TechnoInfo
TechnoInfo is a collection place for news about technology; specifically cool new things, and how technology and man influence each other.
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December 30, 2023
Amazon's now-hidden Q&A
One of the many ways Amazon has become disappointing (besides long shipping times even for Prime stuff, and most egregiously, the insertion of ads into Prime Video) is the removal of browse access to the Questions and Answers. (For those new to Amazon, you used to be able to see the entire collection of questions and answers.) You can still ask a question, and you can search the Q&A for specific words; but you can no longer browse through all of them. I found this activity to be very valuable, as I’d often find facts, or problems, that I never would have thought to search for. Yes, there were lots of repeated questions, and an irritating amount of lousy answers, like “I don’t know I bought it for someone as a gift”, or my least favorite: “Ask the seller/manufacturer”. But I could wade through those easily and learn a lot about a product.
As of this writing it’s still possible to see all the questions by editing a URL:
- Find the ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) of the item from the URL
Example, with ASIN highlighted: https://www.amazon.com/Enhancer-Dispenser-Packets-Calorie-Flavoring/dp/B003YP3MUS/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3JB81XUN26IFV&keywords=true%2Blemon%2Bpackets%2B100%2Bcount&qid=1703958856&s=grocery&sprefix=true%2Blemon%2Cgrocery%2C125&sr=1-4&th=1 - And just add the ASIN after https://www.amazon.com/ask/questions/asin/
In this example, the finished URL is: https://www.amazon.com/ask/questions/asin/B003YP3MUS
If someone could write a browser extension to do this, it would be most appreciated.
Another disappointment: some years ago I chatted with Amazon support, and suggested that the emails they send out to product purchasers with the submitted questions have an “I don’t know the answer” link that leads to some gentle message thanking them but not leading to a published answer. It must have been misinterpreted, because somehow after that I no longer received emails asking me to answer questions for things I’ve purchased or reviewed. That’s too bad, because I believe the Q&A and reviews are the most useful things offered by Amazon, and I liked to help answer questions.
December 22, 2023
December 16, 2023
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December 03, 2023
November 25, 2023
November 21, 2023
Fix the Facebook message “You must log in to continue”
If someone sees "You must log in to continue" when accessing what should be a public web page (that anyone should be able to see, even if they don't have a Facebook account or aren't logged in), these changes will need to be made by whoever owns the Facebook page:
From https://www.facebook.com/help/537592652938493 :
If your Page has age or country restrictions, you won't be able to see it when you're logged out of Facebook.
To see your Page when you're logged out, you'll need to remove all age and country restrictions:
<![if !supportLists]>1. <![endif]>From your Feed, click Pages in the left menu.
<![if !supportLists]>2. <![endif]>Go to your Page.
<![if !supportLists]>3. <![endif]>Click Settings at the top of your Page.
<![if !supportLists]>4. <![endif]>From General, click Country Restrictions, then click x next to any listed countries and click Save Changes.
<![if !supportLists]>5. <![endif]>Click Age Restrictions, select Public and click Save Changes.
More info: https://www.facebook.com/help/www/778445532225441
November 17, 2023
November 05, 2023
October 18, 2023
October 17, 2023
A ‘Godfather of AI’ Calls for an Organization to Defend Humanity
https://www.wired.com/story/ai-godfather-yoshua-bengio-humanity-defense/
"Yoshua Bengio's pioneering research helped bring about ChatGPT and the current AI boom. Now he's worried AI could harm civilization, and says the future needs a humanity defense organization."
October 10, 2023
October 01, 2023
September 30, 2023
September 16, 2023
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August 30, 2023
Hundreds of thousands forced to scam in SE Asia
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66655047
Oh great, now we can’t even be mad at or rude to the people doing the scamming, as they may be doing so at gunpoint. [sigh]
August 25, 2023
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August 13, 2023
A Note About Paywalls and Inaccessible Stories
https://notallnewsisbad.com/a-note-about-paywalls/
This is regarding a specific site/newsletter, but is a good explanation of things and some solutions.
August 12, 2023
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August 06, 2023
August 04, 2023
Your Phone Isn't Spying on You to Show You Ads (It's Worse Than That)
https://lifehacker.com/what-people-are-getting-wrong-this-week-phone-surveill-1850658089
Another way AI will change things, mostly for the worse.
August 03, 2023
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May 28, 2023
How to Text From Your PC Through Your Phone
https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-text-from-pc-windows-phonelink/
I use the Pulse SMS service, which provides a web interface as well.
May 23, 2023
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May 10, 2023
Google Search Generative Experience preview: A familiar, yet different approach
“The addition may be helpful for salvaging photos that would otherwise be unusable. However, it also adds to the list of ethical questions surrounding generative AI.”
May 03, 2023
May 01, 2023
10 Inexpensive Ways to Breathe New Life Into an Old PC
https://www.howtogeek.com/887938/inexpensive-ways-to-breathe-new-life-into-an-old-pc/
I’ve turned plenty of old Windows computers into new computer with an SSD, and a Refresh.