Another Bad Apple? Is It This Shipment or a Degraded Orchard?
February 3, 2025
Yep, a dinobaby wrote this blog post. Replace me with a subscription service or a contract worker from Fiverr. See if I care.
I read “Siri Is Super Dumb and Getting Dumber.” Now Siri someone told me had some tenuous connection to the Stanford Research Institute. Then the name and possibly some technology DNA wafted to Cupertino. The juicy apple sauce company produced smart software. Someone demonstrated it to me by asking Siri to call a person named “Yankelovich” by saying the name. That just did not work.
The write up explains that my experience was “dumb” and the new Apple smart software is dumber. That is remarkable. A big company and a number of mostly useful products like the estimable science fiction headset and a system demanding that I log into Facetime, iMessage, and iCloud every time I use the computer even though I don’t use these features is mostly perceived as one of the greatest companies on earth.
The write up says:
It’s just incredible how stupid Siri is about a subject matter of such popularity.
Stupid about a popular subject? Even the even more estimable Google figured out a long time ago that one could type just about any spelling of Britney Spears into the search box and the Google would spit out a nifty but superficial report about this famous person and role model for young people.
But Apple? The write up says from a really, truly objective observer of Apple:
New Siri — powered by Apple Intelligence™ with ChatGPT integration enabled — gets the answer completely but plausibly wrong, which is the worst way to get it wrong. It’s also inconsistently wrong — I tried the same question four times, and got a different answer, all of them wrong, each time. It’s a complete failure.
The write up points out:
It’s like Siri is a special-ed student permitted to take an exam with the help of a tutor who knows the correct answers, and still flunks.
Hmmm. Consistently wrong with variations of incorrectness — Do you want to log in to iCloud?
But the killer statement in the write up in my opinion is this one:
Misery loves company they say, so perhaps Apple should, as they’ve hinted since WWDC last June, partner with Google to add Gemini as another “world knowledge” partner to power — or is it weaken? — Apple Intelligence.
Several observations are warranted even though I don’t use Apple mobile devices, but I do like the ruggedness of the Mac Air laptops. (No, I don’t want to log into Apple Media Services or Facetime, thanks.) Here we go with my perceptions:
- Skip the Sam AI-Man stuff, the really macho Zuck stuff, and the Sundar & Prabhakar stuff. Go with Deepseek. (Someone in Beijing will think positively about the iPhone. Maybe?)
- Face up to the fact that Apple does reasonably good marketing. Those M1, M2, M3 chips in more flavors than the once-yummy Baskin-Robbins offered are easy for consumers to gobble up.
- Innovation is not just marketing. The company has to make what its marketers describe in words. That leap is not working in my opinion.
So where does that leave the write up, the Siri thing, and me? Free to select another vendor and consider shorting Apple stock. The orchard is dropping fruit not fit for human consumption but a few can be converted to apple sauce. That’s a potential business. AI slop, not so much.
Stephen E Arnold, February 3, 2025
How to Garner Attention from X.com: The Guardian Method Seems Infallible
January 24, 2025
Prepared by a still-alive dinobaby.
The Guardian has revealed its secret to getting social media attention from Twitter (now the X). “‘Just the Start’: X’s New AI Software Driving Online Racist Abuse, Experts Warn” makes the process dead simple. Here are the steps:
- Publish a diatribe about the power of social media in general with specific references to the Twitter machine
- Use name calling to add some clickable bound phrases; for example, “online racism”, “fake images”, and “naked hate”
- Use loaded words to describe images; for example, an athlete “who is black, picking cotton while another shows that same player eating a banana surrounded by monkeys in a forest.”
Bingo. Instantly clickable.
The write up explains:
Callum Hood, the head of research at the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), said X had become a platform that incentivised and rewarded spreading hate through revenue sharing, and AI imagery made that even easier. “The thing that X has done, to a degree that no other mainstream platform has done, is to offer cash incentives to accounts to do this, so accounts on X are very deliberately posting the most naked hate and disinformation possible.”
This is a recipe for attention and clicks. Will the Guardian be able to convert the magnetism of the method in cash money?
Stephen E Arnold, January 24, 2025
Microsoft and Its Me-Too Interface for Bing Search
January 22, 2025
Bing will never be Google, but Microsoft wants its search engine to dominate queries. Microsoft Bing has a small percentage of Internet searches and in a bid to gain more traction it has copied Google’s user interface (UI). Windows Latest spills the tea over the UI copying: “Microsoft Bing Is Trying To Spoof Google UI When People Search Google.com.”
Google’s UI is very distinctive with its minimalist approach. The only item on the Google UI is the query box and menus along the top and bottom of the page. Microsoft Edge is Google’s Web browser and it is programed to use Bing. In a sneaky (and genius) move, when Edge users type Google into the bing search box they are taken to UI that is strangely Google-esque. Microsoft is trying this new UI to lower the Bing bounce rate, users who leave.
Is it an effective tactic?
“But you might wonder how effective this idea would be. Well, if you’re a tech-savvy person, you’ll probably realize what’s going on, then scroll and open Google from the link. However, this move could keep people on Bing if they just want to use a search engine.Google is the number one search engine, and there’s a large number of users who are just looking for a search engine, but they think the search engine is Google. In their mind, the two are the same. That’s because Google has become a synonym for search engines, just like Chrome is for browsers.A lot of users don’t really care what search engine they’re using, so Microsoft’s new practice, which might appear stupid to some of you, is likely very effective.”
For unobservant users and/or those who don’t care, it will work. Microsoft is also tugging on heartstrings with another tactic:
“On top of it, there’s also an interesting message underneath the Google-like search box that says “every search brings you closer to a free donation. Choose from over 2 million nonprofits.” This might also convince some people to keep using Bing.”
What a generous and genius tactic interface innovation. We’re not sure this is the interface everyone sees, but we love the me too approach from user-centric big tech outfits.
Whitney Grace, January 22, 2025
6G: The Promise of 5G Actually Fulfilled?
January 20, 2025
Here is an interesting philosophical question: At what point does virtual reality cross over into teleportation? For some of us, the answer is a clear “never.” For LightReading, however, “6G Could Be the World’s First Teleportation Tech“. Would a device that accurately reproduces all five senses be the same as being there? International Editor Iain Morris writes:
“As far-fetched as this might all sound, it is the vision of several academics at the UK’s University of Surrey. Professors Rahim Tafazolli, David Hendon and Ian Corden volunteer it as an example of how a future 6G standard could be far more revolutionary than its predecessors. ‘We are turning the science fiction of teleportation into science fact,’ Tafazolli told Light Reading in a bold pitch.”
So, 6G won’t just mean another speed jump and latency drop? Not if this team has its way. The differences between 5G and 6G are still very much up in the air. Tafazolli believes it is time for a grander vision—and bigger profits. We learn:
“While the idea of virtual teleportation is an obvious attention grabber, there is much more to the vision. In a white paper published last year, the University of Surrey recognized that without progress in areas such as time synchronization, slashing latency to a level inconceivable on even the most sophisticated 5G network, virtual reality will continue to have limits. That same paper notes the importance of foundational technologies, including massive MIMO (for more advanced antennas), more intelligent core networks and even open RAN, an in-vogue radio system designed to improve interoperability between vendors. Many of them figure in today’s early 5G networks. Indeed, Tafazolli’s reference to a ‘network of networks’ is reminiscent of language used to describe older technology ecosystems. He envisages a mixture of short range, wide area and satellite networks as the basis for 6G, implying it will build heavily on existing infrastructure.”
Skeptics point to certain experimental technologies required to make such “teleportation” a reality. Just how far are we from commercially available virtual taste buds or electronic skin? Close enough for this team of academics to stand firm in their conviction, apparently. Just one request: Do us Star Trek fans a favor and come up with a different name for this ultra realistic VR. “Teleportation” is taken.
Cynthia Murrell, January 20, 2025
IBM Tells Google, Mine Is Bigger! But Can the Kookaburra Eat the Reptile Googzilla?
January 17, 2025
Prepared by a still-alive dinobaby.
The “who has the biggest nose” contest is in gear for 2025. I read “IBM Will Release the Largest Ever Quantum Computer in 2025.” Forget the Nvidia wizard’s pushing usable quantum computing into the far future. Forget the Intel Horse Features — sorry, horse collar — statements. Forget the challenge of making a programming language which makes it possible to create an application for a Oura smart ring. Bigger is where it is at in the quantum marketing world.
The write up reports with the repeatability of most research projects:
… The company’s largest quantum chip, called Condor, has 1121 qubits, though IBM’s Jay Gambetta says the average user of its quantum computing services only works with 100 qubits… The only way to get quantum advantage is to combine different components.” This is an issue of engineering as much as it is of quantum physics – as the number of qubits increases it becomes more practically difficult to fit all of them and the quantum computer’s input and output wires onto a single chip.
So what is IBM doing? Bolting stuff together, thank you very much.
But IBM is thinking beyond the Condor. The next innovation from IBM is Kookaburra. (This is a bird whose call is the sound of human laughter. I must come clean. When I read about this quantum achievement from IBM I did laugh. When I learned that chip’s name, I chuckled again. To be fair, I laughed more whenever I encountered the cognitive whiz kid Watson. But Kookaburra is hoot, especially for those who grew up in Australia or New Guinea.)
The write up says:
The task now is to increase that total number while making sure the qubits don’t make more errors than when the chips are kept separate.
Yep, bolting stuff together works great.
I am eagerly awaiting Google’s response because it perceives itself an quantumly supreme. I think when I laugh at the content marketing these big technology outfits output, I sound like a Kookaburra. (Did you know that a Kookaburra can weigh up to a half a pound plus they are carnivorous. This was an attribute when IBM was a much more significant player in the computer market. Kookaburras eat mice and snakes. Yeah, the Kookaburra.
Stephen E Arnold, January 17, 2025
Microsoft: Marketing and Semi Functional Technology Amuse Some People
January 17, 2025
Prepared by a still-alive dinobaby.
With support for Windows 10 ending, Microsoft is understandably eager for users to upgrade before then. Its latest nudge, however, may not have the desired effect. TechRadar reports, "Microsoft Embarrasses Itself with Windows 10 Pop-Up that Hogs the Desktop Urging an Upgrade to Windows 11—then Promptly Crashes." Oh dear. Writer Darren Allen elaborates:
"In a rather embarrassing turn of events for Microsoft, its latest bid to urge Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11 has gone awry because the pop-up in question crashes. This is a full-screen pop-up, of which we’ve seen very similar (if not identical) variants before, which urges you to ‘Start planning for Windows 10 end of support’ ahead of the End of Life date for the OS which is October 2025. … The fresh wrinkle here, though, as Windows Latest reports, is that this pop-up is crashing for some Windows 10 users, as flagged up by a denizen of X (@ems_konto). So, what we have here is a message urging you to start planning what you’ll do when Windows 10 support runs out, telling you to prepare now, and that the Windows Backup app can help you transfer all your files to a new Windows 11 PC. And then the pop-up window immediately freezes, becomes unresponsive, and informs the user that ‘Reusable UX Interaction Manager is not working’ – whoops."
Not great for a company trying to usher users into the next iteration of its OS. Will users lose confidence and look elsewhere? A few Windows alternatives do exist, though none that are both cheap and easy to migrate to. Will more folks consider the adventure of using Linux? Perhaps a few will ditch the PC altogether for a Mac. We suspect most will just stick with the company they know, embarrassing glitches and all. Inertia, marketing, and good enough engineering are hallmarks of the company absolutely everyone eager to have a digital mom reminding them to do what is right and proper. Does mom follow the rules? Nah, my mother was a PTA cookie hustler. Who knows that one’s mom really did?
Stephen E Arnold, January 17, 2025
How To: Create Junk Online Content with AI
January 16, 2025
A dinobaby produced this post. Sorry. No smart software was able to help the 80 year old this time around.
Why sign up for a Telegram SEO expert in Myanmar or the Philippines? You can do it yourself. An explainer called “AI Marketing Strategy: How to Use AI for Marketing (Examples & Tools)” provides the recipe. The upside? Well, I am not sure. The downside? More baloney with which to dupe smart software and dumb humans.
What does the free write up cover? Here’s the list of topics. Which whet your appetite for AI-generated baloney?
- A definition of AI marketing
- How to use AI in your strategy for cutting corners and whacking out “real” information
- The steps you have to follow to find the pot of gold
- The benefits of being really smart with smart software
- The three — count them — types of smart software marketing
- The three — count them — “best” AI marketing software (I love “best”. So credible)
- A smart software FAQ
- How to “future proof” your business with an AI marketing strategy.
Let me give you an example of the riches tucked inside this EWeek “real” news article. The write up says:
Maintain data quality
Okay, marketers are among the world’s leaders in data accuracy, thoroughness, and detail fact checking. That’s why the handful of giant outfits providing smart software explain how to keep cheese on pizza with glue and hallucinate.
Why should one use smart software to market? That’s easy. The answer is that smart software makes it easy to produce output which may be incorrect. If you want more benefits, here’s the graphic from the write up which explains it to short-cutters who don’t want to spend time doing work the old-fashioned way:
A graphic which may or may not have been produced with smart software designed to create “McKinsey” type illustrations suitable for executives with imposter syndrome.
This graphic is followed by an explanation of the three — count them — three types of AI marketing. I am not sure the items listed are marketing, but, hey, when one is doing a deep dive one doesn’t linger too long deep in the content ocean with concepts like machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision. (I am not joking. These are the three types of AI marketing. Who knew? Certainly not this dinobaby.
The author, according to the definitive write up, possesses “more than 10 years of experience covering technology, software, and news.” The home base for this professional is the Philippines, which along with Thailand and Cambodia, one of the hot beds for a wide range of activities, including the use of smart software to generate those SEO services publicized on Telegram.
Was the eWeek article written with the help of AI? Boy, this dinobaby doesn’t know.
Stephen E Arnold, January 16, 2025
Beating on Quantum: Thump, Clang
January 13, 2025
A dinobaby produced this post. Sorry. No smart software was able to help the 80 year old this time around.
The is it new or is it PR service Benzinga published on January 13, 2025, “Quantum Computing Stocks Tumble after Mark Zuckerberg Backs Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s Practical Comments.” I love the “practical.” Quantum computing is similar to the modular home nuclear reactor from my point of view. These are interesting topics to discuss, but when it comes to convincing a home owners’ association to allow the installation of a modular nuclear reactor or squeezing the gizmos required to make quantum computing sort of go in a relatively reliable way, un uh.
Is this a practical point of view? No. The reason is that most people have zero idea of what is required to get a quantum computer or a quantum anything to work. The room for the demonstration is usually a stage set. The cooling, the electronics, and the assorted support equipment is — how shall I phrase it — bulky. That generator outside the quantum lab is not for handling a power outage. The trailer-sized box is pumping volts into the quantum set up.
The write up explains:
comments made by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Nvidia Corp. CEO Jensen Huang, who both expressed caution regarding the timeline for quantum computing advancements.
Caution. Good word.
The remarks by Zuckerberg and Huang have intensified concerns about the future of quantum computing. Earlier, during Nvidia’s analyst day, Huang expressed optimism about quantum computing’s potential but cautioned that practical applications might take 15 to 30 years to materialize. This outlook has led to a sharp decline in quantum computing stocks. Despite the cautious projections, some industry insiders have countered Huang’s views, arguing that quantum-based innovations are already being integrated into the tech ecosystem. Retail investors have shown optimism, with several quantum computing stocks experiencing significant growth in recent weeks.
I know of a person who lectures about quantum. I have heard that the theme of these presentations is that quantum computing is just around the corner. Okay. Google is quantumly supreme. Intel has its super technology called Horse Ridge or Horse Features. IBM makes quantum squeaks.
I want research to continue, but it is interesting to me that two big technology wizards want to talk about practical quantum computing. One does the social media thing unencumbered by expensive content moderation and the other is pushing smart software enabling technology forward.
Neither wants the quantum hype to supersede the marketing of either of these wizards’ money machines. I love “real news”, particularly when it presents itself as practical. May I suggest you place your order for a D-Wave or an Enron egg nuclear reactor. Practical.
Stephen E Arnold, January 13, 2025
Oh, Oh! Silicon Valley Hype Minimizes Risk. Who Knew?
January 10, 2025
This is an official dinobaby post. No smart software involved in this blog post.
I read “Silicon Valley Stifled the AI Doom Movement in 2024.” I must admit I was surprised that one of the cheerleaders for Silicon Valley is disclosing something absolutely no one knew. I mean unregulated monopolies, the “Puff the Magic Dragon” strafing teens, and the vulture capitalists slavering over the corpses of once thriving small and mid sized businesses. Hey, I thought that “progress” myth was real. I thought technology only makes life better. Now I read that “Silicon Valley” wanted only good news about smart software. Keep in mind that this is software which outputs hallucinations, makes decisions about medical care for people, and monitors the clicks and location of everyone with a mobile device or a geotracker.
The write up reminded me that ace entrepreneur / venture professional Marc Andreessen said:
“The era of Artificial Intelligence is here, and boy are people freaking out. Fortunately, I am here to bring the good news: AI will not destroy the world, and in fact may save it,” said Andreessen in the essay. In his conclusion, Andreessen gave a convenient solution to our AI fears: move fast and break things – basically the same ideology that has defined every other 21st century technology (and their attendant problems). He argued that Big Tech companies and startups should be allowed to build AI as fast and aggressively as possible, with few to no regulatory barriers. This would ensure AI does not fall into the hands of a few powerful companies or governments, and would allow America to compete effectively with China, he said.
What publications touted Mr. Andreessen’s vision? Answer: Lots.
Regulate smart software? Nope. From Connecticut’s effort to the US government, smart software regulation went nowhere. The reasons included, in my opinion:
- A chance to make a buck, well, lots of bucks
- Opportunities to foist “smart software” plus its inherent ability to make up stuff on corporate sheep
- A desire to reinvent “dumb” processes like figuring out how to push buttons to create addiction to online gambling, reduce costs by eliminating inefficient humans, and using stupid weapons.
Where are we now? A pillar of the Silicon Valley media ecosystem writes about the possible manipulation of information to make smart software into a Care Bear. Cuddly. Harmless. Squeezable. Yummy too.
The write up concludes without one hint of the contrast between the AI hype and the viewpoints of people who think that the technology of AI is immature but fumbling forward to stick its baby finger in a wall socket. I noted this concluding statement in the write up:
Calling AI “tremendously safe” and attempts to regulate it “dumb” is something of an oversimplification. For example, Character.AI – a startup a16z has invested in – is currently being sued and investigated over child safety concerns. In one active lawsuit, a 14-year-old Florida boy killed himself after allegedly confiding his suicidal thoughts to a Character.AI chatbot that he had romantic and sexual chats with. This case shows how our society has to prepare for new types of risks around AI that may have sounded ridiculous just a few years ago. There are more bills floating around that address long-term AI risk – including one just introduced at the federal level by Senator Mitt Romney. But now, it seems AI doomers will be fighting an uphill battle in 2025.
But don’t worry. Open source AI provides a level playing field for [a] adversaries of the US, [b] bad actors who use smart software to compromise Swiss cheese systems, and [c] manipulate people on a grand scale. Will the “Silicon Valley” media give equal time to those who don’t see technology as a benign or net positive? Are you kidding? Oh, aren’t those smart drones with kinetic devices just fantastic?
Stephen E Arnold, January 10, 2025
AI Outfit Pitches Anti Human Message
January 9, 2025
AI startup Artisan thought it could capture attention by telling companies to get rid of human workers and use its software instead. It was right. Gizmodo reports, “AI Firm’s ‘Stop Hiring Humans’ Billboard Campaign Sparks Outrage.” The firm plastered its provocative messaging across San Francisco. Writer Lucas Ropek reports:
“The company, which is backed by startup accelerator Y-Combinator, sells what it calls ‘AI Employees’ or ‘Artisans.’ What the company actually sells is software designed to assist with customer service and sales workflow. The company appears to have done an internal pow-wow and decided that the most effective way to promote its relatively mundane product was to fund an ad campaign heralding the end of the human age. Writing about the ad campaign, local outlet SFGate notes that the posters—which are strewn all over the city—include plugs like the following:
‘Artisans won’t complain about work-life balance’
‘Artisan’s Zoom cameras will never ‘not be working’ today.’
‘Hire Artisans, not humans.’
‘The era of AI employees is here.'”
The write-up points to an interview with SFGate in which CEO Jaspar Carmichael-Jack states the ad campaign was designed to “draw eyes.” Mission accomplished. (And is it just me, or does that name belong in a pirate movie?) Though Ropek acknowledges his part in drawing those eyes, he also takes this chance to vent about AI and big tech in general. He writes:
“It is Carmichael-Jackson’s admission that his billboards are ‘dystopian’—just like the product he’s selling—that gets to the heart of what is so [messed] up about the whole thing. It’s obvious that Silicon Valley’s code monkeys now embrace a fatalistic bent of history towards the Bladerunner-style hellscape their market imperatives are driving us.”
Like Artisan’s billboards, Ropek pulls no punches. Located in San Francisco, Artisan was launched in 2023. Founders hail from the likes of Stanford, Oxford, Meta, and IBM. Will the firm find a way to make its next outreach even more outrageous?
Cynthia Murrell, January 9, 2025
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