Tom Novak
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tomnovak.bsky.social
Tom Novak
@tomnovak.bsky.social
Denit Trust Distinguished Scholar and Professor Emeritus, The George Washington University. Live in Leucadia, California.

I study people's relationships with smart things.

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=IK6_rNQAAAAJ&hl=e
Why does Google insist on showing its bad AI search results front and center?

Today it's telling me that Sonoma (version 14) is the latest MacOS.

Of course we are on Sequoia 15.5

Putting bad AI search result at the top of the search page hurts the credibility of everything that comes after.
August 9, 2025 at 8:46 PM
This has a little bit of a mid-century vibe. The new design looks way better to me than the hideous Cracker Barrel stores I associate with highway rest stops decades ago.

apple.news/A14CPow5PRJS...
July 3, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Just another day in Oceanside!
May 22, 2025 at 9:09 PM
A day that begins with Deary’s vinyl EP arriving in the mail from the UK is a good day!
May 5, 2025 at 6:08 PM
More Aloy in NYC...
April 30, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Wasn't able to generate enough decay with the daily limit of attempts, but Aloy at the Statue of Liberty...
April 30, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Aloy in NYC in the style of Horizon Forbidden West, courtesy of Gemini Veo 2.
April 30, 2025 at 12:28 AM
ChatGPT o3 deep research predicts new Deary LP in 2025.

"Based on Deary’s release history and the typical progression of a new band, we can expect news on a debut LP or at least new singles in the coming months."

#deary #dreampop #shoegaze

Full analysis:
www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/gbaff...
April 27, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Error of the day from Social Security.

"Bad"?
April 4, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Here's the Social Security Website today.
April 3, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Oh dear. Always heard that my town, Leucadia, was named in the 1870s by free thinking English spiritualists escaping persecution.

But this article says it was named in a marketing campaign by 1880's land developers, one a con man.

Talk about bursting my bubble.

scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=e...
March 31, 2025 at 4:43 PM
America is becoming a land of educated liberal women and uneducated conservative men.

“That creates a mismatch, because people prefer to date in terms of comparable education or income.” 

One woman said,...“If I need companionship, I volunteer at the dog shelter.” 

apple.news/APi_gmIjOR8G...
March 27, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West are good sources for non-mainstream names for girls and boys.
March 26, 2025 at 5:48 PM
LOL. Good luck with that!
February 22, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Here is Perplexity’s analysis of the impact of the forced NSF staff cuts.

We shouldn’t need AI to state the obvious. But here we are.
February 18, 2025 at 8:47 PM
More lamps should be rabbit based.
February 15, 2025 at 1:09 AM
After a walk on Moonlight Beach, a visit to Dave's Rock Garden is just a block away.
February 11, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Have you tried to project when Bluesky will hit higher user numbers? I gave your chart to Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental and asked when Bluesky will hit 100 million users under 3 scenarios. I got:

Optimistic: Dec 2025
Most likely: May 2029
Pessimistic: Dec 2031
February 8, 2025 at 6:01 AM
A local muralist magically painted windows and shutters on two blank walls our shed. It’s ready for Hansel and Gretel to move in!
January 31, 2025 at 10:06 PM
It’s a California tradition to stand and watch the sun as it sets.
January 31, 2025 at 1:21 AM
This German bread slicer has jumped to the top of the list of my favorite kitchen items!
January 31, 2025 at 1:03 AM
How do we interpret the $3700 domain squatting price for Reelo dot com? High or low?
January 28, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Small… large… what is the dividing line?
January 28, 2025 at 1:20 AM
Reflexology path at the local park.
January 28, 2025 at 1:14 AM
Going to an elementary school with an ocean view has got to be a positive influence on the childhood brain.
January 28, 2025 at 1:02 AM