My ranking of best chatbots, what Bill Gates really said, and a super-cute Pixel pic
Plus, how AI may kill open source, how to remove a foam taped picture from a wall, 3D printed server racks, why American homes are made from 2x4s, and a plywood marble music machine.
I’m David Gewirtz. Welcome to this week’s Advanced Geekery newsletter. It’s been an exciting week. Let’s dive in.
Advanced Geekery is published weekly on Substack and LinkedIn. Same content. Choose your favorite delivery method. Back Issues.
My latest video
I’m back with the wacky science tests again this week. This time, I wanted to remove some pictures I had previously affixed to the wall with foam tape. Using a combination of 18 gauge wire, heat, dental floss, and luck, I managed to take them off with no damage. Here’s the full story.
My articles
Here’s a quick recap of the articles I published in the last week on ZDNET.
What Bill Gates really said about AI replacing coding jobs: Everyone’s quoting Bill Gates saying AI can’t replace programmers - but he never actually said that. Here’s what he really said, and what it means for your tech career.
The best AI chatbots of 2025: ChatGPT, Copilot, and others worth trying: I pushed eight free AI chatbots to their limits, from writing stories to generating images, in order to build ZDNET’s chatbot-by-chatbot guide. It can help you decide which is right for you.
Why open source may not survive the rise of generative AI: Generative AI may be eroding the foundation of open source software. Provenance, licensing, and reciprocity are breaking down.
Must-watch YouTube
Moving on, let’s queue up some interesting YouTube videos for your entertainment and edification.
This guy has a cool 3D printed system to build server racks.
Interesting bit on why American homes are based on 2x4 construction.
This does not use 2x4s. Instead, it uses a ton of marbles and a lot of plywood to make music. It’s a fairly old video, but he keeps refining this concept year after year. We’ll definitely be back to look at more of this guy’s work.
Gadget of the week
This is a temperature gun nearly identical to the one used in the video above. We use this in the kitchen, mostly to ascertain pan temperature. But I also borrow it from time to time to do all sorts of workshop and Fab Lab measurements, like confirming the heat of 3D printing beds around the edges, or, as I showed in the above video, to confirm the temperature of foam tape before trying to remove it.
It’s versatile. It shoots a red dot. And, at least for now, the price is surprisingly good.
Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Interesting reads
And now, some good stuff from around the Internet, well worth checking out.
These drone pictures are impressive, but the very first one is astounding. Make sure you open it in a new tab so you can enlarge it. Just, wow.
Speaking of astounding pictures, check out this dinosaur “mummy” with most of the skin preserved for millions of years.
ZDNET’s Charlie Osborne has an important caution about AI browsers. I haven’t yet powered one up, for just the reasons articulated here.
Pixel pic of the week
It’s getting to be the rainy season here in Oregon. Denise and Pixel are fully garbed up in preparation for walkies in the rain. Pixel looks like he’s not entirely sure about his Gorton’s Fisherman look, but I think they both pull it off.
Send in your 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.
Both my EPs are now streaming
Available on all your favorite streaming services.
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!
Brilliant, David, this take on Gates and those AI chatbot rankings is so relevant right now; alwais appreciate your insights into the future of coding.