TLDR 2020-10-19

SpaceX has launched nearly 800 Starlink satellites so far, but 3% have seemingly failed because they are no longer maneuvering in orbit. The failed satellites could be dangerous as they could potentially crash into other spacecraft and generate space debris. With plans to launch 42,000 spacecraft by the end of this decade, the 3% failure rate could eventually mean more than 1,200 dead satellites. SpaceX says the satellites will naturally deorbit and burn up in Earth's atmosphere, but the process can take up to five years.

Nokia has been awarded a $14.1 million contract to deploy a cellular network on the moon. The company will build a 4G/LTE network that will be eventually transitioned to 5G. NASA has said the network will extend to spacecraft. The network will be designed to withstand extreme temperatures, radiation, and the vacuum of space. It will provide more reliable communication at greater distances on the lunar surface compared to current technologies.

Envisics has developed a headset-free, in-car holography system that can give drivers an Augmented Reality Heads-Up Display. One of the biggest challenges for makers of AR headsets is people moving their heads, which is less of a problem in cars. Envisics' Retina-grade displays can produce sharp and clear images three to four times the resolution of the human eye. Its first-generation displays are available in current Jaguar Land Rovers and the second-generation version will appear in GM's Cadillac Lyriq in 2023. A one-minute video is available in the article that demonstrates some functions of Envisics' AR HUD.

The Serapium Forest is a 200-hectare forest that was planted in northeast Egypt as part of a project to support Egypt's economy and fight environmental and climate changes. Egypt used treated wastewater to plant the trees in the desert. The Serapium Forest project started in 1998. In 2019, 21 African countries (including Egypt) created the Great Green Wall, a tree-planting project. The Great Green Wall will extend over 100 million hectares and cost around $8 billion. It is expected to provide many benefits to the continent, including more jobs, lower temperatures, cleaner air, increased soil quality, and more.

Tailwind is built on a new way of building user interfaces using a utility-first CSS class structure. This tutorial walks through how to install, configure, and build a responsive hero section using Tailwind CSS. It walks through configuring the project using the recommended PostCSS powered Tailwind configuration file.

This repository contains notes and references about deploying deep learning-based models in production. Topics include converting PyTorch Models to C++, Mobile & Embedded Devices Development, GPU Management Libraries, and much more.

OpenPilot's Comma Two is a device that adds basic autonomy to vehicles. It consists of a device that is mounted to the windshield and a vehicle harness that connects to the vehicle to send gas, braking, and steering controls to the vehicle's various computers. The device enhances a car's radar cruise and lane-watch systems to make minor corrections, keeping drivers in their lanes and handling low-stakes highway driving. OpenPilot is supported by a strong community, with active users and staff ready to help solve problems. Videos of the Comma Two on the road are available in the article.

The Open-Source Leg is a collaborative project to bring researchers together to create an open-source bionic leg. One of the biggest challenges in developing bionic technology is that many groups are working separately on a solution, all in secret. Research teams usually have to design systems from scratch if they want to build anything, resulting in slow development. Open-Source Leg could eventually become the most common hardware system for prostheses control. It has a simple and portable design that is economical, scalable, and customizable.