TLDR 2023-09-22

Apple's sports strategy ⚽, the end of obesity 📉, engineering metrics 👨‍💻

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Big Tech & Startups

Inside Apple’s Plan to Change the Way We Watch Sports (20 minute read)

Apple signed a 10-year deal last fall to serve as MLS' primary broadcast partner. The deal is set to give Lionel Messi a percentage of the revenue generated from new subscriptions to MLS Season Pass. This was Apple's biggest move yet into the sports business. Apple is methodically working its way into deals with other leagues and broadcasters.

Microsoft’s Surface and AI event: all the news and announcements (14 minute read)

Microsoft held a special event in New York City on September 21. It announced new Surface hardware and detailed its vision for AI-powered features in its products at the event. Microsoft plans to release the next big Windows update on September 26. This page contains a collection of articles that detail the announcements made at the event.
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Science & Futuristic Technology

Amazon’s rumored home projector can turn anything into a screen (4 minute read)

Amazon is rumored to be working on a projector that can turn any surface into a screen. The device has many potential applications for Amazon's smart home ecosystem. Amazon is also working on technology to map homes. Its attempt to acquire iRobot for its home mapping technology has stalled due to regulatory scrutiny.

Pricing In The End of Obesity (10 minute read)

Many major companies are working hard to assess the impact that a new class of weight loss drugs will have on their businesses. Obesity is an enormous global healthcare issue, affecting around one in eight people. It's extremely expensive in terms of human health and economic costs. Many companies either directly or indirectly profit from obesity, so making the disease less prevalent will likely hurt them.
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Programming, Design & Data Science

buzz (GitHub Repo)

buzz is a small, statically typed scripting language. It is unambiguous and requires no nonsense coercion. A VS Code extension with syntax highlighting is available.

Diving into Engineering Metrics (12 minute read)

This essay dives into the world of engineering metrics. It looks at what engineering metrics are and their purpose, how they relate to productivity, and how to make the most from them. Engineering metrics are quantitative measures that provide insight into various aspects of the software development process. They can help understand performance, support decision-making, communicate progress, and ensure quality.
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Miscellaneous

The Casino on Mars (15 minute read)

The speculative frenzy in crypto is attracting users and catalyzing the infrastructure necessary to create a thriving crypto civilization. This article draws similarities between the crypto industry and settling a new planet. While some people see crypto as a desolate planet without purpose, others see it as a blank slate on which an upgraded financial system and internet platform can be built. The casino-like speculation is part of the bootstrapping process.

The Most Advanced Yet Acceptable Products Win (10 minute read)

The Most Advanced Yet Acceptable (MAYA) design rule dictates that the ideal design sits between solutions that are completely novel and entirely familiar. Designs that are too novel will be tuned out and familiar designs will be overlooked. A balanced design can make or break the success of innovations. This article uses hits and misses from three high-profile tech categories to illustrate the concept of MAYA.
Quick Links

Cisco makes largest ever acquisition, buying cybersecurity company Splunk for $28 billion in cash (4 minute read)

Splunk's technology helps businesses monitor and analyze data to minimize the risks of hacks and resolve technical issues faster.

How do databases execute expressions? (14 minute read)

Most databases use a tree-walking interpreter, a few use stack or register-based virtual machines, a couple use just-in-time compilers, and some do vectorized interpretation.

Apple’s failure to develop its own modem detailed in new report (2 minute read)

Apple recently extended its deal with Qualcomm for modems due to issues resulting from underestimating the complexity and technical challenges of developing its own.

Is Encryption at Rest a Scam? (6 minute read)

Encryption at rest is a scam when it comes to database security.

Sherif (GitHub Repo)

Sherif is an opinionated, zero-config linter for JavaScript monorepos that enforces rules to provide a better standardized developer experience

Why Open Source AI Will Win (14 minute read)

Open source AI will give companies more control over their products, but it will take some years before it catches up to proprietary technology.
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