Tech, One Data Point At a Time • April 15, 2024

Hey. Welcome. Ernie here.

Since you signed up for my secret test list, I’m going to try something entertaining to make it worth your while. Over the years, I have screwed with a variety of designs for different concepts that I have not actually launched. This one is for a technology-themed reboot of ShortFormBlog.

I am going to send issues of my test newsletter in templates I have built for uncompleted projects.

My ask of you, faithful reader: Does anything look broken? Is this a fun format? And where could I take this next?

Anyway, on with the show.

The Tech Word Of The Day

lightspy

The name of a dangerous iOS spyware tool. First released back in 2020, the spyware is dangerous enough that Apple recently sent a warning to users in 92 countries about malicious software, according to Tom’s Guide, presumably in reference to LightSpy. I’m not important enough to get this warning, because I’ve been infected with spyware. Yet.
Nerdy Data Points

$6.4B

The amount of money the U.S. is paying Samung to make semiconductor chips in Texas, a significant portion of funding from the CHIPS Act that’s expected to top $40 billion, per the Texas Tribune. Meanwhile, nobody is giving me $6.4 billion to make this newsletter.

25M

The number of people who suffer from the disease tinnitus, which causes a high-pitched buzz in your ears. A new gadget approved by the FDA, called Lenire, is said to treat the condition successfully in most cases, according to NPR.
Quote That Looks Worse In Retrospect

“What you do on your computer should be your business, and no one else’s.”

— Sen. Maria Cantwell, making the case for digital privacy way back in 2000, when she ran for the House. These days she’s in a position to do something about it, yet it seems to fall apart because of her, according to The Washington Post.

    Condensed History • A Story In Three Bullet Points
  • » The first plasma screen was develeoped at the University of Illinois in 1964, where it was used for the PLATO computing system, a technology that shaped a lot of firsts.
  • » The peak of the plasma era hit around 2005, when the TVs hit an estimated $5.3 billion in sales, according to Statista. There was a problem, though: The sets were expensive, and the burn-in was particularly bad. That meant the technology’s shelf life began to fade around 2007.
  • » The last plasma TV manufacturer was Panasonic, which was still developing the technology as recently as 2013, but it threw in the towel because it struggled to compete against newer technologies like OLED. Damn.
What The Reviewers Think

Is the Humane AI Pin Worth It?

no

The Verge editor-at-large David Pierce said the hyped, experimental pin barely even worked. “Using the AI Pin feels like wishing on a star: you just close your eyes and hope for the best. Most of the time, nothing happens,” he wrote.

also no

YouTube-famous tech reviewer MKBHD, who has been throwing around dunks more liberally lately, called it “The Worst Product I've Ever Reviewed... For Now.” Some suggested that MKBHD’s review could threaten Humane’s future.
 
So yeah, that’s the first edition of the Tedium newsletter test. If you enjoyed this, tell someone—and give me feedback! Would love to hear it! — Ernie @ Tedium