Geekly Update - 30 October 2019

The AskBobRankin Geekly Update

"Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins Of The Internet" tells the story of the origins of the Internet, based on interviews with the people who made it happen. Perhaps you've never heard of Bob Taylor, Vint Cerf or J.R. Licklider but after reading this book you'll want to thank them.

A recent PC Magazine headline said "1 in 3 Americans Can't Explain How the Internet Works". Actually, I'd be shocked if 1 in 300 *could* explain how it works. But if you'd like to be part of that select group of people who can extol the virtues of TCP/IP networking at a cocktail party, read the Popular Mechanics article How the Internet Works in 7 Steps.

As the Internet marks 50 years, co-inventor Vint Cerf shares his concerns with the BBC about censorship and misinformation online. The best tool, Cerf says, for dealing with misinformation and disinformation is not AI or machine learning, it's critical thinking.

Tesla is teasing a "fully self-driving" option that will enable the to drive from your home to work without human intervention. At least for now, you'll still need to be alert enough to grab the wheel if the car senses a problem. But if things go as planned, CEO Elon Musk says you'll be able to fall asleep in your self-driving car by the end of 2020.

Netflix has introduced a new feature that allows viewers to speed up or slow down shows being viewed. Binge watchers will love the ability watch their favorites one-and-a-half times faster, but Hollywood elites are already whipping out their tiny violins, protesting that the feature amounts to taking control of their art.

Porsche is launching online car sales, offering "convenient shopping from browsers or mobile devices," but you'll still have to visit the dealership to finish the paperwork and pick up your new or used Porsche. Twenty-five U.S. Porsche dealers are taking part, with a wider national rollout planned. You'd think for that kind of money, they could have someone drive the Porchse to you, and collect your signature.

Nancy Mumby-Welke heard a loud crash outside her Michigan home and discovered what looked like a satellite in her backyard. Turns out the “SpaceSelfie” program was a Samsung PR stunt gone wrong. Samsung apologized for the crash landing on Welke's farm, claiming it was “planned” and happened in a “selected rural area.”

Russian scientists fitted migrating eagles with a gadget that would track their migration by collecting GPS coordinates and sending text message updates. But some of the eagles flew to Iran and Pakistan, instead of Kazakhstan as anticipated. As a result, the SMS transmitters racked up unexpectedly high roaming charges which would have left them "penniless." The researchers started a crowdfunding campaign to help pay the bill, but Russian mobile phone operator Megafon kindly cancelled the debt.

Oral-B has launched toothbrush with built-in artificial intelligence that can sense if you’re not brushing properly. The $220 Oral-B Genius X electric toothbrush connects to an app on your phone and offes tips on where to brush.

Google is rolling out BERT, a change to its search algorithm that uses natural language processing (NLP) techniques that should improve 10% of search results by better understanding of how words relate to each other in a sentence.

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