### Issue 2017 - Tuesday 30th January, 2024

## In Today's Issue

- Neuralink places brain computer interface in a human
- Florida bans social media for kids under 16
- GitHub's Copilot AI code assistant is increasing "code churn" & reducing code reusability
- Tips for limiting who sees your web browsing history
- Cheap Anker USB charger, refurb Lenovo SFF PC, Vodafone pre-paid SIM, Everything Electric Expo

## The News

### Neuralink places brain computer interface in a human

Elon Musk tweeted out this morning that "the first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well. Initial results show promising neuron spike detection". No info on what this particular Neuralink device is intended to do, but in previous demos of the implant operating in animals, it's a "brain computer interface" that allowed the animals to type and move a cursor with their thoughts. Neuralink is far from the first company to try out these types of devices, but Neuralink has stepped it up a notch, with system utilising "more than 1,000 electrodes" whereas the most modern BCI device uses 100 electrodes. It'll be a while until we hear more about this patient, but I'm sure Musk will drop little positive-vibes-only hints about it on X that are impossible to independently verify.

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### Florida bans social media for kids under 16

The US state of Florida has passed a law that'll ban kids under the age of 16 from using "digital fentanyl", I mean, social media, even if their parents allow it. Political hyperbole aside, House Bill 1 gives social media platforms the power to terminate social media accounts of anyone it suspect to be under the age of 16, including existing accounts, and mandates the platforms use "reasonable age verification methods" to verify a user's age. No doubt it means a company like Mastercard flogging their verification API systems that we will probably all have to dump our data into eventually if we want to use mainstream internet services. Expect the eSafety Commissioner to be watching very closely for inspiration, they are frothing at the mouth to do something similar here.

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### GitHub's Copilot AI code assistant is increasing "code churn" & reducing code reusability

GitClear, a "developer-friendly analytics tool" with "next-level software developer metrics" looked at 153 million changed lines of code, authored between January 2020 and December 2023 on GitHub to try and see the impact of the Copilot AI-assistant. They found that "Code churn - the percentage of lines that are reverted or updated less than two weeks after being authored - is projected to double in 2024 compared to its 2021, pre-AI baseline" and "instead of refactoring and working to DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself) code, these Assistants offer a one-keystroke temptation to repeat existing code". I'm no programmer, but this sounds bad for maintaining projects long term??? Full report can be read here without having to hand over your email address.

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## Something I Saw On The Internet

### Tips for limiting who sees your web browsing history

It's sad an article like this has to exist, but the Digital Defense Fund's "Keep Your Abortion Private & Secure" is a valuable resource for anyone that not just wants to keep an abortion secret from the cops, but anything that's remotely sensitive or you'd rather keep quiet. The article explains how to use an alternative search engine instead of Google, how to use Firefox, disabling mobile ad ID on your smartphone, using Signal or WhatsApp instead of SMS, clearing browser history and using Tor. It's not perfect (I would say to straight up stop using Meta & Google accounts and to use a throwaway laptop running Tails for researching anything particularly sensitive), but for a non-technical audience it's very accessible and will go a long way to covering their tracks.

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## Bargains

- Anker 511 Nano 3 USB-C 30W GaN PPS charger - $24.99 from Amazon
- Refurb Lenovo ThinkCentre M710s SFF PC (i5-6400, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) - $92.82 from BNEACTTRADER eBay store
- Vodafone 365-day pre-paid SIM with 240GB data, unlimited calls & SMS - $125 at Woolworths
- 20% off Everything Electric Expo (Sydney Olympic Park, 9th-11th Feb) tickets via MyCar Tyre and Auto

## Image Of The Day

David Walker - Compact disc case detail, 5x magnification (2008 Nikon Photomicrography Competition)

## The End

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