Zuckerberg demos VR headsets 🥽, Tesla Enhanced Autopilot 🚗, crypto's use cases 🪙

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Big Tech & Startups

Meta Reveals VR Headset Prototypes Designed to Make VR ‘Indistinguishable From Reality’ (11 minute read)

Meta recently unveiled a collection of VR headset prototypes. The company is aiming to develop a headset that can completely convince the visual system that what's inside is actually real. It has identified four key visual challenges that VR headsets need to solve before the visual Turing Test can be passed. The prototype headsets function as proof-of-concept for potential solutions to these challenges. Details about the challenges and the prototype headsets are available in the article.

Tesla to start offering 'Enhanced Autopilot' for roughly half the cost of FSD (2 minute read)

Tesla is offering Enhanced Autopilot in Australia for roughly half the price of the Full Self-Driving package. Enhanced Autopilot adds automated lane changes, on- and off-ramp navigation, Smart Summon, and AutoPark. It does not include city/town navigation with navigation skills. Enhanced Autopilot still requires the driver to maintain both hands on the wheel at all times.

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Science & Futuristic Technology

Modular optical computer chip allows stackable swappable functions (3 minute read)

Engineers at MIT have developed a modular computer chip with components that can communicate using flashes of light. Its layer components can be stacked or swapped to build chips to perform specific functions or for upgrades. They have unlimited expandability depending on the combination of layers. The technology could enable easily upgradeable electronics and reduce electronic waste.

America’s first CRISPR trial is still nearly 100% effective 3 years on (3 minute read)

Follow-up results from one of the longest-running human trials using CRISPR technology suggest that the treatment is both safe and effective up to three years after treatment. The trial, which started in 2019, focused on treating two rare blood diseases. It demonstrated 100% success. The treatment has been given a Fast Track designation by the FDA and could be authorized for public use in early 2023.

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Programming, Design & Data Science

Markwhen (GitHub Repo)

Markwhen is a tool that converts markdown-ish text into a cascading timeline. It supports simple US/EU date styles, ISO8601, images, links, locations, and more. Examples are available.

Silero Models (GitHub Repo)

Silero Models are pre-trained enterprise-grade speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and text-enhancement models made simple. They provide quality comparable to Google's technology. Benchmark results and examples are available.

Cut JS Debug Time in Half Using Airbrake (Sponsor)

Airbrake can tell you exactly where an error is in your app, right down to the line of broken code. Plus, it will show you what happened leading up to the error, including clicks, keypresses, navigational updates, and more. Check it out with a free Airbrake Dev Account!

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Miscellaneous

A floating city in the Maldives begins to take shape (5 minute read)

Property developer Dutch Docklands and the Government of the Maldives are building a floating city in the Indian Ocean. Just 10 minutes by boat from the Maldivian capital, the city will be big enough to house 20,000 people. It will have 5,000 floating units including houses, restaurants, shops, and schools. Residents will start moving into the city in early 2024. Almost the entire country could be submerged by the end of the century due to climate change.

Where are all the crypto use cases? (5 minute read)

Many people claim that there are no use cases for crypto, but they're wrong. This article discusses the many different use cases for crypto. Crypto is successful at being money. Decentralized lending protocols allow anyone to take out cheap loans without involving a bank. There are also NFTs, smart contracts, decentralization, and much more.

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Quick Links

Humans Can Learn to 'Echolocate' in Just 10 Weeks, Experiment Shows (3 minute read)

Humans can learn echolocation to navigate mazes and identify the size and orientation of objects in just 10 weeks.

netboot.xyz (GitHub Repo)

netboot.xyz is a network-based bootable operating system installer based on iPXE.

A new plant-based material can replace plastic food packaging for keeps (4 minute read)

A team of scientists has developed a biodegradable and antimicrobial food packaging solution that could finally put an end to the need for plastic-made food packaging items.

Just (GitHub Repo)

Just is a Zero config TypeScript build and development toolkit.

Scientists harness light therapy to target and kill cancer cells in world first (4 minute read)

A new light-activated therapy makes cancer cells glow in the dark, making them more visible to surgeons, then kills the remaining cells once the surgery is complete.

Tesla’s chief designer is selling new interiors for Tesla cars through Unplugged Performance (2 minute read)

Unplugged Performance, a well-known Tesla tuner, has partnered with Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen to bring aftermarket luxury interiors to Tesla vehicles.

Ask HN: Having trouble hiring despite good comp, wondering what to do about it? (Hacker News Thread)

This Hacker News thread discusses how to attract applications from senior talent and what can be done to increase attractiveness to potential employees.

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Zuckerberg demos VR headsets 🥽, Tesla Enhanced Autopilot 🚗, crypto's use cases 🪙

Older messages

Meta's virtual store 🏪, Brex drops small businesses 💳, near term startup trends 📉

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Meta's plan to fight TikTok 📱, iOS 16 photo editing 🖼️, tech talent decentralizes 👨‍💻

Amazon drone delivery 🚁, Elon Musk Twitter all-hands 🐦, Internet Explorer shut down 🌎

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