TLDR 2022-01-05

Microsoft's Pluton, a security processor designed to protect against some of the most sophisticated types of attacks, will be integrated into AMD's upcoming Ryzen CPUs for use in Lenovo's ThinkPad Z Series of laptops. Pluton is already being used to secure Xbox Ones and Azure Sphere microcontrollers. The technology will secure PCs against physical hacks designed to install malware or steal cryptographic keys or other sensitive secrets. It stores keys and other secrets in a walled garden isolated from other system components. The new ThinkPad Z series laptops will begin shipping in May.

Intel's next-generation Evo PCs may have iPhone and Apple Watch integration with iMessage support. iPhone users might be able to access iMessage and data from the Health app on the new platform. Intel is still working with Apple on offering the new features. It seems unlikely that Apple will support unofficial ways to use iMessage on Windows. A video demonstration of the technology by Intel at CES 2022 is available in the article.

The James Webb telescope has successfully deployed its giant kite-shaped sun shield. The sun shield will give the telescope the required sensitivity to detect signals coming from the most distant objects in the universe. Deploying the five-membrane sun shield was a major triumph for the engineering teams at NASA and Northrop Grumman. The sun shield will cast a shadow that will lower the environment around the telescope's mirrors and instruments to below minus 230C. A diagram showing how the telescope will unfold in space is available in the article.

A new type of robot can operate autonomously while being submerged in a chemical solution. The liquibots can transport payloads up and down a system as long as there are reactants available. The technology could have applications in automated chemical synthesis or drug delivery systems. A quick video showing the robots in motion is available in the article.

We're rarely taught how to mentor. Mentoring is different from coaching. While both involve improving skills, a coach's role is to assess and not just to advise. Mentors give advice that is usually not just tied to day-to-day work, with conversations usually centering around goals, situations, and skills. This article discusses mentoring and gives tips on how to become a better mentor.

This repository contains a collection of laws that people discuss when talking about development. It contains an overview of each law and provides examples and reference materials for further learning. Laws discussed include the Dunning-Kruger Effect, the Premature Optimization Effect, Cunningham's Law, and much more.

Sony's new Bravia XR A95K TV will include a QD-OLED panel manufactured by Samsung Display. It will be the world's first consumer TV with a Quantum Dot Organic Light Emitting Diode display. QD-OLED screens emit blue light through quantum dots to convert some of the blues into red and green without the need for a color filter. This results in greater light energy efficiency and vivid color reproduction even at peak brightness levels. Pictures of the TV are available in the article.

Wordle is an online game that became popular in late 2021. It can only be played once a day and everybody plays the same daily puzzle. In the game, players are allowed six chances to guess a random five-letter word. Players are given colored hints on which letters the word may contain after every guess. Users can share their results, making the game a social experience. Wordle was created by the same person who created Place, a collaborative art project/social experiment that was popular in 2017.