Hey everyone! Just wanted to give you a sneak peek into what I’ve been reading lately. From exploring the transformation of office towers into cozy apartments revitalizing Manhattan’s downtown, to the groundbreaking method of brewing your cold coffee in under three minutes with ultrasound tech, there’s a lot going on! Plus, I’ve dived into the Grateful Dead’s legendary Wall of Sound, the shifting trends towards becoming a Forever Renter, and a fascinating genetic discovery in Alzheimer’s research. Don’t even get me started on Apple’s latest iPad reveal and the insightful analysis of London’s narcotic-laced wastewater. And for those interested in the tech and engineering world, there’s something for you too, including OpenAI’s new plan to combat deepfakes and advice on snagging that executive engineering role. Can’t wait to discuss more with you all!

• Can Turning Office Towers Into Apartments Save Downtowns?: Nathan Berman has helped rescue Manhattan’s financial district from a “doom loop” by carving attractive living spaces from hulking buildings that once housed fields of cubicles. D. T. Max reports.
• Hear that? That’s the sound of an ultrasonic cold brew coffee ready in under three minutes: UNSW Sydney engineers have utilised sound waves to cut the time it takes to make a cold brew coffee from many hours down to mere minutes.
• The Grateful Dead’s Wall of Sound: While modern improvements in technologies have the benefit of being far more powerful and lightweight, the Wall of Sound remains unparalleled.
• The Rise of the Forever Renter Class: On those who are unable or unwilling to buy a house in 2024 and what to do about it.
• Scientists discover an underlying genetic cause for 15% of Alzheimer’s cases: For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer’s disease — in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene.
• Everything announced at Apple’s Let Loose iPad event: Apple’s Let Loose event is in the books and, as expected, it was largely about new iPads. Here’s everything that Apple announced, including the M4-powered iPad Pro with an OLED display.
• ‘I see cocaine in wild shrimp in Suffolk’: meet the scientist who analyses our wastewater: Dr Leon Barron studies London’s wastewater, analysing it in all its chemical, narcotic, polluted glory, before and after treatment. Amazingly, he still drinks the stuff from the tap
• Inside OpenAI’s new plan for fighting deepfakes: The company has new strategies for shoring up our shared sense of reality. Will they matter in the election?
• Getting an Engineering Executive Job: An overview of successful, tried-and-true routes into CTO, VPE, and Head of Engineering jobs, from the new book, ‘The Engineering Executive’s Primer’ by Will Larson.