Weekend update: Eclipse info, email warning, hot new job

Spring has sprung, and I don’t know about you, but I’m gearing up for a big weekend of hiking and biking! Before you clock out for the week, I’ve got three things to put on your weekend radar.

1. For the nature-chasers: A big moon-day

The solar eclipse is on Monday, and NASA has a great interactive map to help make sure you’re in the right place at the right time. Don’t worry if you’re not dead center in the path of totality; you’ll still get a pretty good view of the action.

🚘 Pro tip: The American Astronomical Society’s Solar Eclipse Task Force says the frenzy will be like having “20 or 30 Super Bowls all at once.” Plan to get to your watch spot hours ahead.

  • Oh, and don’t fry your eyes. Yes, you need eclipse glasses. And not just any old pair you find online. Scroll down to Deals of the Day for my picks.
  • Don’t fry your phone, either. Common sense says if looking at the eclipse isn’t safe for your eyes, it’s not safe for your phone’s camera. (Special phone filter link below, too!)

The best way to keep your phone safe? Put it in your pocket. You won’t be able to see a solar eclipse again in the U.S. until 2044, but some things are best appreciated with your own two eyes and the right protection.

2. For the savvy senders: Your inbox is screwed

Use Gmail, Outlook, Apple iCloud, Yahoo! Mail or AOL? I think that covers 90% of you. New research shows these platforms are pretty awful at catching malicious code in attachments. Cases in point:

  • Apple iCloud, Yahoo! Mail and AOL all delivered a malicious file sample posing as a PowerPoint. Btw, 40 different virus scanners flagged it during testing. 
  • Yahoo! Mail and AOL didn’t block a fake Excel document (that 35 malware scanners caught).

The takeaway: Be very, very careful with attachments. Criminals can sneak something malicious right into your email with just a few tweaks to the metadata. If you weren’t expecting a file, trash it. Oh, and use antivirus software, please and thanks.

3. For the job-seekers: Paging Dr. Roboto

If you’ve got a teen or undergrad in the family, pass along the next big job: Brain-chip surgeon (paywall link). Brain-computer interfaces like those used in Elon Musk’s company, Neuralink, turn brain signals into software commands.

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Would you get a brain chip implant?

Imagine yourself in any of these tragic scenarios. 

What if I told you that a computer chip in your brain would let you regain a quality of life or even possibly a cure? The FDA recently approved human trials for just that.

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The second Neuralink brain-chip patient is doing well

“Alex” is using design software to create 3D objects and play the first-person shooter game Counter-Strike, all controlled with his mind. The next frontier? Connecting the brain chip to the physical world. Think full-control robotic arms. Incredible stuff.

Noland Arbaugh is the first Neuralink patient

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His brain-chip implant lets him control computers and other devices with his mind. Kim Komando talks to Noland about why he got it and how it works. What could this tech mean for the future? He shares his ideas and hopes.

🦾 The ultimate brainchild: Elon Musk’s Neuralink is moving to the next phase of human testing: A brain implant and robotic arm to help people with paralysis control devices using just their thoughts. Two patients in the U.S. are testing it, and Canada is recruiting six more. I had such a good chat with the very first Neuralink patient.

Elon Musk doesn’t just sell Teslas – Here’s what else you can buy from his companies

There are a few outspoken billionaires globally, but none of them come close to Tesla CEO Elon Musk. He regularly uses his Twitter profile with over 78 million followers to post outlandish ideas and is also known to lend a helping hand when needed.

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Lost the thread: Neuralink says its brain chip has already malfunctioned in its first human patient. Some of the “threads” — hair-thin electrodes meant to monitor his brain activity — stopped working. Neuralink tweaked the chip’s algorithm and now says its performance is “better than ever.” I hope this is true and not PR BS.

Brain computer chip implants coming soon

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Would you install a Neuralink chip in your head? I tell you all the reasons why you might, in one minute.