6 December 2023

How does Shazam work?  This answers a question I've had for a long while. Whenever I hum a melody or play a tune on the piano, Shazam doesn't recognize what I play. But only after a few seconds from an overhead speaker at a store, and the song identity comes up quickly. Shazam is not looking at melodic structure. It's just doing spectral matching. So it's got to hear the exact song being played, that has the same soundprint. Otherwise, it's a no-go.

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Looks like Asian immigrants in Seattle are being specifically targeted for thefts. Because they are "unlikely to be armed, less confrontational, and have cash on hand".  And Asian immigrants like to go to casinos. And it doesn't help that Little Vietnam is right next to Rainier Avenue, where the criminal class tends to live.  Asians have got to arm themselves.  

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More bad news for for Legacy. After all these years, black people in the Albina neighborhood want reparations for land that Legacy Emanuel Hospital was built on

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So sperm donations will no longer be anonymous in a growing number of states. Naturally, LGBT folks and those that are infertile are concerned, because this will definitely lead to a decline in donors. Who would want the hassle later on?

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Wasabi improves memory. But only the real stuff. Not the fake green-colored horseradish that's much more common.

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This was Einstein's goal. New theory claims to unite Einstein's gravity with quantum mechanics. If only the old guy were around to see it.

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What would a magnitude 15 earthquake be like?

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AI-generative imagery can predict what you are thinking about. One step closer to actual mind reading. We're not there yet, however.

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This Japanese musician, Michiru Aoyama, writes, records and releases an album every day.  It's ambient, stuff, much of it repetitious and very much reminiscent of William Basinski, if you like that kind of stuff.  But many do – he's got his fans.

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Better make sure you're using all those psychology terms properly. I might get triggered if you don't.

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Children with liberal parents more likely to suffer mental health problems.

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This is what Oregon schools have become. Oregon Health Authority to offer free opioid overdose reversal kits to middle, high schools. As they say, the world you grew up in no longer exists.  And now, schools have to factor in race and gender identity to determine how you should be disciplined for misbehaving.

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Here's the next battleground. Hospitals and insurance companies fight over money. Insurance companies think that increases in reimbursement should just be a few percentage points, while hospitals say that's crap – expenses have increased by "50% to 74%".  This is why employed doctors are unionizing, because naturally the hospitals will take the cost-savings from their salaries, especially doctors are typically sheep, and will continue to do their job, because of their dedication.
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Turn off push notificationsApple Confirms Governments Using Push Notifications to Surveil Users. I can't believe the lengths the government will go to spy on citizens. Now they're tracking all the push notifications that people get on their phones. Which means they track all text-messaging.

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I opened (Google's) Bard webpage, typed:
"When is Gemini going to be rolled out?"
Bard answered:
"Please clarify the specific product or service you are referring to by "Gemini." There are multiple applications and services with the name Gemini. Here are a few examples:
Gemini Exchange: A cryptocurrency exchange platform that is currently available to users in select regions. There is no official date set for a global rollout.
Gemini Spacecraft: A planned private human spaceflight program that is still in development. There is no official date set for the first launch.
Gemini (chat app): A social media messaging app that is currently available on iOS and Android. There are no plans for a wider rollout at this time.
If you are referring to a different product or service, please provide more context so I can provide an accurate answer."

Then I provided Bard the reference article from Slashdot:
"Gemini reference: https://tech.slashdot.org/stor... [slashdot.org]"
And Bard answered:
"I'm just a language model, so I can't help you with that."

Looks like Bard hates competition.

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