Wannabe social networks compared, mullet history, space aliens, and scary new stuff to worry about
Wannabe social networks compared, mullet history, space aliens, and scary new stuff to worry about
It's Advanced Geekery for the week ending July 22, 2023
Welcome to this week’s Advanced Geekery newsletter.
My articles: business in front
Let’s kick it off with a quick recap of the articles I published in the last week on ZDNET:
Bluesky vs. Threads vs. Mastodon: If you leave Twitter, where will you go? More and more ex-Twitter users are seeking new online homes. I kicked the tires on these three nascent services. Here's what you need to know about them.
Unity announces beta program for Apple Vision Pro: Let the AR/VR games begin! The popular game development platform is coming to the Vision Pro, which opens the door for a lot of new content for Apple's upcoming AR/VR headset.
Microsoft announces Azure AI trio at Inspire 2023: These three new Azure technologies can extend your AI capabilities, and allow you to deliver these capabilities at enterprise scale.
Microsoft's Inspire 2023: 10 quick AI and partnership announcements you need to know: We explore ten key takeaways from Microsoft's Inspire 2023, focusing on AI advancements and strategic partnerships in detail.
Must-watch YouTube: party in the back
Moving on, let’s queue up some interesting YouTube videos for your entertainment and edification.
What does an 11th century Benedictine monk have in common with the Beasty Boys? How can one story link Mark Twain with 6th century Byzantium hooliganism? In this fascinating video, The History Guy looks at the surprising history of the mullet. Warning, some aspects of this video could be triggering. And I’m not just talking about the mullets.
If you own or are considering installing solar panels, you definitely need to watch this video from NBC2 News. Apparently, some insurance companies in Florida (and possibly elsewhere) are cancelling homeowners’ insurance policies for solar panel owners.
What does it take to drive the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile (now called the “Frankmobile”)? I found a video that takes you inside (literally, inside the vehicle) to learn about driving this custom-built marketing outreach program on wheels.
Interesting reads
Here’s some good stuff from around the Internet, well worth reading.
So this is out of this world. The Hill reports on possible new US government legislation about UFOs. What makes this disturbing? The folks proposing the legislation are credible as are the witnesses. As is The Hill, which is reporting this stuff. Reading this article is the closest I’ve come to believing that flying saucers and little green men might be real.
ZDNET’s Jada Jones continues her excellent Temu coverage. This time, she explains why everything on Temu is so cheap. It’s a fascinating look into international commerce loopholes and how that can drive big money. Also, some time ago, I wrote about my experience buying some off-brand geeky stuff from Temu.
Finally, let’s wrap it up with another report that’s troubling. The journal Nature explains that, “In some fields, at least one-quarter of clinical trials might be problematic or even entirely made up.” So, there’s that.
Reader projects
I’d like to regularly spotlight a reader project or two 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.
A steampunk coffee maker
Finally, let’s wrap up with a Midjourney rendering. I’ve been having fun prompting the AI with the names of everyday objects and appending the word “steampunk” on them using the /imagine command. Here are four variations of a coffee machine. Which is your favorite?
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!