So much good stuff this week that I decided to add one on firewalls here in the intro. Anybody can plug a firewall in with the idea of it preventing bad guys from getting into your network, or those in your network from going to bad places online. But, plugging it in and configuring it properly are two different matters. Add to that the fact that exceptions are sometimes made (and then forgotten about), and without auditing your firewall on occasion, you’re asking for trouble. So, take that as your reminder for the week that you can’t just assume your security measures are all that they should be.
Anyway, on to all the good stuff that you’re here for… Declining birthrates, vertical pizza, chip shortages (not the potato kind), Olympic hockey, and more. Enjoy!
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Declining Birthrates
Want to know why we’re seeing big declines in birthrates? Bars for people and their AI dates. If I ever get to that point, anybody who reads this is welcome to put me out of my misery.
Romance Scams
Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but romance scams will always be with us. And considering the issue above, I would imagine that those falling for these scams are those who actually seek romance from something other than an AI agent.
Chip Shortage
Our cost on PCs and laptops has increased by close to 50% in the past six months, due to the increased cost of memory chips. We’ve talked recently about the fact that AI data centers are taking all the memory and how manufacturers aren’t even selling to the consumer market any longer. Not only does this effect PC/laptop pricing, but now it’s going to trickle down to phones and other devices.
Vertical Pizza
While Pizza Hut pizza may be nothing exciting, they sure do know how to put together a good marketing campaign.
If vertical pizza doesn’t do it for you, how ’bout a skier’s breakfast (following up on last week’s post about hot sauce before skiing)? I’ll definitely be making this one when we’re out east in March!
Real Estate
You’d think that, for $20M, you could buy a house that didn’t have neighbors right on top of it. But I guess if you want an underground range, go cart track, and 6,000SF man cave, location is secondary…
Fake AI
Numerous Chrome browser extensions claiming to be AI tools are being used to gather whatever data unsuspecting users are uploading. These fake extensions are currently available through the Chrome web store, and as the article states, users risk “intellectual property (IP) loss, regulatory violations, and follow-on cyberattacks become obvious from there.” Precisely the reason we can’t stress enough the need for proper security and acceptable usage policies when it comes to AI.
Olympic Hockey
I hope you’ve been watching some Olympic hockey… but if not, you have three more chances. Mens’ semifinal #2 is live right now, with the bronze medal game tomorrow and the gold medal game on Sunday morning. Canada and the US have both been tested of late, but we’re on track for a big showdown on Sunday.
If you missed the womens’ gold medal game yesterday, you missed a great one. The voice of hockey, Doc Emrick, set the stage, and Megan Keller came through with the golden goal, for the USA. That came after the US tied it late in regulation off an assist from Laila Edwards of Cleveland Heights.
That’s all for this week. I’ll leave you with something old and something (sort of) new. I remember Easy Bake ovens when I was a kid. I’m sure Nancy probably had one. Who didn’t want to be able to cook with a light bulb? Seeing that article reminded me of my favorite celebrity chef Alton Brown, and his own Easy Bake oven that actually works.
As for the something sorta new, how ’bout ski mountaineering or “skimo”, the newest Winter Olympics sport? It’s a combination of uphill and downhill skiing, and having watched plenty of people skinning up ski slopes while I ride the chair, I’ll stick to the downhill portion… If you want to learn more about how ski mountaineering was put to use in WWII, you can read about the 10th Mountain Division here. Great book.
USA! USA!
Abbey