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.
The implications are huge. For example, the first successful Neuralink patient can play chess just by thinking about his moves. Amazing, right? Well, someone had to put that fancy chip in his head.
If you’re already feeling squeamish, good news: The process isn’t as invasive as you think — no skull cracking and the whole thing is over and done in a few hours.
♟️ Last time I played chess, I found myself between a rook and a hard place.