Where would life be without fascinations? Where would life be without exploring the different aspects of our world through laughter, amazement, curiosity, and that childlike glee when we see something anew for the first time? I only wish that I could somehow bring many of the different treats that arrive on my web doorstep to your attention. Of course, through the magic of the Internet, there are few constraints to this excitement.
On the last workday of the week (usually Friday), we will bring you something at 12:00 noon Pacific Time (that’s late afternoon on the East Coast, so you have something before leaving the office). It’s here to tickle your fancy, entice you to learn, entertain you, or simply explore your funny bone. It may not always be humor, but it should never be boring. It will be clean, safe for work and the family, and will be related to our core topics at Computer Talk Radio, that’s computers and technology, and occasionally just plain nerdy.
Further, like many of the other things around here, if you submit something that we use in our Friday Fascinations, I’ll also send you something from the grab box(es).
Benjamin Rockwell
Freedom of Speech is disappearing.
This isn't about left or right. I would scream about this no matter who is working to keep our voices silent. I despised the efforts years ago to censor music. I was against the censorship of a certain comedian who I found to be foul and obnoxious, as it made him more...
Bogus ChatGPT extension steals Facebook cookies • The Register
One thing that is always true on the Internet; If someone creates something highly popular, there will be bad guys to exploit that. ChatGPT is very popular these days, and someone created a ChatGPT extension (with a space between Chat and GPT) that steals your data...
“Click-to-cancel” rule would penalize companies that make you cancel by phone | Ars Technica
Think of that cable bill, the tech subscription, that gym membership. We are all stuck in one of those contracts which is nigh impossible to kill. We've been there, and it's bad. The Federal Trade Commission has said that slavery was outlawed over a century back, so...
How to use Bing Image Creator to generate AI images for free | Digital Trends
Microsoft released their AI image creator, based on GPT-4 technology this week. I mention it as the first mainstream group that people would recognize. I decided to give it a shot, but frankly, it was lacking. I could ask for a cat in space and get it. I asked for a...
Amazon kills DPReview, the best camera review site on the web | TechCrunch
Amazon opened the week with another announcement of layoffs, including 9,000 across Amazon Web Services, which is what many corporate servers run on. They also laid off folks in Twitch, as well as shutting down Digital Photography Review, a leading set of experts on...
CDC bought access to Americans’ phone location data to monitor compliance with lockdowns, social distancing, and more, contracts show | Not the Bee
Our government, during COVID closures and lockdowns, decided, through the CDC to buy access to your phone location to monitor your location, interactions, and more. Let me put this in slightly different wording. Big Brother was tracking your compliance to all manner...
Forget Bing. Microsoft 365 Copilot could be AI’s killer app | PCWorld
The world of AI, of GPT, will be gaining much attention over the coming months. This will be due to various companies leveraging the various models to be on the bandwagon early. Microsoft has placed tons of cash into AI development in recent days, and the new updates...
Computer Talk Radio Broadcast 03-18-2023
Computer Talk Radio Broadcast 03-18-2023; TikTok, Tesla, GPT-4, Mint Mobile; Digital Natives and Immigrants; smartphone message wars; insulation; Nightmare Vacation; film preservation; tech companies; tech problems evolved; data backups; Facebook future
T-Mobile to acquire Ryan Reynolds’ Mint Mobile for up to $1.35 billion
Ryan Reynolds, famous for playing Green Lantern, amongst a few other roles... OK, that's a joke on one of his worst roles... but he owns about 25% of Mint Mobile. Or he did... as T-Mobile has stepped up and offered to pay $1.35 Billion to pick up the band. The fun...
OpenAI releases GPT-4, a multimodal AI that it claims is state-of-the-art | TechCrunch
GPT-4 is on the way. If you've tinkered with ChatGPT or some of the other variant's, you've been using GPT-3 or 3.5, unless you've been using Bing. Before you start thinking GPT-4 is an amazing evolution, it's not... it's subtle, nuanced, and still moving forward at a...
Vinyl records outsell CDs for first time in 35 years | Digital Trends
Vinyl records. The medium that was thought to be lost to the ages, has made an amazing and strange comeback. For the first time since 1987, the licorice pizza has outsold that newcomer upstart called the CD. This is actually part of a 16 year growth path that records...