TLDR 2020-11-09

Netflix's TV channel 📺, lava planet discovered 🌋, bacteria-based foods 🦠

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Big Tech & Startups

Kombucha was just the beginning. This designer wants to create a bacteria-based food industry (2 minute read)

Plurality Now is a conceptual restaurant that offers a menu of food derived from bacterial cultures. Its food is made solely through fermentation and molding techniques. Marek Głogowski created the restaurant to introduce new foods to people to shift them away from a reliance on industrial agriculture and to bring awareness to how bacteria within people can affect the nutrients and calories they absorb from food. Probiotics such as yogurt, and more recently, kombucha have already helped spread awareness of these ideas. The global probiotics market is expected to grow to $78.3 billion in 2026 from $47.1 billion in 2018.

Netflix Picks France to Test First Linear Offering (2 minute read)

France will be the first country to receive Netflix's first channel offering. Direct will be a linear channel that airs shows in real-time. It will only be available via web browser. France was chosen as the testing country for this feature due to its consumption of traditional TV. Many people in France prefer a laid back experience where they don't have to choose shows. The feature may also appeal to older demographics, which make up a significant portion of households in France.
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Science & Futuristic Technology

The Space Force Is Now in Charge of the Secret X-37B Space Plane (3 minute read)

The US Space Force has created a unit dedicated solely to orbital warfare. Delta 9 will be overseeing the experimental X-37B space plane, an unmanned spacecraft that was previously under the purview of the Air Force. NASA has been using the secret experimental space plane to conduct experiments in space as well as to move classified payloads. The X-37B recently completed a 780-day unmanned mission. It can autonomously re-enter the atmosphere and land on a flight line.

Scientists discover bizarre hell planet where it rains rocks and oceans are made of lava (3 minute read)

K2-141b is a planet hundreds of light-years away that has oceans made of molten lava, winds that reach supersonic speeds, and rain that is made of rocks. It is one of the most extreme exoplanets ever discovered. The planet orbits so closely to its host star that much of it is made of flowing lava oceans. Only one side of the planet faces the sun as it is gravitationally locked in place. K2-141b appears to have a surface, ocean, and atmosphere all made of rock. The surface of the sunny side of the planet reaches over 5,400 degrees Fahrenheit, vaporizing the rock to create a thin, inhospitable atmosphere. The surface of the dark side of the planet is perpetually dark and reaches temperatures of minus 328 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Programming, Design & Data Science

Smart Upscaler (Website)

Smart Upscaler can upscale images up to 3000x3000px. It uses artificial intelligence to predict a high-resolution image given a low-resolution image. It is free to use for the first three images. API integration is available for large batches of photos.

Dizzle - CSS Selector Library (1 minute read)

Dizzle is a simple and fast CSS selector engine that turns CSS selectors into functions that test if elements match them. It features full implementation of CSS 3 and CSS 4 selectors and partial implementation of jQuery extensions.
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Miscellaneous

China leapfrogs world with first 6G experimental satellite (3 minute read)

China sent a 6G satellite into space on top of a Long March-6 carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The satellite will be used to verify the performance of 6G technology in space. 6G is expected to be over 100 times faster than its predecessor, allowing lossless transmissions over long distances with less power. The satellite has a system to provide abundant satellite images and data. There are still many technical hurdles to overcome before 6G becomes commercially available.

Linux version of RansomEXX ransomware discovered (3 minute read)

RansomEXX is a new ransomware strain that has been used to target governments and businesses since June. It is being used by ransomware groups to target organizations that can't afford to stay down while they recover their systems. A Linux version of the ransomware has surfaced that targets core infrastructure rather than workstations. Linux ransomware has not been popular in the past due to its reliance on spam as an infection method. Newer generations of ransomware are more targeted so it is likely that the number of Linux ransomware strains will increase. Companies are advised to apply security patches to gateway devices and make sure they are configured properly.
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