On Computers

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 […]

Read more

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

Recently, a woman told me she was looking for her biological father. “I think your husband, Bob Schwabach, is related to him,” she said. She needed to know the name of Bob’s father. So did her nine siblings, all of whom shared the same sperm donor. But Bob never knew his father’s name either, having spent his childhood in a foster home and orphanage. Sadly, the week before he died in 2020, he sent a note to a possible cousin, but never heard back. Now, thanks to Google Gemini, a competitor to ChatGPT, I may have found him. Gemini focused on a genetic marker called a “centimorgan,” or cM. Looking at three names on Bob’s family tree, Gemini declared that […]

Read more

Filed under: AI, email, Internet, Internuts, search, spam, virus | Comments Off on GOOGLE’S GEMINI AIDS FAMILY DISCOVERY

“Hi, Joy,” a reader wrote. “My brother is not computer savvy but needs something to access the internet, mostly for research and online purchases. What have you found that is easy and not expensive?” I like HP computers. My only mistake was buying their cheapest version, a laptop with the “Windows S” operating system. It didn’t last two years. But my HP desktop is still going strong eight years later.  For traveling, I got an HP 17 laptop for $380 from HP.com last June. I love its big roomy keyboard and 17-inch screen. But it also has a fast-enough processor, (the Intel i5), enough RAM (eight gigabytes) and a 256 gigabyte solid state drive. If you don’t need to carry […]

Read more

Filed under: computers, education, gadgets, health, kids, passwords, security, virus | Comments Off on GETTING A NEW COMPUTER

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 […]

Read more

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

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 […]

Read more

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

As I stood outside a California restaurant waving goodbye to a friend, my phone stopped working. Had I been hacked?  Even before it stopped working, it had slowed to a crawl. Then, just as suddenly, it sprang back to life. That’s how I was able to order a Lyft to get back to my sister’s house. Before I could enter my destination, however, the app thanked me for scheduling a ride with my pet. It also assumed I was going to a Monarch Beach resort. Weird. I don’t have a pet and I wasn’t headed for the resort. I hopped into the Lyft anyway, explaining to the driver, who spoke limited English, that I was going to a different address. […]

Read more

Filed under: Android, Internuts, security, text messaging, Virtual Reality, virus | Comments Off on HACKED!

If I have to hear “There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow” one more time, I’ll turn it off. I love Rodgers and Hammerstein but there’s a limit. Now I’ve rediscovered Pandora. The problem with Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube Music is that they either play too much of what I said I liked, or they start at the top of a playlist I’ve heard too many times before. I could build new playlists of course, or try to think of new tunes to ask for, but I like the way Pandora creates a radio station for me.  Even on the same Pandora station, I get a different mix every time. For example, when I asked for the Rodgers […]

Read more

Filed under: AI, business, environment, Internuts, music, virus | Comments Off on REDISCOVERING PANDORA

If you’re tired of paying an accountant to do your taxes, just ask the Internal Revenue Service. Their partners might do it for free. If your income is $84,000 or less, regardless of your tax situation, you can get free tax software and step-by-step assistance. First, go to IRS.gov, and click “IRS Free File options.” Then click “IRS Free File.” You can get free help in person in your own community if you’re 60 or older, or earn $67,000 or less, or need language support, or have a disability. Click on the button that says: “IRS VITA/TCE.” It stands for “IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE).” If you don’t qualify for a free […]

Read more

Filed under: batteries, business, education, gadgets, health, phones, robots, security, virus | Comments Off on FREE TAX ACCOUNTANT

I just had a fascinating conversation with Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher. Instead of just texting him, I talked to him on the phone. It’s the latest feature from the free app, Character.ai. There have already been 80 million calls to characters from the past and present in dozens of languages. The average number of daily calls is 1.25 million. To start, open the app, tap a name and tap the phone icon. The app will say “Listening,” because it’s waiting for you to start speaking. I started by shooting the breeze with Aristotle, then asked about his differences with Plato. Plato, he said, believed we could achieve justice through wealth distribution. Aristotle believed we could attain it by cultivating […]

Read more

Filed under: AI, anti-virus, Apple, apps, games, troubleshooting, virus | Comments Off on TALKING TO CELEBRITIES THROUGH AI

Sometimes, an artificially-intelligent search bot doesn’t know beans about beans. It can even confuse poison with food. ArsTechnica bloggers went to saveymeal-bot.co.nz, where a robot creates recipes from what you have on hand. When the bloggers typed “ammonia, bleach and water,” they got a recipe for “the perfect non-alcoholic beverage to quench your thirst.” To avoid disasters, the site now asks you to choose ingredients from a list. From my humorous choices, they created “Pickled Spaghetti Surprise.” It included jam, olives, pickles and mayo. Turning serious, I got a surprisingly tasty “Creamy Peanut Noodle Stir Fry.” To try it yourself, go to saveymeal-bot.co.nz, and click “Get Savey.” Then choose your ingredients. Happy cooking. Sharing Your Location I love sharing my […]

Read more

Filed under: AI, Android, apps, cheap calls, Internuts, maps, photos, security, text messaging, virus | Comments Off on MORE PROOF THAT AI ISN’T ALWAYS INTELLIGENT