Bill Bennett

@billbennett.bsky.social

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I like to think my 45 years of reporting on technology and business has left me sceptical rather than cynical but the behaviour of some tech companies is such that sometimes readers might be better served by the latter approach.

https://billbennett.co.nz

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The oldest story of mine about AI that I can find was written 42 years ago in 1982. But I 'think' there's an. earlier one "...o generate an expert system, first catch your expert. Persuade him or her to sit at the computer terminal and to type in his or her expertise." archive.org/details/Prac...

Practical Computing 1982 December 12 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archivearchive.org 1980's well regarded computing magazine

I can just about remember using ClarisWorks... but there are dozens of these documents on my hard drive.

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This is my byline picture from 1984 in Big K magazine:

Almost 35 years after it first annoyed me, Microsoft Word still has a habit of randomly switching its language checking from UK to US English. And don't get me started on how hard it is to permenantly turn off all those language-based notifications.

Download Weekly: TCF calls for compulsory dispute resolution membership: https://billbennett.co.nz/tcf-compulsory-dispute-resolution-membership/

A recruiter tried to get me to interview for a management role at journal publisher. It was a horrible job with terrible pay... I could not run away fast enough. Clearly not lucrative for the poor souls they employ. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Academic journals are a lucrative scam – and we’re determined to change that | Arash Abizadehwww.theguardian.com Giant publishers are bleeding universities dry, with profit margins that rival Google’s. So we decided to start our own, says academic Arash Abizadeh

Couldn't make it to Mars then? www.theverge.com/2024/7/16/24...

Elon Musk is moving X and SpaceX to Texaswww.theverge.com Musk has also made plans for his own town outside of Austin.

Explains a lot buzzmachine.com/2024/07/13/i...

In mass media's death throesbuzzmachine.com The New York Times et al wish Joe Biden would go gentle into that good night. I wish mass media would instead. Here is a post from a thread: In this...

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I'm working on policy proposals to protect consumer rights when companies brick smart devices. So please share devices that you've owned that stopped working because the company that made it killed software support or went out of business. Also, please share this request. Thank you.

Just occasionally I write a predictive rant that is on the money. This gem came up as I was clearing out some of the archives on my MacBook.

How can I open an old word processor or other text-based document that MacOS recognises as a "Unix Executable file"? Even BBEdit doesn't appear to open it?

Friday’s newsletter for those who had a long weekend: Data peaks as fibre network reaches 1.5 million addresses billbennett.co.nz/data-peaks-a...

Data peaks as fibre network reaches 1.5 million addressesbillbennett.co.nz Chorus reports data use now higher than during pandemic lockdowns. One New Zealand picks Google AI security. Samsung hikes phone prices.

History elk.zone/mastodon.nz/...

Elkelk.zone A nimble Mastodon web client

Q. What happens to an economy when government lays off large numbers of works and creates a wider workplace climate of fear? A. www.nzherald.co.nz/business/ble...

‘Bleak picture’ for retailers as consumer spending remains weakwww.nzherald.co.nz Households' spending power remains squeezed.

The future has never looked bleaker: www.theguardian.com/science/arti...

Scientists design spacesuit that can turn urine into drinking waterwww.theguardian.com Creators hope prototype, modelled on Dune ‘stillsuits’, could be used before 2030 in Nasa’s Artemis programme

I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict there will not be queues of excited customers waiting for the Apple Stores to open. From: @[email protected] mastodon.online/@9to5Mac/112...

9to5Mac (@[email protected])mastodon.online Attached: 1 image Vision Pro available today in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the UK https://9to5mac.com/2024/07/12/vision-pro-available-today/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

And there I was just the other day thinking that Auckland has this Fall of the Roman Empire mood about it www.rnz.co.nz/news/busines...

SPQR owner 'really sorry' as popular Auckland restaurant goes into liquidationwww.rnz.co.nz Chris Rupe has thanked Aucklanders for their 27 years of patronage and urged them to support other locally owned hospitality businesses.

Today's Download Weekly newsletter looks at New Zealand's unquenchable thirst for data downloads: Chorus reports data use now higher than during pandemic lockdowns. One New Zealand picks Google AI security. Samsung hikes phone prices. billbennett.co.nz/data-peaks-a...

Today's newsletter went out before 7:00, which means you may have missed it. billbennett.co.nz/data-peaks-a...

Tell me something I didn't know: www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

YouTube Executives Ignored Warnings, Letting Toxic Videos Run Rampantwww.bloomberg.com Proposals to change recommendations and curb conspiracies were sacrificed for engagement, staff say.

Data peaks as fibre network reaches 1.5 million addresses: https://billbennett.co.nz/data-peaks-as-fibre-network-reaches-1-5-million-addresses/

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A small victory for civilisation:

I’m with Jordan on this: www.bbc.com/sport/footba...

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This is real

Over at Xitter, Musk is blocking reports confirming that it was a Russian missile that was launched at and hit the large children's hospital in Kyiv.

Cliche busted:

Five years ago Vocus NZ, the business that became half of today's 2degrees, was not in a good place. billbennett.co.nz/vocus-sale/

AGL walking from Vocus speaks volumes - Bill Bennettbillbennett.co.nz Australian energy company AGL withdrew its A$3 billion takeover offer for Vocus only 2 weeks after private equity firm EQT halted its transaction

Years of writing about technology has taught me to be more, not less, cautious about new gadgets or software. billbennett.co.nz/early-adopter/ (From last year on my site)

Why I'm not a technology early adopterbillbennett.co.nz Years of writing about technology has taught me to be more, not less, cautious about new gadgets or software.

Have just found an archived copy of the book I co-wrote in 1982: Usborne guide to understanding the micro annas-archive.gs/md5/646ec15a...

Usborne guide to understanding the micro - Anna’s Archiveannas-archive.gs Tatchell, Judy; Bennett, Bill The history of the microcomputer, the chips inside of it, an introduction to programming concepts London: Usborne Pub. ; Tulsa, Okla.: Hayes Books

I've put together an old school blog roll. It's a work in progress, come back again in a few more weeks. billbennett.micro.blog/blog-roll/

Blog rollbillbennett.micro.blog