Geekly Update - 29 May 2019

The AskBobRankin Geekly Update

Looking for the perfect Father's Day gift for the man in your life? Check out the Father's Day Gift Shop at Amazon.

Amazon is making it easier to delete your voice recordings from Alexa-powered devices. Just say "Alexa, delete everything I said today." In a few weeks, you'll also be able to say "Alexa, delete what I just said." But it won't do either of those things unless you enable the feature in your settings. Hmmm, I wonder when it will understand "Alexa, delete everything I ever said."

Gilmour Space Technologies is one of many small, private startups building their own rockets with a goal of launching miniature satellites into space. This Australian team is hoping that 3D printing, cling wrap and duct tape will get them there.

Wired Magazine has a great article by Paul Ford, who reminisces about the early days of the Internet, and offers a "sometimes proud, sometimes ashamed" defense of technology.

A laptop computer intentionally loaded with six infamous malware programs sold at auction to an anonymous bidder for $1.345 million. The laptop was created as "art" and had its ports disabled to prevent the spread of the viruses.

Planning on flying this summer? Here are 25 tips to make your next plane ride less terrible. Here's one I want to try: When entering the security line, turn left. The majority right-handed people will instinctively go in the other direction.

Laptops are getting weird, and this writer at The Verge thinks it's a good thing. Some of the newest laptops sport dual screens, and foldable displays. Some laptop vendors are even using fabric, wood and leather in their designs.

Krithik Ramesh developed a new technology that uses computer vision and machine learning to help surgeons determine the optimal placement of screws in spinal surgeries. Ramesh is 16 years old, and won the $75,000 top prize at Intel's International Science and Engineering Fair.

Does cooking with an Instant Pot destroy nutrients and cause cancer? Or does it actually make your food healthier than other cooking methods?

Homeowners in South Africa used a Ring security camera to capture video footage of an intruder attempting to break into their house. The housebreaker turned out to be a baboon, most likely looking for food.

Your thoughts on these topics are welcome. Post your comment or question below...