HackerNews Summary (2023-05-01 08AM)

Source: Mysteries of the Griffin iMate – Project Gus

Summary
A vintage 1990 Apple Extended Keyboard II was given a “birthday” after being in storage for five years. It was then connected to a Griffin Technology iMate Universal ADB to USB Adapter, but the laptop did not work with it.

Facts

💻 The Apple Extended Keyboard II connects through Apple Desktop Bus (ADB).

🔧 A converter is required to connect it over USB.

👴 Griffin Technology released the iMate in 1999 to adapt ADB devices to “iMacs, Macs with USB, and PCs with USB”.

❌ However, a laptop did not work with the Griffin iMate Universal ADB to USB Adapter.

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Source: Nostr, a simple protocol for decentralizing social media that has a chance of working

Summary
Nostr is an open protocol that creates a censorship-resistant global social network that is simple to use, resilient, and verifiable.

Facts

💻 Nostr is a simple and flexible protocol that uses standard elliptic-curve cryptography for keys and signing.

🌐 Nostr is designed to be decentralized and does not rely on a small number of trusted servers for moving or storing data.

🔒 Nostr’s public-key cryptography makes it easy to verify which user sent a message.

📱 Nostr is not an app or service that you sign up for; it is an open standard upon which anyone can build.

🚫 The need for Nostr arises from our current broken social media systems that use our attention to sell ads, keep us addicted, and control the content we see, and the people who participate.

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Source: FDIC Seizes First Republic Bank then sells it to JPMorgan Chase

Summary
JPMorgan Chase has acquired First Republic Bank, which is the second-largest bank failure in the US history. This acquisition is controversial as JPMorgan bypassed a law that bars a bank from buying another bank if the combined entity would hold more than 10% of the country’s deposits.

Fact

💰 JPMorgan Chase has acquired the bulk of operations from First Republic Bank, which has $92 billion in deposits, $173 billion in loans, and $30 billion in securities.

🏦 First Republic Bank is the second-largest bank failure in the United States, behind Washington Mutual.

👥 JPMorgan currently holds 16.1% of total deposits in the United States which is well above the 10% allowed by the banking law of 1994.

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Source: Meta plans $7 billion bond issue – Bloomberg News

Summary
Meta Platforms plans to raise $7 billion in a second bond offering, with the longest 40-year security yielding 215 basis points over Treasuries. The funds will be used to finance capital expenditures, repurchase outstanding shares of common stock, and for acquisitions or investments.

Fact
💰 Meta Platforms plans to raise $7 billion through a second bond issue.
💸 The longest 40-year security could yield 215 basis points over Treasuries.
💼 The funds will be used to finance capital expenditures, repurchase outstanding shares of common stock, and for acquisitions or investments.
📈 Meta beat expectations for profit and revenue in Q1 2022, with shares gaining about 13% last week.

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Source: Private jet sales likely to reach highest ever level this year, report says

to drive his Tesla electric car for around 190 years to offset the emissions from his private jet travel in 2022, according to the report.Summary
Sales of private jets are projected to reach their highest level ever this year, causing a significant impact on the environment due to an increase in carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, taxes on private jet travel are too low, ultimately subsidising private flying with commercial taxes.

Fact

💸 Private jet sales are expected to reach $34.6 billion this year, a record high.

✈️ Private aviation has doubled its global fleet in the last 20 years.

🌎 Private jet travel only represents 4% of the aviation market but produces 10 times more greenhouse gases per passenger than commercial flying.

🔥 Greenhouse gas emissions from private aviation have grown by nearly a quarter since the pandemic, with approximately 5.3 million private flights worldwide last year.

💰 Taxes on private aviation make up only 2% of the tax revenue for the Federal Aviation Administration, even though private jets account for 17% of the flights handled.

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Source: Those scary warnings of juice jacking in airports and hotels? They’re nonsense

Summary
Warnings about “juice jacking,” a cyberattack that supposedly infiltrates devices through public charging ports, have been circulating for over a decade. However, cybersecurity experts say it is not a general threat but only a possibility for targeted attacks by advanced hackers.

Fact

👥 There are no documented cases of juice jacking ever happening in the wild.

🔒 Modern iPhones and Android devices require explicit permission before exchanging files with connected devices.

🤖 Juice jacking is only viable for targeted attacks by advanced hackers.

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