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Wails (GitHub Repo)
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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.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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Apple search engine efforts ‘stepping up’ as Google deal under threat
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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Inside the JavaScript Engine
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This article is the second in a series that takes a deeper look into JavaScript and how it actually works. It discusses the internal parts of the JavaScript engine and why JavaScript isn't an interpreted language anymore. Topics discussed include the memory heap and call stack, interpretation, and just-in-time compilation.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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Resources-for-Beginner-Bug-Bounty-Hunters (GitHub Repo)
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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.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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Kaolin (GitHub Repo)
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Kaolin is a PyTorch library for accelerating 3D deep learning research. It provides efficient implementations of differentiable 3D modules for use in deep learning systems. Kaolin can load and preprocess several popular 3D data sets which can be manipulated, mitigating the need to write boilerplate code. It supports an array of loss functions and evaluation metrics and can provide visualization functionality to render the 3D results. A curated model zoo comprising of many state-of-the-art 3D deep learning architectures is provided to serve as a starting point for future research endeavors.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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Self-driving Waymo trucks to haul loads between Houston and Fort Worth
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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.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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SVG Favicon Maker (Website)
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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.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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Apple CEO Tim Cook engineered a secret $275 billion deal with China
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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Google Home Hub To Be Launched On October 9; A Smart Speaker with 7-inch Display
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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Exclusive: Amazon Confirms First Known Coronavirus Case in an American Warehouse
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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.
| 4Miscellaneous
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A first look at Microsoft’s new Windows 11 Android apps support
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Microsoft has released the first preview of its Android app support in Windows 11 to testers in the Windows Insider program. Apps will be listed in the Microsoft Store, but users will be sent to Amazon's Appstore to get them installed or updated. The apps will run in a virtual machine side by side with other Windows apps. There are only 50 apps officially available with the preview. More details on the preview, including screenshots of the setup process and Android apps running on Windows, are available.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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The Pentagon Wants Elon Musk to Yeet Cargo Around the Planet In an Hour
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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Facebook plans to go after Clubhouse — and podcasts — with a suite of new audio products
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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First autonomous X-ray-analyzing AI is cleared in the EU
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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.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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Julian Assange: Wikileaks co-founder arrested in London
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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.
| 4Miscellaneous
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dlaicourse (GitHug Repo)
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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.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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Facebook app developers leaked millions of user records on cloud servers, researchers say
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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OpenSearch (GitHub Repo)
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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.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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The We Company, better known as WeWork, files confidentially for IPO
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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Making Video Games Is Not a Dream Job
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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.
| 4Miscellaneous
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Video infrastructure that Just Works™ (Sponsor)
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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.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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Facebook shareholder revolt gets bloody: Powerless investors vote overwhelmingly to oust Mark Zuckerberg as chairman
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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DNA Gets Artificial Upgrade to Store Humanity's Boundless Digital Data
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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.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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Lab-Grown Heart Muscles Have Been Transplanted Into a Human For The First Time
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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.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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ScaNN (GitHub Repo)
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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.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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The Mantis Shrimp Will Change How You See the World
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Researchers have developed an optical sensor that can fit on a smartphone and is capable of hyperspectral and polarimetric imaging. It is still in the proof-of-concept phase, but modeling simulations suggest that the design could potentially make detectors capable of sensing up to 15 spatially registered spectral channels. Mantis shrimp have up to 16 photoreceptors and can see in ultraviolet and polarized light. They are the only animals capable of detecting light that is polarized circularly. Computers can make use of data-rich hyperspectral and polarimetric images, and the new design makes the technology potentially more accessible.
| 4Miscellaneous
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bor (GitHub Repo)
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bor is a source code searcher written in Python. It can search for 'class' and 'def' keywords in source files and directories. Examples are available.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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Amazon's sprawling grocery business has become an 'expensive hobby' with a cloudy future (12 minute read)
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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The ethics of the 4 day work week. It’s not just about the hours
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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.
| 4Miscellaneous
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Google Soli Radar sees your intentions – and it's less creepy and more helpful than you think
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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Manipulating photons for microseconds tops 9,000 years on a supercomputer
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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.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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ipfs-deploy (GitHub Repo)
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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.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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Nuclear fusion breakthrough creates "burning plasma" for the first time
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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.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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Amazon fires three critics of warehouse conditions in pandemic
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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 &
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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Why Pebble failed (15 minute read)
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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.
| 4Miscellaneous
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Talking to Animals: Using AI to Decode the Language of Whales
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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.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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SpaceX ISS docking simulator (Website)
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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!
| 4Miscellaneous
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The SpaceX Starship is a very big deal
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The magnitude of the vision that Starship embodies is often overlooked. Starship is designed to launch with Super Heavy, both of which are designed to be fully reusable with low costs. The cost of launching materials with this setup could be reduced to 1000 times less than launches with Shuttle. It would be a profitable venture if it were to launch any payload currently in the market. SpaceX is looking to build dozens of Starships, and could potentially launch a million tonnes to orbit per year, far existing the current launch market of 500 tonnes per year. Starship is designed for building nations in space. It is capable of launching supplies, such as food, fuel, and heavy construction equipment, into space at an incredible rate at a low cost.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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Putin could decide for the world on CRISPR babies
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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.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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India plans to adopt China-style facial recognition in policing, despite having no data privacy laws
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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.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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Ask HN: What developer tools would you like to see? (Hacker News Thread)
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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.
| 4Miscellaneous
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Apple, Amazon, and Tesla supplier accused of using forced labor
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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.
| 4Miscellaneous
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OverVue (GitHub Repo)
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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.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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How To Develop A Cryptocurrency – The Complete Guide (30 minute read)
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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.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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TensorNetwork (GitHub Repo)
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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.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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Nvidia’s AI-powered scaling makes old games look better without a huge performance hit
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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Uber's big new update lets you book party buses, electric vehicles and more — here's what's new
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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Amazon jumps into virtual tourism, offering live one-on-one experiences around the world
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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The Big List of Naughty Strings (Github Repo)
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This is a big list of strings that can cause problems when inserted by users. Handy to check against if you're doing any sort of QA on a site that accepts text input from users.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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The Engineer’s Guide to Career Growth — Advice from My Time at Stripe and Facebook (27 minute read)
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Raylene Yung was an engineering manager at Facebook in 2011, starting from a team of three. She left in 2015 as the youngest engineering director at a public company with over 10,000 employees and joined Stripe where she built the product management team, defined career growth and recruiting frameworks, ran the core Payments business, and created the company’s global engineering hub. In this interview, Yung discusses career growth for engineers. She shares a collection of career lessons, discusses career tracks, and talks about specific career roadblocks.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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This is how the world ends: will we soon see category 6 hurricanes?
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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.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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Facebook begins merging Instagram and Messenger chats in new update
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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The Pentagon Has Officially Released Three Videos Showing UFOs
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The Pentagon has released three declassified videos showing Navy pilots interacting with UFOs. A spokesperson for the Department of Defense said the videos were being released in order to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether the footage was real or not. The Pentagon had determined that the videos did not reveal any sensitive capabilities or systems and that the release of the videos would not impinge on any subsequent investigations. A link to the videos is available in the article.
| 4Miscellaneous
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Ex-Facebook engineer posts YouTube videos mocking the culture and joking about how he was fired
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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.
| 4Miscellaneous
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Gates Foundation-backed program will soon be issuing home testing kits for COVID-19 in Seattle
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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Delay, Deny and Deflect: How Facebook's Leaders Fought Through Crisis (25 minute read)
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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Flawwwless ui (GitHub Repo)
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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.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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Fortnite’s experimental story is an attempt to create ‘the entertainment experience of the future’
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Fortnite has been trying to tell a story since it launched its battle royale mode in 2017. The story is a key element of the experience as Epic aims to create truly mass-scale broad-based entertainment. A story is critical in gaining emotional attachment to an entertainment experience. Fortnite uses big events to tell its stories. Each event leaves a permanent impression in the world and allows the developers to add more lore. Epic is sensitive to feedback and has changed the story before. Fortnite will continue to experiment with different ways to tell its story.
| 4Miscellaneous
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How Chinese Spies Got the N.S.A.’s Hacking Tools, and Used Them for Attacks
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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.
| 4Miscellaneous
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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
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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.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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Time Magazine Sold to Salesforce Founder Marc Benioff for $190 Million
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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?"
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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DuckDuckGo opens its privacy-centric Mac browser to beta testers
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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Merge Faster with WorkerB for PRs Chrome Extension (Sponsor)
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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.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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Here’s everything Apple could announce at its March 8 ‘Peek performance’ special event
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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Digitizing Burning Man (14 minute read)
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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.
| 4Miscellaneous
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How Did the Feds Seize the Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Bitcoins?
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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.
| 4Miscellaneous
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Open Props (Website)
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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.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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Exclusive: AI Just Controlled a Military Plane for the First Time Ever
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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.
| 4Miscellaneous
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Elizabeth Holmes verdict: Former Theranos CEO is found guilty on 4 counts
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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.
| 4Miscellaneous
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Scientists Transform Water Into Metallic State, Allowing It to Conduct Electricity
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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.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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Tom Cruise and Elon Musk's SpaceX are making a movie in space, report says
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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.
| 4Miscellaneous
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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)
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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.
| 4Miscellaneous
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The Coders Programming Themselves Out of a Job
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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.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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TikTok Has a Cult Leader; Meet the Mother Hen
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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Walmart to test drone delivery of grocery, household items
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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WhatsApp ramps up revenue with global launch of Cloud API and soon, a paid tier for its Business App
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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.
| 4Miscellaneous
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Aspect Ratio is Great
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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.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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The product analytics suite you can host yourself (Sponsor)
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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.
| 0Sponsor
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Amazon drivers may soon build the furniture you purchase
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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Elon Musk Tweets Simulation of the First Crewed Falcon 9 Flight
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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.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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Amazon jumps into the pharmacy business with online prescription fulfillment, free delivery for Prime members
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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Awesome Developer Resources
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This article contains a list of resources for developers. Sections include Fonts, Icons, Animations, Youtube Channels, and more.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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European project sets a record for fusion energy produced by a tokamak
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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.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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Dangerous viruses 'hitchhike' on microplastics to survive in freshwater
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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.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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Hippy Cross Platform Framework (GitHub Repo)
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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.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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Amazon debuts Showroom, a visual shopping experience for home furnishings
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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?'"
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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McDonald’s is Testing Kitchen Robots and AI-Powered Drive-Thrus. It’s About Time
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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.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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Ask HN: Feasible Alternative to the MacBook Pro? (Hacker News Thread)
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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.
| 4Miscellaneous
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Mysterious 'Robin Hood' hackers donating stolen money
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A group of hackers has donated stolen money to charities, claiming that they want to make the world a better place. Children International has stated it will not keep the money and The Water Project has yet to release a statement about the donations. The donations were made through The Giving Block, a service that helps non-profits receive donations in cryptocurrencies. The Giving Block is working to trace the funds and determine if they came from stolen sources. It claims that the funds will be easier to trace as the donations were made using cryptocurrency. No identity information is required when donating to The Giving Block. The donations raise moral and legal issues.
| 4Miscellaneous
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In a world-first, scientists create eco-friendly cement from algae
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A new carbon-neutral method of producing cement can drastically reduce the environmental pollution caused by construction activities.
| 4Miscellaneous
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minGPT (GitHub Repo)
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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.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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Theia (GitHub Repo)
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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.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
|
Ask HN: Highest paying remote companies? (Hacker News Thread)
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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.
| 4Miscellaneous
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In a Huge Milestone, Engineers Build a Working Computer Chip Out of Carbon Nanotubes
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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.
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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T-Mobile used a 5G-connected robot to give someone a tattoo
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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.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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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.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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Chinese internet users turn to the blockchain to fight against government censorship
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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.
| 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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How Reddit’s New Ethereum Feature Could Be Huge for Crypto Adoption
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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 &
| 1Big Tech & Startups
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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.
| 4Miscellaneous
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One-liner for running queries against CSV files with SQLite
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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.
| 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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