Tesla stops equity comp 💰, Apple Vision Pro launch 🌎, advice for new devs 👨‍💻

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TLDR 2023-12-21

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Big Tech & Startups

Tesla removes stock-based compensation this year (2 minute read)

Tesla has reportedly decided not to give stock-based compensation to employees as part of their annual performance reviews this year. Some employees who were reaching the end of their four-year vesting cycles were given stock refreshers to keep their total compensation competitive. Tesla is still doing modest cost-of-living increases and adjustments to its base salaries. It is unclear whether this will be a new policy going forward. Tesla regularly changes its employee compensations, and not always in a straightforward way.

Apple Planning to Launch Vision Pro by February (2 minute read)

Apple has ramped up production of the Vision Pro to meet its goal of launching the device by February. Sales of the device will be limited to the US to begin with. Customers will need to purchase or pick up their devices in-store as Apple wants to ensure customers have the right headband size and Light Seal for an appropriate fit. Apple plans to do headset assembly for customers who need custom Zeiss prescription lenses in its retail locations. There probably won't be a launch event for the device.

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Science & Futuristic Technology

The Brain-Implant Company Going for Neuralink’s Jugular (4 minute read)

Synchron has a brain-computer interface that promises to provide an invaluable communication method to people with severe paralysis without open brain surgery. The device is delivered like a stent, inserted into the jugular vein in the neck and then moved to a blood vessel near the brain's motor cortex. It allows people who suffer from brain-stem stroke or degenerative diseases to do basic computer tasks like sending messages and accessing digital health services without moving a muscle. The company is now in the middle of a US-based feasibility study, which, if successful, could lead to a larger study that will determine whether the device gets approved for clinical use.

Waymo finds that its driverless cars ‘significantly outperformed’ humans (2 minute read)

A safety study from Waymo found that its driverless cars led to a significant reduction in the rates of police-reported and injury-causing crashes compared to human drivers. There were 85% less injuries for crashes involving the Waymo Driver and 57% fewer police reports. The accidents covered in the study included all crashes, regardless of the vehicle's role in the crash. Waymo is pushing broadly for international standardization for valid analysis of autonomous vehicle crash data.

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Programming, Design & Data Science

Advice for new software devs who've read all those other advice essays (6 minute read)

This blog post contains 13 bits of advice for early-career programmers. It considers other similar essays and provides some of the things they missed. The advice includes scrutinizing what you read more carefully, not being worried about learning the 'wrong thing', taking walks, and learning different tools and types of programming to help find what you really like.

Focus Is Key to Creating Product Value (9 minute read)

This article looks at what happens when you don't focus using a Python project as an example. Focus is key to creating product value with software. Product value is best created by being conscious about goals while prioritizing ruthlessly and choosing boring technology by default.

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Miscellaneous

Pondering the biggest orb (14 minute read)

The Sphere is Las Vegas' biggest attraction at the moment. Costing upward of $2 billion to construct, the building is 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide and can host up to 20,000 spectators. The entire outside is a single display 580,000 square feet in size. This article contains a write-up about 'The Sphere Experience', which includes time inside the Sphere's lobby and a viewing of a 50-minute tech demo about the natural world.

My jaw hit the floor when I watched an AI master one of the world's toughest physical games in just six hours (4 minute read)

AI can master the game Labyrinth in just six hours. Labyrinth is an incredibly difficult physical board game that challenges players to navigate a metal ball through a hole-riddled maze by changing the orientation of the game platform using twistable knobs on the side of the game's box frame. It takes fine motor control, dexterity, and a lot of real-time problem-solving to complete the game. The AI was exponentially better than humans at completing the game, with a best time of 14.8 seconds - without cheating.

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Quick Links

Thousands of People Have Reportedly Overdosed on Ozempic (2 minute read)

Semaglutide overdoses can resemble hypoglycemia.

Aston Martin, Porsche Preview Bespoke Apple CarPlay Interfaces (2 minute read)

Apple is collaborating with automakers to bring brand-distinct design details to the CarPlay environment.

Electric scooter company Bird files for bankruptcy (1 minute read)

Bird was once valued at $2.5 billion by investors.

Top Pay by Engineering Level (2 minute read)

The top-paying company for entry-level engineers is Jane Street with an L1 total compensation package of $350,000

Meta’s CTO on how the generative AI craze has spurred the company to ‘change it up’ (17 minute read)

An edited conversation with Meta's Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth on the AI craze and where the technology will take the company.

math team (17 minute read)

A recount of an experience of being in a school math team and the impact it had on their career.

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Tesla stops equity comp 💰, Apple Vision Pro launch 🌎, advice for new devs 👨‍💻

TLDR 2023-12-21

Big Tech & Startups

Science & Futuristic Technology

Programming, Design & Data Science

Miscellaneous

Quick Links

Older messages

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