TLDR Daily Update 2021-09-13

The long-awaited 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros powered by the M1X processor are expected to be released in the next several weeks. Apple will likely hold a virtual event sometime in October to announce the new MacBook Pros. The new laptops will feature high-end M1 chips, MagSafe magnetic charging, miniLED screens, an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and no Touch Bar. They will have a new flat-edged design similar to in the latest iMac, iPad Pro, and iPhone 12 designs. New AirPods, iPad minis, and entry-level iPads are also expected to be announced this fall.

Jim Lanzone, the current CEO of Tinder, has been appointed the new CEO for Yahoo under Apollo Global. Apollo recently acquired Yahoo for $5 billion from Verizon. Lanzone was at Tinder for 14 months. His appointment implies that Apollo may be interested in making Yahoo into a more profitable operation. Renate Nyborg will take over the role of CEO at Tinder. Nyborg met her husband on the dating app and has a very long track record in tech.

Researchers from the University of Central Florida have engineered a nanomaterial that repels water and can stay dry when submerged underwater. The design was inspired by the structure of a lotus leaf. A drop of gel created from the nanomaterial can make any surface develop a super water-repellent state without interfering with the surface material. The nanomaterial remains dry even when submerged under two feet of water for several hours. It can be used to capture and store gases underwater, enabling potentially countless applications for the novel material.

South Korean researchers have developed an artificial skin-like material that can quickly adjust its hues like a chameleon to match its surroundings. The skin is made with a special ink that changes color based on temperature. It is controlled by stacked multilayer silver nanowire heaters. The researchers used a robot with color-detecting sensors to demonstrate how the technology can be used for camouflage. The skin is thinner than human hair and has the potential to be further developed into wearable devices, clothing, and displays.

GlueSQL is a SQL database library that features a parser, an execution layer, and optional storage. It can be used to build SQL databases or as an embedded SQL database using the default storage engine. GlueSQL currently supports a limited subset of queries as it is under active development.

Klara is a static analysis tool for automatic test case generation that features a powerful ast level inference system. It works on ast level and it doesn't execute user code in any way. Klara can operate on both Python 2 and 3 source code. Examples are available.

An0m was a special device that was supposed to have the most secure messaging service in the world. The phones sold for $1,700 with a $1,250 annual subscription. Almost 10,000 devices were sold around the world. The devices were actually created by the Australian Federal Police and the FBI, who read all the messages that were sent on the devices, resulting in more than 800 arrests worldwide. This article tells the story of how the phones were made and the details of the operation.

A ruling was made on Friday on the Epic v. Apple lawsuit. The judge concluded that Apple was not monopolizing the mobile app space and Epic was ordered to pay damages for violating its developer agreement. While Apple has around a 55 percent share of the mobile game transactions market, with extraordinarily high profit margins, it does not qualify as a monopoly. Apple was ordered to remove its policies banning developers from telling users about alternatives to Apple's in-app purchase system. Many more details about the ruling are available in the article.