RobiNZ Personal Blog

The best GBU mention ever!

Last night I posted this comment (without the image) on a 'The Intercooler' article by Mel Nichols about the history of the iconic Car Magazine Good, Bad, Ugly (GBU) pages: My favourite* GBU line was the 1983 (still have the August issue) 'Sum up' for a Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham d'Elegance: "As flash as a rat with a gold tooth". I loved the GBU, kept a few key Car issues over the years including my first purchased, for a pocket money killing $1.20! The Feb 79 issue had a Fiat 131 Sport on the cover, alongside a RS2000 Escort but who... Read more →

A GBU letter to Car Magazine (U.K.)

Sent to the 'letters to Editor' email 2023-12-23: CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK IN A BROWSER THE GOOD: Content, photography looks so good on screen THE BAD: Web layout and user interface. SLOW loading times even on fibre, why do I ever see a spinning load wheel? THE UGLY: Poor reading experience the way pages respond in a browser. PDF magazines from car clubs better emulate reading a high quality publication. THE ONE TO BUY: Yes, but get the pulp format if you don't live on the other side of the planet* * where it often arrived weeks late and (if on a wet... Read more →

A new home for my blogs, Me Dot Net?

My blog is still on TypePad but now, after nearly twenty years of procrastination, are accessed via www.robincapper.net. The story of how that happened is here... A new home for my blogs, Me Dot Net? - RobiNZ CAD Blog (robincapper.net) Updated 2024-09-01: Something broke and seems TypePad can't fix so now back to https://rcd.typepad.com Read more →

Vale to my Samsung Active 2 Smart Watch

Vale to my Samsung Active 2 smart watch which finally died today while I was doing housework. Technically is it still alive... I thought the strap had broken but it was the entire watch face dangling off the case, hanging by a ribbon connector! Has been a great device (does most of my ride/walk tracking) and lasted far longer than I thought it would after the 'hare incident' in Roxburgh in February 2022... After finishing cycling a leg of the Clutha Gold Trail I was riding slowly around a park paying more attention to possible 'framing' for a photo of... Read more →

Bing Chat GPT slips?

Ask the Microsoft Bing (Chat GPT powered) how up to date its database is and it seems to slip. A true answer is visually backspaced, to be replaced by PR? Watch it happen here. Bing answers truthfully Bing rolls back to this Read more →

I offended Microsoft Bing's Chat 'artificial intelligence'

I asked the new Bing AI chat about me. "What is the new Bing? The new Bing is like having a research assistant, personal planner, and creative partner at your side whenever you search the web. With this set of AI-powered features, you can: Ask your actual question. When you ask complex questions, Bing gives you detailed replies. Get an actual answer. Bing looks at search results across the web to offer you a summarized answer. Be creative. When you need inspiration, Bing can help you write poems, stories, or even share ideas for a project. In the chat experience,... Read more →

Twitter shit show goes on...

My abandoned Twitter account may soon be deleted: Twitter Support ban announcement earlier today This goes beyond their previous action to ban posting social links in content. My account has been like this since I abandoned it. My Twitter Account with @Mastodon in username But then... Twitter deleted tweets and policy | twitter.com/JuddLegum What a shit show the liar billionaire is creating, by the minute! Whatever, I don't particularly care about the site the billionaire liar has destroyed anymore. Another for the lengthy list of Elon lies. Find me at @[email protected] Read more →

NZ Media complain about losing advertising revenue they handed to social media

'Media actively drove their readers to social media and the advertisers followed. Every time you said "Visit our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter" to comment or feedback you were accelerating your own demise. They didn't take your readers, you handed them over willingly.' My response to: 'Media bosses challenge Government to recognise damage of social media advertising' where media bosses accuse social media of 'taking' , 'stealing', 'scooping up' revenue for eyeballs they actively sent to social media. Look where they are... Read more →

My Fiat Bravo 155 HGT the HubNut star!

Back in mid-January 2020 Ian (HubNut) Seabrook took my 2001 Fiat Bravo 155HGT for a drive. I'm glad to see the verdict was favourable, even though his drive was hampered by an intermittent sensor problem causing it to feel flat on acceleration. Ian must be stronger than me. He pulled the bonnet release lever out of its pivot, never seen do that before, but clipped back in now! Since this was filmed the air conditioning condenser has been repaired so it's even cooler now. The wobbly throttle sensor was being sorted when the COVID-19 virus lock down closed NZ. I... Read more →

Traffic Light Thought–Spooky sights in Waikumete Cemetery

Normally a dusk dog walk in the cemetery would not worry me but I saw something rather spooky tonight. It wasn't supernatural but I did wonder what about a dozen cars cruising slowly around, seemingly following sat nav maps, was about until one went past close enough to work it out. Spooky to see, in 2018, there are still adults chasing Pokémon.. * It wasn’t at the lights but is car related so made the TLT category. Read more →