On Computers

I love the debates at OpentoDebate.org. But if I’m short on time, I use Google Gemini or ChatGPT to summarize the exchange and tell me which side made the stronger case. In one titled “Is America Ready for a Four-Day Work Week?” the majority sided with economist Juliet Schor. That’s because she presented stronger, data-backed evidence from numerous corporate pilot programs that showed immediate benefits to both employee well-being and corporate productivity, Gemini said. She also said that the four-day work week will probably evolve naturally before it’s mandated by law. Her rival, journalist Joanne Lipman, pointed out that many executives, especially in the artificial intelligence community, claim they want a shorter work week but constantly push for longer hours […]

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Filed under: AI, health, Internuts, photos | Comments Off on AI FOR DEBATES

Recently, I went to a big chicken dinner at my sister’s house, where I happened to be staying. The issue was: “What shall Health Nut Joy have?” So I asked Microsoft Copilot. First, I told my artificially-intelligent sous chef about the stuff in the pantry and fridge. Then I asked it to come up with an oil-free, salt-free, sugar-free, vegan recipe. It gave me three choices. The first was “Italian Broccoli–Brussels Sprout Pesto Bowl.” The second was “Mexican Sweet Potato–Black Bean Tacos.” The third was “Moroccan‑Style Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tagine.” There was one complication. I had to make my dish early, or my brother-in-law, a true chef, wouldn’t have the time or space to create his own masterpieces. […]

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Filed under: AI, games, Internuts, photos, photoshop | Comments Off on COOKING WITH AI

Some lawyers abuse AI, by allowing it to cite fake cases. But BrentWorks has a solution.  Unlike AI, its “CiteSentinel” tool doesn’t guess if a case is real, then lie about it when confronted. It cross references cases against verified legal databases, by scanning a legal brief and identifying every string of text.  Here’s one it would have caught before it ever went to court. In 2023, a man sued an airline after a metal cart struck his knee. His legal team used ChatGPT to generate arguments. The result was six fake citations. Even so, the team couldn’t resist turning to AI again when the judge asked for verification. Later, they had to pay a $5000 fine and send a […]

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Filed under: AI, Internuts, kids, news, passwords, photos, trends, wearables | Comments Off on AI AND THE LAW

There are now artificially intelligent reviewers inside the Amazon phone app that can chat with you about Amazon products. They’re folksy and fun. To test it, I tapped the app on my phone, then looked up the Ninja Kitchen System, a blender and food processor in one. After I tapped “Hear the Highlights,” my AI hostess introduced herself, then introduced Sofia, an AI culinary expert. While they were talking, I tapped the raise-your-hand icon to ask a question. “Are the reviews good?” I asked and up popped a “you’re next” sign. “Joy’s asking about the reviews,” the hostess replied. “Do customers actually like this thing?” The culinary expert said that 83 percent of Amazon buyers thought that the Ninja was […]

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Filed under: AI, Amazon, browsers, Internuts, photos, photoshop, security, video, virus | Comments Off on TALKING AMAZON APP

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

Google Maps is much smarter now, thanks to Gemini AI, but it hasn’t rolled out to everyone yet. No matter. I like the free Gemini app. It’s map savvy. Gemini is so good that Siri recently threw in the towel and pleaded with Gemini to save her. Or rather, Apple made a deal with Google to give Siri a Gemini brain. Future Apple operating systems will also have Gemini brains. Turning to the Gemini app on my iPhone, I asked: “What’s the best way to get from the University Club to the Union League Club without a car?” Gemini said it would take 11 minutes to walk and nine minutes by train. As for restaurant stops along the way, it […]

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Filed under: cameras, Google, health, Internuts, maps, photos, robots | Comments Off on GOOGLE MAPS GETS SMARTER

Microsoft Copilot is a great shopping buddy.  With its AI “vision,” it looked at the websites I had open and analyzed the options. Not only did it save me money on a satin blouse, it picked out the right shoes. To start, I launched the Microsoft Edge web browser on my computer, then clicked the colorful icon in the upper right of my screen, though I could have just gone to Copilot.Microsoft.com in another browser such as Chrome. From there, I typed questions into the chatbox.  That’s how I found out which MBT running and walking shoes had roomy toeboxes but less structural support, and which ones were narrow but more supportive. Copilot also helped me choose an outfit for […]

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Filed under: AI, Amazon, apps, batteries, gadgets, kids, photos | Comments Off on SHOPPING WITH AI

I just made a website with the help of artificial intelligence. It was fun, but far from perfect. AI did a good job creating a site for my magician friend, but a lousy job helping me tweak it. I had to start over. For example, when I asked AI to replace a photo with one of my own, it told me to click a non-existent “replace” button. I tried asking for more help, but the site just got worse and worse. By then, it warned me that I’d used 28 prompts, and the free trial only comes with 30. So I started over, and got a new batch of 30. This time, I used only the first prompt, by asking […]

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Filed under: AI, gadgets, photos, robots, text messaging | Comments Off on LET AI CREATE YOUR NEXT WEBSITE

“What’s the best way to consolidate family photos?” a reader asked.  “Three of us use iCloud for backup. The others have Android devices.” Here’s an idea: Share a link from your iCloud account with your relatives. First, go to icloud.com/photos on your device. Next, choose a specific album, and tap the share icon at the bottom of the screen. Copy the link to use in a text, email, Facebook or wherever. Your relatives can download the photos from there. Alternatively, iPhone users can get on the same page with their Android-using cousins by downloading the free Google Photos app. Or, start at Photos.Google.com, click the checkbox above a group of photos, and click the share icon. You’ll get a link […]

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Filed under: AI, Amazon, DVD, gadgets, Internuts, photos | Comments Off on THE BEST WAY TO SHARE FAMILY PHOTOS

Google Voice, the free phone service, saved me at least three times. It’s a great backup plan. As I was knocking on the door of a relative in San Diego this week, for example, my phone was speeding down the highway in the backseat of a Lyft. “Geez, not again,” I thought. But worst case scenario, I figured I’d still be able to communicate using Google Voice from my laptop, something I did for a whole weekend once. Before giving up however, I looked up Android’s “find my device” website. Once there, I kept clicking “play sound” to make my phone ring from the back seat. It must have driven the driver nuts. He delivered it pronto. But Google Voice […]

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Filed under: AI, Google, photos, wearables | Comments Off on GOOGLE VOICE SAVES THE DAY