ShinyShiny snippets: Paralysed man can walk again thanks to ‘digital bridge’

A paralysed man has been able to walk again after communication was re-established between his brain and spinal cord using a wireless “digital bridge”. The so-called brain computer interface is made up of two electronic implants, one each in the brain and spinal cord. The former is placed above the region of the brain responsible for controlling leg movements, and can decode the electrical signals generated when we think about walking. Similarly, the other implant is positioned over the part of the spinal cord that controls the legs. Sky News 

Apple says it has struck a multi-billion dollar deal with chipmaker Broadcom to use more US-made parts. Under the multi-year agreement, the two US companies will develop components for 5G devices that will be designed and manufactured in America. Apple says the deal is part of a plan it announced in 2021 to invest $430bn (£346bn) in the US economy. The move comes as a trade row centred on the technology industry intensifies between Washington and Beijing. BBC

Netflix is officially cracking down on password sharing in the United States and the United Kingdom, more than a year after it first announced the move. Netflix explained on its U.S. and U.K. websites how viewers who shared their account password to people outside their household would be affected. Going forward, account holders on the Netflix Standard plan will have the option to add one person outside of their household, but they will have to pay an extra $7.99 a month (or £4.99 in the U.K.) for the privilege. Mac Rumors

Software giant Adobe has announced it will integrate generative AI into its widely used Photoshop program, while downplaying fears the move will lead to job losses and mass fakes. The brand most associated with image editing will incorporate the generative AI product Adobe Firefly, which launched as a beta six weeks ago, creating a tool the company says will become a “co-pilot” to graphic design rather than a replacement for humans. The Guardian

Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit is to cease operations months after a mission failure in the UK. The company, which was already in bankruptcy in the US, said it was being broken up and sold for parts after failing to find a full buyer for the business. As a result, operations will not continue. Virgin Orbit’s assets are being sold to space startups Stratolaunch, Rocket Lab, Vast and one others for just $36m (£29m). It represents less than 1pc of the $3.7bn the company was worth when it went public in August 2021. Telegraph

Amazon has unveiled its most ambitious budget tablet, seeking to offer features typically associated with high-end device, but at a price point that’s as accessible as you’d expect from an Amazon Fire tablet. It’s called the Amazon Fire Max 11 and – as you might have guessed from the naming – it’s got an 11-inch display – with a higher resolution panel than any previous Fire tablet. Specifically, that’s 2000 x 1200 pixels, and means it’s comfortably more pixel-rich than the Fire HD 8, but is quite similar to the Fire HD 10 Plus display (at least in terms of pixel count). Pocket Lint

Ford has signalled that it will back away from competing with EV giants such as BYD and Tesla for its second generation of EVs, due from 2025, as it targets more profitable niches in response to an increasingly crowded field. Ford CEO Jim Farley told analysts at the American giant’s recent capital markets day that it saw in advance how tough the five-seat electric SUV market was going to be. “If your EV strategy depends on a two-row crossover right now, you better have the [low] cost of BYD to compete,” he said. Autocar