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US Sues Apple in Landmark iPhone Monopoly Lawsuit

The Department of Justice (DOJ), supported by 15 states and the District of Columbia, has filed a lawsuit against Apple in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, accusing the tech giant of monopolistic practices in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. The lawsuit highlights Apple’s dominance in the U.S. smartphone market, where it holds over 65% of the total market and more than 70% of the performance smartphone segment. It attributes Apple’s significant net income, which surpasses the GDP of over 100 countries, largely to the success of its iPhone product line.

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OTF Rejects Request from Ontario to Let Retired Teachers Work More

Key Takeaway

Ontario’s teachers unions have rejected a request from the Ministry of Education to extend the working period for retired teachers, emphasizing the need for the government to address staffing shortages more effectively.

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What does Spring Arrive? (According to ChatGPT)

A vivid landscape depicting the transition from winter to spring in Canada. The left side of the image shows a snowy environment with lingering snowflakes and the Rocky Mountains, representing winter. The right side bursts with the colors of spring, featuring blooming flowers, budding trees, and Niagara Falls, under a clear, sunny sky. At the center, the Earth is symbolically positioned relative to the Sun to indicate the vernal equinox, illustrating the astronomical perspective of spring's arrival. This composition harmoniously integrates meteorological, astronomical, and geographical perspectives on the onset of spring in Canada.

I love ChatGPT. I pretty much use it all the time now instead of Google. So when I turned to it to ask the simple question “When does spring arrive?”, I was met with this overly complex response:

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My Custom GPTs

This is a highly detailed and stylized digital artwork featuring a workspace scene. The scene is dominated by a central, large monitor displaying a complex and intricate design, which includes various gears, circuits, and a prominent letter 'A' in a futuristic style. Surrounding the monitor are floating objects that seem to defy gravity, including a light bulb emitting a soft glow, sheets of paper, electronic components, and household objects like a magnifying glass and a pair of glasses. The desk below is cluttered with an open book directly in front of the screen, a wizard's hat with stars and a moon pattern to the left, and stacks of hardcover books to the right. Various items like pencils, a notebook, a coffee cup, and other office supplies are scattered across the desk. The background features a bookshelf filled with books and a wall-mounted clock, adding to the ambiance of an intellectual and creative space. The lighting is warm and comes from the left, casting soft shadows and giving depth to the objects. The overall impression is one of magical innovation and intellectual pursuit, as if the space belongs to a wizard in the modern age of technology.

For those of you with a ChatGPT Plus account, here are the public custom GPTs I have created. Some were created primarily for my own personal productivity, while others were designed to benefit educators.

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New Custom GPT: Find Keywords – A Powerful Tool for Content Analysis

New Custom GPT: Find Keywords

I’ve created a new Custom GPT that will reduce text to just the keywords. The GPT is named Find Keywords and can be found at https://chat.openai.com/g/g-mL985wIE7-find-keywords.

Note that it requires a subscription to ChatGPT Plus. Unfortunately, OpenAI does not offer trial subscriptions, and subscriptions cost $20 USD per month. Personally, I find the subscription well worth it for both personal programming projects and for personal productivity.

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ICS Assessment GPT

This image shows a user interface for an "Ontario ICS Assessment" tool, presumably an online platform for submitting and grading assignments or projects. The top of the interface has a dropdown menu labeled "Ontario ICS Assessment." Below this is a large title "Ontario ICS Assessment" followed by the subtitle "By Peter Beens" with a printer icon next to the name. Underneath, there is a brief description stating, "Submit anything and have it graded according to the Ontario ICS achievement chart." At the bottom of the interface, there is a search bar with the placeholder text "What can this GPT do?" suggesting the interface includes a chat or search function related to the assessment tool. To the bottom left, there is a message button labeled "Message Ontario ICS Assessment…" indicating a feature to send messages. The overall color scheme is simple, with dark text on a light background. There is no additional contextual information outside of the interface elements.

Introduction

Just for fun I wanted to see if I could create a custom GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) that could use The Achievement Chart for the Grade 10 Computer Studies Course to assess assignments from any of the ICS Computer Studies courses.

The instructions I gave it were:

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Google Gemini vs ChatGPT: Generating Alt-Text. Who Wins?

An illustrative comparison between Google Gemini and ChatGPT for generating alt-text, depicted through a split design. On the left, Google Gemini is symbolized by futuristic, abstract shapes in blues and greens, embodying innovation and digital intelligence. On the right, ChatGPT is represented through a network of interconnected nodes and lines in warm orange and red tones, highlighting advanced AI technology and communication. A bold 'VS' symbol in the center accentuates the competitive analysis between the two technologies, against a backdrop that merges both designs, suggesting a blend of competition and collaboration in the field of alt-text generation.

Introduction

I’m currently subscribing to ChatGPT and Google Gemini to test them both out. One of the tasks I often use chatbots for is creating alt-text for my images.

For the importance of using alt-text in your images, see this post.

The prompt given to Gemini and ChatGPT was: ‘Alt text for this image‘.

Here is the image I used. Note that it includes text instructions and images.

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The Importance of Alt-Text in Enhancing Digital Accessibility and Engagement

An engaging feature image showcasing a computer screen displaying alt-text symbols, surrounded by diverse users engaging with digital content. The scene highlights inclusivity and accessibility in the digital realm, with a modern and professional style suitable for a blog post on the importance of alt-text for images.

This blog post, created by ChatGPT, supports another post of mine where I test ChatGPT and Google Gemini to see which is better at generating alt-text.

In the digital age, images are ubiquitous, serving as a powerful tool for storytelling, marketing, and communication across various online platforms. However, the visual nature of images can inadvertently exclude a significant portion of the audience, particularly individuals with visual impairments who rely on screen readers to navigate the internet. This is where alternative text, commonly known as alt-text, becomes a critical element in creating inclusive and accessible digital content. This blog post delves into the importance of using alt-text when posting images in blog posts or on social media, highlighting its impact on accessibility, search engine optimization (SEO), and user engagement.

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Using AI Chatbots to Solve my Pixel 7 Pro Charging Problem

A Pixel 7 Pro smartphone is displayed on a wireless charging pad, not charging, indicated by a visible red cross or question mark on the screen. In the background, various AI chatbot icons are depicted in speech bubbles, each providing different pieces of advice or troubleshooting steps. The setting is tech-focused, with a lighthearted yet informative tone, highlighting the diversity of AI assistance in solving technical issues.

My Pixel 7 Pro phone decided to stop charging wirelessly. I think I’ve exhausted any logical troubleshooting ideas I have so decided to turn the problem over to some AI chatbots before I bring the phone back to Telus while it’s still under warranty.

Following is a comparison of the different AI chatbots I used. As part of my troubleshooting prompt, it was important that the solution cite any sources that is uses. My prompt was….

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Using Python To Quickly Open Multiple Websites In Your Browser

Generated with AI ∙ January 18, 2024 at 1:10 p.m.

I had a problem where I was opening about a dozen bookmarks at the same time in Brave, and in doing so, it was giving me a “503 Service Temporarily Unavailable” error.

To fix this, I turned to Copilot Pro with this prompt:

Write a Python program that opens in my web browser (using Django?) that has a list of URLs that it opens in new tabs with a pause of 0.5 seconds between them. For the initial URLs, use Google and Microsoft.

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