Apple is reportedly planning to launch an extreme sports version of the Apple Watch this year along with the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE. The extreme sports model will measure almost two inches diagonally and have a display resolution of about 410 pixels by 502 pixels. It will use a stronger metal casing and have a more shatter-resistant screen. The watch will have a larger battery and improved tracking metrics. More details about the watch are available in the article.
Meta has created a single AI model capable of translating across 200 different languages. It has open-sourced the project so that others can build on the work. Meta sees the universal speech translator as important for growth across its platforms. Machine translation helps the company better understand its users, and the technology could develop into a killer app for its future augmented reality glasses.
Researchers have cloned mice from freeze-dried skin cells. Storing skin cells for cloning in liquid nitrogen can be expensive and risky. Freeze-drying the samples allows cells to be preserved cheaply and safely, even in developing countries. While the process can produce both males and females, it can be used to create only females to revive endangered species where only males survive. The resulting clones are fertile.
Engineers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a system of microrobots that can change shape to form bristles or floss and release antimicrobials to kill bad bacteria. The system is made up of iron oxide nanoparticles that can be controlled using magnetic fields. The iron oxide activates hydrogen peroxide, which produces free radicals that kill bacteria and biofilms. The system could allow people with reduced motor skills to still take care of their oral health.
This article discusses and compares average software engineering salaries in over 20 countries. The US, Switzerland, and Israel have the highest developer salaries. Those who work in major cities tend to get paid better than workers living outside of urban areas. The lowest paying countries are Nigeria, India, and the Philippines. The countries with the highest demand for software engineers are Canada, Australia, and Russia.
Causal is a spreadsheet with a complex calculation engine that executes formulas on an in-memory, multidimensional database. This article discusses how Causal plans to scale from millions to billions of cells. Causal still doesn't smoothly support one billion cells yet, but its team is confident in its ability to iterate to its goal.
Apple announced a new Lockdown Mode in iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura. The feature will provide an extreme level of security by strictly limiting or disabling the functionality of features, apps, and websites. A list of current protections is available in the article. Apple will add more protections over time. A new Lockdown Mode category in Apple's Security Bounty program will pay up to $2 million for Lockdown Mode bypasses.
This Twitter thread contains over 10 comparisons between images generated by DALL-E and Midjourney, two AI image generators. Each comparison uses the same text prompt. Midjourney tends to be more contextually creative and good with textures, while DALL-E deals better with very clearly instructed scenes.