This year’s Christmas brought modern-day magic but I was merely a bystander. Here we go.
When it comes to sound reproduction Chez Robinson I’m incredibly finicky. Not surprising, really, given that most installed TV loudspeakers are about the size of a packet of cigarettes. Not much hope for the music generated by, say, a double bass. So I have a pair of triple-speaker hi-fi units properly spaced for stereo reproduction.
There is a price to pay for all this adaptability; the Marantz is shockingly complicated to use. As was confirmed when one of our Christmas party used their smartphone to control the amp. Yes, it did that all right but getting it back to normalcy was an absolute bastard. Hours passed.
This was Boxing Day (December 26) and the night before had ended round about 4 am. Finally, daughter Occasional Speeder, who’d mumbled that she’d got “some ideas” re. the Marantz, awoke from a deep sleep and addressed the problem. It took some time but finally the sound system blared. But how?
What could be more fashionable than AI? Even so it was pretty slick work. The initial problem with the Marantz was spelled out by OS on her phone screen. Then OS merely photographed the phone screen and presented the image – as a request for help - to something like ChatBot. And AI then recommended the next step. Step taken, another photograph and another recommendation. And so on. Things weren’t all that easy at first but AI sensed OS’s difficulties and urged her to “Keep on trucking”. She admitted she was grateful for this
I reckoned OS deserved the best Southern Rhone red I had in my wine rack
You smeared at me for using AI to obtain the academic perception of the makings of a short story and refused to listen to my defence just stating tha AI. Was the road to ruin for use of one’s intelligence or imagination n. I agree But when used as a tool. To obtain technical information. Or definitions use of the imagination etc would be of no use. Ok, there is a danger of political bias and misinformation on more sensitive subjects. I have just come from the pre-wedding meet and a long chat with nephew Sean who amongst many other subjects of co. Variation he told me a new version of AI is coming on steam to eliminate bias and misinformation.Loing may your Marantz perform. I also hhave a lesser Maran.ntz running my tv sound through external loudspeakers.. I hope we will speak when I return on Wednesday.me
ReplyDeleteSir Hugh: First, I have no knowledge of this. If this sounds like a cop-out let me add that I have been undergoing professional tests for loss of memory and there have been ominous signs. Second, I question the use of "smeared" (to blacken the reputation of somebody); did I really do this? Attack you in this way? As opposed to (perhaps) questioning practical uses of AI. If I did then I'm truly sorry.Third, when did this happen? This is important since AI is the hot topic of the decade and hardly a day goes by without a major story in The Guardian revealing the newest developments. Initially discussion centred on its application to the creation of fiction and, more recently, problems of copyright ownership. I have to say that these concerns didn't particularly interest me, but I did wonder about how easy it would be for non-techie people to take advantage of AI. However over the past year my daily life has changed out of all recognition and I could not afford the time for the necessary research
DeleteOccasional Speeder is, by her own admission, "non-techie" yet she uses other technical means to track down and help jail money launderers. For a time, as she went through the steps, I merely sat on the couch like the proverbial potato, albeit wondering what role her phone was playing in the proceedings. Later she explained and I was impressed. Another role for the much-maligned smart phone. And, ultimately, how simple. However, in summarising for the blog I wondered how clear I'd been, hence my question to you.
One query. Your comment is strangely fragmentary. Is this intentional? I didn't realise you had a lesser Marantz. Improving the quality of TV's often abysmal sound was my initial reason for laying out half a grand but since then there's much more to explore: notably in connection with what it can do for my collection of recorded music, now confined to a single 32 GB chip. Some of which dates back to the late fifties.
ReplyDeleteMy own latest sound system is a pair of BTE (behind the ear) hearing aids. The size of largish Lima beans and strong enough to unburden our insurance of $4K. They seem hifi enough to me - a great improvement over hearing little of anything. And to hell with the little on board buttons (2mmx2mm?). I’m controlling with Bluetooth from (to?)my phone. Four microphones per earpiece, about one mm in size. Seems the tiniest of speakers suffices if it’s close enough to the eardrum. Same with vision and video monitors. We have no “television set” but I’m quite content watching movies on my phone, held eight inches from my eyeballs.
AI (God that I wants serifs) saved me just yesterday - no need to wade through articles from medical journals to determine the compatibility of Anifrolumab with a diagnosis of Monoclonal Gammopathy of Unknown Significance. Or send the Kohler bot a photo of one’s ‘60s vintage kitchen faucet. Series and model # with schematics in one second. Creativity? We all have our influences don’t we?
MikeM: You're marching way ahead of me but - in one major matter - we are in step. More follows, mundane-ity beckons.
ReplyDeleteOh - I see your I has serifs. Mine does not, as I type it in. Published, it does. My vision might be going from the previously mentioned abuse.
ReplyDeleteMikeM: Was I going deaf/? Speech (from others) was not diminishing in volume, rather it was blurring, especially on TV. The hearing aid company guy slapped earphones on me, incarcerated me in a sort of padded cell and told me me to press a button every time I heard I heard a bleep. The pattern of these signals was irregular and I concluded this was to prevent me guessing I'd heard something. Nothing to worry about, then.
ReplyDeleteYou know what? In certain forms maths can express emotion. I looked at the resulting graphs and they resembled those of some oick who suspected he was suffering from rapidly dying erectile function Sorrow was in those curves. Man, did they droop.
During the last four years Britain's National Health Service has spent thousands of pounds (all free) on keeping me alive. Perhaps approaching a million. Quite expensive hearing aids come without cost. Time to show a little gratitude so I laid out a couple of grand for a pair of behind-the-ear banana-ish pods.
First question (Would I be eternally aware of their presence?) was answered immediately. In twenty seconds I'd forgotten their feel. Except that, I'd entered another aural world. Our living-room carpet is fairly deep pile: what sort of noise would I make as I crossed the room in stocking feet? A quietish squeak. And when the hair of my sideburns brushed the outer shell of the pod? An LMG at half a mile.
TV performers are far sharper. The sound of drones landing on buildings in Kyiv ceases to be a rumbling bang and becomes multi-faceted. I feel I can almost lip-read people. If you're in the slightest doubt (chances are you'll already have delayed things for two or three years) take the test. There's lots you've been missing.
My test was same as yours. A few things led me to AudioNova. I first got tested a couple years ago - significant hearing loss - an appointment with an audiologist at that med center wasn’t available for months, and I never followed up. Then I had an experience with my brother, whose hearing loss is much more profound than mine. Trying to communicate with him gave me a firm lesson on the exasperation my wife had been expiriencing. Called a closer med center - 13 month wait for an audiology appointment. Five minutes on Google and I’d read reviews of a half dozen local vendors. Called one, got an appointment the NEXT DAY, saw an audiologist for fifteen seconds (to make sure my wax buil-up wasn’t too thick - some sort of pressure check) and was sent to a fitting room. The tech placed them in my ears and turned them on, giving me the sensation that someone had cued the mic to a very large PA system. Walked out with new aids in less than 24 hours after my initial call. A few nights ago I formed a description of how it feels to pull them out at night; it’s like going underwater. Miraculously, the wife’s speech impediment has lessened as well.
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