Can Samsung Food usher in a new era for the smart kitchen? (5 minute read)
Samsung Food is a culmination of everything that Samsung has been working towards since it released a smart fridge with an Android tablet in 2016. The software can scan food, offer up tailored recipes, and sync kitchen appliances together to create meals. It uses generative AI to create meal plans and build grocery lists. Samsung is planning to create compatible cooktops, microwaves, refrigerators, water filters, and other cooking devices.
USENET, the OG social network, rises again like a text-only phoenix (4 minute read)
USENET is a set of text-only social discussion forums run on multiple servers around the world. It is older than the web. This article explains how to access USENET. There are many active free communities available on USENET that cover a huge range of niche topics.
AI fever turns Anguilla’s “.ai” domain into a digital gold mine (3 minute read)
Anguilla is a tiny British island territory in the Caribbean. The country's top-level domain is '.ai'. This appears to be particularly attractive to tech companies. Experts estimate that the country may bring in up to $30 million in revenue this year from its domain. Registrars pay Anguilla $140 for a two-year domain registration, but prices are rising due to demand.
Why I don’t want to grow my freelance design studio into an agency (16 minute read)
Some freelancers don't want to grow their businesses beyond one person. This is one freelancer's explanation of why they don't want to permanently become part of any team ever again. The main reason is that the way they work best is incompatible with agency work norms. Working independently allows for a lot of freedom and flexibility. Growth isn't always necessary, especially when you're happy with what you have.
Doctors Are Getting Ready to Give Patients a Vaccine That Blocks Fentanyl's Effects (9 minute read)
The vaccine responds to fentanyl like a sponge, binding to the drug in the bloodstream and preventing it from crossing the blood-brain barrier.
Adult corals have been safely frozen and revived for the first time (3 minute read)
A team of researchers from Texas A&M University in College Station successfully froze and revived small colonies of mature corals for the first time. The revived coral in the study only survived a few days after thawing due to stress from the process. Cryopreserving chunks of living corals could save them from extinction. Corals are dying and coral reproduction is struggling due to warming seas and acidity from human-caused climate change.
How to disable Chrome’s new targeted ad tracking (2 minute read)
Google's new Topics API allows browsers to share information with third parties about a user's interests while preserving privacy. It is designed to replace cookies that track users' actions across the internet. The Topics API was included in Chrome 115. It can be turned off through the Ad Privacy section in Chrome Settings.
The room-temperature superconductor that wasn’t (5 minute read)
LK-99 is a complicated chemical. While it isn't a room-temperature superconductor, it has many interesting properties. This article takes a look at some of these properties to explain why LK-99 behaves the way it does. The nature of LK-99 made it difficult for scientists to determine the source of its behaviors.
Weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy also protect your heart (5 minute read)
Semiglutide was originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes. It may also reduce heart failure and provide more general cardiovascular benefits. Weekly injections of the drug can reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack by 20%. While scientists don't entirely know how the drug works, studies show that it may have many other uses, such as in reducing alcohol consumption. The manufacturer that produces the drug plans to seek regulatory approval in the US and Europe for more uses.
An Internet of PHP (8 minute read)
This article looks at statistics, anecdotes, and other evidence to make the case that the internet runs on PHP.