another robot that was demoed had a 'soft bubble gripper' that was able to grab a variety of objects using air-filled cushions. Toyota uses virtual reality to train the machines, getting a human to perform actions and then programming the movements into the robots. At the moment, these robots are still prototypes and Toyota has no plans to commercialize them. A 37-minute long 360-degree virtual presentation showing Toyota's machines is available at the end of the article."
"Google Search Is Dying . Google search results are dying as most of the web has become too inauthentic to trust. Most people now use Google to search through Reddit posts for answers. Serving ads creates misaligned incentives for search engines, SEO has resulted in poor quality sites surfacing to the top of search results, and AI now tries to figure out what the user wants rather than through only search terms. Reddit results are more authentic as people discuss what they think without the commercial aspect other websites have."
"China due to introduce face scans for mobile users . People registering new mobile phone services in China will now be required to have their faces scanned as part of the identity verification process. China has been trying to ensure that everyone who uses the internet does so under their real identities. It claims that removing anonymity from internet use boosts cyber-security and reduces internet fraud. Removing anonymity makes it easier to track the population. China's citizen database has been breached before, resulting in people being contacted by scammers who knew their personal details. There were 170 million CCTV cameras installed in China in 2017, with another 400 million new ones planned to be installed by 2020. Facial recognition plays a key role in China's surveillance system. It has been used to track fugitives, as well as to identify certain minority groups."
"Republican mega-donor buys stake in Twitter and seeks to oust Jack Dorsey – report . A major Republican donor has bought a stake in Twitter in order to oust its CEO, Jack Dorsey. The founder of Elliott Management, Paul Singer, opposed Donald Trump during his run for president but has since changed sides. Trump communicates with the public via Twitter, which has recently announced a ban on political advertising. Dorsey plans to work and live in Africa for part of each year, and Singer is using this information to push Dorsey out of his position. Elliott Management is an activist investor and it regularly pushes for change in companies in which it buys shares. It also works with countries, taking on partial repayment of debts by Argentina in 2016."
Just (GitHub Repo). Just is a Zero config TypeScript build and development toolkit.
"Genetics goes to the dogs, finds there’s not much to breed behavior . Many dog breeds are about appearance, but plenty of others are devoted to specific tasks. A team of US-based researchers conducted a study on around 18,000 dogs to study dog behavior and its underlying genetics. With a few exceptions, most behaviors are only loosely associated with specific breeds. Many modern breeds only originated about 150 years ago, and complicated behaviors are shaped by many factors."
"China's first nuclear reactor using Hualong One tech connected to grid . Hualong One is one of the world's most advanced nuclear power reactor designs. It was developed in China. The reactor is designed to operate for 60 years, with 177 reactor cores which are replaced every 18 months. It features both active and passive safety features and a double-layer safety shell. The first Hualong One nuclear reactor was successfully connected to the grid in the Fujian Province on Friday. It will undergo various tests before starting commercial operations later this year. The achievement is significant for the country's energy restructuring plan and pursuit of low-carbon development."
"Meet the musicians who compose in Mario Paint . 'Mario Paint Composer' is a genre that you can search for on YouTube. Using Mario Paint to create songs involves having to use a very unusual set of in-game tools. Starting in 2013, the trend has now evolved so that most composers aren't even using the original music maker anymore. Instead, they are using a custom program that mimics Mario Paint's compositional capabilities with a few extra features added. Early players had to find creative methods to create specific sounds in the original game. The trend died down soon after it began, and most videos and resources are old. There are still small, active Mario Paint communities on Discord. Members of the community feel that the restrictions that the game imposes on its players force them to be more creative, making composing songs inside the game fun and challenging."
"Eager to leave Big Tech behind? Try Vultr for Free! (Sponsor). Eager to leave Big Tech behind? Try Vultr for Free! . With 19 global locations and better price-to-performance than the other guys, it's no wonder Vultr is the preferred cloud infrastructure provider for developers like you. Now TLDR readers have access to a special offer: $100 in credit just for signing up with this link!"
Slack now lets you DM anyone . Slack is rolling out a new feature that lets users privately message people outside of their company. Users can start a conversation by sending a special link. Admin approval may be required to use the feature. Slack Connect DMs is now available for paid Slack users and it will roll out to all other users soon.
Structured text tools (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a list of text-based file formats and command-line tools for manipulating them. It also includes tools for producing structured text output and CLIs for single-file databases.
"Pilotless air taxi from China’s Ehang takes flight in the US for the first time . Ehang, a Chinese drone maker, has demonstrated its autonomous taxi at a test track in North Carolina. It was the first time that the company had received permission to fly from the US Federal Aviation Administration. Ehang hopes to receive approval for passenger demonstrations in the near future. The Ehang 216 is a two-seater, all-electric vehicle powered by 16 electric rotors. It weighs about 600 pounds and can carry up to 600 pounds of cargo or passengers. Ehang has conducted over 2,000 trial flights around the world. The company has recently filed paperwork with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to go public on Nasdaq. Chinese regulators have authorized Ehang to launch a commercial air mobility service in Guangzhou."
"UAE Used Cyber Super-Weapon to Spy on iPhones of Foes . A team of ex-US government operatives working for the UAE used an iPhone exploit called ‘Karma’ to hack into the iPhones of activists, diplomats, and rival foreign leaders. The exploit is initiated when the attacker sends the target a special text message. Photos, emails, text messages, and location information were stolen using this exploit."
"Artificial neurons connect to biological ones to control living plants . Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden have created artificial organic neurons and synapses that can integrate with natural biological systems. The artificial neurons operate with the same ion signals as biological neurons, making them compatible. Repeated activation of synapses strengthens the neurons, making them more effective over time. The artificial neurons are biodegradable and harmless to both plants and animals. The researchers demonstrated the system by using it to control the jaws of a Venus flytrap."
"Take a closer look at Elon Musk’s Neuralink surgical robot . Elon Musk introduced a new surgical robot at the Neuralink presentation on Friday. The robot's underlying technology was created by Neuralink but its design and user experience was built by Woke Studio. It is comprised of three parts: the head, the body, and the base. The head holds the head of the patient and includes a guide for the surgical needle as well as embedded cameras and sensors. The body includes all the parts responsible for motion and the base contains the computer. An image gallery is available in the article."
Nvidia turns to liquid cooling to reduce big tech’s energy use . Nvidia has announced a plan for reducing the energy use of data centers by using liquid-cooled graphics cards. Its liquid-cooled version of its A100 compute card consumes 30% less power than the air-cooled version. The company plans to support liquid cooling in its high-performance data center GPUs for the foreseeable future. Liquid-cooling lowers power consumption while also taking up significantly less room. Nvidia's liquid-cooled cards will be incorporated into data center servers later this year.
"PDM (Website). PDM is a modern Python manager with PEP 582 support. It installs and manages packages without the need to create a virtualenv. PDM features a simple and fast dependency resolver, a PEP 517 backend, and PEP 621 project metadata."
"'They're putting us all at risk': What it's like working in Amazon's warehouses during the coronavirus outbreak (13 minute read). Many people are now staying at home and depending on online marketplaces like Amazon to get essentials like toilet paper, food, and hand sanitizer. Amazon's warehouse workers, delivery drivers, and contract employees are still working throughout the coronavirus crisis. While workers are praised for their fearlessness in continuing to go to work, many are terrified and frustrated with Amazon's response to the pandemic. Employees who feel that it is unsafe to work are given limited options, so they continue to come into work. Amazon has implemented new safety precautions and increased pay for workers, but workers are still concerned as their jobs require them to be physically close to each other and sanitizing products are in short supply. Employees have to decide whether to work or have no income."
"Tesla launches Solarglass (Solar Roof V3). Tesla has launched Solarglass, the third version of its Solar Roof tiles. Starting at $34,000, the new tiles are now cheaper and more appealing than a concrete tile roof with solar panels. The launch of Tesla's Solar Roof Tiles has been much slower than expected, with limited installations and delayed volume production. Production was delayed in order to make changes that would make the tiles cheaper and more durable. Tesla's Gigafactory 2 in Buffalo will be able to produce 1,000 roofs per week. The biggest difference with Solarglass is the ease of installation. Installation time has been reduced to only five to seven days."
"NASA's Mars rover successfully touches down on the red planet . Perseverance successfully landed on Mars on Thursday at around 3:55 PM ET. It is the fifth rover to land on Mars. The rover will now begin its two-year mission to roam the surface of the planet and search for signs of ancient microbial life. It will spend the next few days taking pictures of the Jezero Crater, where it landed. Jezero's lakebed is one of the best places to look for biosignatures. The rover is also carrying Ingenuity, a small helicopter, which could be the first controlled aircraft on another planet. Earlier this month, spacecraft launched from the United Arab Emirates and China reached Mars and moved into orbit around the planet."
"GitHub’s Engineering Team has moved to Codespaces . Codespaces are now the default development environment for GitHub.com. Over the last few months, the GitHub team has moved to Codespaces for a majority of development due to the improved development experience. Codespaces are cloud-based development environments that allow teams to code in standardized dev environments from any device. This article describes how the team migrated the GitHub repository to Codespaces."
"Food Delivery Apps Are Drowning China in Plastic . The boom in food delivery apps in China has flooded the country with takeout containers, utensils, and bags. Most of the plastic is thrown away rather than recycled. While the people in China still generate less plastic waste per capita than Americans, the country’s waste management systems are inadequate and a lot of plastic ends up out in the open, where it can easily make its way to the sea. China still manages to recycle a quarter of its plastic, more than the less than 10 percent in the US. In the last few months, China stopped accepting recyclable imports from the US in order to focus more on its own waste. However, citizens have reported that authorities have recently closed down hundreds of backyard recycling shops due to them being an eyesore."
"The Google Pixel 4 will unlock using a face scan . Google has revealed two new features of the Pixel 4, face unlocking and Motion Sense. The Pixel 4's face unlock can be used for payments and app authentication, and will work in any orientation in a variety of lighting environments. It only has one front-facing camera. Motion Sense is powered by Project Soli, allowing users to skip songs, snooze alarms, and silence phone calls just by waving your hand. The capabilities of Motion Sense will improve over time."
"My Path to Financial Independence as a Software Engineer (10 minute read). Becoming financially independent as an average engineer with a five-figure salary can be possible through financial discipline and investment planning. This article documents the experience of someone who achieved their goal of financial independence working in tech while living and working in San Francisco and New York. It includes a table with their income, expenses, and savings each year and tips on how to achieve similar results."
"What Chimpanzees Know About Giving Medicine . The chimpanzees of the Rekambo community in Gabon, West Africa, have been observed applying insects to their open wounds and the wounds of other community members. No other animal, apart from humans, has ever been seen treating the wounds of others. Self-medication with plant material is common, but the use of insects to treat wounds is unique. It is unknown which insects were used, or whether the treatment is effective. The behavior may be evidence that chimpanzees can display prosocial behaviors."
"immudb (GitHub Repo). immudb is a database with built-in cryptographic proof and verification. It is immutable, so old records can never be changed or deleted. This means that critical data can be stored without fear of it being changed silently. immudb can handle millions of transactions per second."
"Copper (GitHub Repo). Copper is a Go toolkit for building web apps. It ships the frontend and backend in a single binary. Copper includes a command-line interface, lint, dev server, config management, and more. It also has packages for authentication, pub/sub, queues, emails, and WebSockets."
Spotify Car Thing is a $90 thing that plays Spotify in your car . Spotify has released its Car Thing dashboard smart music player. The device provides a way to listen to Spotify in the car without needing to look at a phone or use clunky built-in car interfaces. It costs $90 and users will need a Spotify Premium subscription to use it. Car Thing can be controlled using voice commands. Spotify has planned updates for the device based on feedback from its initial release. Pictures of the device are available in the article.
"Moderna announces 3 new mRNA vaccine targets including herpes and cancer . Moderna is developing mRNA vaccines for the herpes simplex virus, the varicella-zoster virus, and two antigens expressed by some cancer cells. Covid-19 accelerated the development of mRNA vaccines, which opened up the path for new research avenues. The viruses that Moderna are targeting can cause lifelong medical conditions. Development of the vaccines could help improve the quality of life for those with symptomatic diseases. Moderna plans to work on more mRNA candidates."
"Awesome GPT-3 (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a collection of demos and articles about the OpenAI GPT-3 API. Demos include GPT-3 playing chess, doing math, writing Google ads, generating Python, and more."
Wiki.js (Website). Wiki.js is a powerful and extensible open-source Wiki creation software. It makes creating documentation easy while leaving its appearance fully customizable. Wiki.js was built with performance in mind and it will intelligently scale its performance depending on available resources. It comes bundled with a wide range of modules.
Google releasing location data to help track lockdown movement amid coronavirus . Google will release anonymized global location data from 131 countries and regions around the world to help public health officials track movements during coronavirus lockdowns around the world. Officials will be able to track movement trends over time by geography across different categories of places. The data is gathered from Google Maps and other Google services. No personal data is included. There was a 12 percent increase in the number of tracked individuals remaining in their homes between Feb 16 and March 29.
Japanese Railroad Builds Giant Gundam-Style Robot to Fix Power Lines . West Japan Rail Company is using a giant Gundam-style robot to fix remote railway power lines. The robot is piloted by a human wearing a virtual reality setup. The robot is still just a prototype and won't be put to work widely until 2024. A video of the robot doing its job is available in the article.
"Watch The Futuristic Flying Car Volar's Amazing First Test Flight Footage . Bellwether Industries, a London-based startup, has released footage of a half-scale prototype of its eVTOL private flying car performing its first untethered flight. The half-scale prototype appears to be able to carry one passenger. It was piloted remotely in the test footage, flying up to 13 feet high at roughly 25 mph. The full-sized vehicle will be able to cruise at 3,000 feet and reach speeds of 135 mph with a battery that lasts 90 minutes. The test flight footage is available in the article."
"Using CRISPR to resurrect the dead (18 minute read). Humans have had a severe impact on Earth’s biodiversity. One million species are threatened with extinction within the next decade. Scientists have been using CRISPR to edit DNA, and the technology may have the potential to bring back extinct species. However, some there are some opponents of de-extinction who argue that more effort should be put into preventing the extinction of existing animals and that extinct animals may not be suited to the current climate. It is already possible to recreate the Wooly Mammoth. The Asian Elephant shares around 99.96 percent of its DNA with the Wooly Mammoth and scientists have already experimented with combining the DNA of the two species. Reintroducing some species may have a significant positive impact on the ecosystem. The technology can also be used to modify existing species to adapt to different climates."
"Artificial heartmaker Carmat to start sales after EU approval . Artificial heartmaker Carmat has received approval from the European Commission and will start selling its devices from the second quarter of this year. Carmat's devices give patients with end-stage biventricular heart failure an alternative to hospital stays. The artificial heart has not been approved as a permanent implant. Each device will cost up to 150,000 euros. Around 2,000 patients in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Britain with this specific condition are on waiting lists for a heart."
Gene Editing a “Factory Reset” for the Brain To Cure Anxiety and Excessive Drinking . A study by researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago has found a potential gene-editing treatment for anxiety and alcohol use disorder in adults who were exposed to binge drinking in their adolescence. Binge drinking in adolescence alters brain chemistry in the enhancer region of the Arc gene and reduces Arc expression in the amygdala for both rodents and humans. This contributes to a predisposition to alcohol use disorder in adulthood. Rats that had been exposed to alcohol during adolescence showed fewer indicators of anxiety and lower alcohol consumption when Arc gene expression was increased using CRISPR technology. Normal rats showed more indicators of anxiety and increased their alcohol consumption when Arc gene expression was decreased.
"A Huge Step Forward in Quantum Computing Was Just Announced: The First-Ever Quantum Circuit . A team of physicists has created a functional quantum processor. The processor was able to model a small molecule in which each atom had multiple quantum states. It was created by placing 10 quantum dots with sub-nanometer precision in an ultra-high vacuum under a scanning tunneling microscope. Quantum computers can simulate molecules, which could eventually lead to scientists being able to design things that have never been made before."
"ML and DS Applications in Industry (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a curated list of applied machine learning articles, data science notebooks, and libraries across different industries. Topics are organized according to industry and each link has a short description. The repository will be deprecated in November 2019, after which new edits will appear in a private repo."
"Amazon Web Services adds macOS on bare metal to EC2 . Amazon Web Services has partnered with Apple to bring macOS to the cloud. mac1.metal instances are Intel-based Mac mini systems, each with a Core i7-8700B 6c/12t CPU, 32GB RAM, and 10Gbps network interface. The instances rely on Elastic Block Storage rather than local storage. mac1.metal systems can be spun up and down almost as rapidly as virtual systems. Every instance is provisioned with an SSH keypair and the default image includes all of the normal desktop-oriented macOS components, such as VNC. Customers can build and deploy their own custom MacOS images using AMI."
"Google’s Stadia Game Service is Officially Coming November: Everything You Need to Know . Google has officially released details on its Stadia game service. Stadia will be released in November in 14 different territories, including the US, UK, and Canada. At least 31 games from 21 publishers will be launched with the service. A $130 ‘Founder’s Edition’ hardware kit will launch with Stadia, which includes a Chromecast Ultra and a limited-edition dark blue version of the Stadia controller. The subscription service will be $10 a month after a 3 month included subscription with the Founder’s Edition kit. A free tier will be launching in 2020. Google eventually intends to have a backlog of free games that comes with the subscription service, but Stadia is not primarily a subscription service for games. Customers will still have to purchase games to play on the platform. A list of the countries Stadia will be launched in and the games that will be available at launch is available in the article."
"Dozens of Cities Have Secretly Experimented With Predictive Policing Software . PredPol is a software that claims to use an algorithm to predict crime in specific sections of a city. Several police departments in the US have been quietly experimenting with the software. While the idea of using computers to identify potential crime hot-spots may be appealing, the data is based on past crime events - this may mean that if police departments rely on such technology, other areas may be overlooked. Whether it’s ethical to use this technology is also an important question, as it may increase prejudice towards civilians by police in certain areas."
Massive groups of fish create waves to deter predators . A type of freshwater fish called sulfur mollies have the ability to work together in groups to create waves. The behavior is used to protect the fish from predatory birds. It was easy for scientists to study as the fish react to humans in the same way. There can be hundreds of thousands of fish participating in a single fish wave. The waves can be repeated for up to two minutes at a frequency of every three to four seconds.
"A new high-resolution, 3-D map of the whole mouse brain . Mapmakers at the Allen Institute have completed a high-resolution 3-D atlas of the mouse brain. The framework can tell neuroscience researchers which areas in the brain they are exploring as well as the millions of different pieces of associated information that are related to that area. Modern research requires a high level of accuracy when describing areas in the brain. Mice are widely used in biomedical research. Their brains are made up of around 100 million cells contained across hundreds of different regions."
"The best of Yahoo! Answers . Yahoo! Answers started in 2005. It will be shut down on May 4. This article is a collection of the best questions and answers from the site throughout the years. The questions cover topics such as ant killing, music, space travel, vampires, and more."
"Supercooling advances human tissue preservation . Researchers from UC Berkeley successfully revived human heart tissue after it had been preserved in a subfreezing, supercooled state using a technique called isochoric supercooling. The supercooling did not alter the structural integrity, beat rate, or beat waveform of the heart tissue. Isochoric supercooling involves keeping samples in liquid in a sealed, air-free rigid container. It creates conditions that make it difficult for ice to form, even at temperatures below freezing. The technique could eventually become viable for preserving donor tissue and organs."
Niantic launches platform to build ‘real-world metaverse’ apps . Lightship is a software toolkit for building metaverse apps by Niantic. It is free for any developer to access except for a feature that lets multiple devices access shared AR experiences. Niantic has already planned a major update to Lightship for next year that includes a system that will let glasses with displays in them understand exactly where they are in the real world. The company has focused on cross-platform compatibility as there will likely be many different platforms in the world of AR glasses.
"MuZero’s first step from research into the real world . MuZero is one of the successors of AlphaGo, the first artificial intelligence program to defeat humans in the game of Go. It was created to be a general-purpose algorithm and it has mastered several games without needing to be told the rules. DeepMind scientists collaborated with YouTube to explore MuZero's potential to improve video compression. The study found that MuZero was able to demonstrate an average of 4% bitrate reduction without quality degradation across a large and diverse set of videos."
This AI Uses Your Brain Activity to Create Fake Faces It Knows You’ll Find Attractive . A new AI developed by a team from the University of Helsinki and Copenhagen University can generate images of fake faces that an individual finds attractive by learning that person's preferences. The AI was trained by monitoring the person's brain activity as they viewed a series of AI-generated faces. Faces generated by the system were rated as attractive 87 percent of the time. The remaining 13 percent of the times the faces were 'too perfect' or there was something odd with the AI-generated image.
"CES 2019 Liveblog . The Consumer Electronics Show started today, Hyundai debuted a concept car that ""walks"" like an insect, the wheels are attached to legs so it can get through extremely rocky terrain (there's a video in the article), Samsung debuted a 98-inch 8k TV available for pre-order for $15,000, Bell Helicopter debuted a prototype for a flying taxi that can fly at 150 mph for 150 miles. HTC debuted the Vive Pro Eye, a high end VR headset with built in eye tracking so you don't have to move your head as much. There was also an underwater drone, micro-LED screens (brighter and longer lasting than OLED TVs), LG's foldable TV, and even a bread-baking robot."
"A high-tech glove can translate sign language with 99-percent accuracy . Researchers at UCLA have developed a high-tech glove that can translate sign language into text and speech on a smartphone. It works in real-time and can interpret 660 American Sign Language signs with 98.63 percent accuracy. The glove could potentially be used to teach sign language or help deaf people communicate with non-sign language users. It only costs about $50 to produce, with the potential for lower costs with large scale production. The device is still under development and it will be a few years before it is released."
"Lint for Sketch (GitHub Repo). Lint for Sketch makes creating consistent designs easy. In computer programming, Linting is the process of using code to analyze other code for errors. Lint for Sketch analyzes Sketch design files and checks the file against predefined rules. It can check and fix errors in typography, color, spelling, contrast, and padding. The plugin is still in a prototype stage as the algorithms are being tested."
"An Early YouTube Star Grows Up . Ricky Dillon has been documenting the major moments of his life on YouTube since he was in junior high school. By 2012, Dillon had 200,000 followers, and in 2013, he moved into a shared house with other content creators to collaborate on a project. The group won a Teen Choice Award, and their subscriber count went up to 2.5 million. Making it on YouTube these days is a little harder. Nowadays, Dillon speaks at events for newer social media stars, edits videos for other YouTubers, and still runs his own YouTube channel, but he no longer feels the pressure to create and post content when he doesn't feel like it."
Darling (Website). Darling can run macOS software directly on Linux without using a hardware emulator. It implements a complete Darwin environment and attempts to fully integrate apps so they run like native Linux apps. Darling currently only has experimental support for simple graphical applications. It does not violate Apple's EULA.
"Building Secure and Reliable Systems (Website). Site Reliability Engineers protect, provide for, and progress the software and systems behind all of Google's public services. Their role is to keep important, revenue-critical systems up despite acts of God, outages, and configuration errors. The team hires from both systems and software backgrounds. This site contains three books on Site Reliability Engineering that can be accessed online for free, as well as links and information on how to join the Google SRE team."
Pig Kidney Successfully Transplanted From Hog to Human . Doctors in New York City successfully transplanted a kidney grown in a pig to a brain-dead woman. The kidney functioned normally for 54 hours before the woman was removed from a ventilator and died. The procedure is the most significant xenotransplantation experiment ever done. Xenotransplantation could potentially help supply enough organs to patients for life-saving procedures.
"Luckysheet (GitHub Repo). Luckysheet is an open-source online spreadsheet with features like Excel. It features styling, conditional formatting, data types, plugins, and much more. An online demo is available."
"Baby Shark is the first YouTube video to surpass 10 billion views . Baby Shark is the first YouTube video to surpass 10 billion views. The second most-viewed video is Despacito with 7.7 billion views. Baby Shark now has a show on Nickelodeon, a movie, and NFTs."
"Researchers devise iPhone malware that runs even when device is turned off . iPhones run in a low-power mode for 24 hours after shutting down. This makes it possible for them to act as tracking devices in case of theft or loss. A team of researchers has discovered an exploit that allows them to run malware that remains active even when the iPhone has powered down. It is a hardware flaw so it can't be removed with a system update. The attack requires a jailbroken iPhone, so it has limited real-world value."
Tesla will open up Superchargers to non-Tesla electric vehicles in the US later this year . Tesla plans to open its Supercharger network to non-Tesla electric vehicles in the US in late 2022. Elon Musk has been talking about opening up the network to other companies' EVs for years. Tesla has been allowing non-Tesla EVs to use its Supercharger plugs in several cities in Europe as part of a limited pilot program. Non-Tesla vehicles will need an adapter to access Tesla Superchargers in North America.
"Facebook CEO may have known of questionable privacy practices: WSJ . Facebook has been under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission for inappropriate handling of customers’ private information. It has fully complied with the investigation so far and has provided tens of thousands of documents, emails, and files. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that people who were familiar with the case have discovered emails which prove that Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg was involved in the problematic privacy practices of the company. Facebook has previously stated that they are prepared to pay a fine of up to $5 billion in order to settle the case with regulators."
"The ‘Dronut’ is a Cylindrical Drone Straight Out of Science Fiction . The Dronut is a by-rotor ducted drone that has a design that allows it to access spaces that ordinary drones can't navigate. It is compact enough to fit on the palm of the hand and weighs 15 ounces. The Dronut has live-streaming capabilities, a high-resolution camera, a global shutter sensor, and 3D LIDAR for navigation. It can be controlled using an Android phone up to one kilometer away with little to no training required. A video of the drone flying in indoor environments is available in the article."
"""Biologically inspired"" A.I can beat the world's strictest internet censorship . Authoritarian governments are known for strictly censoring what their citizens can see on the internet in order to control their people and protect those in power. A new tool called Geneva uses AI to automatically detect bugs and gaps in a country's censorship system so users can view uncensored content. It uses a biologically inspired form of machine learning. Geneva tries different randomized algorithms to beat censorship algorithms. It keeps the effective algorithms and dumps the ones that don't work. Geneva allowed researchers to browse the internet uncensored in China, India, and Kazakhstan. Russia's system is more complicated, and researchers have not yet gained enough access to probe its censorship systems the same way they have in other countries. Geneva can be detected by looking for randomized data being transmitted that doesn't look like it was created by normal human activity."
"Self-driving Waymo trucks to haul loads between Houston and Fort Worth . Waymo and trucking company JB Hunt are working together to autonomously haul cargo between Houston and Fort Worth in Texas. A trained truck driver and Waymo technician will be on each truck to supervise and take over if necessary. Waymo has been developing autonomous technology for trucks for several years, with the first tests in Atlanta in 2018."
"Murena, the privacy-first Android smartphone, arrives . The Murena One is a high-end privacy-focused smartphone that runs the open-source /e/OS Android fork. /e/OS has almost all of its Google services removed and replaced with MicroG or other services. It features Google-free apps and it can run most Android apps. The phone has an eight-core processor, 4GB ram, 128GBs storage, and a 6.5-inch display. It features a 25-megapixel camera for selfies and three cameras with 5, 8, and 48-megapixels on the back. The Murena One will launch in June in the US, Canada, Europe, the UK, and Switzerland for $369."
"Alaska Airlines Has a New Perk: Virtual Reality . First-class passengers onboard 10 flights between Boston and Seattle and Boston and San Diego on Alaska Airlines will have the opportunity to try a new virtual reality headset from a French company called SkyLights and provide feedback about the experience. According to a spokesperson, ""When paired with noise-cancelling headphones, it's easy to feel like you're at the movie theater instead of flying."""
U.S. widens blacklist to include China's top AI startups ahead of trade talks . The US government has expanded its trade blacklist to include some of China's top artificial intelligence startups. 20 Chinese public security bureaus and eight companies have been targeted. The firms targeted will not be able to buy components from US companies without US governmental approval. A filing by the Commerce Department states that the firms were targeted as they were implicated in China's violations of human rights against various ethnic and Muslim minority groups.
"Japan Has Shattered the Internet Speed Record at 319 Terabits per Second . Engineers in Japan have broken the record for the world's fastest internet speed. The team transferred data at 319 Terabits per second on a line of fibers more than 1,864 miles long. It was accomplished with fiber-optic infrastructure that already exists, with a few modifications. Integrating the method into existing systems would be far simpler than using other experimental internet-speed boosting technologies."
"PayPal to allow cryptocurrency buying, selling and shopping on its network . PayPal users in the US will soon be able to buy, sell, and hold bitcoin and other virtual coins on the platform. Cryptocurrency payments will be settled using fiat currencies. The feature will be rolled out in the coming weeks, with plans to expand to Venmo and some other countries in the first half of 2021. PayPal's launch is noteworthy due to its vast reach. It has 346 million active accounts worldwide and it processed $222 billion in payments in the second quarter."
"New Yubico security keys let you use fingerprints instead of passwords . Yubico just announced its new YubiKey Bio Series, its first hardware security key to offer fingerprint logins. The new key supports the latest FIDO2/WebAuthn and U2Fopen authentication standards. It comes in both USB Type-A and USB Type-C models. The key works with OSes that support WebAuthn and browsers based on Chromium. It is crush resistant and water resistant. Yubico promises the key will work out of the box with various enterprise-facing platforms."
"Hyperion's hydrogen-electric XP-1 supercar is capable of 220 MPH . Hyperion has revealed its XP-1 hydrogen-electric supercar at the New York Auto Show. 300 vehicles will be released starting in early 2022. The vehicle uses a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Power Module instead of a lithium-ion battery. It features air blades on its sides that work as both aerodynamic structures and as solar panels. Hyperion promises over 1,000 miles per recharge, with the refueling process taking less than five minutes."
Neon (GitHub Repo). Neon is a serverless alternative to AWS Aurora Postgres. It separates storage and compute to make on-demand scalability possible. Neon adjusts the number of resources dedicated to the compute according to the workload. It is fully compatible with Postgres.
"LogMeIn agrees to be acquired by Francisco Partners and Evergreen for $4.3B . Affiliates of Francisco Partners and Evergreen Coast Capital Corporation have bought LogMeIn for $4.3 billion in an all-cash deal. LogMeIn had a yearly high of $96.87 and a low of $62.02. CEO of LogMeIn Bill Wagner is optimistic that the partnership will help the company going forward. LogMeIn bought Jive Communications in 2018 and GoToMeeting in 2016 in order to have a stronger hold on the unified communications market. The deal with Francisco and Evergreen is expected to close in 2020. As part of the deal, LogMeIn has 45 days to try to find a buyer that will offer a better price."
"Pwnagotchi (GitHub Repo). Pwnagotchi is an AI that learns to capture WPA key material more effectively over time. The more handshakes it captures, the more effective it will be. Multiple units can learn to work with each other. It requires a Raspberry Pi Zero W with a display and power bank. As it is in its alpha stage, there is no support for installation or for bugs."
"vy (GitHub Repo). vy is a powerful modal editor written in Python. It has a very modular architecture and can be modified with many plugins. There are many available plugins to customize vy. All built-in functions are well documented, and documentation for plugins is also available. Some features include a Python debugger, fuzzy search, syntax highlighting for 300+ languages, and autocompletion for Python, Ruby, Golang, and Javascript."
Miniflare (GitHub Repo). Miniflare is a simulator for developing and testing Cloudflare Workers. It allows Workers to be tested locally without an internet connection. Miniflare has support for most Workers features.
"Flatfile - Data import is broken. We fixed it. (Sponsor). Flatfile - Data import is broken. We fixed it. . Flatfile is an unmatched toolkit for data import. At Flatfile, they’re able to get your data to you exactly how it need to look without making your implementation team, engineers, or - even worse - your customers have to figure this out themselves.Get started free with Github."
Brain-machine interface helped a man with paralysis feed himself using robotic arms . Researchers from Johns Hopkins University have developed a new technique that allowed a partially paralyzed man to feed himself using robotic arms connected to a brain-machine interface. The method uses a shared control system that minimizes the amount of mental input required to complete a task. The technology is still young. The scientists plan to add touch-like sensory feedback and improve the accuracy and efficiency of the system while reducing the need for visual confirmation.
"The Network: How a Secretive Phone Company Helped the Crime World Go Dark (43 minute read). Vince Ramos was the owner of Phantom Secure, a company that customized BlackBerry phones to make ordinary wiretaps impossible. Phantom was started in 2008 as Ramos saw a need to ensure private communications. The company removed the GPS, microphone, and camera from BlackBerry phones and added PGP encryption software to create its devices. Phantom could also remotely wipe data from devices. Its servers were routed to ensure data was out of reach of third-parties. As the devices became more popular, criminals became aware of their capabilities and started using the technology. Ramos eventually pleaded guilty to running a criminal enterprise that facilitated drug trafficking and was sentenced to nine years in prison."
"World-first pig-to-human heart transplant performed in US . Surgeons in the US have successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig heart into a living human for the first time. The patient is alive and has not rejected the pig organ. The genetically modified heart had around 10 modifications to reduce the chances of rejection from a human immune system. Two transplants were performed last year on functionally dead patients who were kept alive for several days. The patient was too unwell to qualify for a regular heart transplant, so the experimental treatment was offered as a last resort."
"Facebook skirts Apple’s App Store fees with custom subscription links for creators . Facebook creators will soon be able to share custom web links to direct their fans to pay for subscriptions using Facebook's native payments system. The subscription feature is available in 27 countries to creators who meet certain eligibility requirements. Creators will receive all of the subscription money minus taxes if users sign up through the custom web link, as opposed to using Apple's in-app subscription. Apple takes a 30% cut of all in-app transactions processed through its system. Facebook is not charging creators for subscription transactions until at least 2023, and it will start paying creators a bonus of up to $20 for every new subscriber who signs up using their custom web link."
"Varda Space Industries will send its first space factory to orbit on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket . Varda Space Industries is a startup that wants to build in-space manufacturing facilities that use the benefits of microgravity to make novel materials, like bio-printed organs or specialized semiconductors. It will send its first spacecraft to orbit in 2023. The spacecraft will be outfitted with a microgravity manufacturing module and a reentry capsule. It will spend approximately three months in orbit and bring back around 40-60 kilograms of manufactured materials. Varda has plans to make two more space vehicles."
"Hotwire (Website). Hotwire is an approach to building web applications by sending HTML over the wire. This approach makes for fast first-load pages, keeps template rendering on the server, and allows for a better development experience without sacrificing responsiveness. Hotwire uses Turbo, a set of techniques for delivering efficient apps without writing any JavaScript."
"Amazon's second headquarters clears blocks in Virginia funding vote . Local officials unanimously voted to clear a $51 million financial package for Amazon if it decides to build its second headquarters in Virginia. After Amazon abruptly pulled out of its plans to build their HQ2 in New York, other states that had previously been on the shortlist are now being considered. There was a vocal minority opposition in Virginia still, with the opposition protesting against Amazon’s business practices, including its treatment of employees. Housing prices have already started rising amidst speculations that Amazon will bring their headquarters into the state. The project will cost Amazon approximately $2.5 billion and create more than 25,000 jobs, generating more than $3.2 billion in tax revenue."
"Scientists Find a Mysterious 'Ghost Lineage' In the DNA of West Africans . A distant human lineage may have interbred with the ancestors of modern West Africans, significantly contributing to their gene pool. In the past, other human lineages such as the Neanderthals and Denisovans existed. Neanderthal DNA makes up roughly 1.8-2.6% of the genomes of modern humans outside of Africa, and Denisovan DNA makes up 4-6% of modern Melanesians. It is estimated that 2-19% of the DNA in members of some tribes in Africa is from an unknown human lineage. The ghost lineage probably diverged from the ancestors of Neanderthals and modern humans up to 1.02 million years ago."
"'Apple Music TV' Launches in U.S. . Apple has just launched Apple Music TV, a 24-hour stream of music videos, live shows, and events. It is now available for users in the US through the Apple Music and Apple TV apps. New videos will be debuted on Apple Music TV every Friday. The station will also show interviews and other content by Apple Music 1 radio host Zane Lowe."
"Samsung's New Product Promises Garden In Your Fridge . Samsung has unveiled its Chef Garden refrigerator at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas. The refrigerator features a Growing Zone where a wide variety of seed capsules can be planted. Chef Garden delivers water and nutrients to plants via a nutrient fog. It controls growth conditions, predicts growth, and controls when crops are harvested. The refrigerator is also able to recommend recipes based on the fruits and vegetables grown inside of it. Chef Garden is available for purchase by the public, but Samsung has not yet released retail pricing. Samsung also presented at the KBIS an AI that could recognize food inside refrigerators and suggest recipes, and the AirDresser, a device that sits in a closet and uses steam technology to smooth out wrinkles, deodorize, and sanitize clothes."
"Inside Neeva, the ad-free, privacy-first search engine from ex-Googlers (17 minute read). Neeva is a new privacy search engine where users have to pay to use it. The service charges a subscription fee after the first three months. The business is trying to find out whether people will pay for a high-quality alternative to an ad-supported product. Neeva is built by ex-Google engineers. The company will turn over at least 20 percent of its top-line revenue to publishing partners. This article delves into the history and development of Neeva and its business model."
"Outrun (GitHub Repo). Outrun lets you execute local commands using the processing power of another Linux machine. The commands don't need to be installed on the other machine, and local files and paths can be referenced normally. It can be used to run software on many different machines simultaneously. A detailed explanation of how it works is available in the repository."
"Divjoy (Website). Divjoy is a free web-based tool to create a React codebase. Developers can select their desired stacks, choose a template, and edit the website using a drag-and-drop visual editor, and Divjoy will serve up the code to be exported."
"Tesla is adding remarkable detail in its Full Self-Driving Visualizations . Full Self-Driving on Tesla vehicles works for highway driving, but when it comes to inner-city streets, it still has some ways to go. The most recent update shows that more and more aspects of city driving are becoming recognized by the company’s neural networks. A small clip is available showing a Model 3 rendering details, such as directional lights, on a stop light signal. Elon Musk recently said in a tweet that the release of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving functionalities is still looking good for this year."
"MIT and Stanford Professors Are Designing a Cryptocurrency to Top Bitcoin: Unit-e . Professors from 7 universities including MIT and Stanford are teaming up to create a cryptocurrency called Unit-e, which will be able to process tens of thousands of transactions per second compared to 3-7 for Bitcoin or 10-30 for Ethereum. The group plans on launching in the second half of this year. This will be made possible by new consensus and sharding mechanisms."
"What is kubectl? (Sponsor). kubectl is the command-line tool most developers use to interact with the Kubernetes API. Here's how it works, why it's needed, and how you can get started. Learn more."
JS Cloudimage 360 View (GitHub Repo). JS Cloudimage 360 View is a tool that creates a 360 degree view virtual tour of a product. Adding images to a page is simple and there is a large list of options to use to customize the view. Responsive integration and lazy loading are available through plugins.
"Apple’s “realityOS” surfaces in GitHub commits, App Store logs . Software developers have discovered references to a new Apple operating system, realityOS, in App Store upload logs and GitHub repositories. Apple has been known to be working on a mixed reality platform for a while. The project has faced several delays. Reports and rumors about it have been mixed and unreliable. Apple could be working on multiple devices, which may explain the mixed reports."
"Discord now has Threads . Discord has a new feature called Threads that allows users to branch off a conversation away from the main channel feed. It creates a separate feed, which server admins can still moderate. Public threads will let any members of the channel participate. Private threads will only let certain members view them. Threads will be automatically archived within 24 hours. Screenshots showing the feature are available in the article."
"Here's everything Samsung announced at its August Unpacked event . Samsung announced four new devices at its August 11 Unpacked event. The Galaxy Fold 3 will feature an under-display camera that attempts to blend with the screen, compatibility with the S Pen stylus, a more capable Cover Display, and IPX8-rated waterproofing. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 has a Cover Display four times larger than its predecessor. Wear OS powered by Samsung has the same features as the company's previous OS, with the added advantage of better third-party app support. The Galaxy Watch 4 has a new BioActive sensor, a new processor, and 50 percent more RAM. The Galaxy Buds 2 features active noise cancellation, with three ambient sound levels. They have a machine learning feature that filters out noises when talking. More details, pictures, and videos are available in the article."
"ARL (GitHub Repo). This repository contains a list of the most popular repositories, sorted by the number of stars, for each of the most favored programming languages. Users can view the number of stars, forks, issues, and when the last commit was from the database. The aim of the repository is to provide the most popular examples of how to code in every language."
"I 3D-Printed a Glock to See How Far Homemade Guns Have Come (15 minute read). Ghost guns are home-assembled firearms that have no serial numbers and thus no easy way for authorities to track down the owner or manufacturer. The most common ghost guns cost a few hundred dollars and come mostly assembled with all the necessary tools. Nearly 24,000 privately made firearms were recovered at crime scenes from 2016 to 2020. The Biden administration has proposed new rules that will require serial numbers on certain unfinished parts and restrict mail order kits. This article follows the author's experience in printing their own gun in order to compete in a shooting competition exclusively for home-assembled firearms."
"Iconoir (Website). Iconoir is an open-source library with over 1,000 SVG icons. The icons can be used without any signup. There is a search function and icons are organized by categories such as actions, connectivity, finance, and navigation."
"Apple granted patent for software that would let you take socially distant group selfies . Apple has been granted a patent for software that generates synthetic group selfies. The software is likely a method for taking group selfies for social media even during social distancing. Users would be able to invite others to take part in a group selfie and the software would then arrange the images together into a single picture. The resulting picture will be customizable, so users should be able to modify the position of the people in the photo or store the original images separately. Apple first filed for the patent in 2018 and it was just granted at the beginning of June."
"Acme (GitHub Repo). Acme is a library of reinforcement learning agents and agent building blocks. It is designed to be simple while still being flexible enough for more complex implementations. Acme supports both single-actor and distributed training paradigms, providing a variety of agent baselines with state-of-the-art performance."
"Baby treated from inside womb for pioneering surgery to repair spinal cord . An unborn baby diagnosed with spina bifida was treated inside the womb in a groundbreaking procedure. After the baby was diagnosed with the condition, the parents were told that they could only either terminate the pregnancy or continue without intervention, but after undergoing several tests, doctors offered the possibility of surgery. The baby was at 24 weeks gestation when the procedure was performed. Spina bifida affects around 700-900 pregnancies a year in the UK, and may be a result of a folic acid deficiency in pregnant women."
PySnooper (GitHub Repo). PySnooper is a simple debugger for Python. It doesn’t require installing a debugger of any kind and will output messages to the console or a file. Users only have to import the script and place the PySnooper decorator before a function.
Hacktoberfest (Website). Hacktoberfest is a program by DigitalOcean and Dev where developers can win a t-shirt by making four pull requests to any open source project on Github during October. The goal of Hacktoberfest is to encourage contributions to the open-source ecosystem. There are also events happening globally during the month to help developers meet and collaborate. Anyone can participate in Hacktoberfest. Registration is open throughout the whole of October.
"iPhones will be required to use USB-C charging by 2024 under EU policy . The European Union has reached an agreement to make USB-C charging a requirement for all consumer electronics using wired charging by the fall of 2024. Laptops will have 40 months to comply with the new rules after the policy takes effect. The policy also standardizes fast-charging speeds. Apple has previously shown its disapproval of the policy, saying that it would stifle innovation and harm consumers. The EU Parliament and Council still need to formally approve the agreement before the legislation becomes law."
"Elon Musk tells SpaceX employees that Starship engine crisis is creating a 'risk of bankruptcy' . SpaceX could face bankruptcy if it cannot achieve a Starship flight rate of at least once every two weeks next year. Starship will need as many as 39 Raptor engines per orbital launch, so SpaceX needs to ramp up engine production, but there are severe problems with the Raptor production line. SpaceX plans to launch the first orbital Starship flight early next year, pending approval by the FAA. The company needs Starship to launch the second version of its Starlink satellites, so the success of the Raptor program is critical to the long-term financial stability of SpaceX's Starlink service."
Write better commits with Gitmoji . Gitmoji allows you to use emojis on git commit messages to provide an easy way to identify the purpose or intention of a commit. A guide on how to use the emojis is available. Links to clients and extensions for using Gitmoji in the command-line or IDE are provided.
"Microsoft accounts can now go fully passwordless . Microsoft has rolled out passwordless authentication for all users. Users will now be able to sign in to their Microsoft accounts using the Microsoft Authenticator app, Windows Hello, a security key, or an SMS/email verification code. Microsoft has been working on passwordless authentication for years. Passwords are often reused and can be more easily compromised. Other tech companies like Google and Apple are also working towards less reliance on passwords."
"An Arizona balloon company is working on a technology to make space satellites obsolete. Here's a rare look inside their giant factory . Satellites are really expensive to launch, so now a company in Tucson, Arizona called World View Enterprises is using high-altitude balloons 20 miles above the Earth's surface in their place, carrying things like cameras, environmental sensors, location transponders, and communications equipment (the stuff satellites would normally carry). In addition, they plan on eventually taking passengers up to the stratosphere for $75,000-$100,000 per person. There are tons of pictures of the balloons, balloon factories, and more in the article."
"Britain funds research into drones that decide who they kill, says report . Since 2015, the UK has declined to support UN proposals to ban fully autonomous weapons. Reporters have now discovered that the British military and defense contractors have been funding dozens of AI defense initiatives, including Taramis, an experimental supersonic stealth drone that can ""hold an adversary at continuous risk of attack...penetrate deep inside hostile territory, find a target, facilitate either kinetic or non-kinetic influence upon it, assess the effect achieved, and provide intelligence back to commanders."" The Ministry of Defence claims that unmanned aircraft probably won't be able to ""independently locate and attack mobile targets"" until close to 2030, and that there is currently no intent to develop weapons systems that ""operate entirely without human input."""
"Facebook announces Horizon, a VR massive-multiplayer world . Facebook has unveiled its plans to build Facebook Horizon, a virtual reality sandbox universe where users can create their own environments and games, play and socialize with friends, or just explore user-generated landscapes. Based on Ready Player One's Oasis, Facebook Horizon will allow users to design their own avatars and travel between virtual locales, interacting with other players and creating new environments. Users will be able to define personal space boundaries, as well as mute, block, and report other players. A shield button will transfer users to a private space parallel to Horizon. Horizon's design means that it will improve over time as users create more things to do. It will launch in early 2020 as a closed beta. Facebook will shut down Facebook Spaces and Oculus Rooms on October 25 as part of the launch."
GitHub Says Hackers Breach Dozens of Organizations Using Stolen OAuth Access Tokens . GitHub has discovered evidence that hackers are using stolen OAuth user tokens to download private data from several organizations. OAuth tokens are one of the most common tools used for accessing data without having to share credentials. The stolen OAuth tokens were believed to have been obtained through a set of unspecified private NPM repositories and not through a breach of GitHub or its systems. GitHub is still assessing the extent of the attack.
"They remember: Communities of microbes found to have working memory . Scientists have discovered that collectives of bacteria feature a robust capacity for memory. The scientists stimulated the bacterial cells with light. Hours later, the bacteria were still able to remember the exposure, and the process was able to be manipulated so that memory patterns emerged. The study might give clues to how neurons in brains work, and the results open up the possibility of creating basic computer systems with living organisms."
"Japan Is Dropping a Gargantuan Turbine Into The Ocean to Harness 'Limitless' Energy . Japan's terrain doesn't allow for forests of wind turbines or fields of solar panels, so Japanese engineers are looking to ocean currents for renewable energy. The IHI Corporation has completed testing of a 330-ton prototype turbine that generates power from deep-water currents. The prototype was capable of generating 100 kilowatts of power in a flow of two to four knots. A scaled-up turbine could potentially generate around 2 megawatts. Most ocean energy projects end in failure due to high costs, environmental limitations, and distance from the grid."
"Fake Amazon reviews draw fraud charges in groundbreaking FTC case . False reviews from companies have been a problem on Amazon’s marketplace for years and Amazon has been fighting this problem by going after the companies and individuals that sell review services. In a landmark case, the FTC has successfully sued Cure Encapsulations Inc for purchasing fake reviews, as these fake reviews amounted to false advertising. The company claimed that their product worked as an effective dietary aid, however, studies showed that the ingredients actually caused acute liver failure. Cure Encapsulations Inc was fined $12.8 million, sending a clear message to other companies that producing fake reviews is an unacceptable practice."
"Fitbit’s new Sense smartwatch can take your skin’s temperature to help you manage stress . Fitbit has released two new smartwatches. The Sense is $329 and features detailed heart rate scans with atrial fibrillation via an electrocardiogram app and stress detection features. It measures heart rate and skin temperature to determine stress levels. The Versa 3 costs $229 and features a new strap mechanism, Google Assistant, and the ability to take phone calls. Fitbit also announced the Inspire 2 fitness tracker which will be available for $99. It features a 10-day battery life and it comes with a full year of Fitbit Premium with purchase."
"Why no one really knows how many jobs automation will replace . Expert estimates about the impact of automation on jobs are all over the place (there's a chart in the article with estimates from reputable sources between 5 million and 80 million jobs destroyed in the next 20 years). This is because we don't know if a technology will actually be used due to legal or social hurdles, jobs actually include a multitude of tasks (this is why conveyor belts haven't replaced human waiters), and it's really hard to know what you don't know (always a problem when trying to predict the future!). For example, John Maynard Keynes predicted that by 2030, we would have 15 hour workweeks due to productivity gains. While the productivity gains materialized, the 15 hour workweeks unfortunately have not, even though it probably seemed intuitively obvious at the time that higher productivity would lead to less work."
"My Third Year as a Solo Developer (13 minute read). In the first two years of working on his own business, Michael Lynch earned less than $10k total. His goal for the third year was to earn $20k, but he exceeded the goal by earning $63k in revenue by the end of the year. This article follows his projects throughout the third year, documenting the successes, failures, and lessons learned."
"Scientists identify vast underground ecosystem containing billions of micro-organisms . Researchers at the Deep Carbon Observatory have been conducting a 10-year study of subterranean life on Earth; it turns out there is way more than previously thought. They estimate that despite extreme heat, no light, little nutrition and intense pressure, there are between 15 billion and 23 billion tons of micro-organisms living underground. No matter how deep scientists dig, they keep finding more life; they've already dug down 5 kilometers. Some micro-organisms live for thousands of years, barely moving except with shifts in tectonic plates, while others don't use any energy from the sun, relying on chemical processes to produce methane to replace or repair broken parts. One researcher says ""We must ask ourselves: if life on Earth can be this different from what experience has led us to expect, then what strangeness might await as we probe for life on other worlds?"""
"Scientists Just Proved the Human Brain Can Support an Extra Body Part . A research team has demonstrated that humans are able to adapt to an extra robotic thumb, effectively executing complex and dexterous tasks with them. The Third Thumb is a 3D-printed device that is controlled with pressure sensors equipped on the wearer's feet. In the study, participants were trained to use the robotic thumb for five days for two to six hours every day. Eventually, the participants were able to perform tasks with the thumb even when distracted. The study shows the potential for body augmentation to allow people to gain extra abilities."
"World's First Lion Cubs Born Using Artificial Insemination . Scientists have successfully used artificial insemination on lions for the first time, yielding two healthy new cubs. This is great news because the African lion is considered ""vulnerable"" while the West African lion subpopulation is considered critically endangered and the Asiatic lion is considered endangered. The African lion population is estimated to have decreased from 1.2 million in 1800 to 18,000 in 2018. This tool is essential to keeping the species alive, and may also be tweaked to be usable on other large endangered cats like cheetahs."
"ClusterFuzz (GitHub Repo). ClusterFuzz is a scalable fuzzing infrastructure which finds security and stability issues in software. Fuzzing involves providing random inputs into software in order to test for bugs. ClusterFuzz is highly scalable (Google runs 25,000 instances to test products like Chrome Browser) and is able to automatically file bug reports. Users are able to customize fuzzing conditions to suit their needs and monitor and manage statistics through a web interface."
"Airbnb plans to confidentially file for IPO this month . Airbnb is planning to submit a confidential filing with the SEC to go public this month, with shares trading by the end of the year. The company's plans to go public have been delayed due to the pandemic. It has laid off a quarter of its employees to cut costs. Airbnb's 2020 revenue will be less than half of its 2019 earnings. Its valuation has dropped to $18 billion from $31 billion in 2017. The company has raised $2 billion in funds since April to get through the crisis."
"The world's first solar road has turned out to be a colossal failure that's falling apart and doesn't generate enough energy, according to a report . Normandy's solar road was the first in the world. It opened in 2016 and has since deteriorated to a state where it isn't worth repairing. Originally, it was to produce 790 kWh each day, but it only ended up producing around half of that amount. Weather and environmental factors contributed to the damage on the road, and cars were limited to a maximum of 70 km per hour due to how noisy it was. Another solar road in the US suffered a similar fate. Not all solar road projects have failed. A solar cycle lane in the Netherlands has exceeded expectations, producing more power per square meter per year than projected. Holland is planning to install more solar roads in the future."
"UAE to test cloud-busting drones to boost rainfall . The UAE is testing drones that can make clouds produce rain by giving them an electric shock. Cloud-seeding technology is already used in the country, but the UAE wants to generate more rain. The country only averages 100mm of rain per year."
"Researchers use nanotechnology to destroy and prevent relapse of solid tumor cancers . A team of scientists from China has formulated a novel vaccine that achieved complete clearance of solid melanoma tumors and induced long-lasting immune memory, preventing the relapse of tumor growth and providing immunity against similar tumor types. The team engineered a dendritic cell membrane to naturally stimulate the immune system and activate multi-dimensional anti-tumor immunity. This was achieved using a vaccine development platform that can quickly elicit appropriate antigen-specific immune responses in a way that traditional vaccine methods can not. The team will now focus on developing a standard operating procedure for the scaled synthesis of the vaccine."
Sat (GitHub Repo). Sat is a WebAssembly compute module designed for maximum performance with a small footprint. It has no dependencies and can be run in a Docker container. Sat can create a mesh with other instances using local network discovery and websockets.
"Ask HN: What are the downsides of working at FAANG? (Hacker News Thread). Working in a big tech company can sound like a dream role, but it may not be every talented developer's goal. This Hacker News thread discusses the reasons for not working in big tech. There are many reasons developers may not want to work in a big tech company, including culture, a lack of growth opportunity, bad work-life balance, the public image of the company, and the interview process. While some aspects of working for big tech can be bad, the replies agree that the compensation can make it worth it."
"Amazon releases new images of HQ2 as it ramps up hiring in Virginia . Amazon has revealed images of its second headquarters in northern Virginia. It will hire 1,900 new employees at the site. Amazon plans to create 25,000 jobs in the area over the next decade. The campus will have space for retail shops and can serve as a place for public gatherings. Amazon hopes to begin construction in 2022 and finish in 2025. Renderings of the campus design are available in the article."
Shift-Ctrl-F (GitHub Repo). Shift-Ctrl-F is a Chrome extension that allows users to search the information on a webpage using natural language instead of an exact string match. It uses MobileBERT fine-tuned on SQuAD via TensorFlowJS to search for content and highlight results. A short GIF demonstration is available.
"Calculator (GitHub Repo). The Windows Calculator app ships pre-installed with Windows. It is written in C++ and provides standard, scientific, and programmer calculator functionality. Calculator is also able to do measurement and currency conversion. This repository allows users to contribute to the continual development of the calculator, as well as report any issues with the app."
"Blue Origin NS-10 (Livestream). It's a big day for billionaires with rockets folks! Jeff Bezos' rocket company Blue Origin is set to launch their New Shepard 10 rocket at 9:30 AM EST (3 hours and 30 minutes after you receive this email). Blue Origin says that they may begin to sell tickets for flights on their New Shepard rockets very soon. Jeff Bezos says ""I'm hopeful it will happen in 2019. I was hopeful it would happen in 2018. I keep telling the team that it’s not a race. I want this to be the safest space vehicle in history."""