Satya Nadella tells a court that Bing is worse than Google — and Apple could fix it (9 minute read)
Microsoft's Satya Nadella says that a deal to be the exclusive search provider on Apple devices would be a game-changer for Bing. The company was prepared to give Apple all of the economic upside of a deal if Apple were to switch to Bing. It was willing to hide the Bing brand and respect any of the company's privacy wishes. Microsoft was willing to make the deal at any cost due to the data it would gain access to if it became the default search engine for Apple devices.
The BlueWalker 3 communications satellite can turn ordinary smartphones into satellite phones. It is the brightest satellite in low Earth orbit yet, and there are concerns that it may usher in a new generation of satellites that create way more light pollution than their predecessors. The satellite is bright due to its large size. It is about as bright as the eight-brightest star visible from Earth.
The Absolute Minimum Every Software Developer Must Know About Unicode in 2023 (22 minute read)
Unicode is a standard that aims to unify all human languages and make them work with computers. In practice, it is a table that assigns unique numbers, called code points, to different characters. This article explains what Unicode is and how it works. It covers all the basics as well as some advanced concepts and why some 'bugs' occur with certain characters.
Rethinking reactivity (10 minute read)
Nue is a library for building user interfaces. It is a user-friendly alternative to frameworks like Next.js, Vite, and Sveltekit. Nue uses an HTML-based template syntax perfect for UX developers focusing on interaction design, accessibility, and user experience. Examples of Nue components are available in the article.
Return to Office Is Bullshit And Everyone Knows It (10 minute read)
Companies forcing ultimatums on employees will lose talent and struggle to hire as employees start countering companies' ultimatums with their own.
Amazon reportedly used a secret algorithm to jack up prices (2 minute read)
Amazon deployed a secret algorithm called Project Nessie to gauge how high it could raise prices before competitors stopped increasing their prices as well. The algorithm would inflate prices and monitor whether other retailers would follow suit. If retailers maintained the lower price, the algorithm would revert back to the normal price. Amazon reportedly stopped using it in 2019. Project Nessie is just one of the many ways the FTC has accused Amazon of illegally maintaining its market dominance in the e-commerce industry.
Starlink launches V2 mini-satellites with 'space lasers' (3 minute read)
Starlink has launched new versions of its satellites that can communicate via lasers. The service has an estimated one million subscribers and is looking to improve its offering as competition warms up in the sector. While Amazon's Kuiper project has so far failed to take off, another rival, OneWeb, is expected to begin offering services soon. Starlink's new satellites will be able to transfer data through laser links at speeds of 100 Gbps over thousands of miles.
The Online Maze of Job Applications (21 minute read)
Applying to jobs online is like navigating a maze. Resume parsing software, application tracking systems, and other factors make the process pretty frustrating. This article explores factors that make job applications more or less frustrating. The author applied to 250 jobs manually to see how long it took to get from start to finish. They applied for engineering/product-focused roles in a mix of companies across different industries.
NameDrop is a new way for iPhone users to share contact information with each other. It allows users to simply tap their phones together to swap information. The feature is available to all users with supported iPhones on iOS 17. Users will be able to select what information they share with other people. The feature can be turned off via a toggle in the settings.
Amazon Prepares to Challenge SpaceX’s Starlink With Maiden Satellite Launch (5 minute read)
Amazon is gearing up to launch two demo internet satellites on Friday. The satellites will ride aboard United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Amazon aims to provide Internet service to both individual users and large corporations. It will safely deorbit the two satellites after the mission's conclusion.
Google Gave the Pixel 8 Cameras a Major Upgrade. Here's How They Did It (9 minute read)
The Google Pixel 8 Pro has an ultrawide angle camera, a main wide-angle camera, and a telephoto camera. A new Video Boost feature improves videos taken in dim and dark conditions. Implementing the feature required a new image sensor technology in the main camera. The Tensor G3 GPU is responsible for preprocessing video for Video Boost. Video Boost relies on compute from Google's data centers to reduce noise, stabilize video, and sharpen low-light images.