TLDR 2019-11-14

Apple's new 16-inch MacBook Pro has launched at a starting price of $2,399. It has new processors, better speakers, and a larger screen. Apple has gone back to scissor switches for its keyboards. The new MacBook Pro is excluded from Apple's extended keyboard repair program. Apple has redesigned the thermal system in the new laptops. Users can spec their machines up to 64GB of RAM and 8TB of SSD storage. The battery is supposed to be able to handle 11 hours of wireless web. A new 6-speaker sound system uses two force canceling woofers to allow for more bass with less distortion. It uses a three-microphone array that is supposed to have sound on par with USB-powered podcasting mics. Despite the larger screen, the laptop size is almost identical to the 2015 15-inch MacBook Pro. It has only four Thunderbolt 3 ports and a headphone jack.

Google is moving into banking and personal financial services and will start offering checking accounts to customers starting next year. Project Cache will involve partnerships with banks and credit unions, with the banks handling all financial and compliance activities related to the accounts. Google intends to offer product advantages, such as loyalty programs, on top of the basic financial services. It is unclear whether or not there will be service fees involved. Google currently offers Google Pay and Google Wallet for payments and transfers between users. Project Cache, along with its other payment systems, will allow Google to view the financial data of its users, which for many is a good picture of their overall day-to-day lives.

A lack of micronutrients can cause malnourished people to suffer even if they don't look starved. Additional nutritional programs in malnourished communities are often underfunded. Micronutrients in food are often lost due to long cooking times or improper storage. A new capsule has been invented that can keep micronutrients protected until they are ingested. Bill Gates was personally involved in the development of the capsule, and his organization helped fund the project. The next challenge is to distribute the capsules to the areas in which they are needed. While producing the capsules might not be profitable, it may have a long-term positive effect on the economy as people who are no longer micronutrient deficient will be healthier and more productive.

Europe has granted approval for the world's first Ebola vaccine. Ervebo was developed in 2014 and has been used during the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo based on a compassionate use protocol. The current outbreak in the DRC is the second-largest recorded, with nearly 3,300 cases and 2,200 deaths. Preliminary vaccine data shows that Ervebo is 97.5 percent effective at preventing Ebola. It protects against one of the four species of Ebola known to infect humans. The vaccine is expected to be approved in the US in the first half of 2020. Ervebo has been prequalified by the World Health Organization, which means that it meets WHO standards for safety, quality, and effectiveness. Five years ago, there was no vaccine or therapeutics for Ebola. The disease is now preventable and treatable.

Basecamp Personal is a free way to run Basecamp for freelancers, students, families, and personal projects. Basecamp is a way to show the required information in a project all in one place so that developers can communicate what is being done and what needs to be done next in an effective way. It can fundamentally improve how project workflows are managed.

vy is a powerful modal editor written in Python. It has a very modular architecture and can be modified with many plugins. There are many available plugins to customize vy. All built-in functions are well documented, and documentation for plugins is also available. Some features include a Python debugger, fuzzy search, syntax highlighting for 300+ languages, and autocompletion for Python, Ruby, Golang, and Javascript.

Disney+ has already received more than 10 million subscriptions since its launch on Tuesday. There were some technical issues at launch, but that did not deter customers. Disney stock went up by 7.35 percent by Wednesday's close. There is a seven-day free trial, so not all the sign-ups represent paying customers. Verizon is also offering customers a free year of Disney+. Disney has made a significant move against its rivals only a day after its US launch. It will slowly roll out to the rest of the globe, with Australia and New Zealand receiving the service starting on November 19. Disney+ is $6.99 per month, or $69.99 per year in the US, which is significantly cheaper than competitors such as Netflix.