Definitive rules on AI and copyright, quantum-safe encryption, and a new video
Plus, the biggest book nook ever, scientists do creepy things in the Arctic, Ukraine's drone strategy, and Samuel L. Jackson cusses you to sleep
I’m David Gewirtz. Welcome to this week’s Advanced Geekery newsletter. It’s been an exciting week. Let’s dive in.
My latest video
I’ve been using the Creality K1 Max as my primary large-format 3D printer for the big cable organizer project I’ve shared with you. Here’s how the K1 Max stood up to all that printing.
My articles
Here’s a quick recap of the articles I published in the last week on ZDNET.
The US Copyright Office's new ruling on AI art is here - and it could change everything: Does using AI make you less of an artist? The US Copyright Office has weighed in on the debate. Its ruling could reshape copyright law as we know it.
How to use GitHub's AI coding assistant for free - and why it's worth a try: AI-powered coding just got more accessible with GitHub Copilot's free plan. Here's how to set it up in VS Code, step-by-step, and find out whether it's smart enough to actually improve your work.
If you're not working on quantum-safe encryption now, it's already too late: Quantum computers could soon break today's strongest encryption, putting sensitive data at risk. Let's dive deep into what this all means for telecommunications, security, AI, and our future.
Tool of the week
When we first moved into our new house, the electric hookups were a disaster. The electrician I brought in spent a whole day constantly repeating to me, “I’ve never seen anything like this,” over and over.
We did manage to rework out entire breaker box so that it’s up to code, but we never did manage to chart exactly which sockets go with which circuits.
That’s where this tester from Klein Tools comes in. You insert a signal generator in whatever socket you want to test, then run the sensor across each breaker in the box. When the sensor activates, you’ve found the breaker that controls the socket. Very helpful.
Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Must-watch YouTube
Moving on, let’s queue up some interesting YouTube videos for your entertainment and edification.
This is fun, but probably way too much work for something you can get for twenty bucks from Harbor Freight. Even so, you have to appreciate how much work went into transforming this railroad rail into something both attractive and useful.
Check out this amazing 7-foot book nook from Nerdforge’s Martina and Hansi in Norway. It’s all done with mirrors. Seriously. Mirrors.
Having difficulty falling the f@#k to sleep? Samuel L. Jackson can help. Be forewarned: there’s just a little bit of profanity in this. Who am I kidding? Every sentence is profane as f*%k.
Interesting reads
And now, some good stuff from around the Internet. It’s well worth reading.
Scientists locate an old, subterranean Cold War era military research facility in the Arctic. It sounds like a real-life Ice Station Zebra.
In-depth story about how Ukraine forces are relying on drones for much of their combat. And yeah, I predicted this as far back as 2008. Unfortunately that article was in a print edition of Counterterrorism Magazine, so I can’t link to it here.
Send in your projects
I’d like to regularly spotlight a reader project or two here. Your project doesn’t have to be a big Kickstarter launch. If you’ve built something cool, it has some pretty pictures, and you’re proud of it, I might be able to share it here.
If you have a photogenic reader project, send an email to me at david@zatz.com with the subject “READER PROJECT,” a few pictures, and a short one-paragraph description. If you have a social media link or a link to the project, include that, too.
Both my EPs are now streaming
Available on all your favorite streaming services.
More clicky
I’ve got a lot happening all over the web. Here are links to my various stuff:
House of the Head: home for my published music
ZATZ Labs: where I host my published software projects
Feel free to dig around, visit, and say hey!
Leave some comments
Substack supports comments, so feel free to leave some. I promise to read them. Just, please, let’s keep our personal politics out of any discussion.
That should do it for this week. This newsletter is really starting to pick up subscribers. Please help it out by sharing links on all your socials.
Have a great week!