WEEKLY WHEATIES #2442

Online Learning, Data Breaches, Robotaxi, Social AI, Self-Guided Tours

Oct 13, 2024

In this newsletter:

📝 Post: The Ultimate Guide to Online Learning Platforms
🗞️ In Case You Missed It: Data Breaches
🗞️ In Case You Missed It: Tesla Robotaxi Event
🗞️ In Case You Missed It: Social Media and AI Headlines
😎 Pick of the Week: Self-Guided Tour Guides
📦 Featured Product: Customized Fridge Magnet

📝 The Ultimate Guide to Online Learning Platforms

Last week I talked about how and where to find digital books online. Maybe that spurred an interest in your pursuit for learning? Potentially you’d like to learn more in a course-based form rather than by reading (or listening). If so, there are a ton of tools available online to help learn something new. Even in my book, I even mention the importance of being a lifelong learner. There’s always something new we can learn, so don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know something.

One thing to note that is similar to last week is the importance of acquiring a library card. It is typically very easy to do but must be done in person. This is a perk your taxes help pay for, so take advantage of it! Not only can you check out physical and digital books with this newfound membership, but you also gain access to many other online services. However, this is dependent on your local library, as some offer more than others.

Regardless of the topic you’d like to research, there are tons of platforms online that offer free or inexpensive trainings. Some of the most popular ones are listed below:

If you would like to stick to YouTube, there’s an exhaustive post on Reddit of a List of Educational YouTube Channels separated by topic.

Many of these services will allow you to access part or all of their library by using your library card, too. I know, based on your library, you may have access to one or all of the following: LinkedIn Learning, Kanopy, Udemy, Coursera, or Google. If you are a student or an educator, your university email may give you access to those as well, and maybe others. Gale has a website you can enter your local library or university to see what may be available to you, too! So, make sure you already don’t have access to something before testing it out!

Next, if you are interested in coding specifically, there is a whole other level of services available - again, many are free of charge. Since these are geared towards a wider age audience, there is something for everyone here, too, including younger children. They are listed below:

When we bring AI into the mix, there’s something to consider. AI chatbots are great with back-and-forth conversations and can even help learn new things. You can ask them questions about a given topic, and they will respond. But remember, they can sometimes be wrong and may have biases. Being very careful with your prompting and phrasing can have a dire impact on the results given. With that in mind, it may be beneficial to dive into some AI training before blindly starting a conversation with your favorite bot. Also important to note is that many of the above-mentioned resources offer “Prompting” courses. A few others include:

What will you learn today?

🗞️ ICYMI: Data Breaches

Following AT&T’s massive breach earlier this year, The Internet Archive has recently been under attack. They noted 31 million unique emails have been leaked, and potentially more to come. Visit haveibeenpwned.com and see if your email has been leaked. If so, make sure to change your password on the given site, turn on MFA if applicable, and practice other account security best practices. If you’d like to practice more proactive security measures, consider creating an account at SSA.gov and block access to your account if it's not needed. Check out this post on Reddit for other reasons to create an account.

🗞️ ICYMI: Tesla Robotaxi Event

At Tesla’s We, Robot event, they announced the Cybercab, also called the Robotaxi, a 2-seater car that doesn’t ship with a steering wheel or pedals. The car won’t be available for use or purchase (reports show around $30,000) until testing and regulatory approval have been cleared, but it’s the start of Tesla’s future to compete with Waymo, Cruise, and Zoox. It will also start in Texas and California, and if it follows the same principles as other autonomous vehicles, it will only work in approved areas that have possibly even been pre-driven so the cars know what to expect. No need to worry anytime soon, it will be safe, or 10-100 times safer than a human per Tesla, when public testing begins.

At the same event, a future Robovan was also shown that could be used to transport goods or up to 20 people. They will typically work in areas with movement for a lot of people similar to buses and trains used today. This, along with the Robotaxi, also charges via induction - another reason they require specified areas and potentially new and/or upgraded roads. The party also ended with the Tesla Bots dancing and serving drinks. However, there is some who say they were still controlled by humans.

Now, let’s see if the courts will allow Tesla and Rivian (among other EVs) to sell in Louisiana, and possibly other states where currently limited.

🗞️ ICYMI: Social Media and AI Headlines

😎 POTW: Self-Guided Tour Guides

Have you ever visited a city and wanted to take a tour with nothing offering exactly what you’re looking for? I’m a fan of the Big Bus Tours, which are local to some major cities, but they are mostly helpful for the big attractions and if you’re fairly new to that city. Viator offers tons of tours for places around the globe, but many times, they are time and day-specific. This wouldn’t be a talk about tours if I didn’t mention my all-time favorite tour - Scott’s Pizza Tours. However, sometimes you may just want to go for a walk, especially if alone, to explore the city. There are two apps available (for iOS and Android) that offer unique self-guided tours for many cities. Both offer textual and audio recaps of attractions, many of which are created by local guides, and both also provide a custom “Create your own” walk to tour any area you choose. Check them out at:

📦 Featured Product

I know we’re still a way out for Christmas suggestions, but this one may take a while to come in. It took 3 weeks for mine to arrive, but it was worth it! If you have a memory you’d like to relive and bring back some nostalgia, consider this Customized Fridge Magnet that can be customized with any picture or song. After purchasing, you can upload any picture and then crop it to fit. Next, enter the artist's name, song name, and a link to the song on Spotify. I suggest using the web app for this step. After searching for your song, click the three dots on the side of it and select, “Share > Copy song link.”