SpaceX spacewalks 🧑‍🚀, Pixel app streaming 📱, emoji URLs 🤪

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Big Tech & Startups

Pixel will be able to stream Android apps to your Chromebook or PC (4 minute read)

The first Android 13 Developer Preview built for Pixel phones includes two Cross Device service apps dedicated to connecting Pixels to other devices. The apps allow users to stream between a Pixel phone and a special web app. Apps can be interacted with as if they were natively open on the desktop. The feature generates an entirely separate virtual display rather than monitoring the phone's screen. Screenshots and videos showing the feature are available in the article.

Google Messages, with RCS in tow, is now Samsung’s default messaging app in the US (2 minute read)

Samsung will adopt Google Messages as its default app in the US starting with the Galaxy S22 series. Samsung Messages will still be installed on Samsung devices, but users will have to actively choose to switch to it. Google Messages features enhanced RCS messaging. Having RCS support as a default option will help more users with a modern messaging experience.

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Science & Futuristic Technology

SpaceX plans its first commercial spacewalk for this year (2 minute read)

The Polaris Program is an initiative that will include up to three crewed SpaceX flights. The first mission, Polaris Dawn, is planned for Q4 2022 and should include the first commercial spacewalk. Polaris Dawn will aim for the highest-ever Earth orbit, conduct health research, and test laser-based Starlink communication. Inspiration4 leader Jared Isaacman will return as mission commander. There are still many details to work out and delays are likely.

China to start building 5G satellite network to challenge Elon Musk’s Starlink (4 minute read)

China is building a network of satellites to provide 5G coverage. Its first satellites have already been produced, tested, and launched. The network will compete with Starlink in the market for high-speed internet services in remote areas. China's constellation will have 1,000 satellites and offer download speeds of more than 500 megabits per second with low latency. China has identified the Starlink network as a threat to its national security.

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Programming, Design & Data Science

Ira Design (Website)

Ira is a tool for creating illustrations using gradients and hand-drawn sketch components. It features more than 200 individually designed components and a mix of five gradient colors. The illustrations can be scaled to any size. Examples of websites built using Ira are available.

Why do we round corners? (5 minute read)

Rounded corners are everywhere in design. Rectangles with rounded corners are easier on the eyes because they take less cognitive effort to visually process. While our brains prefer rounded corners, using rounded corners on everything is not a good approach. This article discusses the science behind why we prefer rounded corners and provides some tips on how to use them effectively.

Join the Big Fix - Fix Vulns. Earn Swag. (Sponsor)

In light of the Log4j vulnerability, Snyk is hosting the Big Fix - an online event for teams to fix backlogs of vulnerabilities. Earn swag (including free t-shirts!) when you fix vulnerabilities. Plus, get hands-on support from our security experts live on Feb 25.

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Miscellaneous

Worldle Is Like Wordle, but for Geography (2 minute read)

Worldle, a spinoff of the popular game Wordle, moves the puzzle from the dictionary to the atlas. Players have six tries to guess the name of a country from its outline. It shows colored clues on how close geographically players are to the right nation. The game can also show the distance in kilometers or miles from the player's guess to the actual location. Worldle gained more than 500,000 players on its first day of release on Sunday.

Opera browser now allows emoji-only web addresses (2 minute read)

Opera has partnered with Yat to enable emoji-based web addresses. Yat is a company that sells URLs with strings of emoji in them. The integration will mean users won't have to type the y.at part of the Yat address to access pages, only the emojis. Yat owners can create NFTs of their emoji strings and the company plans to eventually let users connect to electronic payments. The service started on February 1 with musicians like Kesha being among the first adopters.

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SpaceX spacewalks 🧑‍🚀, Pixel app streaming 📱, emoji URLs 🤪

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Crypto Superbowl 🪙, AI chip design 💻, the urge to quit tech

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