Bytes & Backpacks #106 🇺🇸

Why the American flag in the title of the last Bytes & Backpacks of 2024? Because on January 9th, I'm flying to Silicon Valley, so if you sense the aroma of sequoias in the next few issues, that's perfectly fine.Across the pond, we want to bring our idea of transforming disabilities into superpowers, our smart Welcomo kiosk (not just) for building access, and we'll explore opportunities in energy, where in Europe we manage field technicians and underground gas storage facilities.Do you know anyone who could help us with any of these areas? I'd greatly appreciate any connections. And if nothing else, please keep your fingers crossed for us! 🤞🙏Business & Technology 👨‍💻* European Starlink is coming! The IRIS2 project will launch 290 satellites by 2030. I'm quite happy about this because while Elon's technologies are great, they're also politically unpredictable.* New Spectrum is also coming! And they look very interesting. If you don't know what I'm writing about, you're young.* Remember Boston Dynamics' robodog? It cost hundreds of thousands. Well, China is now building something similar that costs thousands.* The FBI would like to have "responsible backdoors" in encrypted apps, a mechanism to access data in "reasonable cases." Actually quite understandable, if we didn't know from history that it will be misused for other cases by the first one who can. And then only an invisibility cloak, which is in development, will help...* Glasses are the next iPhone. For several years, I've thought that smart glasses will relatively soon change our lives. If you can't imagine how it might work, check out Google's video. And that's being very conservative.Travel 🧳* A guy has hidden treasures worth $2 million in several locations across the USA. And you can find them. Now that's traveling!* Don't cycle in winter because it's cold? Check this out, you might then venture out...* Or try crossing the Pyrenees in a camper van.* The Balkans and its mountains. They're among the most beautiful in Europe, but still relatively uncrowded.Nature ⛰️* TikTok's annual carbon footprint is larger than that of all of Greece. One Bitcoin transaction consumes a pool of water, and we'd rather not even talk about the consumption of today's AI models. Still, I see it positively - major tech players and investors are starting to invest heavily in energy because they see we won't get far like this.* In Russia, they released a tiger and tigress into the wild, almost 200 kilometers apart. They still found each other, without GPS and Google Maps...* Ethiopian wolves are pollinating flowers.* Cuddling polar bears.* Photos of horses, birds, or the Moon.Uncategorized 🧠* Next time you're loading a corpse into a car trunk, be careful there isn't a car passing by photographing streets for map data. That's hard to explain away.* Ever wondered where all those lost luggage pieces that never find their owners end up? And what happens to all of it?* A great thread emerged on Reddit where people share their life hacks for various activities.* Organizing a concert in the mountains where you have to hike 3 kilometers to get there. Shame I missed it, must have been amazing...Tips 💡 What I'm reading: Jack Kerouac: Alone on a MountaintopWhat I'm listening to: Paul Cauthen - Black on BlackWhat I'm watching: Blitz Interesting app: Perplexity, because if you have Revolut, you get premium for freePhoto greeting 📸I wish you a peaceful end to this year and may 2025 be as close as possible to your wishes and expectations! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsfromthewoods.substack.com