All posts tagged: Virtual

The four best all-purpose AI virtual assistants

The four best all-purpose AI virtual assistants

Published by skeptic

You and everyone you know in a fast-paced world and felt that they’ve needed help. Today, artificial intelligence apps are there helping in all sorts of ways including functioning as virtual AI assistants. Certain apps can help people manage their time more effectively, reduce stress, and focus on what matters most. What is an AI virtual assistant? An AI virtual assistant essentially uses a large language model (LLM) to perform tasks or services for people based on commands or questions. These assistants leverage natural language processing and machine learning to understand and respond to user requests. Some common tasks performed by these AI virtual assistants include setting reminders, playing music, providing weather forecasts, answering questions, managing emails or calendars, and more. They can even tell jokes if you’re in that kind of mood. They are designed to make communication with devices and services in a way that copies human interaction, making technology more accessible and efficient. Some people have even asked their virtual assistants to help them propose marriage by setting the mood with romantic …

Sunrun sets a record in California with the US’s largest virtual power plant

Sunrun sets a record in California with the US’s largest virtual power plant

Published by skeptic

Image: Sunrun Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN) has networked more than 16,200 customers’ solar + storage systems to support California’s electrical grid during the summer months. Sunrun’s CalReady virtual power plant will play a key role in supporting California’s grid, providing essential energy to communities when it’s most needed to help cut costs and prevent power outages. A virtual power plant is a network of decentralized power generating units – such as solar + storage – collectively managed by a central control system to supply power and provide grid services efficiently. In the summer of 2023, Sunrun’s Peak Power Rewards virtual power plant program delivered up to 32 megawatts of power to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) during evening peak hours, thanks to the participation of 8,500 customers and their batteries. Sunrun expects to roughly double 2023’s capacity and participants for the statewide Demand Side Grid Support virtual power plant program this summer. The California Energy Commission runs the Demand Side Grid Support program, which is a key part of the state’s Strategic Reliability Reserve. This initiative …

Walmart to close its 51 health centers and virtual care service

Walmart to close its 51 health centers and virtual care service

Published by skeptic

Walmart announced that it is closing its health centers and virtual care service, as the retail giant has struggled to find success with the offerings. Gene J. Puskar/AP hide caption toggle caption Gene J. Puskar/AP Walmart announced that it is closing its health centers and virtual care service, as the retail giant has struggled to find success with the offerings. Gene J. Puskar/AP Walmart is closing its health centers and virtual care service after struggling to find success with the offerings, the U.S. retailer said Tuesday. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based company said that after managing the clinics it launched in 2019 and expanding its telehealth program, it concluded “there is not a sustainable business model for us to continue.” Walmart had 51 health centers in five states, with the goal of helping people save money on their health care needs. “This is a difficult decision, and like others, the challenging reimbursement environment and escalating operating costs create a lack of profitability that make the care business unsustainable for us at this time,” the company said in …

How a Virtual Assistant Taught Me to Appreciate Busywork

How a Virtual Assistant Taught Me to Appreciate Busywork

Published by skeptic

I don’t need help scheduling more things to do; I need to do less. Often these services suggest that users throw money at that problem (which is not very helpful if one of your problems is that you do not have enough money). The apps transform parents from workers into consumers, translating our to-do lists into shopping lists. Somebody is still performing our “joy-stealing” tasks, and it may be a call center worker or one of the many other invisible laborers who make artificial intelligence systems seem to run automatically. The boundary between the human and the artificial is slippery; Yohana emphasizes that it employs “actual humans (not A.I. chatbots) that can do the grunt work,” though according to Forbes, those humans are using generative A.I. to assist them with our tasks. When these services style themselves as “worker bees,” “secret helpers” or “fairy godmothers,” they lean on the iconography of fantasy to obscure the grimmer reality of farming out your “grunt work” to an anonymized labor force. The work that these services hope to …

28th Orientale Lumen Conference scheduled for in-person and virtual participation

28th Orientale Lumen Conference scheduled for in-person and virtual participation

Published by Sam

Theme: “Primacy in the 21st Century” FAIRFAX, Va. — The 28th Annual Orientale Lumen Conference will be held “in-person” and “virtual” on June 17-20, 2024, at the Washington Retreat Center near the St. John Paul II Shrine in Washington, DC.  The theme will be “Primacy in the 21st Century” reflecting on the last three agreed statements of the Orthodox-Catholic Theological Dialogue: Ravenna in 2007 (Sacramental Nature of the Church), Chieti in 2006 (Synodality and Primacy During the First Millennium), and Alexandria in 2023 (Synodality and Primacy in the Second Millennium and Today). The following speakers will give lectures:  1) Metropolitan Job of Pisidia, Orthodox Co-Chair of the international dialogue (remote); 2) Bishop John Michael Botean, Romanian Catholic Eparchy of Canton, OH; 3) Msgr. Paul McPartlan, Professor Emeritus of CUA, member of the international dialogue (remote); 4) Fr. Hyacinthe Destivelle, Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, The Vatican; 5) Fr. Radu Bordeianu, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA; 6) Fr Philip Halikias, World Council of Churches, Editor, Week of Prayer for Unity, Greek Orthodox.  Fr. Nicolas Kazarian, Ecumenical Officer …

Columbia’s Retreat to ‘Virtual Learning’

Columbia’s Retreat to ‘Virtual Learning’

Published by skeptic

Holding classes over Zoom just pretends to solve a problem. Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Getty. April 24, 2024, 2:07 PM ET Columbia University shut down all in-person classes on Monday, and faculty and staff were encouraged to work remotely. “We need a reset,” President Minouche Shafik said, in reference to what she called the “rancor” around pro-Palestinian rallies on campus, as well as the arrest—with her encouragement—of more than 100 student protesters last week. Also on Monday, Columbia’s office of the provost put out guidance saying that “virtual learning options” should be made available to students in all classes on the university’s main campus until the term ends next week. “Safety is our highest priority,” that statement reads. By moving its coursework online, the administration has sent an important set of messages to the public. In the midst of what it says is an emergency, the school asserts that it is still delivering its core service to students. It affirms that universities share the public’s perception that education, per se—as opposed to research, entertainment, …

Employee Accidentally Took A Shower During A Zoom Meeting

Employee Accidentally Took A Shower During A Zoom Meeting

Published by skeptic

Since the pandemic, virtual meetings have become quite standard. With that came a host of tricky moments ranging from awkward technical difficulties to children running around in the background making a ruckus. However, one woman shared a particularly wild story she heard of an employee accidentally flashing his entire team during a virtual meeting. The employee accidentally took a shower during a Zoom team meeting in front of his co-workers. Career content creator Liz Miller explained that the incident occurred at her friend’s company during their all-sales team meeting. The company is a hybrid work environment, so some employees were taking the call remotely while a group joined from the office. “The in-office group was a couple of minutes late, and worth noting, the leadership was also in the office. Anyone with hosting privileges was not in the meeting right when it started,” Miller explained. “It’s like a group of remote employees waiting for the meeting to start.” RELATED: Woman Who Hung Up On A Zoom Job Interview After Only 2 Minutes Is Told ‘Millennials Don’t Want To Work’ …

Marjorie Taylor Greene calls on Mike Johnson to resign and Columbia classes go virtual over protest tensions: Morning Rundown

Marjorie Taylor Greene calls on Mike Johnson to resign and Columbia classes go virtual over protest tensions: Morning Rundown

Published by skeptic

Donald Trump will be back in court today for the opening statements in his criminal trial. Supreme Court will debate whether cities can punish people who are homeless. And Columbia University hold virtual classes amid Gaza protests. Here’s what to know today.  Opening statements set to begin for Trump hush money trial Curtis Means / Pool/Getty Images Opening statements are expected to begin today in the case of the People of the State of New York versus Donald Trump.  Prosecutors from Manhattan District Alvin Bragg’s office allege Trump worked with his then-attorney Michael Cohen and executives at the National Enquirer to suppress stories, including from porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal. Daniels says she slept with Trump in 2006, and McDougal says she had a 10-month sexual relationship with Trump that ended in April 2007.  This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your morning. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. Trump has denied sleeping with either of them. Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet, while Enquirer publisher AMI …

What are virtual cards and when should you use them?

What are virtual cards and when should you use them?

Published by skeptic

Getty Images/Oscar Wong Let’s be real, sometimes suspicious online websites have the best deals or the items we need. When you feel hesitant about entering your card information, you could benefit from using a virtual card — not to be confused with a digital wallet.  Also: Is Temu legit? Everything to know before you place your first order In observation of Financial Literacy Month, Google shared ways users can keep their payment information protected using Google Pay, and, unsurprisingly, virtual cards made the list due to their ability to protect your card information easily and efficiently.  So what are virtual cards? A virtual card is a unique credit card number you can enter on a site to complete a transaction. The technology masks your actual card information, keeping it hidden from businesses, and helps protect you against fraud. Some virtual cards expire after every transaction, so if anyone accesses your card information, that number would be useless to them. Other virtual cards, like Google Pay, have a longer duration.  Also: The best budgeting apps: Find …