What's 81-Year-Old John 'Captain Crunch' Draper Doing Now?

He was employee #13 at Apple Computers — after impressing Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs with his 'blue box' phone-phreaking technique. Now 81-year-old John 'Captain Crunch' Draper has launched a new YouTube channel and web site.

'I spent decades exploring the depths of communication technology,' Draper says in a recent video, 'always pushing the boundaries of what's possible, and challenging the status quo.' The video is embedded at the top of the new web site, welcoming visitors to 'your gateway to my world, where I share everything from my secrets of the early phone freaking days to the latest in emergency communication systems that could one day save your life.'

'Here you'll find insights into my current projects including advanced uses of artificial intelligence, emergency communication preparedness, and much more. Whether you're a technology enthusiast, a fellow veteran, or someone curious about the unseen forces that connect our world, here's something for you.'
And clicking the 'Current Projects' link leads to an interesting list:

'My involvement in the field of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) recently took me to 'Contact in the Desert,' a pivotal gathering of leading scientists pushing for governmental transparency in UAP research.'
'Artificial Intelligence, particularly ChatGPT, has captivated my interest. I'm refining my skills as a prompt engineer, integrating AI into various facets of my life, from web development and programming to personal research on UAPs and anti-gravity phenomena.'

'In light of global tensions, such as the Ukrainian conflict, I'm actively preparing for potential disruptions in conventional communication systems. Together with a hardware partner, we are pioneering advanced communication technologies under the unlicensed ISM band using the Meshtastic protocol. This technology, which is popular in the UK but less so in the US, facilitates secure, low-power, and nearly undetectable communication. I am advocating for its adoption in Las Vegas, where it remains largely underutilized.'
'My YouTube channel not only serves as a platform for project updates but also as a conduit for preserving the legacy of the computing era's pioneers.' [Draper's channel has already hosted a reunion with members from the original 1970s HomeBrew Computer Club.]

Draper's home page also has a 59-minute video of a conference talk where Draper tells his life story...

And five months ago Draper released a video on YouTube showing what happened when he asked ChatGPT to design his logo. It resulted in 'really hokey pictures — terrible.' But Draper scrolls them all to provide his critique....

There's also a Patreon account where Draper is offering to schedule Zoom meetings with subscribers (for between $22 and $45 an hour).

Read more of this story at Slashdot.