Issue No. 11/21
Moin!
That programming and mathematics are connected, sometimes more and sometimes less, is well known. But how cool the combination of the two fields can be, shows the creation of Marching Squares by the principle of Metaballs.
Also, this issue comes with crazy robots, as well as great news for Oracle JDK users!
Another novelty I have with me: Ivy’s Branch! My own little corner where I tell you about exciting inventions, events or topics that are not necessarily related to the rest of the newsletter.
Enjoy reading,
Ivy
Can it get a little more mathematical?
If you often lack practical references to mathematics when programming, you might be interested in this way of visualizing algorithms! Jamie Wong describes the application of Metaball behavior through the iterative calculation of Marching Squares. Not only does this make the math illustrative, but the step-by-step approach to the final result is promising!
Kevin – Now launches his own screensaver.
āLEgs ONboARD drOneā- Leonardo for short.
Leonardo is the technological offspring of the Caltech Aerospace Robotics and Control Lab. The drone with legs (the thing can actually walk, fly and skateboard) is 75cm tall, weighs 2.5kg (including battery and electronics on board) and flies at speeds of up to 3m/s – and does so in a stable manner with good balance. Possible application fields: High altitude environments, such as inspecting power lines or high bridges.
Sophia – planning her drone invasion for next year.
Take a look at Leonardo in action.
LA reduces its crime rate thanks to Robocops
What we only know from Star Wars so far has now become reality in Los Angeles: a mix of R2-D2 and police droid turns into a police robot with 360-degree camera and emergency button. With the help of an AI, anomalies such as fights or vandalism are detected. The robot, developed in Silicon Valley, costs $75,000 a year, but its successes are impressive: 50% fewer crimes were reported and the number of arrests increased by 30%!
Ela – planning her move to Hollywood.
Oracle JDK is now free!
There is good news for all Java developers and all who have to use the commercial license of Java. Oracle JDK is free from JDK 17 on!
Philipp – plays only his own Flappy Bird version.
Ivy’s Branch (New! Here Ivy shows you an additional favorite topic in every issue!)
MuteMe – The little button that protects you from being interrupted in calls!
MuteMe ist ein kleines Gadget, das deinen Kolleg:innen oder deiner Familie im HomeOffice signalisiert, dass du gerade telefonierst oder in einem VideoCall steckst. Sofern dein Mikrofon deaktiviert ist, leuchtet das GerƤt rot, wenn nicht grĆ¼n.