Iterate Weekly - Issue 194
This week we're talking about ChatGPT via 1-800 number, climate funding for schools could run out, California requires EV charging for new homes, Rollaway, and revisiting some holiday classics!
Welcome to issue 194 of Iterate Weekly. Hope you’re all gearing up for an amazing holiday week. And ideally, you’re finding some much needed downtime before we head into 2025. Just a quick rundown of stories this week before I take a little holiday break myself.
Let’s jump into this week’s stories shall we?
Thank you as always for reading!
🖥️ Tech
Call ChatGPT via 1-800 number
As if we needed any new ways to interact with AI right?
Well, if it has been a while since you called a 1-800 number, now you can give ChatGPT a ring!
It’s obviously a bit of a PR stunt/joke but OpenAI is offering up a chance for you to turn back the clock to call up your AI assistant the old fashioned way.
You can get up to 15 free minutes per month per phone number to ask ChatGPT all of your burning questions.
As silly as it sounds, it could be a nice introduction to AI for folks who came of age in the generation of 1-800 phone numbers for everything. Are all of our grandparents going to be ringing up ChatGPT this holiday season? No, probably not. But it could be a really fun little trick when gathering with older loved ones this season.
And no, OpenAI says they are not using voice data from these calls to further train the ChatGPT voice model. No word on how long this little stunt will last. I imagine the number may go dark in the next month or two, so get those calls in now while you can!
🎓 Education/Productivity/Work
Climate funding for schools may be in jeopardy
While it is becoming far more common these days to see electric school buses shuttling children around, there is a strong chance that the funding for climate related school issues like this will be cut in the new year.
These cuts will fall victim to some of the other Inflation Reduction Act rollbacks that seem to be in store with the changes in the White House in January.
The good news here is that any program currently in motion will likely not lose funding. Which is obviously causing a mad scramble to get as much on the books as possible before January.
I do think that electric school buses are here to stay in most states, but it could be a tough four years for other climate initiatives in our public schools.
♻️ Health/Environment/EVs
California will require EV charging in all new homes
Pretty soon, new home builds in California will require EV charging units.
The target date right now is 2026. And since we’re talking about building codes here, the details can get a bit complicated.
But in simplest terms, new residential builds will need to offer an EV charging solution for each unit. Of course, the resident of this unit may opt to not purchase an EV or use the charger at all, but the option will still be there.
California tends to lead the way in these decisions and I imagine similar code updates will be coming in other states soon.
🛍 Grab Bag
Rollaway combines Airbnb with an RV rental
I’m super excited to plan an excursion using Rollaway in the new year.
They are a Bay Area-based company that gives you a chance to rent a fully electric luxury RV for your next camping trip or outdoor adventure.
It’s nearly as luxurious as renting your own cabin, but it offers way more flexibility and fun. Right now the rental area is fairly limited but it’s perfect to book for a quick trip down the coast or into the redwoods.
I’ll be sure to report back if I get a chance to test one out for myself.
💬 Quote of the Week
"We didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time."
-Vince Lombardi
📺Content Review
Revisit the holiday classics
No new content recommendations this week. But as it’s almost Christmas, I encourage you to revisit some classic holiday media from your youth!
What does that look like for me?
“A Muppet Family Christmas” is always high on my list. It’s not just the muppets, it also includes the crew from Fraggle Rock and Sesame Street! It’s wall-to-wall furry puppets from start to finish and it includes some wonderful Muppet renditions of holiday classic songs.
I find it to be far superior to “A Muppet Christmas Carol” or any of the more modern Muppet Holiday specials. You can easily find it to stream in its entirety on YouTube (including a version with classic 80s commercials!)
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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