My friend and I were discussing AI/LLM search, and while I think some LLM search can be useful, you have to make it work for you. I think this is a big change from traditional search, and with the way things are going and more people using AI search, either people need to learn h … | Continue reading
"Going to try this." Woman shares simple way to rid sink faucets of stubborn limescale buildup: 'Using something you throw away anyway' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
Back in 2008, Arnold Zwicky described a category of typos that he called "completion errors": …a "completion error", a typo that results you start writing or typing a word and then drift part-way in to another word. I do this all too often with -ation and -ating words — starting … | Continue reading
Many of us will spend a lot of hours working in a browser window when sitting in front of a computer—and for two-thirds of people, that browser will be Google Chrome. To put it another way, Google Chrome keyboard shortcuts have the potential to save a lot of users a lot of time, … | Continue reading
You want the best for your kids, right? One of the best ways to achieve that end is to share your wisdom with them. That will help shape their character, provide them with essential skills, and guide them through life’s journey. As the Dalai Lama said, “Share your knowledge. It i … | Continue reading
Last few days, I was quite busy. Meaning, I didn’t publish anything on the blog. I saw this morning that Joel didn’t post too. I guess life sometimes is getting in your way, and you need to mix them to be able to reach your goals. Unlike him, it’s not a gaming device that has pre … | Continue reading
So here we are, half way round the world, almost ten years since we set off from France. For me the joy of sailing and living on Escapade is as strong as ever. For my patient wife Dawn, not so much. Dawn has spent the last couple of years wondering when I will finally […] | Continue reading
Spam, junk … slop? The latest wave of AI behind the ‘zombie internet’ I'm quoted in this piece in the Guardian about slop: I think having a name for this is really important, because it gives people a concise way to talk about the problem. Before the term ‘spam’ entered general u … | Continue reading
The weekend Bonus Drop covers various AI-centric tools like llamafile, whisperfile, and Firecrawl. llamafile simplifies the deployment of LLM/GPT models for local use, while whisperfile focuses on converting audio files. Firecrawl is a tool for crawling web content and converting … | Continue reading
There are times when we find ourselveson colder than usual morningsand the summer is supposedly on its way. But where’s the sun? And there are times when we findourselves in front of the windowand watching the rain as it drizzles,because plans changedwhen the sky became gray,and … | Continue reading
Earlier in the week I finally finished reading Cask - the story of Britain’s Unique Beer Culture. Researched and written by top beer writer Des de Moor, and published by CAMRA Books – hardly surprising, given its subject matter, Des’s book sets out to be the definitive work on th … | Continue reading
"There is no way they are actually pretending that there are eco-friendly yachts." Internet not buying claims after Bill Gates announces selling of 'green' megayacht: 'There is no way' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
If you like this content become a member. Members get access to my book notes. Remember Atomic Notes is just one way of doing things Danny talks about why he doesn’t use atomic notes. It’s important to remember that anyone telling you how to do your notes is just sharing an idea … | Continue reading
"I would definitely choose the train over a plane any day." Passenger shares impressive experience aboard overnight train: 'The best way to travel' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
This cleaning hack offers a refreshing solution that benefits homeowners and the planet alike. Dad shares simple AC maintenance tip that could easily slash your electric bill: 'My home is way cooler now' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
Jackson Reed and The Silverbirds' does an amazing job in capturing that vintage feeling and transporting it into modern days with such ease, it's astounding. It's a timeless song that just got revisited in the best possible way. | Continue reading
This week, our Free Culture Book Club plays Catburglar. To give this series some sense of organization, check out some basic facts without much in the way of context. Full Title: Catburglar Location: https://johngabrieluk.itch.io/catburglar Released: 2023 License: MIT Creator: Jo … | Continue reading
"Paving the way for a more sustainable future for generations to come." New York's JFK Airport to embark on eco-friendly revamp with stunning new construction plans: 'Guaranteed electric bill savings for 25 years' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
I was reading about Brown v. Board of Education and there’s an interesting paragraph: To separate them from others of similar age and qualifications solely because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect their hearts an … | Continue reading
I was reading about Brown v. Board of Education and there’s an interesting paragraph: To separate them from others of similar age and qualifications solely because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect their hearts an … | Continue reading
Do galaxies, including our own Milky Way, orbit anything in the universe? | Continue reading
Two examples of people who appear to be in the wrong job. A pub landlord who offers discounts to customers who order by app from their tables, thus discouraging the horrific prospect of bar staff actually having to engage with punters: I’ve found that not having to be constantly … | Continue reading
"This is their way of creating a $30,000 car today." Tesla announces new affordable leasing options for one of its most popular cars: 'By far, the best deal on the market' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
Intergalactic pancakes swirling in the syrup of dark energy. Cappuccino Milky Way frothed on black coffee. This bistro is empty on Sunday morning, my favorite spot in the cosmos. No one here on Sunday morning but you and I. Space swept clear, yet dappled with atoms of sunbeam. I … | Continue reading
The 1,300 people who call Eastport, Maine, home live in the easternmost point in the continental United States. The bridged island, connected to the mainland by a single causeway, faces powerful Atlantic Ocean winds and is susceptible to disruptive power outages. But it was not a … | Continue reading
Few government policy analysts are trained in assessing evidence in a structured way and then assigning confidence ratings when providing formal advice to decision makers. This lack of training can be particularly problematic when certain language (“likely,” “probable,” “believe, … | Continue reading
Chinese researchers have found a way to make aqueous batteries more energy-dense, by adding bromide to the electrolyte solution | Continue reading
Today we celebrate the 20th anniversary of what used to be called “gay” or “same-sex” marriage here in the U.S., in which Maskachusetts led the way (modern-style opposite-sex marriage, in which divorce litigation may ensue, seems to go back about 4,300 years to Mesopotamia). Let’ … | Continue reading
The SE team pulled together six brands of full-fat cottage cheese (from Good Culture to Friendship to Daisy and more) you're likely to find in your local supermarket, and forced the SE team to methodically, empirically, scientifically! taste their way through them all in a quest … | Continue reading
The way The Bondurants perfectly blends the essence of the traditional americana and country instrumentations and melodies with a distinctively British approach sounds incredibly fresh and interesting. | Continue reading
FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024 This is the way she proceeded: On one occasion, in 2006, did future candidate Donald J. Trump engage in sexual intercourse with director Stormy Daniels? Daniels says the gentleman did. The gentleman says he didn't. That said: As has been explained a million t … | Continue reading
A breakdown of the five biggest threats to future Mars astronauts and what NASA scientists are doing to overcome each one. | Continue reading
[What would the bottom-line cost be on wrecking a truck this way?] I’ve written previously about truck-eating bridges, relatively low bridges which are frequently slammed into by oblivious box truck drivers. Here in Boston, we call such incidents “Storrowings”, after the crosstow … | Continue reading
Programming mantras are proverbs I like this idea from Luke Plant that the best way to think about mantras like "Don’t Repeat Yourself" is to think of them as proverbs that can be accompanied by an equal and opposite proverb. DRY, "Don't Repeat Yourself" matches with WET, "Write … | Continue reading
Walking the Beach, September 10, 2001 I like seashells, Jake announces as he holds up periwinkle after periwinkle, as if each one’s so different it can’t be left where it is. I like periwinkles, he says, the way kids do when they’ve just learned a word and won’t keep from the ple … | Continue reading
Overcast and cool. Water gurgles into the ground and gurgles out again, and half-way between, a meadow vole surfaces from the thatch, her dark fur a study in ceaseless motion. | Continue reading
In good news for future animation figureheads, there might be a new way to revive frozen brains without damaging them. Scientists in China have developed a new chemical concoction that lets brain tissue function again after being frozen. Continue Reading Category: Science Tags: C … | Continue reading
Listened to The Wu-Tang way with Ron Evans (Changelog & Friends #42) Post details Our friend Ron Evans is a technologist for hire, an open source developer, an author, a speaker, an iconoclast, and one of our favorite people in tech. This conversation with Ron goes everywhere … | Continue reading
The Fall Guy (2024) • View trailer Four stars (out of five). Rated PG-13, for action violence, drug content and fleeting profanity Available via: Movie theaters By Derrick Bang • Published in The Davis Enterprise, 5.17.24 This is way too much fun. Director David Leitch and script … | Continue reading
"The two can coexist." Lime executive reveals the future of alternative transportation: 'We've been so accustomed to just accepting cars and traffic as a way of life' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
I’ve made plenty of choices where I wanted two things incompatible with one another and chose one. I don’t feel like any of that was a sacrifice, I treat it as a choice. For example, I returned to the university in my late 20s way outside of the ordinary university age because I … | Continue reading
It only took three pieces of evidence, together, to completely revolutionize our picture of the Universe in the early 20th century. We had previously assumed that the Universe was static and unchanging, and that the entirety of existence was contained within the Milky Way. The sp … | Continue reading
Hermeus has stolen another quick march on its way to building a hypersonic aircraft as it begins testing its proprietary precooler on a Pratt & Whitney F100 jet engine that will be installed in the company's Quarterhorse Mk 2 prototype. Continue Reading Category: Aircraft, Transp … | Continue reading
AI offers a chance to do a lot of things much better – parental internet control is a great example. The Angel AI app introduces kids to the web in a way that's tailored to their age and interests, with no ads, inappropriate content or privacy risks. Continue Reading Category: Ch … | Continue reading
Researchers think a farmhouse in the Pyrenees was set on fire by Carthaginian troops on their way to attack Rome. | Continue reading
There's a long way to go, but the Australia-Asia PowerLink may be the massive cornerstone of a cleaner, safer future. Billionaire bets big on largest solar project ever proposed to deliver power across oceans: 'At the forefront of the clean energy transition' first appeared on Th … | Continue reading
Yet another incredible story on Cabel Sasser’s blog, this one about a supposedly vintage Apple Employee badge: Wow. Someone was selling Apple Employee #10’s employee badge?! … | Continue reading
With summer on its way in the Northern Hemisphere, the latest edition of Periodic Graphics in Chemical & Engineering News looks at… | Continue reading