TLDR 2022-06-01

Starlink 2.0 🛰️, TikTok Clear Mode 📱, learnings from 20+ code audits 👨‍💻

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Big Tech & Startups

TikTok is testing a ‘clear mode’ for a distraction-free scrolling experience (2 minute read)

TikTok is testing a distraction-free scrolling experience on its app. The new clear mode is currently in limited testing. It removes on-screen clutter such as usernames, captions, audio information, and buttons. Screenshots of the feature are available in the article. It is unclear if TikTok plans to roll out the feature more widely.

Elon Musk: Starlink 2.0 will be 'almost an order of magnitude more capable' (3 minute read)

The next generation of Starlink satellites will be four times heavier than the current model, weighing in at roughly 1.25 tons. Elon Musk says that they will be almost an order of magnitude more capable than Starlink 1 satellites, but did not specify whether he was referring to bandwidth or throughput. SpaceX has sent more than 2,000 Starlink satellites into orbit so far, and more than 1,600 of those are still operational. Launching the next-gen satellites will likely require Starship, which is estimated to be able to lift payloads of 150 tons to low-earth orbit. Starship's maiden launch could happen this summer.
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Science & Futuristic Technology

New type of 3D printing uses sound waves to build up objects (2 minute read)

Direct sound printing (DSP) is a new 3D printing technology developed by scientists at Canada's Concordia University. It involves sending focused pulses of ultrasound through a chamber into a liquid resin contained within. The sound causes rapidly oscillating microscopic bubbles to form at specific points in the resin, causing the resin to solidify at the exact location of the bubble. DSP is able to produce small, detailed items within structures that have opaque surfaces. It could potentially be used to 3D-print repairs into internal components or create implants inside a human body without surgery.

Scientists Eliminate Chronic Pain in Mice and Primates Using Gene Therapy (2 minute read)

Researchers from the University of California San Diego have reduced neuropathic pain from nerve injuries in mice using a gene therapy. Treating nerve damage with drugs can often lead to side effects and additional issues. The new treatment has no side effects and it provides long-lasting therapeutic benefits. It has been tested in pigs and non-human primates. There is still a lot of scientific and regulatory work to be done before the technique can be used in humans.
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Programming, Design & Data Science

Hydra (GitHub Repo)

Hydra is a zero-config API boilerplate with Laravel Sanctum. It features an excellent user and role management API. Hydra allows developers to focus on building business logic without having to write user and role management APIs. Examples are available.

system-design-resources (GitHub Repo)

This repository contains a collection of resources for System Design. Categories include video processing, intra-service messaging, service mesh, practical system design, rate limiting, API design, caching, and much more.
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Miscellaneous

Large language models will change science (11 minute read)

Thousands of scientific papers are submitted every year, making it difficult for anyone to keep up with scientific literature. Advances in natural language processing and large language models mean it is now possible for machines to understand natural language. It will soon be possible for AI to find relevant papers, determine the accuracy of a paper, and figure out its importance and novelty. These systems could one day consume more scientific research than humans and generate new scientific discoveries. They could also tutor humans by understanding their learning path and feeding them information at the time they need it.

Learnings from 5 years of tech startup code audits (7 minute read)

This article contains a list of 16 lessons learned, ordered from most general to most security-specific, from someone who performed upwards of 20 code audits for startups that were around their Series A or B, when they had the cash to take a deeper look at their security. The security issues discovered during the audits ranged from catastrophic to just plain interesting. Some of the audits were performed up to eight years ago, so the lessons include insights on what factors have helped startups do well.
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