Google must crack open Android for third-party stores, rules Epic judge (7 minute read)
Google has been ordered to effectively open up the Google Play app store to competition for three years. It will have to distribute rival third-party app stores within Google Play and give third-party app stores access to the full catalog of Google Play apps unless developers opt out. Google must also, between November 1, 2024, to November 1, 2027, stop requiring Google Play Billing for apps distributed on the Google Play Stores and let Android developers tell users about other ways to pay from within the Play Store, link to ways to download their apps outside of the Play Store, and set their own prices for apps irrespective of Play Billing. Many more details on the ruling are available in the article.
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First wave of M4 Macs, including smaller Mac mini, coming November 1 (2 minute read)
M4 Macs are predicted to launch on November 1 following a late-October announcement. Apple is expected to launch refreshed 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros with M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, a new M4 version of the 24-inch iMac, and an M4 update to the Mac mini. The refreshed Mac mini will come with a fully revamped design and be closer in size to an Apple TV box. It will have fewer ports than current models. The new Macs should launch around the same time as the macOS Sequoia 15.1 update. M4 Macs likely won't get any unique Apple Intelligence features.
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Science & Futuristic Technology
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SpaceX launches Europe's Hera asteroid mission ahead of Hurricane Milton (12 minute read)
NASA smashed a spacecraft into an asteroid millions of miles from Earth two years ago to test a technique for deflecting objects off a collision course with Earth. The European Space Agency launched a mission on Monday to go back to the crash site to see the damage done. The Hera mission will arrive in late 2026 to perform a comprehensive survey. It will help scientists better understand the inner structure of asteroids, allowing future mission planners to know how best to deflect hazardous objects that threaten Earth.
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Agility Robotics, Maker of Humanoid Bots, Shows Off Its ‘RoboFab' (4 minute read)
Agility Robotics' RoboFab will produce its first bot sometime this month. The company is among a number of robot makers that are combining increasingly powerful batteries, motors, and sensors with software to create bots that can work in spaces designed for humans. It will set up as many as four production lines. RoboFab doesn't require the expensive machinery usually found in auto plants. Agility's robots can mostly be assembled by humans wielding hand tools.
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Programming, Design & Data Science
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sq data wrangler (GitHub Repo)
sq is a command line tool that provides jq-style access to structured data sources. It executes jq-like queries and can join across sources. sq outputs to a multitude of formats and can insert query results directly to a SQL database. It can inspect sources to view metadata about the source structure.
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Unlocking the ‘aha' moment: Developer relations for startups (15 minute read)
While developer relations can be the cornerstone of product adoption and growth for early-stage companies, many of these companies often focus on the wrong things. Success lies in how quickly developers reach their first 'aha' moment - the moment when they truly grasp a product's core value and potential. This article discusses the importance of getting developers to the 'aha' moment and how using a product marketing mindset can help, how to build an incredible developer experience, how to use open source to drive growth and build a community, and more.
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Private Equity Ruins Tech Companies (2 minute read)
Private equity firms raise money from investors to buy companies, restructure them, and sell them for a profit. They're all about maximizing returns in the fastest time possible. When these firms acquire a tech company, they focus on aggressive cost-cutting and streamlining operations to boost short-term profitability. This is extremely destructive - private equity-backed companies are 10 times more likely to go bankrupt than public companies. Open source communities are particularly vulnerable to this model.
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The 30-year-old internet backdoor law that came back to bite (5 minute read)
China-backed hackers have compromised the wiretap systems of several US telecom and internet providers. These wiretap systems typically grant a select few employees nearly unlimited access to information about customers, including internet traffic and browsing histories. Technologists have warned for years about the security risks of legally required backdoors. The wiretap systems are mandated under a 30-year-old US federal law, which requires communication providers to provide the government with all necessary assistance to access customers' information when presented with a lawful order.
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Video is Impossible (8 minute read)
Running a dedicated video site on the internet is impossible because it is extremely expensive to host an enormous amount of content and serve it instantly and at high quality to users all around the world.
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