Gadgets

  • Another AI Art Gimmick

    There's a new trend of AI-generated profile pictures – using tools like avatar.ai.

    Below are some sample results my son, Zach, got after downloading an iPhone app called Lensa.  The company that makes it also offers a product called Prisma that is worth looking at as well.  He paid $4 within Lensa to generate these AI photos (for context, avatar.ai charges more than 5x as much).  He uploaded 17 photos from different angles (and with different expressions), and the app promised 50 pieces from 4 styles.

    What do you think of the results?  I thought some of them were surprisingly good. 

     

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    Some were not so good … (or at least outside my zone of artistic preferences).

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    After seeing his, I'll admit I got curious and made my own. 

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    To be honest, these apps are still volatile … meaning, sometimes they are good enough to seriously impress – but they also can underwhelm from time to time.  Check out DALL-E for more examples of the dynamic range of possibilities and results.

    Regardless, I am impressed with AI art's progress and momentum.  Recently, generative AI has gotten a lot of hate (along with the hype), nonetheless, people are talking about it (meanwhile AI art is still not as polarizing as Kanye). 

    The reality is, most of these tools still are an elegant use of brute force.  Nonetheless, I am bullish.  Hardware and software are getting better … and when fed more data, generative art depictions get better as well. 

    The uses continue to get more elegant and complex as time passes … but we're still coding the elegance. 

    For more on this topic: 

  • The Social Media Universe

    We recently dove into what's happening at Twitter. Since that article, Elon wrote an ultimatum e-mail to his employees saying that if they wanted to stay, they would have to work harder and longer than before … and that they would get three months severance if they chose to leave. In a result that might have surprised Elon, thousands of Twitter employees quit.  In response, Elon locked the doors, cut badge access, and attempted some damage control.

    On top of that, you also have Meta having its own issues. 

    With that, it's probably a good time to take a look at the social media landscape.  Here is an infographic that shows the relative popularity of various social media properties. 

     

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    via visualcapitalist

    If you rank the top 10 social media by monthly users, Twitter isn't even on the list. Nor is it on the list for driving clicks. 

    Meta and YouTube top the list – by a mile. 

    As well, there's a growing network of smaller social media vying for a spot in the global paradigm, like Parler, Mastodon, or even Onlyfans.

    Meaning there's a lot more chaos in the system. 

    As always, chaos creates opportunity – in this case, both for new media and for brands to capitalize on the change in trends. 

    The question is, will Facebook and Twitter survive the storm, and if not, what will take their place?

  • The Swish Machine

    Rube Goldberg machines impress me more often than not. Here's a 70-step outdoor machine that covers a lot of ground … all to put a basketball in a hoop. It took a month to create, and another month to get working. 

     

    via Creezy

    I love stuff like this because it reminds me of life. Looking backward, you see how all the pieces go together. As you're going through it, it feels random and sometimes like you're moving backward or that your effort isn't directly contributing to your goal.

    Nonetheless, it all comes together in the end.

    Onwards!  

  • Bruce Willis Deepfake: The Smart Decision?

    Bruce Willis is a legend of cinema, and he made many of my favorite movies of the 80s and 90s. He stayed relevant and exciting up until very recently. 

    Then, last year, he started releasing a slew of disappointing "straight-to-DVD" style movies that had him receiving his own award show category in the Razzies (an award show for the worst performances of the year). In 2021, they created the category "worst performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 movie." 

    Vulture did an interesting interview with the founders of the Razzies where Bruce Willis comes up. 

    Then, it came out that Bruce Willis was diagnosed with Aphasia and was losing his ability to speak. 

    Suddenly, these pieces take on new meaning. They're Bruce getting as much work in as he can before he loses his voice permanently. He's trying to do what he knows how to do to make sure his wife and children are taken care of after he can no longer act. 

    It doesn't make the movies suddenly "great" but it was enough to get the Razzies to rescind their award. 

    I don't believe these last films of his dampen his well-earned legacy. 

    Last year, his digital twin showed up in a Russian telecom ad. 

     

     
    Recently, he's been in the news again for having sold his likeness to a deepfake company. It was reported on the company's website and by The Telegraph, but there are now claims to the contrary as well. 

    While the jury is still out on if his rights have been sold, I think it's likely you'll see more Bruce Willis deepfake content. 

    The question becomes, is it the right decision?

    If his estate still has final approval – and there is quality control – then what's the harm?

    Does the potential ubiquity, or the idea that we can always have another Bruce Willis movie, reduce the value of his movies?

    Does allowing deepfakes in cinema (on TV or in film) take away roles from actors who might become stars?

    We've already seen actors use deepfakes to reprise a role they did when they were younger – like Luke Skywalker or Leia from Star Wars. It's a different idea to build a new series around an actor who isn't actually acting in it. 

    These questions pair well with the discussion around AI-generated art and whether it should be considered art. 

    What do you think? 

  • The Most Common Cyber Attacks Against Businesses

    I recently shared a post on data breaches – and steps you can take to prevent them. It focused on the most famous cyberattacks in history. 

    Visualcapitalist and Global X ETFs just put out a visualization that shows the most common attacks your business may face. 

     

    Global-X-BUG-ETF_Cyberattacks_Main

    Global X via visualcapitalist

    Cyberattacks are at an all-time high – and the more people you have in your business, the more likely you are to have exploitable weaknesses. For example, the World Economic Forum's Global Risk Report for 2022 stated that ransomware attacks have increased by 435% since 2020. 

    It's also worth noting that these numbers are likely understated, as companies are likely to downplay and hide security incidents.  

    Likewise, there is exponential growth in computer use, data production, apps and services (connected through your handphone, devices, or computers), and connected nodes in the internet-of-things (including garage doors, security systems, and a host of connected devices).

    As some things become easier, other things get harder.  Said another way, sometimes peril comes with progress.

    Stay safe. 

  • Living Longer And Healthier

    I am on my way back from Dave Asprey’s BioHacking Conference.

    I enjoy going and being exposed to people and products committed to life extension and regenerative medicine.  

    Here are some of the things I found interesting and useful.

    I own and use every product on the list above. One of my biggest insights from this year’s conference was that I already have great stuff. I have to remember to use it. Some of the stuff is terrific. I know it is. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t sit unused in a room upstairs (or in a box under my stairs). The scary thing is that I know better.  Now I have to do better!

    Each year I get a little bit more focused on what I can be doing to get more out of my time and to increase the quantity of time left.

    Even with a renewed focus on health, it isn’t always easier. As my friend Ben Hardy says, Willpower Doesn’t Work – you have to identify goals that are bigger than yourself, create consequences and rewards for achieving or failing to achieve those goals, and change your environment to make success easy.  

    I don’t just want to be healthier to increase my time on earth, but to better support my family, my business, and to create a positive impact on those around me. 

    When you have a vision of who you want to be, and what you want to accomplish, achieving your goals becomes a lot easier. 

    When the goal is health, there are definitely some decisions that are proven to help. You can click to see the image in full-size. 

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    via informationisbeautiful

    On top of the science, here are some of my anecdotal opinions on living longer, healthier, and better:

    • Losing weight is as simple as calories in, calories out. It doesn’t matter if you’re on keto or eating only twinkies if you can keep your calories ingested below your calories burned. An equally simple alternative is to consider whether what you are about to eat, drink, or do is “cleansing” or “clogging”.  We already know better!
    • Getting enough water and sleep are tips echoed so much that they get annoying. Nonetheless, they are true and help significantly. 
    • In life, and in diets, shortcuts end up hurting you long-term more than they help you short-term.  If something is worth doing, it is usually worth doing right.
    • Living “right” doesn’t mean you can’t let loose … it means that it’s the exception instead of the rule. If your lifestyle doesn’t let you have fun with your friends or family, it’s probably not the healthiest lifestyle. Mental health is just as important as physical health.  From my perspective, deprivation or repression are far less effective or sustainable than delayed gratification.

    I’d love to hear your favorite “trick” to living better. Feel free to send me an e-mail. 

    Thanks! Live Long and Prosper!

  • Snake-Oil or Cure? Do Your Supplements Actually Help?

    Are you trying to lead a healthier lifestyle?  This data visualization can help you filter out the marketing hype to help you find the vitamins, minerals, and herbs that deliver tangible benefits … versus those that serve only as a "Guaranteed Genuine Placebo".

    Here is an interactive model of the most current research data.  It is interesting because of the health research itself … and because models (like this) have far-reaching applications.  Click the image to play with the interactive version on InformationIsBeautiful.

     

    Screen Shot 2022-09-04 at 10.41.12 AMvia InformationIsBeautiful

     

    I was surprised to see how many of the supplements I take weren't high on the list.  I was also surprised to find a few effective supplements on the list that I don't take. 

    Some of you have seen how many supplements I take a day.  I take so many pills that I split them up into morning, lunch, dinner, and bedtime.  Despite that, I always like finding what else might help. 

    As a reminder, supplements are meant to support your health goals, and the secret to longevity is not going to be found without you also putting in the work yourself. 

    Regardless, I appreciated this look at the performance data behind various supplements. 

    Let me know if you find something you think is worth sharing.

  • The New Era of Energy

    A couple of weeks ago, I talked about oil production.  This week, I want to look at the current energy landscape. 

     

    Screen Shot 2022-08-18 at 12.41.13 PMView the full infographic at visualcapitalist

    Over the past several decades, there has been a massive shift in how we produce and consume energy.  This has been driven by the tech boom – as well as by climate awareness.

    The practical realities of widespread tech adoption directly impact energy consumption.  For example, there are now over 7 billion people with smartphones.  As the population (and the number of gadgets and tech we use) grows, logically, so does our energy consumption.

    Luckily, we're also getting better at powering them. 

    On a different front, oil is still a meaningful and vital part of the energy ecosystem … but, now, it's being supplemented by multiple renewables. 

    Screen Shot 2022-08-18 at 12.41.59 PMView the full infographic at visualcapitalist 

    Over the last decade, investment in green technologies has helped the cost of renewable energies drop precipitously. 

    That spurred a different set of products and use cases.  For example, we've seen the number of electric cars grow exponentially.  In 2011, there were approximately 70,000 EV units in the world.  Now there are around 16.5 million. 

    This isn't a commentary on the environmental benefit of renewables; it is an observation about the direction energy is heading. 

    And, just like with AI, despite being a space that's existed for a long time, it is still in the "early adoption" phase. 

    Based on estimations, the IEA projects an 8x growth in EV by 2050.  This also means that we will use an increasing amount of batteries and rare metals.  Currently, China controls the supply chains and critical resource constraints. 

    If our goal is to be energy independent, we have a long way to go … Nonetheless, recognize that this creates massive business and investment opportunities. 

    Onwards!

  • Some Cool “Futuristic” Tech You Might Not Have Seen

    I joke that I have a "tense" problem. I spend a lot of my time thinking about what will be possible in the future. And once I know something is possible, in my head, it has already happened.

    It isn’t a reality distortion engine … it is a reality creation engine.

    For me, this is centered around the way technology is transforming the world and how it affects my business. 

    Sometimes it's nice to take a step back and look at all the "quality of life" improvements. The gadgets that make you say "Wow!" … even though they may not benefit you directly. 

    So, here are a few that caught my eye over the last few weeks. 

    Augmented Reality Running 

    In 2020, Ghost Pacer put together a pair of AR glasses that would give you a virtual running partner. The app would analyze the running route and the wearer's desired goals and set them up against a virtual runner who would push them to their limits. 

    Last year, SNAP and Nike teamed up to create a new AR running experience as well. 

     

    Spectacles via YouTube

    This is a great way to get moving for those (like my wife) who benefit from a structure around their exercise. 

    Magnetic Slime Robot for Healthcare

     

    New Scientist via YouTube

    Watching the video of this slime is somewhat uncanny. Its movements feel almost lifelike. That being said, the potential for this custard-like slime worm is massive. It can navigate narrow passageways, grasp objects, and more. There are already plans to use this to remove foreign objects from people.  

    Functioning Hoverboards 

     

    RIDE via YouTube

    Multiple generations of kids have dreamed of hoverboards after watching Back To The Future. While it's not in homes yet, it is now a reality as seen in this video with Tony Hawk riding one. Unfortunately, since breaking into the scene in 2015 with a successful Kickstarter, I have not seen much from Hendo Hoverboard. 

    Thankfully, they're not the only company in the space anymore. If you're willing to drop almost 15K, you can own a working hoverboard from Arcaboard. 

    I remember when we used to go outside to play or exercise.

    We live in interesting times!  

  • What Tasks Should AI Take Over?

    One of the most common pop-sci questions about Artificial Intelligence is whether it will take our jobs.  

    There's a lot of fear from workers about a future where their roles are taken. Gartner recently surveyed workers on what tasks they wanted AI to handle. 

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    Gartner via Statista

    According to VentureBeat, some survey respondents did not want to use AI at work at all. Their reasons were privacy and security concerns. 

    I think one of the tasks that will be thrust upon AI companies is to help workers understand that AI is not meant to replace or take over their jobs, but to help workers be more effective and focused on higher-value tasks. 

    The Heartbeat of AI is Still Human_GapingVoid

    Onwards.