TLDR 2021-05-21

Google Store 🏪, Snap's AR Spectacles 😎, TikTok CEO steps down

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Big Tech & Startups

Google is opening its first physical retail store this summer in NYC (2 minute read)

The first physical retail Google Store will debut in New York City this summer. It will display and sell a variety of Google products and serve as a place for customers to pick up online orders. The stores will showcase how Google's products work together, offer in-store experts, assist with setups and repairs, and host workshops on how to make the most of Google's products and services. It is unknown whether Google plans to expand beyond a single location.

Snap’s new Spectacles let you see the world in augmented reality (4 minute read)

Snap has unveiled its first true augmented reality glasses. The new Spectacles can superimpose AR effects over reality. Its frames have four built-in microphones, two stereo speakers, and a touchpad. The glasses use front-facing cameras to detect objects and surfaces so that graphics can interact naturally with the world. They only have a battery life of 30 minutes. Snap will not be selling Spectacles on the mass market. Instead, it will be giving them directly to select AR effects creators through an online application program.
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Science & Futuristic Technology

Deepfake dubs could help translate film and TV without losing an actor’s original performance (5 minute read)

Flawless is a company that has created deepfake technology that focuses on the mouth to create dubbed footage without mistimed mouth movements. Deepfake dubs offer tremendous value for money as they are cheap and easy to create. They preserve the performance of the original actor, making them more appealing to viewers than traditional dubs. Demand for streaming services in the US is saturated and companies are looking abroad for future growth. Flawless is already working with an unnamed client on its first project. Examples of deepfake dubs from Flawless are available in the article.

CRISPR Study Is First to Change DNA in Participants (4 minute read)

Researchers from the OHSU Casey Eye Institute have broken new ground in science by altering DNA in a living human. The procedure, based on CRISPR technology, is designed to repair mutations in a gene that causes retinal dystrophy. Abnormal DNA is removed from the cells with the mutation, offering sight to people with a form of previously untreatable blindness. The technique could lead to the development of procedures that can help to correct other genetic disorders.
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Programming, Design & Data Science

Introducing WebContainers: Run Node.js natively in your browser (8 minute read)

WebContainers can create full-stack Node.js environments that are immediately online and shareable in just one click. The environments load with VS Code, terminal, NPM, and more. WebContainers run entirely inside the browser and can be used to create on-demand Node.js servers that continue to work even when offline. GIF demos are available in the article.

Typehole (GitHub Repo)

Typehole is a tool for Visual Studio Code that automates creating static typing. It can generate TypeScript types and interfaces for all serializable runtime values. A GIF preview that shows how Typehole works is available.
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Miscellaneous

ByteDance: TikTok's co-founder to step down as chief executive (2 minute read)

Zhang Yiming, the CEO and co-founder of ByteDance, will step down and transition to a new role by the end of the year. He will be succeeded by fellow co-founder Rubo Liang. The change in leadership will take place over the next six months. ByteDance's TikTok has an estimated 700 million active monthly users. Its popularity has caused it to be scrutinized by governments around the world. ByteDance was one of 13 companies targeted with tighter regulations by Chinese authorities last month. China has increased scrutiny over online platforms as they have started to branch out into financial services.

Robinhood will give retail investors access to IPO shares, a longstanding Wall Street realm (3 minute read)

Amateur investors will soon have access to initial public offering shares through Robinhood. Retail traders usually have to wait until companies are listed on an exchange to begin trading. Robinhood's IPO Access will give retail traders the same opportunity to access IPOs previously reserved for Wall Street's institutional investors or high-net-worth individuals. Medical scrubs company Figs will be the first company to offer its IPO shares on the platform. Robinhood will go public in the first half of 2021, but it is unclear whether its clients will be able to invest in its IPO.
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