The unimportant news thread

[LKB]

Apparently, inspiration is where it finds you.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwylx3ndyw3o

[NumberSix]

Apparently, inspiration is where it finds you.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwylx3ndyw3o

That story makes me smile! The last bit about the curious and friendly penguins reminds me of the film MY PENGUIN FRIEND.

[NumberSix]

From CNN: Three Mile Island is reopening and selling its power to Microsoft

The timing of Gates' new PR TV series on Netflix was not in any way influenced by this development.

I am of two minds about this because (1) I am for the idea of our getting back into nuclear power, but (2) The idea of essentially privatizing the plant makes me uncomfortable. Should something happen, it won't be Microsoft who suffers the consequences.

[Todd]

I am of two minds about this because (1) I am for the idea of our getting back into nuclear power, but (2) The idea of essentially privatizing the plant makes me uncomfortable. Should something happen, it won't be Microsoft who suffers the consequences.

To be fair, the US still, by far, generates more electricity from nuclear power than any other country, and that only counts civilian power generation.  I am unabashedly pro-nuclear power, and I am unconcerned with a purely privatized nuclear sector because it will always be heavily regulated for multiple reasons, including national security.  I am, however, dissatisfied with the sloppy propaganda being used by Mr Gates and his PR people.  He needs to do better.

[Todd]

Obviously, I've not been a good enough consumer as of late, because I just noticed that Amazon's AI assistant is named, um, Rufus. 

I hope the meetings leading up to the name selection get made public at some point. 

[NumberSix]

Obviously, I've not been a good enough consumer as of late, because I just noticed that Amazon's AI assistant is named, um, Rufus. 

I hope the meetings leading up to the name selection get made public at some point. 

First I have heard of it. Presumably it's reference to George Carlin's character in Bill & Ted. I like the name in this context.

[Todd]

First I have heard of it. Presumably it's reference to George Carlin's character in Bill & Ted. I like the name in this context.

Not wanting to be too critical of a corporate giant, since that would be rude, I decided to give a test drive.  So I asked it to show me all available sets of Beethoven's complete piano sonatas that Amazon sells.  The results:

1. Andras Schiff, ECM [OK]

2. Daniel Barenboim, DG [OK]

3. Rudolf Serkin: The Complete Beethoven Sonatas (sony Classical) Commentary included: This historic cycle from the 1950s-1970s features Serkin's authoritative and passionate performances [FAIL]

4. Wilhelm Kempff, DG [OK]

And those are the only items listed.  [EPIC FAIL] 

OK, OK, perhaps expecting Amazon's in-house AI to be able to retrieve esoteric classical music recordings from Amazon's databases is too much.  So then I got the idea to search for a product I purchased a few weeks ago, the Danco 10983 Sinktacular.  (It's a sink stopper.)  Twice.  The result from Rufus both times: Something went wrong. Please try again later. 

Hmmm.  Proper UAT iz hrad, so I kinda get it.

Of course, Gemini has returned blatantly wrong data on multiple basic searches I have performed on Google, including basic geography. 

In short, HBO needs to reboot Silicon Valley.

[NumberSix]

The power behind Amazon!Rufus:

[NumberSix]

I asked it, "What are the best blues albums since 2020?"

It gave a little blurb and then suggested recent albums by Samantha Fish, Larkin Poe, Kingfish, Eric Gales, and Buddy Guy. Not bad.

I do like that it then follows up the results with some suggested other questions that go beyond, "Recommend me product X".

Of course, ultimately this product is yet another way to gather user data and to target recommendations to individual accounts - since I am pretty much always logged into my amazon account when I search for something.

[Todd]

Of course, ultimately this product is yet another way to gather user data and to target recommendations to individual accounts

Sure, which makes its inability to instantly return a product I bought a few weeks ago an even bigger failure.  I purposely gave it a slam dunk and it failed.  This wasn't surprising because the only successful recommendations I have ever received from Amazon were products I'd already purchased. 

[JBS]

Not wanting to be too critical of a corporate giant, since that would be rude, I decided to give a test drive.  So I asked it to show me all available sets of Beethoven's complete piano sonatas that Amazon sells.  The results:

1. Andras Schiff, ECM [OK]

2. Daniel Barenboim, DG [OK]

3. Rudolf Serkin: The Complete Beethoven Sonatas (sony Classical) Commentary included: This historic cycle from the 1950s-1970s features Serkin's authoritative and passionate performances [FAIL]

4. Wilhelm Kempff, DG [OK]

And those are the only items listed.  [EPIC FAIL] 

OK, OK, perhaps expecting Amazon's in-house AI to be able to retrieve esoteric classical music recordings from Amazon's databases is too much.  So then I got the idea to search for a product I purchased a few weeks ago, the Danco 10983 Sinktacular.  (It's a sink stopper.)  Twice.  The result from Rufus both times: Something went wrong. Please try again later. 

Hmmm.  Proper UAT iz hrad, so I kinda get it.

Of course, Gemini has returned blatantly wrong data on multiple basic searches I have performed on Google, including basic geography. 

In short, HBO needs to reboot Silicon Valley.

But is that Beethoven list really a fail?
Rufus wasn't made for GMGers looking for their 20th set of the Sonatas. It was made for average customers who have perhaps one recording of the Moonlight Sonata. Presumably they would notice from the cover image of the Serkin set that there are a number of sonatas missing, and if they don't, at least they have the Concertos (and IIRC the Diabellis) to go with it.  Schiff, Barenboim, and Kempff certainly would not be bad as a starter pack (so to speak). Epic fail it's not.

[Brian]

But is that Beethoven list really a fail?
Rufus wasn't made for GMGers looking for their 20th set of the Sonatas. It was made for average customers who have perhaps one recording of the Moonlight Sonata. Presumably they would notice from the cover image of the Serkin set that there are a number of sonatas missing, and if they don't, at least they have the Concertos (and IIRC the Diabellis) to go with it.  Schiff, Barenboim, and Kempff certainly would not be bad as a starter pack (so to speak). Epic fail it's not.

Well, he did ask it to show "all"...

[Todd]

But is that Beethoven list really a fail?

Yes.  An epic fail.  As mentioned.

Rufus wasn't made for GMGers looking for their 20th set of the Sonatas.

How do you know what Rufus was designed to do?  Are you part of the Rufus project?  If not, you literally do not know and are making things up.  That's the GMG standard.

Also, you have purposely ignored the fact that it failed to return a sink stopper that I had ordered only a few weeks and that immediately returns if I post it in the regular Amazon search bar.  And you ignored the fact that Gemini routinely serves up inaccurate data.  You evidently missed the larger point.

Epic fail it's not.

Some GMGers are so far gone that they reflexively defend multinational corporations with $2 trillion market caps. 

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

USA DoJ sues Visa Card.


https://www.npr.org/2024/09/24/nx-s1-5124657/justice-department-doj-visa-debit-card-antitrust-lawsuit

[SimonNZ]

Some GMGers are so far gone that they reflexively defend multinational corporations with $2 trillion market caps.

You're describing your own unwavering and uncritical cult-like devotion to Elon Musk, there.

Pot: kettle.

[Todd]

You're describing your own unwavering and uncritical cult-like devotion to Elon Musk, there.

Incorrect.

[71 dB]

Obviously, I've not been a good enough consumer as of late, because I just noticed that Amazon's AI assistant is named, um, Rufus. 

I hope the meetings leading up to the name selection get made public at some point. 

Amazon's AI assistant? I have never noticed anything like that. 

[Todd]

Amazon's AI assistant? I have never noticed anything like that. 

It's garbage AI currently in Beta.  I do not know how Amazon selected the lucky people who get to try it out.  Perhaps US Prime customers get the first crack at it. 

[71 dB]

It's garbage AI currently in Beta.  I do not know how Amazon selected the lucky people who get to try it out.  Perhaps US Prime customers get the first crack at it. 

Ah okay, it isn't out fully yet..

[ritter]

I do not know how Amazon selected the lucky people who get to try it out.  Perhaps US Prime customers get the first crack at it.

We prime customers in Spain seem to have been spared that ordeal...