The secretly brilliant Apple Vision Pro, AI may show signs of understanding, and... isn't that enough?
Plus, a cat train, a quantum computing explainer, why the "and" sign gets it own symbol, the dangers of weight bias, and more.
I’m David Gewirtz. Welcome to this week’s Advanced Geekery newsletter. It’s been an exciting week. Let’s dive in.
My articles
Let’s kick it off with a quick recap of the articles I published in the last week on ZDNET:
10 reasons the Apple Vision Pro is secretly brilliant: Apple is taking an unusual approach with Vision Pro. Is it a calculated move or a risky gamble?
How to add a new credential to your LinkedIn profile, and why you should: Maximize your LinkedIn impact: When you've completed a training and earned a certificate or credential, let the world know. Here's how.
Must-watch YouTube
Moving on, let’s queue up some interesting YouTube videos for your entertainment and edification.
This “cat train” is eight minutes of your life you’ll never get back. But it may be eight of the most relaxing and charming minutes you ever spend. Worth it!
60 Minutes did an explainer piece on quantum computing.
You know the ampersand? The & symbol. Just why does “and” have its own symbol in the alphabet? This video explains.
Interesting reads
Here’s some good stuff from around the Internet, well worth reading.
You know how ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs) are supposed to just pick the next word and that’s it. There’s a (credible) new theory that suggests LLMs are starting to show understanding. Because that’s not scary.
Archeologists have discovered a cluster of lost cities dating back 2500 years in Ecuador.
Weight bias, as practiced by health care providers, can cause considerable harm to patients, according to a new study. Of course, any of us who carry extra pounds could have told you that years ago, but hey. Now science knows, too.
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!