🧠 Brain Chips, AI Tools & Vibe Coding — Welcome to the Future of Dev

Morning folks! This is Beyond Code - the newsletter designed to help developers build their careers, one Thursday at a time.

Note: This newsletter is not sponsored. Any websites/tools/apps we recommend are purely because we enjoy them personally

Did You Know…

CAPTCHA Once Used Actual Books

Early CAPTCHAs helped digitize books by showing users words that OCR couldn’t recognize. Every time you proved you weren’t a robot, you were secretly helping preserve literature.

So technically, you’ve already read War and Peace. Probably.

Handy Coding Tool

Understand Your Code’s Behavior – AppMap

AppMap is a powerful tool that helps you visualize code execution in real-time. It records how your code runs—calls, database queries, and all—so you can better understand its behavior and troubleshoot bugs faster.

Key Features:

• Real-time execution recording

• Visual call maps and flow charts

• Tracks database queries and API calls

• Great for debugging and performance insight

https://appmap.io/

Tech Highlights

Neurological Enhancements - Brain Upgrades Are Getting Real

Neurotech is going mainstream, and the latest developments are pushing human potential to sci-fi levels.

• Neuralink Scales Up: Neuralink has now implanted brain chips in three human patients, including one who controlled a computer via livestream. The company is ramping up clinical trials in the U.S. and Canada, refining its surgical robot, and seeking $500M in funding at an $8.5B valuation. Vision-restoring implants and telepathic communication may not be far off. (MIT Tech Review, Bloomberg)

• Two-Way Brain-Computer Interfaces: Researchers in China developed a BCI that not only reads brain activity but writes to it—enabling hands-free drone control and restoring motor function. It’s 100x faster and 1,000x more efficient than earlier versions. (TechXplore)

• Neurotech at CES: This year’s CES featured thought-controlled earbuds, wearable BCIs, and wireless implants for conditions like Parkinson’s and depression. Brain interfaces are no longer lab experiments—they’re consumer tech. (Cure)

• AI-Powered Brain Monitoring: Smartwatches and headsets now track neurological conditions like epilepsy and Parkinson’s in real time, using AI to personalize treatment. Your next neurologist might be wearable. (NeurologyLive)

We’re officially living in the era of brain upgrades—just hope your OS doesn’t crash mid-thought.

Ask the Experts

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Pop Quiz

What Will This Function Return?

def calculate_total(items):
    total = 0
    for item in items:
        total += item
    return total

print(calculate_total([]))

Find the answer at the bottom of the newsletter!

Pop Quiz Answer: It returns 0. The loop doesn’t run, but total starts at 0 and is returned as-is. This is good behavior—no bug here, just a reminder to always check how your code handles empty inputs!