TLDR 2025-11-03

NEW VERSION OF SIRI TO 'LEAN' ON GOOGLE GEMINI

Apple plans to roll out a revamped version of Siri around March next year. It will reportedly lean on Google Gemini and have an AI-powered web search feature. Apple is rumored to be paying Google to create a custom Gemini-based model that can run on its Private Cloud Compute servers to power Siri. The upgraded Siri will not include Google services or Gemini features.

ELON MUSK: FUTURE STARLINK SATELLITES WILL BECOME ORBITING DATA CENTERS

Elon Musk recently suggested that scaling up Starlink V3 satellites would enable the creation of a network of orbiting data centers. The V3 satellites will be able to transmit data at up to 200Gbps. SpaceX will need to complete Starship before it can launch its V3 satellites - each V3 could weigh up to 2,000 kilograms, almost four times the current mass of the V2 Mini Starlink satellites.

NASA TEST FLIGHT SEEKS TO HELP BRING COMMERCIAL SUPERSONIC TRAVEL BACK

NASA's newest experimental supersonic jet, the X-59 Quesst (Quiet SuperSonic Technology), made its first flight last Tuesday. The inaugural flight validated the jet's airworthiness and safety. The X-59 generates a lower 'sonic thump' compared to other supersonic jet designs thanks to its long, slender nose, which breaks up pressure waves that would otherwise merge on parts of the airplane. Its design limits shock waves and directs sound waves up to the sky rather than down toward the ground. The single-seat, single-engine jet can cruise at Mach 1.4 at an altitude of 55,000 feet, nearly twice as high and twice as fast as commercial airliners typically fly.

WHAT THE AIR YOU BREATHE MAY BE DOING TO YOUR BRAIN

There is increasing evidence that chronic exposure to PM2.5 is associated with dementia. These particles are among the smallest. They are easily inhaled and can travel directly from the nose to the brain. Increasing air pollution poses a big health risk for older adults.

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IMMUTABLE RELEASES ARE NOW GENERALLY AVAILABLE

GitHub releases now support immutability. Immutable releases protect assets and tags from being tampered with after publication. This ensures that the software remains secure and trustworthy. Immutable releases can be enabled at the repository or organizational level. Once enabled, all new releases will be immutable - existing releases remain mutable unless they are republished. Disabling immutability doesn't affect releases created while it was enabled.

YOUR URL IS YOUR STATE

Good URLs describe a conversation between the user and the application. They capture intent, preserve context, and enable sharing in ways that no other state management solution can match. URLs can be state containers, user interfaces, and contracts all rolled into one. State management libraries still have their place, but the best solution is just to use the URL.

AI BROKE INTERVIEWS

AI caused the entire remote-interview infrastructure to collapse by breaking the basic assumption that the person answering was the person thinking. Companies should start testing for things only real engineers can do. They need high-signal, human-centric interviews that reflect how engineering actually works. Future interviews will feel like a conversation between people who want to build something together.

PALANTIR THINKS COLLEGE MIGHT BE A WASTE. SO IT'S HIRING HIGH-SCHOOL GRADS

Palantir's 'Meritocracy Fellowship' is an experiment launched under the thesis that existing universities in the US are no longer reliable or necessary for training good workers. Palantir is a data analytics company known for its government contracts. The four-month fellowship program gives its 22 students a chance to work full-time at Palantir. This article gives readers a look inside the program to see what it is like.

NASA'S ORION SPACE CAPSULE IS FLAMING GARBAGE

The Orion Capsule, currently being developed by Lockheed Martin for the Artemis Program, is absurdly expensive, far too slow and heavy, unsafe, and unfit for its purpose.

BUILD SYSTEM TRADEOFFS

Writing build rules in a 'normal' but constrained programming language, then serializing them to a build graph, has surprisingly few tradeoffs.

THE END OF CLOUD INFERENCE

The cloud doesn't have to be the place where every single thought has to happen.

HOW I USE EVERY CLAUDE CODE FEATURE

The post covers useful Claude Code features, including the Claude.md file, custom slash commands, Subagents, Hooks, and GitHub Actions.

US DEFENSE COMPANY ANDURIL FLIES ITS UNCREWED JET DRONE FOR FIRST TIME

Anduril's drone, the YFQ-44A, can manage its own flight controls and throttle adjustment without human command.

CHINA'S BAIDU SAYS WEEKLY ROBOTAXI RIDES HIT 250,000 — SAME AS ALPHABET'S WAYMO THIS SPRING

Baidu's Apollo Go robotaxis have so far not been involved in any major accidents that involve human injury or death.