The internet has been buzzing with yet another Twitter spat between tech titans, and frankly, it’s left me feeling like I’m watching a playground fight between kids who happen to control technologies that could reshape humanity. The whole thing started with what appears to be Elon Musk taking shots at Sam Altman over some AI development drama, and honestly, watching these two go at it publicly has been equal parts fascinating and deeply concerning.

The other day I was scrolling through some tech discussions when I stumbled across something that made me sit up and take notice. Cornell researchers have developed a method to embed invisible watermarks into video using light patterns – essentially turning every photon into a potential witness against deepfake fraud. It’s both brilliant and slightly unsettling at the same time.

The technique, called “noise-coded illumination,” works by subtly modulating light sources in a scene to create imperceptible patterns that cameras can capture. Think of it like a secret handshake between the lighting and the recording device – one that deepfake generators don’t know about yet. What struck me most was how elegantly simple yet complex this approach is. Instead of trying to detect fakes after they’re made, we’re essentially signing the original at the moment of creation.

I’ve been thinking a lot about priorities lately. You know that feeling when you’re scrolling through endless debates about ChatGPT writing essays or AI-generated Instagram ads, while somewhere in the back of your mind, there’s this nagging sense that we’re missing something far more urgent? Well, turns out that nagging feeling might be onto something.

Someone recently brought up Israel’s Lavender and Gospel systems - AI-powered tools that can identify targets from CCTV footage and autonomously coordinate drone strikes with minimal human oversight. The casual way this was mentioned, almost as an afterthought while discussing Model UN research, really struck me. Here’s a technology that represents one of the most significant shifts in warfare since the invention of gunpowder, and it’s being discussed like it’s yesterday’s news.

There’s something that’s been grinding my gears lately, and it’s this whole energy company pricing game that seems designed to fleece loyal customers. I stumbled across a discussion online where someone discovered their energy provider, Globird, was advertising much cheaper rates to new customers than what they were charging existing ones. Sound familiar? It bloody well should.

This isn’t just a Globird thing - it’s become the standard playbook across the energy industry. You sign up with a provider, maybe get a decent introductory rate, then quietly they jack up your prices while offering sweeter deals to fresh customers walking through the door. It’s like watching your local pub charge you full price for a pint while offering happy hour rates to the person next to you, except this affects your household budget every month.

The Shovel got me again. There I was, scrolling through my feed when I saw the headline “Great Barrier Reef ‘Not White Enough’ Pauline Hanson Says” and for a split second – just a split second – I thought it might be real. That’s the problem with living in 2024 Australia, isn’t it? The line between satire and reality has become so blurred that we genuinely can’t tell the difference anymore.

I’ve been thinking about floor cleaning lately after stumbling across a rather heated discussion online. A professional floor restoration cleaner was making some pretty bold claims about why we should all ditch our Swiffers and pre-made mop solutions. Their argument? These products are actually making our floors dirtier over time by leaving sticky residues that trap dirt and grime.

The professional was adamant—almost to the point of rudeness—that traditional bucket-and-mop cleaning with just a few drops of dish soap is the only way to go. They shared some pretty convincing before-and-after photos of floors that had been “restored” after years of Swiffer use, and honestly, the difference was striking. The grime buildup looked like something you’d see in a house that hadn’t been cleaned in years, not one that was regularly maintained with what most of us consider proper cleaning tools.

There’s something absolutely magical about those moments when an entire city seems to pause and look up at the same time. Last night’s full moon over Melbourne was one of those moments, and judging by the flood of photos and comments across social media, I wasn’t the only one who felt compelled to step outside and gaze skyward.

The image that caught my attention showed our beautiful moon hanging majestically over the Melbourne skyline, and the responses it generated perfectly captured the diverse ways we all experience these celestial moments. Some folks were inspired to channel their inner wolf and howl at the moon, while others were out doing airport runs and lamenting missed photo opportunities. Then there were the parents – and I can relate to this one with my teenage daughter – blaming the lunar cycle for their kids going “absolutely mental” for seemingly no reason.

Been following this whole Chat Control saga in Europe lately, and honestly, it’s got me pretty wound up. The latest news about Denmark pushing hard for mass surveillance of our digital communications under the banner of “protecting children” has me reaching for my second latte of the day – and not in a good way.

Don’t get me wrong, protecting kids from abuse is absolutely crucial. But when I see politicians exempting themselves from the very surveillance they’re imposing on the rest of us, alarm bells start ringing louder than a Melbourne tram at peak hour. The irony becomes even more bitter when you learn that a Danish politician was recently charged with possessing thousands of CSAM images while simultaneously advocating for these intrusive measures. The hypocrisy is staggering.

Had a bit of a wake-up call yesterday when I stumbled across some research about those ubiquitous “magic” cleaning sponges that seem to be in every household these days. Turns out they’re not quite as magical as we’ve been led to believe – they’re actually releasing trillions of microplastic fibres every time we use them.

Now, I’ll be honest, I’ve used these things myself. There’s something undeniably satisfying about watching a stubborn scuff mark disappear from the wall with minimal effort. But like many people, I never really stopped to think about where all that material was going when the sponge gradually wore away. The clue was right there – if it’s getting smaller, it’s going somewhere.

I’ve been following the development of Spotizerr with interest lately, and the recent 3.0 update has got me thinking about something bigger than just another self-hosted tool. Here’s a project that lets you essentially build your own music streaming service by pulling tracks from Spotify and Deezer directly to your personal server - and frankly, it’s exactly the kind of innovation we need right now.

The timing feels particularly relevant when you consider how streaming services have been tightening their grip on content and pricing. Just last month, Spotify announced another price hike, and we’ve all seen how quickly our favourite albums can vanish from platforms due to licensing disputes. Meanwhile, tech giants are hoovering up our listening data to feed their advertising algorithms. It’s enough to make anyone consider alternatives.