TLDR 2024-12-17

TEMU IS THE MOST DOWNLOADED APP ON THE US APP STORE IN 2024

Apple has released a list of top apps and games for 2024. Temu was the most downloaded free app in the US App Store. TikTok made the list at No. 3 behind Threads. ChatGPT made the list at No. 4 - it didn't make the top 10 last year. The full lists can be found on the App Store's Today page.

T-MOBILE USERS CAN TRY STARLINK-ENABLED PHONE SERVICE FOR FREE DURING BETA

T-Mobile has open registration for the beta of its T-Mobile Starlink service, which will enable text messaging via satellites in dead zones not covered by cell towers. The service uses Starlink's low-Earth orbit satellites to provide coverage. SpaceX has so far launched over 300 satellites with direct-to-cell capabilities. The beta will begin in early 2025. It will be open to all T-Mobile postpaid customers for free, but capacity is limited.

EUROPE'S STARLINK COMPETITOR IS GO

The EU's IRIS2 constellation is expected to come online by 2030. The Starlink competitor will provide secure connectivity to Europe and bring high-speed internet to dead zones. SpaceRISE, a consortium led by European satellite network operators and supported by European satcom subcontractors, has been given a 12-year concession contract to develop, deploy, and operate the IRIS2 constellation. The EU's partnership with SpaceRISE is intended to demonstrate the power of public-private collaboration in driving innovation and delivering tangible benefits to all Europeans.

SAMSUNG'S PREMIUM LASER TV BECOMES WORLD'S FIRST CERTIFIED 8K PROJECTOR

Samsung's yet-to-be-launched The Premiere 8K projector is the industry's first recipient of the 8K Association's new certification and logo. The projector excelled across all key categories. There aren't many details available about the upcoming premium ultra-short-throw projector, but Samsung has released a few official images. Samsung will likely reveal more details, including pricing and availability, at CES 2025.

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ASK HN: SWES HOW DO YOU FUTURE-PROOF YOUR CAREER IN LIGHT OF LLMS? (HACKER NEWS THREAD)

Large language models are becoming a part of software engineering. The technology could replace a lot of engineers, so younger engineers may feel like they need to find a way to future-proof their careers. The technology is still very new and can't produce professional code. There's also a lot more to being an engineer than coding, so many senior developers feel confident that it will be a while until AI can replace software engineers, if ever.

CYPHERNETES

Cyphernetes is a Kubernetes query language. It uses a mixture of ASCII-art, SQL, and JSON to let developers express graph operations in an efficient way that is also fun and creative. Cyphernetes allows developers to query and mutate Kubernetes resources in a natural way. It works out-of-the-box with CRDs and supports multi-cluster queries.

TIKTOK ASKS SUPREME COURT TO BLOCK LAW BANNING ITS U.S. OPERATIONS

TikTok has asked the Supreme Court to temporarily block the law that would effectively ban it in the US. The company claims the law violated its First Amendment rights and those of its 170 million American users. TikTok has urged the justices to maintain the status quo while they decide on whether to hear an appeal.

AMAZON AND THE ENDANGERED FUTURE OF THE MIDDLE MANAGER

Amazon is a leading indicator of a new era of flattening in corporate structure. Its slashing of manager roles isn't just about cost cutting, but a glimpse into the future of work. Amazon is targeting an increase in the ratio of individual contributors to managers by at least 15% by the end of Q1 2025 across all divisions. It is estimated that the company could cut as many as 14,000 management positions, which would result in $2 billion to $4 billion in savings.

NINTENDO SWITCH 2 DESIGN SEEMINGLY LEAKED BY CARRYING CASE MAKER — SIMILAR AESTHETICS BUT WITH A LARGER SCREEN AND JOY-CONS

Dbrand has released a full 3D render of a Nintendo Switch 2 with a version of the Dbrand Killswitch carrying case.

WORDPRESS FORCES USERS TO AGREE THAT PINEAPPLE IS GOOD ON PIZZA

WordPress has added a compulsory checkbox on its login page possibly as a response to a decision made by a federal district judge that granted a preliminary injunction against Matt Mullenweg and Automattic.

WAYMO TO BEGIN TESTING IN TOKYO, ITS FIRST INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION

Waymo will begin testing its robotaxis in Tokyo in early 2025.

GOOGLE'S WHISK AI GENERATOR WILL ‘REMIX' THE PICTURES YOU PLUG IN

Google's Whisk AI generator lets users generate images using other images as prompts instead of requiring a text prompt.

BLUESKY AND DECENTRALIZATION

A discussion on Bluesky, decentralization, 'credible exit', and where the technology should go from here.

TESLA IS HAVING MAJOR ISSUE WITH ITS SELF-DRIVING COMPUTER INSIDE NEW CARS

A new version of Tesla's HW4 onboard self-driving computer is failing, possibly due to a battery short-circuiting the computer during the camera calibration process.