TLDR 2022-09-02

Android 14 satellite connectivity 🛰️, Netflix ads launch date 📺, building progressive web apps 👨‍💻

📱
Big Tech & Startups

Netflix Ad Tier Launch Moved Up to November to Get Ahead of Disney+, Streamer Tells Ad Buyers (3 minute read)

Netflix plans to launch its ad-supported tier on November 1 in multiple countries including the US, Canada, UK, France, and Germany. Disney+ Basic will be hitting the US market a little over a month later. Ad buyers have been asked to submit initial bids. The company is open to negotiating ad rates. It is asking companies for a $10 million minimum commitment in ad spending.

Android will support satellite connectivity and partners in its next version (2 minute read)

Android 14 will support satellite connectivity. Users should expect speeds, connectivity, and interaction times to be different on satellite connections. Satellite connectivity on phones is aimed at emergency situations and getting rid of cellular dead zones. T-Mobile and SpaceX plan to start offering a satellite service in late 2023.
🚀
Science & Futuristic Technology

A Huge Satellite Meant to Connect Directly to Cell Phones to Launch on SpaceX Soon (2 minute read)

The BlueWalker 3 satellite is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 on September 10. The 64-square-meter solar array is designed to provide a cellular broadband signal that mobile phones can connect to directly. Astronomers are concerned about the impact a constellation made up of these satellites will have on space observations. AST SpaceMobile plans to send over a hundred of the satellites into space.

Rocket Lab fires up its first recovered engine, on track to full booster reusability (2 minute read)

Rocket Lab has successfully reignited one of the engines from its Electron booster. The Electron booster was recaptured on live stream in May. The engine went through the full battery of tests new engines must pass and it performed to the same standard required of a new one. A video of the engine test is available in the article.
💻
Programming, Design & Data Science

Learn PWA (Website)

This website features a course that covers the fundamentals of Progressive Web App development. It covers what PWAs are, how to create one or upgrade existing web content, and how to create an offline, installable app. Each module in the course includes interactive demos and self-assessments. The demos work on mobile, tablet, and PC.

Introducing Trilogy: a new database adapter for Ruby on Rails (3 minute read)

Trilogy is a client library for MySQL-compatible database servers. It aims to provide strong portability and compatibility using a custom implementation of the network protocol. Trilogy recently open sourced its Active Record adapter that allows Ruby on Rails applications to use Trilogy in place of the built-in MySQL-based adapter.
🎁
Miscellaneous

For those working 0-5 hrs per day while full-time, how do you get away with it? (Reddit Thread)

This Reddit thread discusses work expectations when working from home. The top replies discuss how companies don't have the resources to monitor all employees, how to talk about how many hours worked, and how companies usually only care that work is completed on time. As long as employees are doing good work, they don't have to worry about companies micromanaging them at home.

Stable Diffusion: Is Video Coming Soon? (28 minute read)

Stable Diffusion is an AI text-to-image generator, similar to OpenAI's DALL-E 2 and Google's Imagen. Diffusion models have a clear advantage over GAN image synthesis in terms of accuracy and realism. This article discusses Stable Diffusion in depth. It covers how the technology works, the different apps that have already been created with the model, the model's capabilities, and the future of Stable Diffusion.
Quick Links

A novel injection therapy could restore cognitive function in people with Down syndrome (3 minute read)

A study showed that GnRH injection therapy improved cognitive function and brain connectivity in people with Down syndrome.

An AI-generated artwork’s state fair victory fuels arguments over ‘what art is’ (5 minute read)

A game designer entered artwork created by Midjourney, an AI text-to-image generator, to the Colorado State fair fine arts competition and took home first prize.

DocQuery (GitHub Repo)

DocQuery is a library and command-line tool for analyzing semi-structured and unstructured documents using advanced natural language processing.

Next-gen USB promises to be twice as fast, using cables you may already own (3 minute read)

USB 4 version 2 promises 80 Gbps speeds even with existing 40 Gbps USB Type-C passive cables.

Google Play opens developer sign-ups for third-party 'User Choice Billing' (2 minute read)

User Choice Billing will be tested in European Economic Area countries, Australia, India, Indonesia, and Japan.

PhoenixLiveViewNative (GitHub Repo)

The PhoenixLiveViewNative Swift package allows developers to use Phoenix LiveView to build native iOS apps with SwiftUI.
Get the most important tech, science, & coding news in a free daily email. Read by +1,250,000 software engineers and tech workers.
Join 1,250,000 readers for