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Big Tech &
Startups
Uber leaks reveal how it spread βfucking illegalβ ride-sharing globally (3 minute read)
A trove of internal Uber documents has leaked. The Uber Files consists of over 124,000 documents from between 2013 and 2017. They show how Uber tried to gain support by discreetly courting government bureaucrats and world leaders. The documents also reveal how the company prepared a kill switch to shut off its computer systems to prevent authorities from successfully investigating its business. A list of the most influential people who feature in the documents is available in the article.
Musk ends bid to buy Twitter (3 minute read)
Elon Musk has bailed out of his Twitter deal after his team concluded that it couldn't verify Twitter's figures on spam accounts. The agreement had a $1 billion breakup fee, but Musk may end up paying more as Twitter is planning to take the matter to court. Either party could win an injunction or other relief in court to prevent breaches of the agreement. Twitter has fully complied with the obligations of the purchase agreement. It intends to enforce the merger agreement at the agreed price and terms.
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Science &
Futuristic Technology
Switzerland Moves Ahead With Underground Autonomous Cargo Delivery (3 minute read)
Cargo Sous Terrain is a multi-billion dollar concept for underground cargo tubes full of automated delivery carts transporting goods between cities and logistics across Switzerland. The project aims to provide long-term freight transport without expanding on the existing road and rail networks. It will commence on August 1. The project will be covered entirely by the private sector and cost up to $35 billion. It is expected to lower the number of heavy trucks on roads by up to 40%. A video explaining the details of the project is available in the article.
Record-setting quantum entanglement connects two atoms across 20 miles (2 minute read)
Researchers in Germany have demonstrated quantum entanglement of two atoms separated by 33 kilometers of fiber optics, a record distance for this kind of communication. The process involved converting the mediating photons into longer wavelengths so they could travel further through fiber-optics commonly used for telecoms. The research was an important step in realizing a practical quantum internet. It can be paired with satellite technology, which can beam entangled photons over thousands of kilometers.
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Programming, Design & Data Science
Chumsky (GitHub Repo)
Chumsky is a parser library. It contains many combinators and powerful error recovery strategies. Chumsky features text-specific parsers for u8s and chars, recursive parsers, backtracking, parsing of nesting inputs, and built-in parser debugging.
Using GPT-3 to explain how code works (6 minute read)
GPT-3 can generate explanations of how code works. It is shockingly effective at this. This article demonstrates how GPT-3 can be used to explain code with Python, Regex, JavaScript, SQL, and math examples. It provides tips on how to craft the right questions for GPT-3.
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Miscellaneous
Markov Chat Bot Disaster Story (2 minute read)
Etsy was famous for Chat Ops and Hack Weeks between 2012 and 2014. Chat Ops involved having employees write commands into the company's IRC service for bots to execute. Hack Weeks were events where everyone at the company took a step back from their regular work and created something personal. This article tells the story of how a personal project was archived into a channel with full chat ops access. The bot did not do any significant damage, but it had the potential to tear down servers and kill processes.
Work on what matters (4 minute read)
Many companies won't know what your impact was at previous roles when interviewing for a new role. They will likely judge you on your prestige, background reputation, and how you present during the interview process. A person who spends their time avoiding work with real impact will be unlikely to be successful with companies that value genuine experience. There is only a finite amount of time, so that time should be spent on work on what matters.
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Quick Links
Replibyte (GitHub Repo)
Replibyte is a tool for seeding databases with production data while keeping sensitive data safe.