TLDR 2022-09-16

Adobe buys Figma 🖼️, TikTok's VR headset 😎, tech exec job market survey 👨‍💻

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Big Tech & Startups

Adobe to acquire Figma in a deal worth $20 billion (2 minute read)

Adobe is acquiring Figma for around $20 billion in cash and stock. Figma will continue to run as normal and Adobe is committed to keeping Figma operating autonomously. Adobe has not announced its long-term vision or plans for Figma yet. It is likely that Figma products and services will be bundled into Adobe Creative Suite at some point in the future.

TikTok just launched a BeReal clone called TikTok Now (3 minute read)

TikTok Now is a new feature inside TikTok's app that invites users to take a front and back camera photo at a random time every day. The BeReal clone is now available for TikTok users in the US. Users in other regions may be able to download TikTok Now as a standalone app. TikTok Now has some built-in privacy features, such as defaulting to only allowing friends to view posts. Screenshots of the feature are available in the article.
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Science & Futuristic Technology

Ethereum switches to proof-of-stake consensus after completing The Merge (2 minute read)

Ethereum has completed its switch to Proof-of-Stake. The upgrade reduces Ethereum's energy consumption by 99.95%. Ethereum is now secured using staked ETH and validators instead of mining. Users and developers are still able to use the blockchain in the same way as before the Merge.

ByteDance's Pico will unveil new VR headset Sept. 22 (2 minute read)

Pico will announce a new product at an online event on September 22. The company's new VR headset will come in two configurations, with the Pro version offering face and eye tracking functionality. The devices will be powered by a Qualcomm processor and run Android Q. They will have an inside-out RGB camera for color pass-through. Pico's headsets are being positioned as a competitor to Meta's VR hardware.
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Programming, Design & Data Science

DFlex (GitHub Repo)

DFlex is a Javascript library for modern Drag and Drop apps. It implements an enhanced transformation mechanism to manipulate DOM elements. DFlex features its own scheduler and reconciler.

copilot-in-the-terminal (GitHub Repo)

GitHub Copilot in the terminal enables copilot suggestions in the terminal by treating neovim as a thin shell-around-a-shell. Copilot learns from commands and outputs, so users are advised to be careful of leaking secrets.
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Miscellaneous

What Tech Leaders Really Think About Remote Work, the Downturn, and the Great Resignation (10 minute read)

The Great Resignation began last spring and there are no signs of it slowing down. This article discusses the results of a survey conducted on 581 tech founders and executives based in the US about the challenges they face when hiring talent. The recruitment process is broken and many employers are having trouble finding and keeping good employees. Many tech companies now have integrated teams of freelancers and full-time employees.

Say Hello to Crazy Thin ‘Deep Insert’ ATM Skimmers (4 minute read)

A new type of super-thin 'deep insert' skimming device is showing up inside ATMs around New York City. The devices are designed to steal magnetic strip data and personal identification numbers. One easy way to defeat these types of skimmers is to cover up the PIN pad with your hand when entering your PIN. Pictures of various skimming devices are available in the article.
Quick Links

Some WFH Employees Have a Secret: They Now Live in Another Country (8 minute read)

Some work-from-home employees secretly don't live in the same state or even country anymore.

Peter Thiel's fellowship program has birthed power players worth more than $220 billion collectively (4 minute read)

Peter Thiel has been paying young adults $100,000 to drop out of college and launch their own companies for 11 years.

Building the future of the command line (12 minute read)

The command line is a powerful tool but it can be intimidating to new users, so some developers are working to make it more friendly.

Snapchat for web is now available to everyone (1 minute read)

Users on Snapchat for web can chat and video call with friends and conversations will sync between devices.

Theatre.js (GitHub Repo)

Theatre.js is an animation library for high-fidelity motion graphics that can be used visually or programmatically.

Designing APIs for humans: Object IDs (7 minute read)

This article discusses object IDs and explains the Stripe ID system.
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