This Week in AI: Siri, Voice Models, and Safety Brakes
Siri AI, Gemini 3.8 Live, Claude Docs, Jev, Neon, Koa, Astra for Law, OpenAI safety disclosures, and the week’s practical AI news explained.
Blog category
Opinion Posts
Published Colin Michaels blog posts in the Opinion category.
UMG vs. DistroKid: What AI Artists Should Know
I use DistroKid for the Dreadnauts. Here is what UMG alleges, what DistroKid denies, and which distributors accept original AI-assisted music.
Hypershell Halo Preview: 10 Questions Before You Buy
A practical Hypershell Halo preview with 10 questions about fit, weight, battery, safety, trail rules, returns, rehab claims, and real testing.
This Week in AI: Astra and ChatGPT Images 2.5
GPT-6 Astra, ChatGPT Images 2.5, Meta Muse, OpenAI Agents API, AlphaGenome Atlas, Suno v6, and this week’s practical AI news explained.
Last Year's Next Big Thing Is in an AI Graveyard
A funny, fact-checked tour of retired AI tools, who's behind the shutdowns, and why I'm still calling Astra the next big thing—with a shovel ready.
Man of the Year, Robin Williams, and Mental Health
A compassionate review of Man of the Year, its relevance to modern politics, Robin Williams’s talent and illness, and practical ways to help.
This Week in AI: GPT-6 Astra, Fable 5.1, Gemini 3.8 and More
GPT-6 Astra, Claude Fable 5.1, Gemini 3.8, Muse Spark 1.3, NVIDIA’s Hugging Face deal, local AI, safety, and school limits explained.
Chat Told Me to Touch Grass. I'm Taking an AI Break
Chat told me to touch grass, so I asked what kind. Here is why I am taking a one-week break from AI in my personal life and returning to reality.
A Drone Pulled a Wakeboarder—What Else Can Drones Do?
A giant drone pulled a wakeboarder through a German city. Here’s what the build reveals about rescue, farming, medicine, fire safety, and science.
Old GoPro and DJI Action Cameras Are Still Good Enough
My HERO8 shot Captain Colin Buffalo, and I still use two original DJI Osmo Actions. Great footage matters more than owning the latest camera.
This Week in AI: The Agents Left the Chat Window
This week's AI news in plain English: vision, voice and video models, browser agents, local AI, faster chips, memory controls, and a security report.
Bodycam: A PhD in FPS Realism, FPV, and the Matrix
Bodycam's Locked & Loaded update turns reloads, optics, sound, body movement, and FPV flight into a thrilling and unsettling new level of FPS realism.
Is Temu Worth It? Quality, Knockoffs and the Shopping Trap
Is Temu really worth the savings? A sourced look at product quality, safety tests, knockoff risks, app gamification, and a practical buyer checklist.
AI News This Week: Specialized Models & Safety (Aug. 14–20)
Open models, audio and robot tools, OpenAI's Astra pause, and major acquisitions show why AI is becoming specialized tools—not one chatbot race
When Did Healthcare Become Pay-to-Play?
A patient’s story, the numbers behind America’s access and price problem, and six measurable questions worth asking.
America at 250: Still Worth Celebrating
A Fourth of July reflection on America's 250th birthday, the people and ideals worth celebrating, and a few practical fireworks safety reminders.
GPT-5.6 and Codex in ChatGPT: New Models Explained
OpenAI released GPT-5.6 and brought Codex deeper into ChatGPT. Here are the verified model differences, key capabilities, and practical reasons they matter.
They Bought a Full-Size Temu Mega Drone—and Flew It
Goonzquad ordered a full-size human-carrying mega drone through Temu, assembled it from crates, translated the controls, and actually flew it.
I Put My AI Blog Pipeline Through Google’s People-First Test
I tested my AI blog pipeline against Google’s people-first guidance and added a questionnaire, visual learning plan, and interactive draft scorecard.
10 Coolest Tech Gadgets of 2026 (So Far)
Ten inventive 2026 gadgets, from LEGO SMART Play and DJI Avata 360 to MacBook Neo, RayNeo glasses, creator gear, and a tiny smart charger.
Where Do You Meet People Anymore? Life After COVID
Since COVID, meeting people feels harder. I looked at loneliness, dating apps, third places, and a practical 30-day way to rebuild real connection.
6 AI Sports Apps You Can Try | AI in Sports
Try six AI sports apps for lacrosse, soccer, golf, baseball, tennis, and basketball, then see how professional leagues regulate AI and player data.
Meet Beni, the Personal Camera Robot That Follows You
Meet Beni, Mondo Robotics' all-terrain camera robot built to follow, film in 4K, and help solo creators capture hands-free video.
Flock Cameras: Who Can Access the Data, and Are They Safe?
Flock cameras can help solve crimes, but who can search the data? A plain-English look at access, real misuse, safeguards, and rules communities need.
Suno BMG Deal and Download Limits: What Changes
Suno's new BMG partnership arrives with September download limits, retired models, and new terms. Here is what changes and why I feel torn.
Event-Day Power Bank Guide: 5K, 10K, or 25K?
A neutral event-day power bank guide comparing 5K, 10K, and 25K options for concerts, stadiums, travel, venue rules, and airline safety.
GTA 6 August 27: What’s Confirmed vs. Still Rumored
Rockstar’s August 27 Extended Look is not GTA 6 launch day. See what Rockstar has confirmed, what Trailer 2 shows, and what still remains rumor.
7 Back-to-School Gadgets That Might Actually Help
A practical back-to-school tech checklist for choosing a laptop, earbuds, charger, power bank, hub, second screen, or tracker without buying clutter.