On Computers

When I tried the new Alexa Plus back in March, she seemed dumber than the old Alexa. But after a friend raved about her, I decided to give her another chance. Now I agree. Plus is a plus.  Alexa Plus works with the Echo Dot, Echo Show, Amazon Fire tablet and Fire TV stick or cube, version 2019 or newer. To upgrade, just ask your old Alexa for Alexa Plus. Then try asking any open-ended question, the kind Old Alexa can’t handle. I requested “music as cheery as the Music Man musical.” She gave me “Broadway Classics with a Twist.” Odd, but OK. I also asked Plus if it was true that in the American Revolutionary War, Britain moved a […]

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Filed under: AI, Internuts, Mac, text messaging, Windows | Comments Off on ALEXA GETS A BOOST

Three months ago, my history club had a talk on the history and future of robots. The speaker, who has a PhD in artificial intelligence, predicted that five years from now, every home would have one. This sounded incredible at the time. Now it sounds plausible. Back in 1981, an IBM personal computer cost $5000 if you included the monitor and other essentials. But that didn’t stop people from buying them, especially as the price dropped. With robots, the price is falling faster. Now you can get one for $1500 or less. The $1500 Posha is a countertop robot chef with 1000 recipes up its sleeve and counting. In an article in The Verge, I read that it made a […]

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Filed under: AI, apps, Internuts, robots, security, spam, virus, wearables | 1 Comment »

“I can’t read e-books because I don’t have a Kindle,” people tell me. But they can use the free Kindle app on their phones and tablets. Once you’ve installed the app on your mobile device, you’re ready to buy a book on Amazon and start reading. Alternatively, you can buy an e-book on your computer and click “read now” to see it on the big screen. Return to your library later by searching on “Manage your content and devices.” In the app, just tap “library.” If you want a physical e-reader, the new $69 Xteink X4 sticks to the back of your phone. Just flip it over to start reading. On the con side, it lacks a touch screen, has […]

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Filed under: AI, Amazon, books, Internuts, robots, web | Comments Off on KINDLES EVERYWHERE

After listening to two teenage girls talk about their Oura rings, I asked them about the battery. “Did you know it’s irreplaceable?” I asked. I didn’t have the heart to add: “When the battery’s degraded, your $499 smart ring will turn into a dumb ring.”  They didn’t seem to care about the battery. They love having their steps counted, their sleep tracked and more, leaving their wrists free for bracelets.  But after two years, the girls may have to charge their golden rings every six hours. After three years, the batteries will probably be kaput. After five years, they will have spent $350 for the Oura 4 monthly subscription and $998 for the original ring and its replacement, a total […]

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Filed under: AI, graphics, health, Internuts, inventions, photos, spam | Comments Off on RING LEADER