Apple's AirTags used to steal luxury cars

A new 'sight-restoring' bionic eye took one step closer to human trials, a 3D-printed assisted suicide pod is now legal in Switzerland Dec 06, 2021 [View on browser]( Good morning. Today, we have our eye set on a novel sight-restoring bionic eye, which was found to be stable and safe for long-term implantation, paving the way for human trials. Speaking of the high life, those of you with a luxury car may want to update to iOS 14.5, because earlier versions won’t alert you to thieves using Apple’s AirTags to track and steal your car. Additionally, a novel 3D-printed pod received legal approval to operate in Switzerland to assist people with terminal conditions who opt-in for high-tech suicide. This is The Blueprint. Keep reading. CULTURE [​​Apple's AirTags Are Being Used to Track and Steal Luxury Cars]( [Five thefts are already reported in Canada.]( Unprecedented risks may sometimes accompany cutting-edge technologies: In one of the most recent cases, thieves are [stealing luxury cars using Apple’s AirTags]( which are tiny tracking devices with a speaker that can be slapped onto objects and then activated for location reports. - Two sides, one coin. Last August, a cybersecurity expert recovered his stolen bike by tracking it down himself, all thanks to an AirTag that he stowed away inside the bike. - Last month, however, an anonymous woman turned on her iPhone in her car and received a notification telling her that [there was an AirTag nearby](. She was being tracked without her knowledge or consent. These stories highlight both the advantages and dangers of AirTags. And now, Canadian police have revealed the details of five incidents in the last three months where thieves hid AirTags on vehicles parked in public to track and steal them. A privacy misstep from Apple? While AirTag has some anti-stalking functions, they only work if you're running iOS 14.5 or newer. According to Detective Robert Sexton, who was in charge of the stalking case, these are becoming more common, so beware. [Read More]( HEALTH [A 3D-Printed Assisted Suicide Pod Is Now Legal in Switzerland]( [Sarco can be towed to a place of choice.]( Exit International’s 3D-printed Sarco pod, which assists people in suicide, [has received legal approval to operate]( in Switzerland. - Background. While illegal in most countries, assisted suicide is legal in a few, including the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, and Switzerland. A common requirement in these countries is that the person opting for assisted suicide has a terminal condition that cannot be cured and is causing them excess suffering. The current method involves ingesting liquid sodium pentobarbital. After taking the drug, the person falls asleep within two to five minutes before slipping into a coma, followed soon by death. Sarco offers a different approach that doesn't require controlled substances. - How? The 3D-printed pod can be towed to the individual's preferred location. The system asks the individual questions, which when answered will allow the individual to begin the process by pressing a button. The pod floods the interiors with nitrogen while reducing oxygen to roughly one percent. The person falls unconscious and dies of hypoxia (oxygen starvation) within 30 seconds. The company still needs to develop a camera that will be placed inside the pod and record a video of the individual consenting to the process. It's working with organizations in Switzerland and expects to have a pod in operation by 2022. [Read More]( SCIENCE [A New 'Sight-Restoring' Bionic Eye Took One Step Closer to Human Trials]( [Bionic eye.]( A new sight-restoring technology that aims to engineer a prosthetic eye advanced enough for human trials is in the works: The Phoenix99 Bionic Eye [is designed to restore a form of vision]( to patients living with severe vision impairment and blindness caused by degenerative diseases. - The implantable device's two main components are a stimulator attached to the eye and a communication module positioned under the skin behind the ear. The mechanism. The bionic eye works by stimulating the retina. In healthy eyes, the cells in one of the layers convert incoming light into electrical messages for the brain. In some retinal diseases, the cells responsible for this conversion degenerate, causing vision impairment. The technology works around these malfunctioning cells by directly stimulating the remaining cells, effectively fooling the brain into thinking light was detected. - In a three-month study, the device was found to be stable and safe enough for long-term implantation, paving the way for human trials. Seeing eye to eye. Sheep trials showed that the body accepted the eye and healed around the mechanisms. The team is now applying for ethics approval to perform clinical trials in human patients, and [the road ahead appears to be clear](. [Read More]( MAIL & MUSINGS Could artificial organs make us immortal? Be sure you check back tomorrow for the results! [Yes, sign me up.]( [Not without gene-therapy.]( [Who would want to live forever?]( [Not if we kill the Earth first.]( Yesterday’s Results As you may already know, Meta started testing a new payment service called Split Payments, so yesterday we asked if you think it’ll see widespread adoption. And 34% percent of you believe it will be successful since humans love convenience. On the other hand, 30% think regulators will have to stop Meta's aggressive expansion soon. Us humans run on convenience, of course it will. 34% Regulators will have to stop Meta's aggressive expansion soon. 30% Nope, other established platforms like Venmo won't lose their place. 26% Only If it starts accepting crypto. 10% QUOTE OF THE DAY “ One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose, and life is empty without it. Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don't throw it away. ” Stephen Hawking in an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer, June 2010. [Video]VIDEO OF THE DAY [The Surprising Reasons Why Tires Are Black]( Hint: it's because of carbon. [The Surprising Reasons Why Tires Are Black]( TODAY IN HISTORY In 1998, astronauts aboard the space shuttle Endeavour in orbit over the southern Pacific Ocean used a robot arm to begin assembly of the International Space Station. AND ANOTHER THING... - Rocket Lab revealed new specs for its next-gen Neutron rocket, and it takes design cues from hinged-nose cargo aircraft and, of all things, [the child's classic toy game: Hungry Hungry Hippos](. - Years of conflicting measurements have led physicists [to propose a “dark sector” of invisible particles]( that could explain dark matter and the universe’s expansion. (WIRED) - Centrifugal forces should tear galaxies apart, but [somehow, our galaxy holds together](. - It looks like NASA and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocky relationship might be on the mend: [NASA announced that it will fund]( Blue Origin's commercial space station, called Orbital Reef. - [The New Yorker has a cartoon in need of a caption](. Finalists will appear in the Jan. 3 and Jan. 10, 2022, issues. - When will we run out of oil? 50 years? 100? [The answer could be never](. - You may have noticed this already, but [there is a Christmas tree shortage](. A proper tree could now cost you well more than $100. (Popular Mechanics) On the other hand, The Blueprint is free and needs your feedback. So [take a two-minute survey]( and help us transform your newsletter experience for the better. [Share to Win]SHARE TO WIN [All products]( Share The Blueprint! Give your friends deeper insights into engineering and tech, and win exclusive IE swag for free. [Read Details]( Share your link Copy & share your referral link with others. [ [Referral Program Terms and Conditions]( Prepared by Derya Ozdemir and Brad Bergan Enjoy reading? Don't forget to forward to a friend! Was this email forwarded to you? 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