YouTuber restored old car phone using Bluetooth

Plus: Study suggests early humans sported leather clothing nearly 39,000 years ago [Blueprint]( The development of car phones in the 1980s and 1990s was a remarkable technological achievement. But as digital cellular networks took the place of the previous analog ones and more consumers switched to smartphones, these devices became obsolete. Now, one classic car owner has found a way to bring his car phone back to life! But first, here’s your [video of the day]( which explores the Empire State Building and why it’s so special. Good morning. I’m Sade, an Editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Happy Friday! Last Sunday, Blueprint subscribers heard all about the status quo of net zero in countries around the world. Don't miss out — [subscribe to IE+]( today to receive exclusive interviews, features, and much more. VIDEO OF THE DAY [The Empire State building: From office building to pop culture icon]( [The Empire State building: From office building to pop culture icon]( Few architectural structures have come to better represent the city in which they are located. What gives the Empire State Building its edge? MUST READ [Working car phone]( [YouTuber restored old car phone using Bluetooth]( Using a customized Bluetooth adapter, software engineer Jeff Lau, better known on YouTube as UselessPickles, was able to bring his 1993 [car phone back to life](. Better yet, the car's hands-free microphone feeds the smartphone voice commands to Apple's Siri. As a result, it is fully functional with all the features of a 2023 hands-free system, minus the distraction of a touchscreen. When analog "AMPS" mobile service was discontinued in the US in 2008, the vehicle's optional "DiamondTel" handset and the hands-free system became inoperative. However, after three years of diligent work, Lau created the adapter to connect the factory-installed phone transceiver to the hands-free control unit hidden under the carpet of the trunk. [Read More]( CULTURE [Study suggests early humans sported leather clothing nearly 39,000 years ago]( Homo sapiens wore leather in Europe 39,600 years ago, according to a new study on ancient bone from Spain. Not so surprising, right? But, at least we can say scientists are finding proof. In this case, they identified a strange pattern of notches, hinting that early humans used the bone—which came from the hip of a huge creature like a horse or bison— to make holes in the leather. On its flat surface, there are 28 puncture marks, including a linear row of 10 holes spaced roughly 5 millimeters apart, as well as additional holes in more haphazard locations. According to experts, the most plausible cause for the "indents" is that they were created during the production or repair of leather goods. [Read More]( INNOVATION [China: 'World's largest' iron-chromium flow battery set for commercial use]( China's first megawatt-level iron-chromium flow battery energy storage facility is almost ready for commercial operation. The project is the largest of its kind in the world and comprises four sets of storage tanks and 34 domestically produced "Ronghe 1" battery stacks. The State Power Investment Corp.'s chief engineer claims that the mega-energy storage facilities can guarantee reliable grid operation. This is due to the fact that it will reduce the peak and modulating frequency for the power system, as power consumption is more affordable during off-peak hours. [Read More]( SCIENCE [Astronomers confirm presence of third protoplanet about 374 light years away]( Rarely do astronomers witness the formation of a planet, but recently they have. In the history of science, a protoplanet—as it is known—has only ever been observed three times. That is, when cosmic matter collects in a disc around young stars, protoplanets are still undergoing the process of becoming planets. The protoplanet, in this recent instance, is surrounded by HD 169142, a star 374 light years away from our solar system. "We can also see a spiral arm in the disk, caused by the planet and visible in its wake, suggesting that other protoplanetary disks containing spirals may also harbor yet undiscovered planets," said astronomer Iain Hammond. [Read More]( MAIL & MUSINGS Software engineer Jeff Lau was able to bring back his 1993 car phone with all the features of a 2023 hands-free system, minus the distraction of a touchscreen. Suppose these were safer, would you sport a classic car phone? [Absolutely]( [No]( [I don't know]( [I prefer my smartphone]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Yesterday, we asked you whether you would use the Twitter app to trade stocks or buy crypto. A huge 85 percent of you said no: 85% No thanks! 9% Yes for stocks but not crypto 5% Yes 1% Yes for crypto but not stocks QUOTE OF THE DAY “No one wants to learn by mistakes, but we cannot learn enough from successes to go beyond the state of the art.” Henry Petroski [Ergonomic excellence chair]( THINGS WE LOVE [Sony Noise-Cancelling Headphones]( [Wedoking Sleep Earbuds]( [Lowepro ProTactic 450 AW II Camera Backpack]( [CFQWH Wireless TV Earbuds]( AND ANOTHER THING - Animal-to-human transplant could be the key to [tackling the organ donor shortage](. [premium] - [‘Flash droughts’]( are growing increasingly common. (Science News) - This 23-year-old makes [durable, water-resistant furniture from cardboard](. [premium] - [Human brain works harder]( while playing against machines. (Wio News) - Can we breathe on Mars? Is Europa habitable? [What NASA’s work reveals about humanity's future](. [premium] - [NASA Celebrates Earth Day]( with Earth Science in Action. (NASA) - [US Air National Guardsman, 21, arrested]( in connection with Pentagon documents leak. [subscription banner]( [About Us]( [Advertise]( [Contact Us]( © Copyright 2023 | The Blueprint is by Interesting Engineering, Inc. 205 Hudson St New York, NY, 10013, USA | All Rights Reserved You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to our newsletter. Manage you e-mail preferences or unsubscribe [here.](