TLDR 2021-07-21

Square Banking is a new product from Square that features a checking account, savings accounts, debit cards, and loans. Small business owners who already use Square to process payments will be able to access other banking services directly through Square Banking and won't require a second business bank account. There are no monthly fees, no credit checks, and no minimum balance. The accounts will be provided by Sutton Bank, so funds are FDIC-insured.

Google is bringing Lens to the desktop via Chrome browser. Users will soon be able to search images with Google Lens through the right-click menu. The desktop version of Lens allows users to crop and focus. Users can retry their search with Google Images if Lens doesn't provide the right results. The update will roll out with version 92 of Chrome.

China's state-owned train developer CRRC has unveiled a magnetic levitation train that can reach speeds of up to 600 kph. It began development in 2016, with a successful trial run in June last year. The maglev can make the trip from Beijing to Shanghai in three and a half hours, two hours shorter than the time needed for a conventional bullet train to travel the same distance. CRRC exports trains worldwide, but it has yet to release plans for how it will commercialize the maglev.

A 39-year-old man who recently experienced sudden heart failure received a total artificial heart (TAH) from the surgeons at the Duke University Hospital. The TAH was developed by French company CARMAT. It mimics the human heart and gives the recipient more independence after surgery. The patient will have to carry an almost nine-pound bag containing a controller and two battery packs that work for four hours before requiring charging. The TAH is approved for use in Europe and has received primary approvals from the FDA for use in the US.

Gort is a chatbot framework built for chatops. It allows developers to build commands in any language using existing tools. There is a permission system to determine who can use commands. A detailed guide is available.

CalDOM is a 3kb JavaScript UI library with direct access to native DOM. It can fully access the DOM directly while keeping reactivity. Benchmark results are available.

Apple has extended its deadline for employees returning to the office because of the increase of Covid-19 cases due to the Delta variant. The return to the offices was controversial among some of its employees. Apple has been against the concept of remote work since before the pandemic. Other Silicon Valley giants are starting to give employees more choice in where they do their jobs. Apple employees will be given at least a month's warning before they are required to return to in-person work.

NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware has been used to target journalists and members of various nations' political opposition parties. Deploying the tool is expensive, and fighting attackers with these levels of resources can be difficult. Apple and Google can raise both the cost and risk of exploitation by improving software security. It is impossible to stop all attacks, but making them expensive and difficult will stop countries with fewer resources from launching exploits.