🚀 NASA's $843M SpaceX Deal, Smashing AI App, Windows on Arm Improvements

Welcome! Today, we bring you an exclusive look at the most impactful innovations and developments in technology and AI.

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Today’s pick

• NASA Selects International Space Station US Deorbit Vehicle

• Smashing, from Goodreads’ co-founder, curates the best of the web using AI and human recommendations

• Windows on Arm finally has legs 

• Critical MOVEit vulnerability puts huge swaths of the Internet at severe risk 

• Google Translate adding support for 110 new languages, including Cantonese 

Let’s dive in

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NASA Selects International Space Station US Deorbit Vehicle

NASA

• NASA has selected SpaceX to develop and deliver the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle for the safe and controlled deorbit of the International Space Station by 2030.

• The contract for the Deorbit Vehicle is valued at $843 million, with NASA taking ownership and operating the spacecraft after development.

• The International Space Station has been a collaborative effort by five space agencies since 1998 and continues to serve as a unique scientific platform, having conducted over 3,300 experiments in microgravity.

𝕏: We have selected @SpaceX to develop and deliver the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle and prepare for a safe and responsible deorbit of the @Space_Station after the end of its operational life in 2030. - NASA (@NASA)

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Smashing, from Goodreads’ co-founder, curates the best of the web using AI and human recommendations

By Sarah Perez via TechCrunch 

• Goodreads' co-founder Otis Chandler has launched Smashing, an AI and community-powered content recommendation app, currently in invite-only beta.

• Smashing aims to surface the internet’s hidden gems, including news articles, blog posts, social media posts, podcasts, and more, addressing the fragmentation and content overload in the media ecosystem.

• The startup has secured $3.4 million in seed funding and seeks to drive traffic to publishers' sites, not replace long-form content, leveraging both AI and human recommendations.

𝕏: Everyone knows the internet is increasingly full of noise. But it’s also filled with so, so many good reads. I’m thrilled to announce Smashing, a new app that helps you find the gems. We’re building a trusted community to curate the web. -  Otis Chandler (@otown)

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Windows on Arm finally has legs 

By Tom Warren via The Verge

• Windows on Arm has significantly improved with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus processors, delivering a Windows 11 experience comparable to regular laptops.

• Microsoft's Prism emulator enhances app performance, with notable improvements in compatibility for non-native apps, but struggles remain with heavyweight applications and gaming.

• Despite challenges, the increase in ARM64 native apps and continuous developer support indicates a promising future for Windows on Arm.

𝕏: Windows on ARM finally has legs. After 12 years of attempts to transition to Windows on ARM, it feels like Microsoft is finally about to succeed. -  Tom Warren (@tomwarren)

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Critical MOVEit vulnerability puts huge swaths of the Internet at severe risk 

By Dan Goodin via Ars Technica

• A critical vulnerability in MOVEit software, used for file transfer and management, is putting vast swaths of the Internet at risk of hacks, with active exploitation already underway.

• The CVE-2024-5806 vulnerability allows attackers to bypass authentication, using a null string as an encryption key to gain access, and has a severity rating of 9.1 out of 10.

• Progress Software has released patches, but affected users must urgently update their systems to mitigate potential damage similar to last year's MOVEit flaw, which compromised over 2,300 organizations.

𝕏: Patch or take your moveit appliance offline.  The regret factor will be high. - Rob Joyce (@RGB_Lights)

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Google Translate adding support for 110 new languages, including Cantonese 

By Abner Li via 9to5Google 

• Google Translate is adding support for 110 new languages, marking its largest expansion ever.

• The update, powered by PaLM 2, covers over 614 million speakers, including major languages like Cantonese and smaller, revitalized languages such as Manx.

• This expansion significantly enhances Google Translate's support for African languages, with a broader goal of eventually supporting the 1,000 most spoken languages worldwide.

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Trending in AI

• OpenAI’s China Block to Reshape AI Scene as Big Players Pounce

• Amazon hits $2 trillion in valuation on AI fervor, rate cut bets

• I Wore Meta Ray-Bans in Montreal to Test Their AI Translation Skills. It Did Not Go Well

• Figma announces big redesign with AI 

• The A.I. Boom Has an Unlikely Early Winner: Wonky Consultants 

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Thanks for reading to the bottom and soaking in our Newslit Daily fueled with highlights for your morning.

I hope you found it interesting and, needless to say, if you have any questions or feedback let me know by hitting reply.

Take care and see you tomorrow!

— Jose Montes de Oca

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