Nigel, Author at The Red Ferret JournalThe Red Ferret Journal

A.I. August 29, 2024 posted by Nigel

TypingMind adds Artifacts for any model, not just Claude

AI model wrapper TypingMind has just introduced Artifacts for any AI model that supports plugins.

Electric Cars March 31, 2024 posted by Nigel

Everything Electric Show, London Highlights 2024

A.I. February 29, 2024 posted by Nigel

EMO: Sensational Deepfake Tech From China Shows Just How Insane Things Are Right Now

EMO: Sensational Deepfake Tech From China Shows Just How Insane Things Are Right Now in the world of deepfake and A.I.

Gadgets February 17, 2024 posted by Nigel

The Gadget Manifesto Revisited – plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose?

Seventeen long years ago I wrote a piece here called The Gadget Manifesto. It was a rant borne out of frustration with the relentless increase in junk technology. The problem was basically too much Far Eastern manufacturing capacity chasing too few consumers. Result…price plummeting, quality plummeting, consumers suffering. I’m revisiting this subject only because it looks like we’re clearly not going to reverse course any time soon. Nearly 2 decades on, we’re still buying this junk, and throwing it away…

Eco Friendly January 31, 2024 posted by Nigel

Honda Motocompacto – The e-Bike That Thinks It’s A Suitcase

The Honda Motocompacto has to be one of the weirdest e-bikes we’ve ever seen. It’s not just the strange skinny shape, it’s also the fact that it doesn’t appear to offer any real advantage over an electric scooter except a rudimentary seat. Just 3.7 inches wide, it’s made out of aluminum and plastic, and boasts a max speed of 12 mph and a range of 15 miles per 3 hour charge.

Electric Cars December 2, 2023 posted by Nigel

The Solid State Battery Race: Who’s Going To Win?

As we cruise into the future of electric vehicles (EVs), the buzz around solid-state battery technology is getting louder and more electrifying. Imagine a world where EVs charge faster than your smartphone, drive huge distances, and are safer than your gran on a Friday night. That’s the promise of solid-state batteries, a technology that’s poised to supercharge the EV revolution. Solid-state batteries are like the cool new kids on the block, set to replace the lithium-ion batteries we’ve come to…

Electric Cars August 31, 2023 posted by Nigel

LUQI M1 EV300 – $900 for your next super slow EV?

It’s hard not to enjoy the constant stream of Chinese electric cars coming down the pipe. Another day, another ridiculously cheap model. This LUQI M1 EV300 electric car is reminiscent of the Renault Twizy (£6950), but with a touch more room and polish. Of course it’s only a city runabout (or should we say crawlabout?), but it’s definitely got bags of cute.

Electric Cars July 30, 2023 posted by Nigel

Blaval M7 – Solar Powered EV From $5000

Just in case you missed the memo, the Chinese are starting to own the electric car business. Sure Tesla gets the headlines, but behind the scenes companies like Geely, SAIC, BYD and Chery are making big big waves. So no surprise then to find a tiny brand doing some interesting stuff, like this Blaval M7 solar powered EV. The range starts at a ridiculously low $5000 for the ultra slow golf cart model, but spend a little more and you’re…

A.I. June 19, 2023 posted by Nigel

WordPress.com Embeds AI Function Into Its Post Writing Editor. oh dear

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse better, news comes that WordPress.com has just embedded an AI feature into it’s blog editing code. The Jetpack AI Assistant is a one click solution for those who want to produce vapid, generic, boring blog posts at the touch of a button. Did we get that right?

Bizarre June 16, 2023 posted by Nigel

Danbocchi Personal Soundproof Studio – perfect for your private meltdown

Ever felt the need to scream out loud? But you were too embarrassed by close neighbors? Well now you’ve got the perfect chance. The Danbocchi Personal Soundproof Studio is designed to give you a private space to make noise, whenever you want. The person sized box is fully sound proofed and large enough for someone to sit inside and…well do stuff. Like shout, scream, bang a pot, scream some more…you get the picture.

A.I. June 15, 2023 posted by Nigel

Google Introduces AI Based Virtual Try-On Apparel

Google has just announced a new virtual shopping experience for search which lets you try on apparel virtually using some AI cleverness. Users in the US (only, at first) will be able to try out an item of clothing from a catalog if it has a ‘Try On’ badge on it in search. The service is starting with a limited number of brands including Anthropologie, Everlane, H&M and LOFT, and a limited repertoire of AI generated lady’s tops. Virtual shopping…

cool tech June 13, 2023 posted by Nigel

World’s First Manned Electric Flying Saucer Lifts Off In China

In one of those science fiction becomes fact moments, an enterprising project in Shenzhen, China has seen the first public demonstration of a manned electric flying saucer. Hey ho, UFO no more. The craft, which was shown flying around a tech park, was developed with the help of Northwestern Polytechnical University and manufactured by Shenzen UFO Flying Saucer Technology. The video of the event shows a vehicle which looks decidedly unsteady in flight, even with six independent ducts with dual…

Eco Friendly April 4, 2023 posted by Nigel

Quick-Release Binder – Recycling Lithium Ion Batteries Just Got Super Easy

Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have discovered an ingenious new way to recycle Lithium Ion batteries, and it’s so simple that even your mum could do it. Maybe. The problem with battery recycling has always been that it’s rather cumbersome. Traditional methods involve breaking down batteries into their constituent parts, then extracting the valuable materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel. The process works, but it’s not exactly what you’d call efficient, and it can be quite costly.

opinion piece March 27, 2023 posted by Nigel

Gordon Moore RIP – Goodbye Mr Chips

Dr Gordon Moore, one of the three co-founders of Intel Corporation has passed away in Hawaii at the age of 94. I had the privilege of interviewing him in London in March 1997, and he came across as a genuinely humble man, typical of the genuine ‘boffin’ type of the time. The thing I remember mostly from the interview was his professed love for antiques. Apparently he and his wife, Betty, spent a lot of their free time browsing for…

A.I. February 24, 2023 posted by Nigel

Tevel Autonomous Fruit Harvesting Bots – produce pickers face a fruitless future

Fruit harvesting is one of the trickiest parts of the agricultural spectrum. The fruit not only has to be selected when it’s at the ideal ripeness, but also has to be picked very carefully so it doesn’t bruise or suffer damage. Now Israeli made Tevel fruit harvesting bots promise to revolutionize the process of fruit harvesting in a big way.

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