I must be pretty darned special since I got a dozen beautiful roses for the occasion. Chocolates came along with the flowers and I made sure to put that heart-shaped box out of reach. Merida may be a pain but I do want to keep her around a bit longer. 😉
Phone camera photo comparisons…
I so miss my iPhone and Apple computers. I still have an iMac on my desk because I can’t seem to let go, but it’s no longer my main system. Every single time I think about switching back to my iPhone and setting aside the Android, I take a couple photos and compare them.
Standing in the exact same spot, I took 2 photos using portrait mode on each camera.
Photo taken by Samsung S22Photo taken by iPhone 11 Pro Max
Both phones have new versions recently released. I’ve read a ton of articles about them and their camera improvements — and results are that while both have improved cameras, Samsung’s version is still rated much higher than that of the new iPhone. It makes me sad — but the photos speak volumes.
I miss good ole’ Steve Jobs!
I’m about to purchase a new laptop and am leaning toward the MacBook — but gosh, Steve Jobs would never have let Samsung outdo the flagship Apple iPhone. Would he?
Happy Valentine’s Day, ya’ll. Hope someone in your life made you feel special today! ❤️
TIL (Today I Learned): The pilot episode of LOST was the most expensive pilot episode in TV history at the time. The network president who greenlit the pilot was fired for greenlighting such an expensive episode. (As an aside, I’ve watched the entire LOST series 4 times now — and I still absolutely LOVE it!)
If you don’t already know about OpenAI and chatGPT, you should. Experts say it may be the most important tool to hit the world since modern search engines.
The basics…
OpenAI is an artificial intelligence research laboratory focused on developing and promoting friendly AI to benefit everyone. GBT stands for Generative Pretrained Transformer — a language model trained and able to generate human-type text. ChatGPT is a variant that was created for conversational purpose.
If you want to try it out…
You sign up for a free account at https://chat.openai.com. You have to give them an email address and a phone number so it can send you a code for verification. Then you’re ready for blastoff! Unless the server is so busy you can’t get in. 🙁 This is a FREE version.
It’s amazing technology… that’s for sure. It’s incredibly popular and if you play around on it, you’ll see how it can be used for a bajillion purposes. Even though college professors know their students are using chatGBT to write papers, they pass the plagiarism test of software that’s designed to identify it.
Here’s an example…
I typed in this request:Write an article about why rural living is preferred above living in a city. In less than 30-seconds, here is the UNEDITED result:
Rural living offers a way of life that is vastly different from that of a city. Many people find that the slower pace, the natural beauty, and the sense of community in rural areas are preferable to the hustle and bustle of city life.
One of the biggest draws of rural living is the sense of community. In small towns, people tend to know each other well, and there is a strong sense of shared identity and purpose. This can make for a close-knit and supportive community that is often lacking in larger, more anonymous cities.
Another advantage of rural living is the natural beauty of the area. Those who live in rural areas are often surrounded by fields, forests, and other natural landscapes that offer a sense of tranquility and serenity that is hard to find in the city. This can be especially appealing for those who enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, and hunting.
Rural living also tends to be less expensive than city living. Housing prices in rural areas are often lower than in the city, and the cost of living is generally lower as well. This can make it easier for people to live comfortably on a lower income.
Living in a city can be stressful. The constant noise, traffic, and pollution can take a toll on one’s mental and physical health.
In conclusion, rural living can offer a way of life that is more peaceful, less expensive, and more closely connected to nature. It can also provide a sense of community and shared identity that can be hard to find in the city. While cities may offer more job opportunities and entertainment, for many people, the benefits of rural living outweigh the advantages of urban living.
How do you feel about it? Will you use it?
There are strong generational differences as to the perceived opportunity, threat, etc. Most old people aren’t fans — but like it or not, the technology is quickly evolving. Actually… it could best be defined as explosive growth.
The implications are HUGE — trust and authenticity top the list. I can’t even imagine all the uses that haven’t been thought of yet and I have to wonder (as an old person) what the long term ramifications might be.
And finally… will you be moving to the country? 😉
TIL (Today I Learned): More than 300 million people globally don’t have a single friend, according to Gallup data.
First, a follow-up on the Chris Rock/Will Smith Oscars thing… Chris Rock said he didn’t know Jada had alopecia (why she’s bald) when he told the joke. The Academy announced they are reviewing what to do about Smith — and then (and only then) he apologized to Rock via Instagram. I might’ve drank the kool-aid if Smith didn’t include an excuse directly after saying his behavior was inexcusable. 😏
Onward to Sybil…
If y’all are old, you remember the 1975 film called Sybil. It starred Sally Field and Joanne Woodward and was about a woman with 16 distinct personalities. I don’t have 16 personalities yet, but I’m working on it.
I’m running into my first “I hate this shit” on my Samsung phone and watch and it’s because of Google. My Samsung account — the one I purchased my new phone with — is my work email address. It’s managed by our work domain… ME! Since it’s a managed account, Samsung requires that it be put on the phone as a “work profile.” BUT, the other email accounts also managed by that same domain can’t be added.
You can only add one work profile to this device.
Samsung
Fine. I can’t check the email for scheduling@, or team@, on the same phone I check my personal/work email. That sucks. What also sucks is I can’t add or check another email account for a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th of our work domains that also use Google for Business.
And I’m not lying.
Sybil — the book and movie that followed — was about Shirley Mason. After the book sold 6 million copies and the movie was popular, ole’ Shirley admitted that the personalities were merely lies to get emotional and financial support from her psychiatrist, Wilber.
My multiple personalities are all real. They are all separate and distinct versions of yours truly. “Work me” keeps contacts and passwords a secret from every single other “me.”
If only I could keep work and personal stuff so separate in REAL LIFE!! 🙂
And then, there’s this…
TIL (Today I Learned): A tapeworm can live inside a human for up to 30 years and grow to 80ft in length.
Up before daylight to get a COVID booster… but first…
“AI will be central to how we live our lives.”
Eric Schmidt, former CEO and chairman of Google
Unless you live under a rock, you know that AI stands for artificial intelligence — basically the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines. I love that I can talk to my products and they’ll put items on my shopping list or meetings on my calendar. I like to set reminders for timed activities so I don’t have remember. I’m not a fan of social media monitoring and am still on the fence about self-driving cars.
But something is going on around here…
Perry, Ben and I all got new keyboards that learn the habits of the user. We got them at about the same time and they are all dying now with keys that won’t work. The Peskies have a navigation system/radio in their motorhome that just stopped working this week. The battery on Perry’s Fitbit decided it doesn’t want to charge anymore. My phone jumped out of my hand and scratched its side even through the case.
Could it be they’ve started some kind of organized strike?
Alexa: I’m reminding you, give Dharma her pill. Me: Remind me again in 15-minutes. Alexa: I’m reminding you… Me: REMIND ME AGAIN IN 15-MINUTES! Alexa: I’m reminding you… Me: Oh my Gosh!!! Alexa: People all have their own views on religion.
If my team of Alexas don’t straighten up, I’ll trade them for Google Assistants. And if Mr. Peskie’s motorhome thinks it can get by with acting up like that, he might just make a trade too. 😉
TIL (Today I Learned): Radio took 38 years to reach an audience of 50 million. The iPod only took three years to reach 50 million.
I awoke this morning to snow. Not lots — but enough to make me happy. I’d rather have 1/2 foot as opposed to a 1/2 inch, but you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.
Before I even got to snap a photo my favorite son called. The conversation consisted of him saying, “WHAT?” a whole bunch and telling me I sounded muffled. He also said I sounded like a robot at times.
I knew my amazing iPhone 11 MAX seemed to be having a little issue. I listen to audiobooks often and I just couldn’t get the sound up loud enough. I didn’t think I was going deaf… I didn’t have a problem hearing anything else.
After my call, I took off the case assuming there was dirt in the mic and speakers. But no! This is what I found instead…
I’ll just trade it in, me thinks, and get the iPhone 12 MAX. Wrong again! My $1300 iPhone is now only recyclable. Any case damage and they don’t want it. I’ll call tomorrow and see if I can get it repaired somewhere, but in the meantime, I’m sporting a Samsung Note 10+.
For the record — and sorry to all you Android lovers — this is a POS. There’s currently not a phone out that that can compare to an iPhone. Period.
The pretty snow that got me excited to start the day… and that I finally got a photo of… was the highlight of an otherwise craptastic day.
TIL (today I learned): Kid Rock was not actually raised poor or in a trailer. He grew up in a 5600 square foot home on a six-acre estate. His real name is Robert James Ritchie and his dad owned multiple car dealerships.
