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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER 06 - 11 JANUARY 2025
Hello and Welcome,
Happy New Year 2025
Meetings This Week
NO MEETINGS
Meetings Next Week
NO MEETINGS
Schedule of Current & Upcoming Meetings
First Tuesday 18:00-20:00 — Main Meeting
Third Tuesday 10:00-12:00 — Tuesday Group
Third Saturday 14:00-16:00 — Web Design
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Go to the official Sydney PC Calendar for this month's meeting details.
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ASCCA News:Tech News:
TikTok Ban Goes to Supreme Court
See the InfoPackets article by John Lister on December 30, 2024, at 11:12 am EST.
TikTok Ban Goes to Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is to rule on a law that would effectively ban TikTok in the US. The timing of the hearing means there may be little room for nuance.
The law follows ongoing debate about whether the Chinese-owned app threatens US security. The app is banned on devices owned by the US federal government and those in many states, though previous state laws that would have prohibited TikTok from app stores have been blocked.
Critics of the app believe it accesses more customer data than is necessary for its stated purpose and that there's a risk the Chinese government may have or demand access to this data.
Deadline Looming
Earlier this year, a federal law was passed that set a 180-day deadline for TikTok's owners, ByteDance, to sell off the company. If ByteDance refuses to do so (which has been the case so far), it will become illegal to distribute, maintain, or update the app in the US.
The law has proven hugely controversial, partly because it explicitly targets one company and partly because of arguments it breaches the First Amendment because people use it to communicate and express themselves. ByteDance has also said the 180-day deadline was unrealistic as it couldn't complete a sale within that period even if it wanted to. (Source: ft.com)
An appeals court upheld the law earlier this month, ruling that it was specific and narrow enough to support the argument it was necessary for national security. The Supreme Court has now agreed to hear the case starting January 10, 2025.
Nine Days To Decide
That's an incredibly tight and politically sensitive timetable. The deadline for TikTok to effetively become banned is January 19, with its owners arguing that even a short period of unavailability would cause significant harm. (Source: cnbc.com)
Meanwhile, Donald Trump will take office as President the following day. A Supreme Court ruling would affect his ability to change policy towards the app, either by executive action or by indicating he'd support a change in the law.
What's Your Opinion?
Do you support or oppose the law and likely ban it? Should the First Amendment apply in this case? Is national security an appropriate reason to ban an app?
Three Ways Quantum Computing Will Change Our World
See the How-To Geek article by Fergus O'Sullivan | Published December 27, 2024.
"A Quantum Computer"
Summary
Encryption will no longer guarantee privacy, as quantum computers can crack ciphers in seconds.
Quantum computing can enhance artificial intelligence by speeding up information retrieval.
Quantum computers may advance climate change research by improving weather modelling.
Quantum computing will take the world by storm once it's finally ready. Though that date seems to be changing every week, it's coming, and these next-gen computers, which can do the work of classic machines at many times the speed, will alter certain aspects of our world beyond recognition.
Encryption
Encryption
Quantum computing will likely have the most significant immediate impact on encryption and anything that is encrypted — which is all data. No matter how good encryption is, in the end, if you have enough time, you will be able to decrypt it using brute-force methods. These boil down to attacking the cipher over and over until you figure out the code.
Since quantum computers have many times the computing power of even the most advanced regular machines, you can greatly speed up this process. We discuss this in detail in our article about how encryption won't protect your data forever. A quantum computer could do it in seconds when a regular supercomputer would need billions of years to crack most commercial ciphers.
Once quantum computers come online, this effectively means the end of privacy as we know it now, or at least security with our current technologies. Your messaging history, emails, and any files you have in storage will all be readable, as will any records of you kept by others, like insurance companies or even the government.
Many institutions have started quantum-proofing their encryption (a process that involves adding even more complicated maths to already tricky computations), but the question remains whether enough of them are doing it. There are also questions about how effective it will be. Even in the best-case scenario, though, the way we store data and our assumptions about privacy are going to change.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is another area in which greater computing power will make a massive difference. Where large-language models like ChatGPT struggle now is in computing power: your standard LLM is given a pool of information and then combs through it, finding the information it needs to meet a user's query.
With quantum computing, this process would be sped up immensely, allowing LLMs to make connections and more of them more quickly. While it would still be limited by the size of the pool of data it has at its disposal, what it could do with it would expand massively, bringing us into uncharted territory.
The other part of AI research, the development of AGI — Artificial General Intelligence — is more unchartered territory. This is a computer that could think at the level of a human, or even better. Quantum computers are so powerful that this may become something that is actually possible and allow us to live in a sci-fi future even in this century.
Combating Climate Change
Combating Climate Change
Quantum computing may also help us solve another major challenge, namely the ever-more-acute climate change crisis. Our planet's weather system is complex and unpredictable at the best of times, with all our models working only some of the time. Even the smallest change can have a knock-on effect that may render a model useless.
With the changes in weather patterns we've seen the past few years, these already limited models have been pushed to their limits. There's just too much data to take into account for our current computers to create good long-range predictions — the science magazine Eos has more detail on the problem.
Quantum computers, though, could be up to the task. Adding more raw computing to the task allows us to not only better understand what's happening now but also discover ways to improve the situation. Smarter modelling would help us avoid making the situation any worse.
Quantum computing is set to change the world in many ways, some of which we can barely fathom. These three fields will likely not only see rapid change but may radically alter how we live. In the end, though, only time will tell what quantum computing's impact will be. At least we'll still be able to play Doom.
Fun Facts:
How to Make Your Mechanical Keyboard Thocky
See the How-To Geek article by Ismar Hrnjicevic | Published 25 December 2024.
Like a Thocky Keyboard?
If you've been shopping for mechanical keyboards, you've probably heard the term thock used to describe a good-sounding keyboard. Did you know that you don't have to buy a new keyboard to enjoy everything you want? With a few simple mods, you can make your current keyboard thock.
What Does Thock Mean?
I don't blame you if you clicked on this article to discover what that means. The term is often used in the world of mechanical keyboards, sometimes even being used synonymously with "good."
Thock refers to the deep, muted sound a mechanical keyboard makes when you type. It's the opposite of clacky and marbly keyboards, which produce more of a high-pitched, sharp sound, like blue switches.
You can think of it as a scale, with thocky on one end and clacky on the other. Most keyboards fall somewhere in between. However, many nuances and additional terms can describe a keyboard's sound profile, such as creamy, hollow, poppy, pingy, and so on.
Thocky to Clacky
We have so many terms because the sound a keyboard makes when you type is one of its most important aspects. Since we can't easily convey how a keyboard feels over the web beyond a basic description, sound becomes the next best way to describe the typing experience.
A thocky keyboard isn't inherently better than a clacky one, but many enthusiasts prefer it. Thocky keyboards have a much more satisfying sound, which inspired me to share a few mods that can make your current keyboard more thocky.
Foam, Foam, and More Foam
One of the cheapest yet most effective ways to make any keyboard thock is to add damping materials to your keyboard. You can use several types of foam, each with its own densities and sound-absorbing properties. For instance, poron foam mutes more than PE and EVA, and each material affects different sound frequencies. Thickness also plays a role, as thicker foam can fill more of the keyboard and absorb more sound.
Where you install the foam also matters. You can place it at the bottom of the keyboard case, on the back or top of the PCB, or on switch pads between the PCB and each individual switch (for hot-swappable models). Polyfill at the bottom of the case is also a good option, as adding or removing as needed is easy.
Foam mods can quickly get overwhelming, but you don't need to dive deep into research or watch hundreds of keyboard mod videos to determine the absolute best foam mod. Remember, the main goal is to add some cushioning to make your keyboard thocky.
Remember that adding too much material will make it harder to close the keyboard, so avoid overdoing it with foam, and never try to force it shut.
Lubed Switches Are a Must
Switch lubing is one of the most important upgrades you can do to instantly improve both the feel and thockiness of any mechanical keyboard. While you can lube switches manually using Krytox 205G0 and a switch opener, it's a tedious process and hardly an option if your switches aren't hot-swappable.
The lazy way to lube switches is to put a tiny amount of 205G0 on a fine-tip brush and push it along the inside sides of the stem (the square plastic bit). However, this method ignores the other parts that need lubing. It's still better than nothing, though.
Lube the Switches
The solution? Pre-lubed switches. Enthusiast-grade keyboards like the Keychron Q5 QMK come with pre-lubed switches. Still, you can easily upgrade the switches on any hot-swappable board to a factory-lubed variant, such as the GATERON Milky Yellow Pro. Many great pre-lubed switches are on the market, so have fun exploring!
Get Some Tall, Thick Keycaps
Keycaps are the plastic keys that you press on. Keycaps on mechanical keyboards are primarily universal, so if you have a keyboard with a standard layout and bottom row key lengths (the row of keys with the Space bar), you can swap them out for a different set. Even if your bottom row is non-standard, such as on my Corsair K70 keyboard, you can still get a new set of keycaps if compatible.
To achieve maximum thock, you should look for taller, thicker keycaps. Thick keycaps have more mass, producing a deeper sound when you bottom out the key.
Taller, Thicker Keycaps
Keyboard mods are fantastic. Using a few materials you might have around your house, you can transform even the cheapest mechanical keyboard to give it a deep, thocky sound. Have fun modding!
User Comments:
HollywoodMozart — Years ago, we rejoiced with the invention of a silent keyboard. Then, movie and TV foley people insisted on returning the sound when the story called for someone to be on the computer.
It is second only to the irritating sound of someone hanging up a phone, which generates a dial tone phoney sound effect after being disconnected.
That doesn't happen in the real world. So what goes on here?
"Silence is golden." It's more than just the theme song of the witness protection program.
Ismar — Then you'll be thrilled that I'm writing an article about building a silent mechanical keyboard.
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Bob Backstrom
~ Newsletter Editor ~
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