🤖 I Tried Google’s Answer to ChatGPT and Here’s What I Think...

Hi All!

Not so long ago I received an email from Google with an invitation to try out a new project called Bard.

Now I'm not sure whether the term "Bard" is just a code name or whether that's the actual name, but so far I like what I see. For starters, I really like the chat interface, it's clean and straight to the point and when I ask it a question it even gives me the option to Google it, which I think is brilliant when it comes to checking facts.

According to the AI Chatbot, it thinks it's a conversational AI chatbot trained to be informative and comprehensive. It's powered by the LaMDA large language model and is able to communicate like a general human.

Now I've been playing around with Bard since gaining access to it and I have to say, I'm impressed! I mean, it feels faster than ChatGPT, but that could have something to do with that awesome typing animation you get on ChatGPT.

Today, I decided to ask it to build a game of Hangman using Python and it built it! There are a few problems, but it executes! For those of you who haven't heard of this game, it's basically a guessing game we used to play in school where one player thinks of a word and the others try to guess the letters. This guide explains it in full.

While the file did run, there was a major issue and that's the fact that every time I entered a correct letter, it showed the word in full.

Yes, the word was Google 🙂

Overall, I think the project has potential, especially if Google decides to integrate it with Google Search and even the Google Assistant. I mean I asked it for directions from London Paddington railway station to London Luton Airport and it gave me options of how to get there using train, bus and taxi, it even gave me rough examples of the prices. But it would be even better if it had that Google Maps integration.

📝 This Week's Blog Posts

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❤️This Week's Favourites

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📹 YouTube Video - Linus Tech Tips: My Channel Was Deleted Last Night​

My favourite video this week has got to be this one which explains the hack that occurred on the Linus Tech Tips channel and some of their smaller channels. It just goes to show that these things do happen and that you can never be too careful.

📝 Blog Post - Jonathan Wylie: What is a VPN, and Why Do People Use One?​

When ever I'm out in public, I tend to avoid using public hotspots, unless I really have to and when I do use them, I always use a VPN. In this article, Jonathan provides a great explanation about what a VPN is and the reason people use them.

💻 Tech - LTT Screwdriver​

Yes! I know that this isn't strictly a tech item. But, I guess you can use it to repair tech? Anyway, this week I had the chance to try the famous Linus Tech Tips Screwdriver and I see why it comes with such a hefty price tag. The screwdriver feels great in my hand and feels sturdy and of good quality, I'm definitely thinking about purchasing my own!

📱 App - Trip.com​

I've recently discovered this app thanks to a friend and have been using it to book my weekly train trips to work ever since. Not only does the app offer a modern interface, it also allows me to collect points which I can redeem for more tickets. As someone who commutes by train weekly, I find this very useful, especially as trains don't tend to be cheap these days.

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That's it for this edition of the Tech With Dom Newsletter! Hopefully, you've enjoyed it!

If you have any feedback or suggestions, feel free to reply to this email!

Missed the last newsletter? Check it out here: https://techwithdom.ck.page/

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Wishing you all the best!

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Dom