billbennett

mpesce, 15 days ago to random

Just submitted my topics for this week's RNZ NineToNoon segment (Thursday 9am AEST) and dear god, you could not make these up: The 'LLM Kryptonite' bug I found and tried to report; Microsoft's 'Totalled Recall', and Google telling everyone to eat rocks.

Charlie Brooker, thou art avenged!

billbennett, 16 days ago to random

The way things are going in New Zealand right now I can see “shoebox in middle o’t’road” becoming an accommodation option once more.

billbennett, 16 days ago to random

https://www.techdirt.com/2024/04/02/forgotten-books-and-how-to-save-them/

billbennett, 16 days ago to random

NZ Tech Podcast: ARM Chips and AI PCs: https://billbennett.co.nz/nz-tech-podcast-2/

billbennett, 16 days ago to random

NZ Tech Podcast: ARM Chips and AI PCs: https://billbennett.co.nz/nz-tech-podcast-2/

billbennett, 17 days ago to random

Even after 60 years of watching football I humbly recognise I couldn’t do a better job than most professional coaches or team managers. Even the unfeted ones.

On the other hand, I’m damn certain I could do a better job of running clubs than nine out of ten owners. The majority are idiots.

billbennett, 17 days ago to random

Checking if all those cross posting fediverse things are working as they should. Please ignore this.

billbennett, 17 days ago to random

For reasons that I don’t need to bore anyone with, Saturday got off to an extremely slow start. By the time I made it to the local, fancy artisan baker, most of the usual choices were sold out. So I went off piste and got a fruit loaf. Which turns out to be fabulous

KiwiEV, 17 days ago to random

FINALLY!
A solution at last!

video/mp4

ThisCJ, 17 days ago to random

Today I went to Iona Abbey, founded by St Columba c560. The current building is C12, built by the Benedictines. It was left to ruin after the Reformation but restored in the C20 by an ecumenical group now called the Iona Community, who stand for diversity, peace and justice. P

Interior shot showing ancient walls with ferns growing out of them
A display about the Iona Community, details at Iona.org.uk
A High Cross - a Celtic cross with a circle, rendered in stone, about 3m tall

billbennett, 18 days ago to random

If you are interested in modern Physics, I recommend this video:
https://yewtu.be/watch?v=nFZSFKl39YU

billbennett, 18 days ago to random

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/24/technology/ukraine-russia-starlink.html

billbennett, 18 days ago to random

Spark buys Lauriston solar farm output: https://billbennett.co.nz/spark-lauriston-solar-farm/

billbennett, 18 days ago to random

Is any Android app worth a thousand bucks?

https://www.androidauthority.com/google-play-store-1000-price-limit-3445833/

billbennett, 18 days ago to random

I figured out that Duck Duck Go was Bing ages ago. Didn’t realise until yesterday’s melt down that Ecosia was also Bing.

Or Bung as I think we can now call it.

billbennett, 18 days ago to random

I like to think that my 45 years of reporting on technology and business has left me sceptical rather than cynical but the behaviour of some tech companies is such that sometimes readers might be better served by the latter approach.

billbennett, 18 days ago to random

It's that time on a Friday when I edit my newsletter and remove any snark that may have crept in during the writing stage.

billbennett, 18 days ago to random

More depressingly predictable bad behaviour from tech firms:

https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/23/24163383/spotify-car-thing-discontinued-december-2024

billbennett, 18 days ago to random

That’ll be right:

https://www.wheresyoured.at/sam-altman-is-full-of-shit/

billbennett, 19 days ago to random

Elk is a damn fine Mastodon client. Exactly what I wanted.

billbennett, 19 days ago to random

I don't really understand American politics... but I'm told by someone who does that this is probably a healthy thing.

billbennett, 19 days ago to random

Today’s lunch is avocado on toast. Depending on your point of view it’s either healthy and nourishing or a sign I’m a fully paid up member of the decadent bourgeoisie

RadicalAnthro, 20 days ago to Egalitarianism

A decent summary of the discussion over shrinkage of brain size in Homo sapiens in the past 100,000 years.

One very strong point is made by Eva #Jablonka, linking reduction of brain size to stratification and class society:
'Jablonka argues that if even if brains did shrink when complex societies emerged, it doesn't necessarily follow that smaller brains were necessarily an adaptive response.
"If 3,000 years ago much larger more complex societies emerged, this could correlate with much greater differences in social classes. If, as a consequence the majority of people were poor, then we know that poverty and malnutrition and things like that would compromise the developing brain."'

We would agree, metabolic and energetic/nutrient constraint is likely important. Marta #Lahr also suggests a link to nutrient deficiency associating to onset of agriculture.

A significant implication is that the super large brains of our ancestors came about through #egalitarianism and strong ethics of #sharing vital nutrients to mothers and children.

#brainsize #humanorigins #evolution #anthropology

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240517-the-human-brain-has-been-shrinking-and-no-one-quite-knows-why