On Computers

Big data centers use a huge amount of electricity. But that’s changing. Someday soon, we won’t have to pay higher electricity prices because AI is hogging our power. AI’s new Large Language Models are saving energy, because processing happens locally on our devices rather than via power-hungry remote servers. For example, PrismML, founded by Caltech scientists, shrinks AI. Instead of giant data centers, their AI models can work on devices as small as the iPhone 17. What’s more, they take up only 1.5 gigabytes and can be downloaded for free at PrismML.com. But PrismML’s “Bonsai” is not for casual users. It’s for tech enthusiasts who want to tinker with their own private AI, as well as developers, researchers and hardware […]

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Filed under: AI, health, how-to, Internuts, robots, security, social networks, Sports | Comments Off on FROM BIG AI TO INVISIBLE AI

I’ll never forget the time Mom and I forgot where I’d parked the car. After walking around and around a huge parking structure, we finally called for help.  But there’s a much easier way to locate your vehicle these days. Place a Scosche FoundIT in your car’s 12 volt charger, aka cigarette lighter, and it will help you find your car. It’s better than an Apple Air Tag because you never have to change the battery or look for it under a car seat. Here’s how it works. First, tap the “Find My” app on your iPhone, or Google’s “Find My Device” app on your Android, which will show your car on a map. You might also ask the FoundIT […]

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Filed under: AI, batteries, gadgets, how-to, Internuts, numbers, phones, robots, trends | Comments Off on FINDING YOUR CAR

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

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

After I put soapy water in the blender, which I placed on the stove to get it out of the way, I turned it on to clean it. Foam poured out all over, which I quickly mopped up. Moments later, while sitting at my desk, I smelled something funny. Then I saw smoke. When pressing down to mop up, I’d accidentally turned on the burners. The base of my blender melted while a dish towel smoldered and threw out sparks. The whole place stunk. What ever happened to knobs on stoves? The air was so bad I had to open the doors to my balcony and front door. Thankfully, I’d just bought the AirDoctor 4000 to clean my condo. In […]

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Filed under: AI, environment, Internuts, podcasts, radio, robots, shopping, Windows | Comments Off on AIR DOCTOR

You may have heard of ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Character.ai and Claude, but have you heard of Bible Teacher Bot, Creative_WritingS or theRealrealtalk? All of these and hundreds more AI assistants are available on Poe.com, a project created by Quora, my favorite question-and-answer site.  I tried it out by going to Poe and clicking on the BibleTeacher-bot. “What’s a good lesson to draw from John 14?” I asked. It gave me a great answer. Next, I found Creative_WritingS, by doing a find-in-page for the word “Creative.” I asked it to come up with an ending for a friend’s novel about three Confederate soldiers returning from the war. The AI bot’s writing was cheesy and amateurish. But when I asked it to […]

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Filed under: AI, environment, gadgets, robots | Comments Off on POE.COM HOUSES HUNDREDS OF AI CHATBOTS

When I tested a smart watch for kids, it made me feel dumb.  The X6Play watch from Xplora Technologies, $170, couldn’t connect to my 5G WiFi because it’s 4G. So I couldn’t do the required update until I set up a WiFi hotspot on my phone. Naturally, I wasted a lot of time before contacting tech support. The soul of a kid watch is its ability to stop strangers and bullies from harassing your child, while keeping parents in the loop. But I couldn’t set up a “Trusted Contact” list because I couldn’t find “Contacts” in the app settings. Tech support wasn’t any help either, but a techy friend found it after a couple of false starts.  The X6Play has […]

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Filed under: Internuts, kids, robots, security, Windows | Comments Off on SMART WATCHES FOR KIDS KEEP PARENTS IN THE LOOP

My 91-year-old neighbor almost lost $100,000. She would have been wiped out completely if she hadn’t run to the bank. The scam started when she clicked on a message that appeared to be from PayPal. It told her she owed $500 and asked her to call. Unfortunately, she let the person who answered the phone take control of her computer. It didn’t seem odd to her, because Apple tech support often does that, with great results. But this was not Apple.  When her web browser automatically filled in the password for her online bank account, the scammer was able to initiate a funds transfer. But something he said reminded her of a previous scam. So she hung up and called […]

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Filed under: AI, GPS, robots, science, security, virus | Comments Off on ALMOST SCAMMED

I’m planning to go on the “Holistic Holiday at Sea,” a one-week Princess cruise to Alaska. My artificially intelligent friend, Microsoft Copilot, has been so helpful, it practically wished me bon voyage. Now I won’t be unprepared. I started by asking it about the cabin types, something that both the website and the phone operator were frustratingly vague about. After answering this beautifully, it asked me some questions, encouraging me to get more info, just as if it were my mom or a superior travel agent. For example, I told Copilot that on my last cruise, when I was 14, I was dreadfully seasick until we stopped in San Francisco for the night on our way to Hawaii from Long […]

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Filed under: AI, health, Internuts, iPhone, robots | Comments Off on AI PLANNED MY VOYAGE