Google's new homepage 🔎, Apple M2 Macs 💻, 80 days of VR exercise 🏃

Daily Update 2022-02-21

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Big Tech & Startups

Google.com tests a busier homepage with a row of info cards (2 minute read)

Google is testing a new homepage with a row of information cards at the bottom. The cards currently show weather information, trending searches, viewing recommendations, stocks, local events, and COVID news. Users have the option to turn off the cards. A screenshot showing the cards on the new homepage is available in the article.

Apple will reportedly debut an M2 chip with four new Macs this year (2 minute read)

Apple is rumored to be releasing several new M2 Macs this year. The M2 will be slightly faster than the M1 and will likely share the same eight-core architecture. It will have up to nine or 10 graphics cores. The new Macs will be released in March and May or June at two separate events. They include a larger iMac Pro, 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, 24-inch iMac, and a redesigned MacBook Air

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Science & Futuristic Technology

Moderna announces 3 new mRNA vaccine targets including herpes and cancer (3 minute read)

Moderna is developing mRNA vaccines for the herpes simplex virus, the varicella-zoster virus, and two antigens expressed by some cancer cells. Covid-19 accelerated the development of mRNA vaccines, which opened up the path for new research avenues. The viruses that Moderna are targeting can cause lifelong medical conditions. Development of the vaccines could help improve the quality of life for those with symptomatic diseases. Moderna plans to work on more mRNA candidates.

Why Nasa is exploring the deepest oceans on Earth (11 minute read)

Over 80% of the ocean is unexplored. Humans know more about the surface of Mars and the Moon than about the ocean floor. NASA is planning a mission to explore the deep ocean that will push the limits of science and technology in one of the most extreme environments on the planet. The oceans are surprisingly similar to conditions NASA expects to find on other worlds. Organisms are known to thrive in the oppressive environment at the bottom of the ocean. Studying the ocean floor could give scientists clues on what to look for when searching for life on other planets.

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Programming, Design & Data Science

The Fastest GIF Does Not Exist (8 minute read)

To make the fastest possible GIFs, set the frame delay to 20ms instead of 10ms. Browsers do not support 0 delay with GIFs, and anything with a delay and less than 20ms is pushed to 100ms. 20ms is the sweet spot where the framerate ends up being the fastest. Examples are available in the article.

Going IPv6 only (4 minute read)

IPv6 is almost 25 years old, yet the technology is still not being used widely. It is possible to set up a v6-only network, but users are bound to run into problems. This article discusses the setup procedure and some of the issues. Many websites, such as Reddit, Hacker News, Twitter, and GitHub aren't available on IPv6. Running a v6-network for daily use is impractical as there are still too many services that fully rely on IPv4 to function.

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Miscellaneous

Virtual Reality: My Digital Dojo for Mental & Physical Fitness (9 minute read)

Virtual Reality can be a fun, efficient, and safe way to exercise and train skills. Games are fast-paced, intense, and require a level of concentration similar to playing competitive sports. Players can safely and comfortably adjust the difficulty level while getting the exercise they need at home. This article talks about a first-hand experience of using VR as a workout and training tool over 80 days with positive results.

Satellite Imagery for Everyone (13 minute read)

Access to high-resolution satellite images has increased significantly and the cost of sending satellites into orbit continues to drop. Advances in artificial intelligence make it easier to extract information from satellite data and businesses are already taking advantage of this. This article talks about how to access this data and use it. It covers topics such as the different types of Earth-observation satellites, how satellites work with orbits, how satellites capture image data, and which sites to visit to find data.

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Google's new homepage 🔎, Apple M2 Macs 💻, 80 days of VR exercise 🏃

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Meta Horizons up 10x 📈, the $100k AWS button 💰, squatting IP addresses 🏋️

Deepmind AI controls fusion ☢️, Disney communities 🏙️, universal organ donation ❤️

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

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