TLDR 2021-09-02

Facebook Fantasy Games are fantasy sports-like prediction games that let users guess what will happen in sports, TV shows, and pop culture. The games will roll out first for mobile users in the US and Canada. Games will have public leaderboards, but users can make their own public or private leagues. Users won't be able to wager real money on the games through Facebook. Facebook launched a website for its cloud gaming service in July, and it also offers a game streaming service.

Google is developing its own central processors for its notebook and tablet computers and plans to roll them out around 2023. It is also ramping up its efforts to build mobile processors for its Pixel smartphones and other devices. Google's new CPUs and mobile processors are based on the blueprints of Arm chips. Many tech companies are racing to build their own semiconductors to differentiate their offerings. Building chips requires massive investment and long-term commitments, and there is limited production capacity.

Tardigrades are microscopic extremophiles that can survive exposure to intense temperatures, pressures, and even the vacuum of space. A group of scientists recently recorded high-speed videos of the animals traversing gel substrates. Tardigrades walk similarly to insects 500,000 times their size, suggesting that their gaits have either convergently evolved or that there was an early-branching ancestor that passed on the pattern. The way these animals walk could inspire future engineering concepts. A short clip showing a tardigrade walking is available in the article.

Motional has revealed its Hyundai all-electric Ioniq 5 SUV robotaxi. The vehicle has more than 30 sensors that provide 360 degrees of vision and the ability to see up to 300 meters away. Customers will be able to access the robotaxis starting in 2023 through the Lyft app. Motional is a $4 billion joint venture between Aptiv and Hyundai. The Ioniq 5 features displays that allow riders to interact with the vehicle during the ride. It still has a steering wheel and other features found in traditional vehicles, but passengers will not be allowed to sit in the driver's seat. Pictures of the robotaxi are available in the article.

Visual Studio Code for the Web is a free web-based code editor that can be used to view code and make and commit lightweight changes. While the desktop version is also free and much more capable, the web version is convenient and can be used on more devices. VS Code for the Web can be converted to GitHub Codespaces instances for when a full remote environment is required.

The GitHub Global Campus is a home for all of GitHub's current and future student programs. It provides students with the ability to connect with local Campus Experts, explore and claim offers for free industry tools, attend events, rewatch Campus TV episodes, and more. A link for students to apply for the GitHub Student Developer Pack is available.

Apple plans to support digital driver's licenses and state IDs in its iOS 15 update expected later this year. So far, only Arizona and Georgia have agreed to accept digital IDs, with six other states expected to follow. The TSA will be the first agency to accept digital IDs, as only a state ID is required for traveling by air within the US. The identity readers that the TSA will use are secure and don't require passengers to hand over or unlock their phones. Apple has been secretive about how it built this technology and what it gets out of it.

Intuit is in talks to acquire Mailchimp for $10 billion. Several parties are currently interested in purchasing Mailchimp. Intuit brought in $9.6 billion in revenue last year, with $2.6 billion during the fourth quarter. It acquired Credit Karma for $7.1 billion last year. The talks are still ongoing and discussions could still fall through.