A reminder that Ashton is hosting our 3rd annual Earth Day hardware recycling day(s) today and tomorrow (Saturday April 18th). Saturday, we’ll be here at the office (23625 Commerce Park, in Beachwood) between 11A-1P, and aside from accepting all of your old and outdated technology hardware (laptops, PCs, monitors, cellphones, printers, fax machines, scanners, and more – but no TVs), we’ll have a few hot dogs and brats on the grill. Empty your house, load your car, and stop by to say hey. We’ll be here rain or shine, so you should be too. Hopefully you’re reading this before it’s too late, because in addition to a free way to clean out your house, I have insights on influencers, digital advertising, whistling (!), French Windows deniers, and more. Enjoy.
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Who's Listening
A couple of years ago, I walked into the office to hear two of our engineers talking about the great Indian place they’d just been for lunch. It’s not something I’d ever opt for, so it went in one ear and out the other. 30 minutes later, though, a Yelp recommendation popped up on my phone’s lock screen, telling me about the best Indian restaurants in town. Nothing I’ve ever searched for, paid for, or anything else. But there it was. Coincidence? I don’t believe so. One researcher, however, says that our phones definitely aren’t listening to us. Anybody else ever have a similar experience?
Relying on Windows
I’m sure many of you would like to get over your reliance on Windows (and Google, Amazon, and Netflix, among others). We could all use a little less Bill Gates in our lives, right? To that end, the French government, in trying to reduce its reliance on American technology (since their own is so good), is moving some systems from Windows to Linux. I don’t know anything about Linux other than the fact that it’s open source software. It’ll be interesting to see if anybody else follows suit.
Influencers
Google has always been the world leader in digital ad revenue, which makes sense as companies pay them to appear when you search for them. But by the end of this year, Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Whats App) will have overtaken Google. And all that means is more ads and promotions on your Facebook page and in your Insta feed. Enjoy!
Whistling
I came across this one at 11:45 on Tuesday night, and while I’ve always wanted to know how to whistle with my fingers, I didn’t want to wake the dogs up. So, I’ve yet to try it. Maybe I’ll work on it this weekend. Can anybody verify that these are the correct steps in the process?
Ticket Stubs
I went to the Indians game last night (soooo close to a no-hitter, and don’t blame me ‘cuz I wasn’t the one to jinx it at the start of the 9th) with a high school buddy, and don’t have a ticket stub to show for it. And, since the tickets were his, I don’t even have a digital ticket in my wallet.
One of the many things I collect (or used to, I guess) is ticket stubs. Sporting events and concerts, primarily. Red Right 88 in 1981, U2 at Music Hall in 1984, an Ozzie Newsome autographed stub from a Cavs game at the Coliseum in 1989, the first and last games of the Indians 22 game streak in 2017, and plenty more. They’re all in two big shoe boxes at home. But unless I want to pay extra for a paper ticket, I won’t need a third box. In reality, they’re probably not worth the paper they’re printed on, but there are lots of good memories.
AI
I was going to include this one last week, and then ran out of space. Only to have a fellow former hockey coach (and current Ashton client) send it to me, suggesting I include it. So, I found it and Dan seconded it. The Florida AG is going to investigate OpenAI and ChatGPT and its involvement with a Florida school shooting. Politics? Grandstanding? If somebody was asking AI about shooting up a school, was AI what really pushed them to do it?
And while we’re on the topic, you dedicated readers will recall that AI data centers have been buying all available memory, driving the price of PCs and laptops through the roof (while reducing stock at the same time). Now, everybody who’s using Apple Mac Minis for their personal Clawdbots has killed the stock of those devices.
That’s all for this week. I’ll leave you with something specifically for bike riders (thinking of our fearless leader, Jim Millican). I know a few people who’ve hit parked vehicles while riding bikes (not Millican) and the damage has not been insignificant. Would an airbag have helped? I would imagine. Looks like wearable cycling airbags will be hitting the market soon!
Have a great weekend!
Abbey