TLDR 2022-05-03

Beta testers for Telegram's iOS app have discovered new features that are only accessible through a subscription to Telegram Premium. The subscription will likely involve adding features like premium stickers, reactions, and other features for business teams or power users. It will also likely remove ads for subscribers. The free parts of Telegram will continue to be free. Telegram only needs a small percentage of its users to subscribe in order to become the break-even business it wants to be.

Meta plans to release a high-end virtual reality headset later this year. Project Cambria will have specs similar to a Chromebook and will run a custom VR operating system based on Android. It will feature high-resolution image quality so users will be able to clearly read text. The device will reportedly be released around September and cost over $799. Meta plans to release Quest headsets in both 2023 and 2024 and it plans to release a successor to Cambria in 2024. More details about the headset are available in the article.

Researchers from King's College London have developed an mRNA vaccine that reverses damage caused by heart attacks. Cardiac muscle cells are starved of oxygen and can be damaged or killed during a heart attack, leaving scar tissue. The vaccine delivers code that stimulates new heart cells to grow, creating functional muscle rather than a scar. The treatment has been successfully tested with pigs. The researchers hope to begin human clinical trials within two years.

Scientists in China have developed an extremely fast charging technology that can charge a lithium-ion battery to up to 60 percent capacity in under six minutes. The technology involves a redesigned anode with a porous architecture and graphite particles strewn throughout. It could help electric vehicles reach the US Department of Energy's Fast Charge Goal of 10 miles of travel per minute of charging.

PostgresML is an end-to-end machine learning system that can train models and make online predictions using only SQL. It allows anyone with a basic understanding of SQL to build, deploy, and maintain machine learning models in production. PostgresML features a wide range of training models and model and data versioning.

PyScript is a framework that allows developers to create Python applications in the browser using an HTML interface. Developers can run many popular Python packages and use Python with JavaScript. PyScript has readily available UI components and a flexible and extensible framework.

This article details the experience of how a college dropout was able to land a tech job without a degree or relevant work experience. Being able to learn by yourself is a large part of the job, so early experiences with learning how to use computers were valuable. Many things can be learned online for free, but having a set curriculum, mentors, and groups to work with is very motivating and beneficial. Bootcamps can provide networks that lead to employment.

Rocket Lab successfully attempted a mid-air capture of its Electron rocket's first stage yesterday. The first stage was recovered by a Sikorsky S-92 helicopter, often used for military or presidential purposes. It caught the rocket mid-air by hooking onto the booster's parachute as it descended back to Earth. A webcast of the launch and recovery is available in the article.