Hello and welcome to the Geeky Brummie Tech Round-Up!

Each week I’ll be deep diving into the world of technology. Bringing back some new pearls from Birmingham and beyond! If you want to send any local tech articles over, feel free to reach out to me at ryan@geekybrummie.com.

Framework – The Laptop fighting for a return to User Upgradability

Bored of the same old Apple / HP / Asus / Lenovo laptops on repeat? Sick of having everything soldered / glued onto the device so you have to throw it away as soon as anything breaks? Frame.Work are trying to become the answer to that. This plucky start-up are producing the most user repairable and upgradeable laptop in a generation.

The concept for the device is all around being able to choose everything you want (or not) on a 13.5″ portable laptop – from the RAM, Storage, bezels, even down to the ports you want due to their USB-C hot swappable integrated dongle-things.

Eventually you’ll be able to replace the motherboard / processor combo too, which seems like the way to keep your laptop going forever like a desktop PC. Even teardown-acholic’s iFixit have given it a coveted 10/10 for reparability.

PC Mag have an in-depth look below:

Pre-orders are now open for the US and Canada and hopefully coming to the UK soon. I for one am very intrigued as it seems to be getting very positive press and seems like a very sensible solution to the mountain of E-Waste our modern world produces.

https://frame.work/

https://www.ifixit.com/News/51614/framework-laptop-teardown-10-10-but-is-it-perfect

https://uk.pcmag.com/laptops/134632/framework-laptop

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Framework-Laptop-13-5-Review-If-Microsoft-Made-A-Repairable-Surface-Laptop-This-Would-Be-It.551850.0.html

Billionaires not Astronauts

No, it’s not just an excuse to re-use this image. According to the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) Billionaires Bezos and Branson are both not astronauts.

The definition has now been changed to include that astronauts must have also “demonstrated activities during flight that were essential to public safety, or contributed to human space flight safety”, rather than just going 50 miles up.

As Bezos’s Blue Origin New Phallus was remotely controlled from the ground and the bearded one wasn’t at the controls both don’t qualify for astronaut wings.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-57950149

A handcrafted silver box by the British-Moroccan artist Yahya holds the only known copy of the Wu-Tang Clan double album *Once Upon A Time In Shaolin.*

DOJ Clan Ain’t Nuthing Ta F’ Wit

Back in 2015 Rap Collective the Wu-Tang Clan released a one of a kind album “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin”, which was sold to felon and all round bad dude one time Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli, for $2million dollars. Think of it like the first NFT, but being fungible, and not a token.

The album was seized by the DOJ as part of the criminal trial of Shkreli who was found guilty on two counts of securities fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, who was incarcerated in 2018.

Roll forward to this week and the DOJ has finally found a buyer, but the contract of sale contains a confidentiality provision that protects information relating to the buyer and price.

All we know is someone out there now has the only copy of this ‘artifact’ in existence and is probably listening to the sweet sounds of Ghostface Killah, GZA, Method Man and more as the DOJ cash their cheque.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/united-states-sells-unique-wu-tang-clan-album-forfeited-convicted-hedge-fund-manager

Sky (g)One

After nearly 4 decades of continuous broadcast, the Sky One channel is being replaced by two new channels Sky Showcase and Sky Max, of which Sky Max will be hosting their original content.

As the original home of the Simpsons, Futurama, Friends and more in the UK plus Original programming like Brainiac, Games World, Space Precinct & more, it’ll be a bit of a nostalgia blow to many who have a soft spot in their hearts.

https://news.sky.com/story/sky-one-closing-down-and-being-replaced-with-sky-showcase-12366068

Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games get droned out

Yesterday was 1 year to go until the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games reaches our fair city and to celebrate a 300 drone light display, showing off the Birmingham Bull, The Birmingham 2020 logo and a whole lot more.

I’m a big fan of these types of display in replacement of the usual fireworks, creates a lot less mess and frightened pets.

You can watch the drone show below: