TLDR 2020-07-21

Snapchat meditation 😌, SpaceX catches parts 🚀, why not to found a startup 😫

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Big Tech & Startups

The easiest way to start meditating is now in... Snapchat? (4 minute read)

Snap Minis are small apps that are designed to be used through Snapchat's chat function. Headspace Minis went live on Monday, allowing users to use Snapchat for guided meditations. The app allows users to join meditation sessions together. Users will see their friend's Bitmojis on their screen when doing group meditation sessions. The app can also be used alone. A 49-second presentation from Snapchat and some screenshots from the Headspace Minis app is available in the article.

Microsoft analyzed data on its newly remote workforce (9 minute read)

In a study across Microsoft's workforce on the effects of remote work, it was found that employees have been communicating more efficiently and working more varied hours. There were more meetings, but meetings were shorter. Managers were impacted the most by the shift to remote work, with significant increases in meeting hours and messages sent. Social meetings increased and it was found that most employees were maintaining existing networks, even expanding them.
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Science & Futuristic Technology

SpaceX successfully catches both fairing halves for the first time on its latest launch (2 minute read)

SpaceX has managed to catch both halves of the fairing used on one of its Falcon 9 rocket launches for the first time. The fairing is the two-piece protective cover that surrounds the cargo on the launch vehicle. SpaceX uses two ships equipped with special nets to catch the pieces as they fall. The company can save as much as $6 million per launch by recovering and reusing the fairing halves. The ships need to be positioned correctly to recover the fairing pieces as they fall to the ground without a guidance system. The fairing recovery system could be adapted to also catch Crew Dragon capsules.

First 'Non-Cuttable' Material in the World: Proteus (2 minute read)

Proteus is a new non-cuttable material created from ceramic spheres arranged in a cellular aluminum structure. With only 15% steel density, Proteus can resist cutting tools such as angle grinders or drills. Its design was inspired by grapefruit skin and mollusk shells. The material is designed to be harder to cut when damaged. It is equally effective against water jet cutters.
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Programming, Design & Data Science

Tabler Icons (Website)

This site contains 558 fully customizable and free SVG icons. The collection is searchable. Users can customize the size, stroke, and color of the icons.

Awesome MLOps (GitHub Repo)

This repository contains a list of curated references for machine learning operations. Sections include books, papers, articles, software engineering, machine learning, ethics, and more.
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Miscellaneous

I Don't Want to be a Founder and I Don't Think You Do Either (9 minute read)

There are many downsides to being a founder. You will have to commit to the company and your cofounders, sometimes developing relationships that can be more intense than marriage, with significant financial risks if the relationship fails. While venture capitals might invest money into your company, you are investing years of your life for the possibility of success. Venture capitals win by investing in many startups, hoping that one will be a success. This can result in the startup taking over the founder's sense of self and other issues. There are other pathways to getting whatever you might be looking for when becoming a founder that don't involve dedicating your life to a product.

Zoom Earth (Website)

This website provides near real-time satellite images. Users can adjust the time, search for locations, and view recent images of storms, wildfires, property, and more. The data is gathered from a variety of international sources.
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