During the course of the year, we picked 25 NHL players that we were going to calculate their points for the year. I chose 5 players on 5 different teams which I felt was a lot easier to keep track off everything. Here is my chart for my predictions
For my flexible project, I decided to use an ai image generator to get a pleasing image. Here is what I produced:
Tech News: I also had to find 2 things happening in the world of tech and wrote some summaries on it. Here are my two tech news summaries:
My first article I looked at was about Apple iPhone sales in China
April 2024, Apple’s iPhone sales in China surged by 52% year-over-year. This significant increase is largely attributed to strategic price cuts implemented by Apple, which offered discounts of up to 20% to boost sales amid stiff competition from local brands like Huawei. The overall smartphone market in China also saw growth, with total sales rising by 25.5% to 22.7 million units during the same period. This surge in iPhone sales highlights Apple’s aggressive pricing strategy to maintain and expand its market share in China, despite challenges from competitors and the broader economic environment. Below is a graph showing the apple’s china market share.
For my second article I looked at Netflix will stop working on older Apple TVs
Netflix announced that it will no longer support second- and third-generation Apple TVs after July 31st, 2024. This decision aims to maintain the best possible user experience, as these older devices lack the necessary updates and features. Apple has already classified these Apple TV generations as “obsolete,” discontinuing service seven years after they were last sold. This move follows Netflix’s 2019 discontinuation of support for older Samsung and Vizio smart TVs and first-generation Roku boxes due to a shift from Windows Media DRM to Microsoft’s PlayReady DRM. For users needing to upgrade, Verizon is offering a $40 discount on the latest Apple TV 4K
Apple vision pro: The apple vision pro is a VR head set listed at about $5000 . it utilises multiple camra on th front of the VR that allows to insert tabs virtually in to your world all within the head set allowing you to change how you work while your at your house or traveling
I think that the apple vision pro can revolutionizing how you work. There is only one problem: the meta quest 3 which does almost every thing the same arguably better because meta has a experience making VR’s for about ten times less.
Meta- ray band smart glasses: The Meta ray band smart glasses essentially combinds a 12 mp camera hands free calling and texting music and audio and the organic sunglasses look. firstly the 12 mp camras allows you to record photos and videos with out having to take out a camera are phone and without looking dumb with a go pro strapped to your head. Secondly the calling feature uses a microphone and a speaker, based on each stem of the glasses. Lastly the speaker also allows you to stream music from your phone to your glasse
I think that it is it is too expensive as i can get alternatives for much cheaper. Once the technology gets more advanced and the compinies under stand how to make it it will get cheaper and biter. Although I do believe that it is a cool idea I don’t think that it is worth it right now
The Nintendo Switch is one of the world’s most popular gaming devices as it has sold over 130 million systems and more than 1 billion games. After the Nintendo switch 1, which came out 7 years ago, many fans were excited to see the second Nintendo switch. The Nintendo switch will have many new features such as an 8-inch LCD screen and most likely a step back from the smaller OLED screen featured in switches. The Nintendo switch may use Navida’s new custom variant t239 processor as well. As Nintendo consoles are less powerful than other gaming devices such as PlayStation and Xbox consoles, many believe that the Switch could be more powerful than most gaming devices. Another big update is that the Nintendo Switch will have a longer battery life when played compared to the Nintendo one. There will also be many new games such as Mario Kart 9 with many new features. As a Nintendo switch is predicted to be around $400 and its top tier team games will sell at around $70 this is about $100 more than the original switch but Nintendo switch 2 will have far better graphics and battery life etc. The Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said in a statement the switch will be announced around April 1st 2024 to March 31st 2025
Chat GBT is a very famous website that many students have been using. Chat-GBT has announced one of their biggest updates yet, ChatGBT- 4o. GBT and GBT 4-o have many different features, as chat-GBT 4-o isn’t just a bunch of texts and paragraphs, it is turning into a data set full of videos, images, and sounds. GBT will also include immediate language translation when spoken to. Talking to GBT 4-o will be like talking to a really human as they will show emotions, react to comments and jokes. Another helpful feature of Chat-GBT is how they will be able to tutor people and help them with questions. Those that come from a family of low income and can’t afford tutors will also be able to study well like family’s that are able to afford tutors and classes.
Since the release of GPT 4o on May 13th, bringing the new Voice assistant feature, fans have noticed how similar the ‘Sky’ voice sounds to famous actress Scarlett Johansson. During the development of the Voice model, Sam Altman had asked her twice if he could use her voice for the model, and she declined. Scarlett was furious that he would base a voice off her, since she had already declined.
While facing legal troubles from Scarlett Johansson’s lawyers, ChatGPT has taken down the Sky voice indefinitely. However, this voice was a fan favourite, and many GPT 4o users are complaining about the lack of this voice.
Concern about the recent Apple Vision Pro cracking in half
Since the release of the Apple Vision Pro in February, users have been noticing small cracks on the front plate usually down the center, as seen below. While not the biggest issue, it has still caused plenty of irritation amongst the community. Apple Technicians believe that it has something to do with temperature, and errors in manufacturing.
Throughout the 2023–2024 school year, we have learned skills on Python, and implemented those to create coding projects on Trinket. Here are my two old projects, as well as the two new ones.
From February to April of 2024, we made predictions for the number of points of 25 NHL players. We made these predictions in Google Sheets, using a variety of skills to accurately calculate how many points each player would have about 2 weeks later, and then compared these to the actual values. Here is the chart with my differences.
For my final project, I created something on Photoshop.
Tech News
Tech News 1
Apple Event -May 7, 2024
Ipads have long since been a very popular device, suitable for all kinds of users. On May 7, 2024, Apple announced what might be their biggest ipad event since. New ipads are coming out, and there is nothing quite like them.
The ipad air is now available in 2 sizes, both 11 in and 13 in. The larger display allows for many more possibilities to express oneself through numerous apps. As well, the front camera is now on the landscape edge. With the M2 chip and other factors, the new airs are said to be over 50% faster than the previous models. Its liquid retina display is beautiful to see, and now supports apple pencil hover.
The ipad pros are also available in an 11 inch and 13 inch model, both of which are extremely thin. The 11 inch is 5.3 mm, and the 13 inch is 5.1 mm, making it the thinnest apple product ever. They are both extremely light, and feel great to hold and use. The display features two OLED panels to create great brightness and colour. Together, they can support 1,000 nits of brightness for SDR and 1,600 nits of brightness for HDR. This new display is named ultra retina XDR. The new ipad pro also uses the all-new apple silicon M4 chip to boost power from the previous generation while keeping the thin design. This new model gives 50% faster CPU than the M2 in the previous ipad pro, and 4x the rendering performance. This new chip also has the neural engine, or NPU. This quickens the artificial intelligence operations, and combined with all the other things, offers a huge leap in performance. In addition, the ipad features 20% better thermal performance, reducing discomfort while using many of the improved apps on ipad, such as logic pro and final cut pro. The camera is also a great aspect of ipad pro, featuring a 12 megapixel camera that has been moved to the landscape edge and 4 great microphones. Also, it has a new adaptive flash to get rid of shadows that may be in the way.
Beyond the ipad itself, the accessories have also been improved. The apple pencil now also has a pro version. There is a new sensor in the barrel that can do many things, like squeezing it to bring up a tool palette, which also produces haptic feedback. The apple pencil now also supports find my, and with the other features, offers a great experience for professionals as well as enthusiasts. Ipad has been called “the most powerful device of its kind.”
My Thoughts
The new ipad has had many significant improvements, and though the price is quite steep, it may just be worth it. I don’t consider myself a tablet guy. I use a smartphone, a touchscreen laptop, a smartwatch, but I just never saw the appeal of an ipad. After all, why carry around something that does what an iphone does with the amount of space as a laptop that doesn’t do what a laptop does?
Back when phones were just released, they were incredibly small and couldn’t do a lot, which shows the need for a tablet. However, in recent years, phones have gotten so much larger and more powerful with the ever-growing tech industry, lessening the appeal of a tablet. However, these new ipads, especially the ipad pro, seems to have bounced back.
Personally, I think their weight and size have been a huge improvement. A few weeks ago, when I went to the apple store to actually check them out, I was amazed by the slim design and how it still has such a strong chip inside. Ipads have gotten to the point where they could potentially replace my laptop. With the new magic keyboard and fast design, the ipad has started to feel less like a big phone and more like something I could use as a laptop. However, it is still missing some of the performance and perks you get on a laptop, which I suppose is the point. If they were the same, why need two separate products? Thus, I think that the new ipad is finally at the point where it could perhaps replace a laptop for a less professional user, as it covers most of the basic needs in a lighter, touchscreen design.
Another thing is that many apps are just designed so much better for ipads and iphones. An obvious example is games, for which an ipad would be so much better than say a macbook. As for the screen, I typically don’t mind the display quality as long as it isn’t grainy or too dull. However, with this ipad, I was able to immediately see the contrast presented by the double OLED panels. Finally, the ipad gives you much better cameras than a laptop, and obviously have cameras in the back.
All things considered, the new ipad release has complete changed the tablet industry, to the point where it may even rival laptops for the position of powerful yet portable.
Tech News 2
First Neuralink Patient -CBC News
Neuralink is essentially a computer that can be inserted into your brain. It allows you to control an invisible device wherever you go, essentially combining man and machine. This is a company started by Elon Musk, the wealthy entrepreneur and businessman. On January 29, 2024, Musk posted on the platform X that “The first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well. Initial results show promising neuron spike detection.” The chip is connected with threads thinner than a human hair, and “spike detection” refers to the ability to recognize what the brain is doing. Neuralink records the brain activity down to what individual neurons are doing and use those patterns to determine how the brain controls things. Generally, when we control a cursor, we use our brains to control our finger, which then moves across the trackpad or mouse to control the cursor. However, with neuralink, we skip the middleman, and just get our brains to control the cursor.
The first patient is Noland Arbaugh, who suffered a spinal chord injury in a swimming accident, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. His mother was his caretaker, and needless to say, this was a difficult time for both of them. However, Nolan reports that his life has gotten so much better with neuralink. He can now control a mouse on a laptop with his brain, and use a computer just like anyone else can. However, neuralink has been facing some problems concerning its safety protocols, and was reported to have been fined for “violating U.S. Department of Transportation rules regarding the movement of hazardous materials,” according to Kanjyik Ghosh.
My thoughts
Personally, I think that Neuralink is a step forward for most people, but definitely not the whole world. Firstly, it is a great way to better the lives of the less fortunate. It allows them to use many of the tools that are a daily thing for most, and perhaps even more than that. Allowing people to truly feel the world again is a great thing, as stated by Nolan, the first patient. I truly believe that it is a huge benefit to the world right now, as has the potential to give them so many more opportunities.
However as we know, technology often grows at a pace much faster than most of us can imagine. Personally, I think that neuralink may advance in the coming years to incorporate an actually computer that can be seen in one’s brain. In this way, patients will no longer need to carry a laptop with them, but can instead just think something into existence in their mind. While this seems great, it can, first of all, allow students to easily cheat during tests. Also, if and when AI gets incorporated into neuralink, what will stop computers from completely taking over our brains. Since they literally control how our neurons fire, they can easily just override our circuits. Even if this doesn’t happen, there is still a privacy concern. Personally, I wouldn’t want something in my brain that tracks how I think. Also, since neuralink is still relatively new, there may be some challenges that will eventually arise. We still do not completely understand how brains work, so it is understandably risky to try something like this.
All things considered, as more and more people start to use it, Neuralink will become a great boon to many people’s lives, but it may also have some problems that are yet to be discovered.
On June 5th 2023 Apple announced their new product The Apple Vision Pro, a VR headset with detailed cameras so the consumer can very easily mix projections and reality. Ever since June 5th many people have been patiently waiting for this release until about 3 months ago when on february second it was finally available for purchase. When customers received their devices it was very clear that apple was intending the apple vision pro for work and not gaming whereas its competing model the meta quest 3 is much more game focused which partly differentiates the consumer market of the vision pro to other headsets. This is a very good thing for Apple that people have realised this because then apple can set a very high price and it can be considered not overpriced. Apple have clearly taken advantage of this and are charging $3,500 which is 7 times more expensive than the meta quest three $500.
News 2
Solar energy has been a popular topic in recent years due to its usefulness and constant staggering advancements. In November 2023 a group of solar experts from silicon valley got together and shattered the previous efficiency records by adding a thin layer of specially formed crystals that enhanced the effectivity of the screen. This shows that scientists are creatively improving solar efficiency and testing many new ways to improve. This matters because solar energy is a very good plan B for energy production and even though we may not rely on it now, the fact that we are still improving it for the future is very important.
I used AI to create this art. I tried many prompts to come up with this final result. After I came up with this image I used Canva AI to upscale it to increase the quality.
Hello I am James Rutherford and this is my portfolio on what I have been doing this year in Programming and Robotics.
Trinket Code 1
In this code I made a street fighter type game earlier in the year. This game puts you against a cpu that is pretty easy to take down if you know the right moves. If you win you can play again to see if its any harder.
Commentary on tech news, Apple Lightning Charger, and ChatGPT
The Apple Lightning USB charger had its ups and downs. At first, it was the only option for charging Apple devices, but people weren’t thrilled with it. The cables easily frayed, got damaged too easily, and weren’t always reliable. As a result, many folks started opting for cheaper third-party chargers, which didn’t sit well with Apple. They eventually decided to switch things up and introduced USB-C chargers. These new chargers were faster, sturdier, and worked with a wider range of devices, making life a lot easier for users who had multiple gadgets. Apple’s smart move was to address the issues with their old chargers and make things better for everyone.Generative AI poses various threats that echo human concerns. There’s the fear of its misuse, much like how fake news spreads online. Privacy and security worries arise, akin to leaving personal information vulnerable to prying eyes. Ethical questions loom large, as AI’s ability to mimic human behavior blurs the line between truth and deception. Then, there’s the unsettling prospect of job displacement, reminiscent of past industrial revolutions reshaping employment landscapes.
Apple has faced numerous engineering failures leading to issues with their products, such as faulty graphics chips, structural weaknesses, and circuit failures. Despite these problems, customers continue to purchase and defend Apple products. It is crucial to look beyond Apple’s “Think Different” mentality and consider durability, fixability, and usability when choosing a product. Notable issues include extended warranty flaws for the A1226/A1260 MacBook Pro, structural problems with the A1226 MacBook Pro’s hinge design, circuit failures causing random shutdowns, antenna issues with the iPhone 4, power button failures, and recurring graphics chip failures in various MacBook Pro models. Additionally, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus faced touch disease issues, and the 2015 MacBook introduced a problematic keyboard design. Apple’s inadequate responses to these issues and the high cost of repairs reflect a lack of accountability and commitment to quality. The design flaws and lack of user-repairability, along with outdated models sold at high prices, raise concerns about Apple’s dedication to customer satisfaction and sustainability. This pattern of repeated failures suggests a disregard for reliability and user-centricity.
My first tech news review was about the rising of artificial intelligence. It has absolutely dominated the tech industry to the point where a survey showed that half of US workers are now using AI in their work, especially in social media, crypto currency, and many other sectors. Reporters say that AI has become mainstream this year, mainly because of the release of ChatGPT 4.0. Many found that ChatGPT 4.0 was very effective, simple, and easy to use which would aid them in their work. Many thought that this would be more accessible and easier to use which made them decide that they would give it a try. The video also talks about Elon Musk and how he aided the world in technological advancements, specifically about X.
My second tech news story is a review on what the AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods Max 2 might look like. This year, I have found intrest in wireless earbuds so I was quite excited to come across this video although it is not the most recent. The premise is that the lower tier AirPods(not pro) will have active noise cancellation, but no one knows how this will work unless they give the lower tier silicone tips which I find quite interesting. Apple is also likely working on turning all devices into USB-C, which they have already make progress with for iPhone 15, AirPods Pro 2, and obviously Macbooks. The speculated AirPods 4 will have the new H2 chip which will make them quite similar to the current AirPods Pro 2. This is a step up for the AirPods(regular) line. While the AirPods 4 might get the H2 chip, the AirPods Pro 3 potentially might include an H3 chip which will include features such as health stats. Finally, the AirPods Max is not getting much. It will get an H2 chip and USB-C plus new colours but nothing else. It has been 2 years and they will likely barely receive any new features. I am overall extremely excited for these AirPods to be released.
James Wang’s Student Portfolio for Programming & Robotics 8/9 2023/2024.
Note: Blocks containing embed code will be on the post, as this is a step required for the website to work.
OBS Walkthrough
The Future, Too Early: The Humane Ai Pin
The Humane Ai Pin, released in early 2024 after being announced on November 10, has made waves in the technology industry. Humane’s pilot project, the Ai Pin, is a small wearable device that is meant to take the place of a smartphone. It has a small projector that can project onto your hands but mostly operates through speech. The device, costing $950 CAD, is backed by Sam Altman and OpenAI and uses ChatGPT to back the AI the pin relies on. The Ai Pin still has several features locked and “coming soon”, and has seen issues with limited functionality and slow response times (as the AI has to go to the Cloud to generate responses).
Read My Opinion
I think that the Human Ai Pin is simply put, a device that seriously lacks basic capabilities. It’s camera is low quality, it is plagued by slow response times, is often incorrect, has terrible battery life and can’t access many everyday apps. If the Human Ai Pin is meant to replace a smartphone, I should be able to order Doordash or communicate with my friends through Instagram. The Ai Pin doesn’t let me do that right now. The Humane Ai Pin was made to communicate with large language models – not apps. Even then, it doesn’t do it very well, with some responses being blatantly wrong. Additionally, note that the pin is expensive. For $950, I can get smartphones with pretty high specifications. If the pin was $200, I would consider the limited functionality to be more acceptable, however, the pin is comparable to other phones. That’s the nail in the coffin. Why spend a thousand dollars on a pin with limited functionality when I can just take my phone out and access a much better experience? The Ai Pin is trying to use the technology of the future in our present day, and this ambitious attitude creates a product that is fundamentally flawed.
ChatGPT-4o: What’s in Store?
On May 14th, 2024, ChatGPT parent company OpenAI released its newest version of its popular generative AI service, ChatGPT. Called GPT-4o, for Omni, OpenAI’s newest flagship model, costing $20 CAD per month for users, has shown the unprecedented speeds at which generative AI has developed. GPT-4o has the ability to go beyond just texting, it now has the ability to interpret audio and use vision like never before. In demonstration videos posted by OpenAI, you can see popular figures like Sal Khan interacting and learning things like Mathematics via ChatGPT’s audio functions. The plethora of videos posted by OpenAI have garnered millions of views combined and show the GPT-4o’s unprecedented ability to prepare individuals for interviews, sing, or tell dad jokes – all in a conversational and audio-based format. The real-life nature of the voice has raised concerns about online safety.
GPT-4o has not come without controversy however, with popular actress Scarlett Johansson claiming that one of its voices mimicked her likeness. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has vowed that the voice does not mimic her, however has said that the company will discontinue the usage of the voice.
Read My Opinion
As a subscriber to GPT-4o, I am surely biased in favour of ChatGPT. I totally believe that AI is our future and its time to adapt. However, that does not mean I am not aware of the threats it poses to our safety. Generative AI and its unprecedented rate of growth threatens our safety online through things like fraud and misinformation. I think that Artificial Intelligence needs to be open to growth and innovation, as it is our future. However, governments need to pass restrictions and guidelines to ensure the growth of these platforms does not outpace our security features. AI is a wonderful tool, but it is also a devastating one when it gets into the wrong hands.
