Geekly Update - 10 February 2021

The AskBobRankin Geekly Update

A Texas lawyer attended a virtual legal proceeding via Zoom, but he appeared as an animated talking cat. A distraught Rod Ponton said “I'm here live, I'm not a cat!” as fellow participants held back laughter. The judge in the case kindly explained that someone must have applied a filter to his Zoom account, causing him to appear as an adorable kitten.

This just in from the Robot Overlords Department: Researchers from Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Human Development claim to have proof that if a “superintelligent” self-teaching artificial intelligence software entity ever develops, it would be impossible for humans to contain it. With access to the Internet, the scientists say, it could cure cancer and bring about world peace, or… destroy humanity and take over the Earth. Flip a coin?

Which streaming service (or combination them) will get you all of your favorite TV channels? Here’s a
a chart that shows availability of the top 100 TV channels across YouTube TV, Hulu, Sling TV, AT&T, Philo, Fubo and T-Mobile Tvision.

Now we know why Hyundai spent $1.1 billion to buy a controlling stake in robotics firm Boston Dynamics. Hyundai’s Transforming Intelligent Ground Excursion Robot, or Tiger X-1 for short, is an autonomous walking concept car. It won’t transport people, but could be used as a rescue vehicle, or for moon exploration.

Last summer, Apple used its army of lawyers to bully a startup named Super Healthy Kids because they dared to use a pear in their company logo. Apple claimed it might “cause dilution of the distinctiveness” of Apple’s own logo. A “Save the Pear from Apple!” online petition that got over 269,000 signatures may have had something to do with the fact that Apple relented, requiring only a minor change to the shape of the leaf on the offending pear logo.

This just in from the “Where’s My Blender?” Department: Researchers in Singapore are ‘printing’ fresh vegetables, using “food inks” derived from from fresh and frozen vegetables. The scientists say the resulting product will be tasty, nutritious, and ideal for patients with swallowing difficulties.

Weber’s latest gas grills have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and digital displays. This adds a new meaning to the phrase “You’re blowing up on Twitter!”

Be careful what you say in online reviews. Philip James Waymouth left a negative review of London law firm Summerfield Browne, after receiving what he felt was unsatisfactory service. His review on TrustPilot, a popular review site, accused the firm of being a "scam solicitor". But a court found in favor of the law firm, which accused Browne of defamation, and ordered him to pay about $34,000 in damages.

Qualcomm's new X65 5G modem, designed for use in premium smartphones, PCs, and mobile hotspots, will be able to download data at 10Gbps speeds, orders of magnitude faster than current 4G connections. The X65’s antenna tuning tech can detect the user’s hand grip more accurately, improving data speeds, coverage and battery longevity.

How often should you replace your Internet router? At least every five years, and preferably every two or three years, some experts say, if you use the latest laptops and smartphones. This CNet article provides some practical tips on how and when to make a router upgrade.