Showing 1 - 10 of 14
OpenAI plans ChatGPT ads for free users and 'Go' tiers
Life, Puriward Sinthopnumchai, Published on 21/01/2026
» OpenAI has announced plans to introduce advertising on ChatGPT in the coming weeks, marking a shift in its business model as it seeks to serve a growing number of unsubcribed users of the generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool.
Q&A, truth, lies, the web and you
Life, James Hein, Published on 10/04/2024
» The online world is changing and not necessarily for the better. I'm old enough to remember what you were looking for came up as the first search result, when there was a search facility, that is. The old Bulletin Boards kept their subject matter to the topic of the board with opinions kept to opinion sites. Sites on science were not one-sided as they presented the facts along with the supporting data for checking and verification. If people disagreed, they also brought their data along to challenge a thesis and a healthy and often robust debate followed. That was then.
Those pesky pixel trackers
Life, James Hein, Published on 12/10/2022
» I've written about the tracking in TikTok. I recently found out you don't need to have the app installed to be providing tracking data to this platform. The term you need to learn today is "tracking pixel".
Don't get caught out on camera
Life, James Hein, Published on 21/07/2021
» - In the new Covid world, office workers are now regularly in meetings from home. Many of these meetings these days now also include a video feed. The first thing others in the call do when someone pops up, is to check the background and immediately zoom in, mentally or physically, on anything that seems out of place in the background. Last night's dishes, haphazardly discarded clothing and even a pot plant seemingly out of place will be the object of interest. Some use a green screen behind them and have an image placed on that by software.
Welcome to the world of VTubers
Life, Suwitcha Chaiyong, Published on 24/05/2021
» Two university students -- Aisha and Yu Estella Kirameki, better known as YuChan -- enjoy talking with fans via livestream on YouTube where they play games or tell stories. Their activities are similar to many YouTubers, however, Aisha and YuChan are not human. They are computer-generated characters who have their own individual YouTube channels -- Aisha Channel has 303,000 subscribers and the YuChan Channel 115,000 subscribers.
Transpacific cable is cut, for now
Life, James Hein, Published on 16/09/2020
» In light of the problems between the USA and China, and that those in power in Beijing want to grab data from US networks, Google and Facebook have dropped plans to build an undersea cable between the US and Hong Kong. The new target limits the landing points to the Philippines and Taiwan and now excludes Hong Kong. The HK section of the cable is built but will not now be activated due to a national security agreement between the US and Google and Facebook. I will predict that if Joe Biden wins the next US election this decision will be revisited.
Sketching to success
Life, Story: Suwitcha Chaiyong, Published on 14/07/2020
» Life can be frustrating during a pandemic and economic downturn. However, reading great comics is one way to lift your spirits during the downtime.
Content creator opens up about viral hit
Life, Story: Suwitcha Chaiyong, Published on 16/06/2020
» While browsing the countless number of luk thung music videos on YouTube, Pichpisithaseth "Hai" Chockchai came across a song titled Super Valentine by a band of the same name featuring three artists, Jane, Noon and Bow. He wondered why the all-girl band hadn't been active for many years, despite creating such a fun, catchy song.
In 2020, China heads into 1984
Life, James Hein, Published on 23/10/2019
» China will have 626 million CCTVs installed by 2020. That's close to one for every two people in the country. By the end of 2019, any application for Internet access will require first having your face scanned. In 2020, if you want to surf the web you will first have to pass a facial recognition process. If you are recognised and your social score is high enough you will be able to connect. This directive comes from the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Technology.
Limiting discourse, leaking borders
Life, James Hein, Published on 19/06/2019
» It is difficult to ignore the latest moves by social media providers like YouTube to change their terms and conditions so as to block individuals and groups they don't like. The shift from an open platform, where all ideas are welcome, to one more concerned with the window of discourse is disappointing, and points to the huge pressure being applied by a small number of special interest groups, mostly via advertisers. The really sad part of this is that there are already indications that Minds, a supposed open alternative, is already censoring content, so for the moment at least I need to withdraw my recommendation for that platform.