TLDR 2019-03-28

Facebook bans white nationalism, male birth control

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Big Tech & Startups

Google Podcasts in-episode search is coming, shows now being fully transcribed (1 minute read)

Google Podcasts is now automatically transcribing some podcasts and then inserting the transcripts into the podcast’s page metadata. This makes content from the podcasts searchable, which means podcasts can now be found by entering certain phrases or topics into the search field. The technology behind the transcripts may be used to help more people consume content if they prefer text over audio mediums.

Facebook Bans White Nationalism and White Separatism (7 minute read)

Facebook has banned White Nationalism and White Separatism from its platform, claiming that the terms were euphemisms for White Supremacy due to their closely intertwined histories. Users who post or search for content related to these topics will be directed to Life After Hate, an organization that helps people leave hate groups. Facebook will detect and remove offending material using the same technology it uses to filter ISIS content, which is mainly content matching with some machine learning.
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Science & Futuristic Technology

India successfully shoots down satellite in space: PM Modi (2 minute read)

In a project called Mission Shakti, India has successfully tested its Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Missile, which destroyed a low-orbiting satellite on Wednesday. While it is unknown who the satellite belonged to, India has stated that it did not break any international laws or treaties. India is now the fourth country in the world to have achieved this feat, after the US, Russia, and China. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the purpose of Mission Shakti was to strengthen India’s overall security and that the missile system would not be used offensively.

Male Birth Control Pill Passes Human Safety Tests (3 minute read)

A male birth control pill delivers a hormone which decreases sperm production while preserving libido by combining the actions of androgen and progesterone. In a study that tested 40 healthy men, who received either a placebo or various doses of 11-beta-MNTDC, it was found that the average circulating testosterone level dropped down to androgen deficiency levels without affecting libido in most patients. Research has found that 55% of males are open to trying this type of male contraceptive as long as the effects are reversible. While this study had promising results, a longer study will be required to test the effectiveness of the hormone as a contraceptive.
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Programming, Design & Data Science

Checklist Design (Website)

Checklist Design is a collection of the best UX and UI practices. The page lists topics regarding different types of pages and page components. Each topic has features that should appear on every page, additional options for these features, and also resources for further research into best practices. Many topics are still being written, and suggestions for the page can be tweeted directly to the page owner.

Lint for Sketch (GitHub Repo)

Lint for Sketch makes creating consistent designs easy. In computer programming, Linting is the process of using code to analyze other code for errors. Lint for Sketch analyzes Sketch design files and checks the file against predefined rules. It can check and fix errors in typography, color, spelling, contrast, and padding. The plugin is still in a prototype stage as the algorithms are being tested.
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Miscellaneous

Ask HN: Those who moved careers from the West to China, what's your experience? (HackerNews Thread)

A user asks for experiences of people who have moved to China for work, as there has been an increase in Chinese companies hiring from Silicon Valley. Replies mainly warn about the extra hours and the potential impact on family life, as the work culture in China is quite different to the West. An interesting point was raised that Chinese nationals who had existing US jobs should avoid returning to China until they had obtained their Green cards. Some experiences were negative, especially for those who were not ethnically Chinese. Those who were ethnically Chinese reported that the ‘bamboo ceiling’ they had experienced in Western companies no longer existed for them and they had more successful careers.
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