TLDR 2023-10-11

Google users will start being prompted to create and use passkeys instead of passwords starting today. Passwords will still be used where passkeys are not yet supported. Passkeys ensure that users have separate keys for each account. They are resistant to online attacks like phishing. Users can choose to forgo passkeys by unchecking the 'skip password when possible' option in their account settings.

SpaceX's Starlink will soon be available for use by any aircraft operator. Starlink Aviation will cost airlines $25,000 per month and they will have to purchase equipment for $150,000. It offers download speeds of 40-220 Mbps. Starlink's network is significantly larger than all of its competition combined - most inflight offerings are only able to offer an unstable connection with a maximum of 10 Mbps.

SpaceX will soon be the only option for NASA to launch many of its science missions. This has concerned some industry officials as a SpaceX launch failure might disrupt the business plans of a wide range of customers. The company may also raise launch prices due to the lack of competition. Prices for upcoming launches are already much higher than previous launches, but the requirements are also more complex.

A Disney Research team recently presented a brand new robotic character during a keynote address. The robot packs an enormous amount of expression into its child-size body, emoting in a way that makes it seem uniquely alive. It uses a system that leverages reinforcement learning to convert an animator's vision into expressive motions. This article discusses how it was developed and the technology behind it - a video of the robot is available.

The Intermediate Graphics Library is a cross-platform library that commands the GPU. It provides a single low-level interface on top of various graphics APIs like OpenGL, Metal, and Vulkan. The library has been tested for broad device reliability, especially on Android devices as well as the Quest 2/3/Pro. Screenshots are available.

openapi-stack is a collection of libraries and tools for full-stack software development using OpenAPI specification with an API Design First philosophy. It provides a single source of truth for API contracts, type safety and validation, and tools for testing and collaboration. openapi-stack has been battle-tested in production with high test coverage.

A consistent factor in startup success is founder-company fit. Investors are looking for those capable of changing the world and doing something that hasn't been done before. Those responsible for research breakthroughs might not be the right people to innovate and capture value. There are many factors in business that require specific skill sets to navigate. Creators and innovators should make sure they are partnering with the right people on the founding team.

Martin Mao started out as a developer at a local startup in Australia. He is now the CEO of heads up observability scaleup Chronosphere, a company that supports billions of active time series across its customer fleet. The company was founded by two engineers. This article covers Mao's journey from Australia to working in Silicon Valley, launching a start up, and going from developer to CEO. Lessons from his journey include learning to lean on VCs and advisors and to seek help and advice from other founders and CEOs.

GitHub has released new research on GitHub Copilot Chat that indicates that the quality of code authored and reviewed using the tool was better across the board even though none of the developers in the study had used the feature before.

Adobe's Project Stardust enables users to easily delete objects and people in a scene, change backgrounds, and more.

Gary Wang recently walked jury members through snippets of FTX's code, revealing how Alameda was given an unlimited line of credit, how FTX's insurance fund balance was falsified, and more.

The digital afterlife industry makes it possible to create reconstructions of dead people based on the data they've left behind.

Google's Project Green Light uses machine learning systems to look through Maps data and calculate the most optimal traffic timing at intersections to reduce idle times as well as the amount of braking and accelerating vehicles have to do.

This article looks at the predominant methodology for Layer 7 attacks over the last few years, what changed to make them larger, and mitigation strategies that are believed to be effective against this attack type.