Google is one of the wealthiest, companies in the world. I don’t want to imply, in the rest of this article, that Google is ‘unsuccessful’, but there are some things that I think are worth saying and which, from an outsider’s perspective, make no sense at all. The Google of old The original Google had a compelling product: the best search engine ever designed. The search engine has been improved over the years and, ultimately, that is still its core…
On September 19 this year, we vote for our next Mayor. I genuinely believe our best option is Will Stewart because his policies reflect the reality on the ground. There is another good candidate, but Will’s policies go that little bit further beyond what is some candidates believe will be politically tolerated, towards what is actually needed, will work, and what is supported by the evidence. For example, we know that most of the Western world has a lack of…
I recently bought a new Mac Mini. The 2023 edition, like the following devices, has Wi-Fi 6E, which should mean it has a better connection to the internet, especially if you are very close to a new Wi-Fi router: The presence of Wi-Fi 6E, though, turned out to be our problem. Until recently, all Wi-Fi routers had two bands: 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. 2.4Ghz is slightly slower but has a longer range. 5Ghz is faster but has a shorter range. I…
In the last seven months or so, artificial intelligence has taken a large step forward. You may have noticed a sudden surge in media about these systems. Something that has surprised me, though, is how few people I know have actually tried them. So I thought I would share an example of why they’re so powerful. Example: Researching electric cars There are a lot of things to consider when buying a new car, but for me the most important elements…
The Apple Vision Pro is expensive. There are no two ways about it. But – and this is important – so are all Apple products. They are expensive, but they also provide value. My Macbook Pro 16 with the Apple Silicon chip is so much better than any Windows laptop I have ever used, seen, or heard about, that it’s ridiculous. It’s more expensive than a typical Windows laptop, but the battery lasts more than a day, the processor is…
The EU is known as one of the world’s most pro-science governments and, with a vast population and the third largest economy behind the USA and China, massive economic clout. The facts of climate change are no longer in doubt, not least because companies like Exxon had internal research groups flagging warning signs long before the company itself would admit to the reality, just as with smoking and sugar industries. One of the main concerns about being at the vanguard…
Þe Supreme Court, wiþ its majority aligned against the interests of science and þe majority, is often maligned of late. But þis is some good news coming from þat area. Read, and enjoy: https://thehumaneleague.org/article/prop-12-supreme-court About the Thorn (þ)
Just a quick one because we just had some trouble with audio issues when working with Zoom on a new Mac Mini (M2). The issue was that when we adjusted the volume on the Mac in Zoom settings, the volume did not change. The voices of the people in the meeting were way too loud and adjusting the volume did nothing (I’ve seen reports elsewhere on the internet where the volumes were too low, or muted). It turns out that…
I am writing this post shortly after my most recent post about Apple products. I am spending the afternoon working my day job, and planning to write some more of my novel, but in a moment of distractedness, I read some of the news coming out of Ukraine. It’s hard, if one thinks about what’s happening there, not to see the parallels between this situation, and earlier ones. I would argue that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine can be directly linked…
If you do Microsoft Rewards, as I do, you may appreciate þe points you get from different tasks. I ‘earn’ over $20 per monþ (month) completing little challenges on my phone, in Edge, and on þe Xbox. Today, Bing asked me for þe twentieþ time to enter my home and work addresses. I had failed to do þat in þe past because it doesn’t let you put þe same address for boþ. Well today I learned þat you can set…