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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. | 4Miscellaneous
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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. | 4Miscellaneous
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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. | 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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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. | 4Miscellaneous
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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. | 1Big Tech & Startups
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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. | 4Miscellaneous
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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. | 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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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. | 4Miscellaneous
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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. | 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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Leaked Galaxy Buds Pro image reveals new rounded design | An image of Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Buds Pro true wireless earbuds has leaked, featuring a more rounded shape than the Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Buds Plus. The leaked images, including renders of the case, are available in the article. The Galaxy Buds Pro are rumored to have active noise cancellation and improvements to ambient mode. They are expected to be revealed with the Galaxy S21 phones in January. | 1Big Tech & Startups
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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. | 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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Concorde 2.0: NASA shares incredible video of 'quiet' supersonic jet with 925mph speeds | NASA's X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) is an experimental supersonic jet designed to reach speeds of Mach 1.4 (925mph). It is slower than the Concorde, but its cutting-edge design allows it to emit a sonic boom about as loud as the sound of a car door closing. Lockheed Martin was awarded a $247.5 million contract to assemble the aircraft in 2018. A timelapse clip that shows the aircraft being assembled is available in the article. | 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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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. | 1Big Tech & Startups
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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. | 1Big Tech & Startups
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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. | 1Big Tech & Startups
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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. | 4Miscellaneous
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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. | 1Big Tech & Startups
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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. | 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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Learn Javascript (Web App) | This is an introduction to modern Javascript with very small lessons and an online code editor where you can immediately apply those lessons. It requires a GitHub account to get started, but the design is nice and the exercises are really easy to follow. | 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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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. | 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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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. | 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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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. | 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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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. | 1Big Tech & Startups
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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. | 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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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. | 1Big Tech & Startups
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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. | 4Miscellaneous
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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. | 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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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! | 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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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. | 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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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. | 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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NextUI (Website) | NextUI is a React UI library that can help developers build beautiful websites regardless of their design experience. It features customizable themes, light and dark UIs, fast performance, and a fully-typed API. Interactive examples and comparisons with other languages are available. | 3Programming, Design & Data Science
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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. | 1Big Tech & Startups
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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. | 1Big Tech & Startups
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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. | 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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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. | 4Miscellaneous
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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.” | 1Big Tech & Startups
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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. | 1Big Tech & Startups
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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. | 2Science and Futuristic Technology
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