Dear Technos,

(We hope you love that name, do you?)

Hello and welcome back to another hot-piping edition of Tech Creator. The tech giants are in the news for reasons both good and bad. 

Before you get to solving the puzzles, let’s get into the ‘Gray matter’ first (pun intended). Wink

Elon Musk's Neuralink implanted its first brain chip in a human's skull. 

Here's what you need to know about the surgery. 👀

Remember that sci-fi movie where people controlled robots with their thoughts?

Well, turning movies into reality, Elon Musk's Neuralink just implanted its first brain chip in a human! The future is here (and to be honest, it's slightly terrifying/amazing).

Here's the scoop:

• The chip is tiny, like, really tiny: Think the size of a quarter with ultra-thin threads that can read your brainwaves.

• It's not just for fun and games: While controlling your phone with your mind sounds cool, Neuralink's main goal is to help people with severe neurological conditions regain communication and movement.

• There’s a robot surgeon on duty. A special robot carefully inserts the chip.

• Neuralink's already tested its tech on monkeys, allowing them to play Pong with their minds. No word on whether they got banana rewards, though.

So, what's next?

This is a HUGE step forward in brain-computer technology. Some are excited about the potential to treat diseases and enhance human capabilities, while others worry about ethical concerns and potential misuse.

Only time will tell if this brain-computer interface is a dream come true or a dystopian nightmare. 

Want to dive deeper? Check out the full article for all the nitty-gritty details!

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Apple’s Pro Vision Is a Face Computer With Its Trade-Offs

Apple’s current Apple of the eye, Vision Pro Headset, has hit the stores 8 months after the announcement.

The $3,500 headset is Apple’s attempt at a spatial computer for your face. It comes with lots of promise and skepticism around its capabilities. The internet is flooded with people driving trucks and crossing roads with their headsets on. 

That’s not advisable. Yet, the headset’s mania is such that everyone wants their hands over it. 

Let’s learn why. 

• The headset is lighter compared to other rival headsets. Suprisingly, just as heavy as a cauliflower. 

• It is a blend of two innovations – a Virtual Reality (VR) headset and Augmented Reality (AR) cameras 

• The wearer can see applications floating in space and interact with them via hand gestures. 

• The headset uses multiple videos to create a 3D effect. The secret lies in three layers: an OLED screen, a lenticular layer, and a widening layer.

But the spectacular promise isn’t without its trade-offs.

Here are a few: 

• This "magic" comes at the cost of reduced resolution, leading to a slightly blurry appearance.

• Combining images on the same display necessitates lower resolution, impacting clarity.

• The widening layer expands the 3D view but restricts viewing angles.

An avid VR enthusiast who used the headset said you will hear an echo if you yell in the mountains in the immersive mode.

That’s pretty cool for a headset attempting to innovate for the future.  

But did you know it is possible to hack Apple Vision Pro? An MIT student hacked the Vision Pro days after its launch. Oops…

Google New Update: Why There Will Be No Cached Links 

Google has retired the ‘cached links’ feature. But did you need it anyway? Here’s what you need to know:

Did you ever use Google’s cache links when a site wasn’t loading? Well, they have long been an alternative route, but not any longer.

Google will no longer keep a backup for the reason Google’s Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan, quotes in an X Post:

“(The feature) was meant for helping people access pages when way back, you often couldn't depend on a page loading. These days, things have greatly improved. So, it was decided to retire it."

What Happens Now? 

The feature has been appearing and disappearing since December. However, the cache links no longer appear in Google Search. 

Meanwhile, Google has also announced April 2024 as the shutdown date for Google Podcasts.

It has also begun shutting down purchased magazine content while offering them refunds. You would also be no longer able to use Play Movies & TV. Read the full story here. 

Is there a way to access Cache? Arstechnica discusses the solution in this story. 

Interesting Happenings In The Tech Space

• EV Startup Arrival Looks to Wind Off Assets: From a $13 billion mega EV startup to a mere $9 million entity, Arrival has filed to enter administration, aka bankruptcy, in the UK. It is selling off its UK assets and intellectual property to pay back the lenders. 

• Facebook Won’t Allow You to Schedule Posts Any Longer: Meta is shutting down its Facebook Groups API with the release of its Facebook Graph API v19.0. The feature will go away in 90 days. However, Facebook says another upgrade will restore it.  

• Lynk Global Readies to Go Public: Satellite-to-phone connectivity provider Lynk Global is hell-bent on entering the public markets via a merger with basketball player Alex Rodriguez’s special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), Slam Corp. Lynk could become a $913 million valued company post the deal.  

• Cyberattack Costs Exceeded $49 Million for Clorox: Cyberattacks are getting expensive each year. Clorox revealed in an SEC filing that the attack cost the company $49 million. The company intends to incur $50-$60 million in cyberattack costs. 

Moreover, Johnson Controls, MGM Resorts, City of Dallas, and Capita faced similar ransomware attacks costing them millions.  

Tech Throwback 📅

Do you know Why February 6 is remarkable in Tech History?

Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments filed a patent application called "miniaturized electronic circuits" for his work on a multi-transistor device on February 6th, 1959.

We’ll see you next Monday! 👋

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