Jan 07
A temple collapsed and cracks appeared in more than 600 houses.
Jan 07
As I lay on my death bed, the last image that flashes before me will be of a menu on Windows XP, seared into brain cells that are supposed to be used for memories of loved ones. I’m sure of it.
Jan 07
Netflix’s most high-profile animated movie of 2022 was perhaps understandably Pinocchio, but the streamer did release some other pretty solid animated features and shows throughout last year. One of those was The Sea Beast, a fun throwback CG film about sailors hunting down giant underwater creatures, and a film that…
Jan 07
Singaporean inventor and tech pioneer Sim Wong Hoo passed away on January 4th at the age of 67. Sim may not be a household name these days, but he founded Creative Technology (or Creative Labs in the US), the company behind the Sound Blaster brand of sound cards, back in 1981. Sound Blasters were some of the first sound cards available to consumers, and there was a time when you had to make sure your system worked with them if you wanted to listen to music and play games.
Sim established his business in the US and started selling Sound Blasters a few years later, after which Creative became the first Singaporean company to be listed on the Nasdaq exchange. The integration of sound boards into the motherboard ended Sound Blaster’s popularity, but Bloomberg says the cards provided audio for more than 400 million PCs.
Under his leadership, Creative also launched a range of MP3 players, and Sim once tried to take on Apple by spending $100 million on advertising and marketing in its bid to dethrone the iPod. In 2006, Creative sued Apple for violating its patent for portable media system menus. The companies filed more lawsuits against each other after that before Apple settled with Creative and paid the company $100 million for the technology outlined in its patent.
Creative confirmed Sim’s passing on its website, calling him “a visionary, inventor, and entrepreneur who gave the PC a voice.” In a press release published by the company, interim CEO Song Siow Hui said in a statement:
“I have known and worked with Mr. Sim for over 30 years. This is a sad and sudden development and we feel a great loss especially since Mr. Sim and I recently had extensive discussions on the future direction of the Company. During those discussions, Mr. Sim was full of fresh vision. Even on the night before, he had a long discussion with the Engineering team and was scheduled to meet with the Online Sales team the next day. The best thing to do now is to ensure the continued smooth running of the Company, and also to execute and realise the vision and strategy that Mr. Sim had for the Company.”
Jan 07
TikTok truly is out here finding you the cutest emergency car jump starter and checkered makeup bags of all time.
Jan 07
If you’re sharing your Chromebook with someone else but don’t want them to see your data, you can turn on a guest mode that’ll keep your habits private.
Jan 07
10 Things ChatGPT Can and Can't Do
Posted in: Today's Chili
Is it a tool or a toy? A genius or a dumbass? A technological breakthrough or a flash in the pan? You’ve heard of ChatGPT, the preternaturally well-spoken chatbot spawned by OpenAI. The algorithmic program has made headlines for its ability to ape human speech and automate previously time-consuming editorial tasks…
Jan 07
An AI-based legal advisor is set to play the role of a lawyer in an actual court case for the first time. Via an earpiece, the artificial intelligence will coach a courtroom defendant on what to say to get out of the associated fines and consequences of a speeding charge, AI-company DoNotPay has claimed in a report…
Jan 07
My Daughter’s Common Problem Made Me Feel Like A Failure As A Mom — And Now I Know Why
Posted in: Today's Chili“At that moment, I felt like a dirtbag mom. … The seeds of comparison planted in my mind were hatching into a full-blown infestation of shame.”
Jan 07
Being the space nerd that I am, I often imagine a museum filled with the most important objects ever sent to space. We couldn’t possibly build a place like this, but we can speculate as to which human artifacts deserve a place in our imaginary spaceflight museum.
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