Giant double issue: Video gadgets, a Kindle warning, more AI classes
Giant double issue: Video gadgets, a Kindle warning, more AI classes
Plus, Fixing the Vision Pro, Logitech's prompt builder doesn't suck, Conan does Fallout, the meme of the week, and trivia answers
I’m David Gewirtz. Welcome to this week’s Advanced Geekery newsletter. It’s been an exciting week. Let’s dive in.
Giant double issue
Some of you noticed that I didn’t have an issue of the Advanced Geekery newsletter last week. I’m making up for that now, with articles from both weeks.
The reason for the missed issue is because I was waiting for the new domain to propagate into the publishing system. So, instead of advancedgeekery.substack.com, this newsletter’s new online address is https://news.advancedgeekery.com.
It’s all about the branding, baby!
My articles
Let’s kick it off with a quick recap of the articles I published in the last two weeks on ZDNET.
My 9 must-have gadgets for creating quality YouTube videos: Want to learn how to create YouTube videos? You'll need a few tools for stable shooting and high quality sound.
I found Apple Vision Pro unusable at first - but then I fixed it. Here's how: If eye tracking isn't working for you in Vision Pro, these accessibility features can help.
Can Meta AI code? I tested it against Llama, Gemini and ChatGPT - it wasn't even close: I threw my suite of simple coding tests against Meta AI. The results proved there's really only one AI chatbot worth your time for programming.
The best free AI courses (and whether AI “micro-degrees” and certificates are worth it): Want to become an expert in AI? We'll help you navigate through a sea of online educational options with our guide on where to get the best free AI training and certifications.
Logitech's free AI Prompt Builder is surprisingly handy. Here's how I'm using it: I tried Logitech's new AI feature and immediately added it to my bag of tricks - which I don't do lightly. In this article, I'll show you three ways to customize this handy tool and make it your own.
Have an old Kindle? Whatever you do, do not do this one thing: Doing this thing can render your vintage Kindle unusable. But if you're trying to figure out how to add new books to old Kindles, this guide can help.
Meme of the week
As you know, I’ve been exploring spatial computing and all the Rs of VR for ZDNET. I’ve come to one conclusion:
Feel free to share this graphic if you want.
Must-watch YouTube
Moving on, let’s queue up some interesting YouTube videos for your entertainment and edification.
I just finished the Fallout TV series. I liked it a lot, if it’s a bit more gory-feeling on TV than in the game. Conan O’Brien had his own, very funny take on the show.
Most reviewers know we have responsibility to our readers for our reviews. Marques Brownlee goes into some level of detail on his thinking about this topic.
This is a really cool animated chart showing the most popular computer operating systems from 1985 to today. I love this kind of thing. I hope you do, too.
Last week’s trivia question
Last week, I told you to guess a classic science fiction movie. I gave you a hint: it is not part of the Star Trek universe. I also gave you this image as a hint.
Then there were the character hints. Did you guess how the characters connected?
Alexander Marcus was an admiral in Star Trek Into Darkness. He was played by Peter Weller. Weller played Officer Alex Murphy in RoboCop (and became RoboCop).
Captain Edward Jellico from Star Trek TNG was played by Ronny Cox. Cox played the corrupt senior vice president of Omni Consumer Products in RoboCop.
Thrax of the DS9 episode Things Past and Annorax of the Year of Hell story arc in Star Trek Voyager were both played by Kurtwood Smith. Smith played Clarence Boddicker, the violent and psychopathic criminal gang leader in … RoboCop.
And, after six degrees of Kevin Baconing our way between the characters, the answer to our trivia questions is: RoboCop.
Interesting reads
And now, some good stuff from around the Internet, well worth reading.
Interesting story by a guy overwhelmed with his email. I wouldn’t do it this way, but it’s worth reading just for his email thoughts.
I grew up in New Jersey and lived there for another 10 years as an adult. So diners are near and dear to my heart. Unfortunately, they’re a dying breed.
We’re all sleeping less. And stress is up. But that’s no surprise, is it?
Reader projects
I’d like to regularly spotlight a reader project or two here. Your project doesn’t have to be a big Kickstarter launch. If you’ve built something cool, it has some pretty pictures, and you’re proud of it, I might be able to share it here.
If you have a photogenic reader project, send an email to me at david@zatz.com with the subject “READER PROJECT,” a few pictures, and a short one-paragraph description. If you have a social media link or a link to the project, include that, too.
More clicky
I’ve got a lot happening all over the web. Here are links to my various stuff:
House of the Head: home for my published music
ZATZ Labs: where I host my published software projects
Feel free to dig around, visit, and say hey!
Leave some comments
Substack supports comments, so feel free to leave some. I promise to read them. Just, please, let’s keep our personal politics out of any discussion.
That should do it for this week. This newsletter is really starting to pick up subscribers. Please help it out by sharing links on all your socials.
Have a great week!