I have noticed that more and more of late Siri seems to be getting dumber as time goes by. While there was always a general acknowledgement that Siri was the "dumbest" of the smart assistants it was generally serviceable, especially if you needed it to do the basics i.e. play music on your apple devices. Because it is a machine and machines do not understand natural language one always had be careful with the prompts. Instructions kept simple were always implemented.

Nowadays the very same instructions that I've given Siri over the years seem to no longer work. Siri reverts with the same "I've found some web results, ask again from your phone" reply.

I'm beginning to suspect that Apple has shifted resources from base Siri to the deal it has with OpenAI for Siri integration. Alternatively, perhaps Apple has deliberately "dumbed" down Siri in a push to get more people to use "Apple Intelligence." The problem with Apple Intelligence is that it requires heavy computing power that basic Siri enabled devices such as my HomePods do not have. I don't need 99% of what Apple is offering through their partnership with OpenAI. I just need some basic level of common sense when asking Siri to play something on my HomePod.

More thoughts on "A.I" here.

Generally I don't comment on my home country, not because I don't want to but because often it feels like I don't have anything meaningful to add to the conversation. I also happen to be wilfully ignorant of a lot. When you grow up in a third world country there is no hope in politics, ideology or movements. As my dad says, in Africa only God can help us. While the statement drips of cynicism I actually do agree with it albeit for different reasons. Not just as a prescription for the third world but for the whole world. Hope isn't in ideology, movements or politics, only in Truth.

The tragedy of the third world isn't that politics can't be used as a force for good and for change. It's that often these concepts are high minded and take generations to seep into the public psyche, to only then be wiped out each election cycle. As one internauter put it, politics are a retirement plan, not a means for effective change.

I left the country not because I dislike it but because in third world countries one hits a ceiling in terms of development. Culture is different, tastes are different and the public has a limited set of desires based around one aspect: Survival. One doesn't get the opportunity to dream in that environment. Its part of why I've been planning to leave again as soon as I can. Also, my identity is not in my nationality, tribe or skin colour. I happen to be a citizen of another country. I have been since 2011 and that changed a lot in me.

I will perhaps put a proper piece together in the coming days.

So, purchased this late last night. Finally decided to let go of Forza Horizon 5 and try something else. Lots of key differences, some things are better, others not as well executed. Funniest thing is the driving physics felt like the driving physics in Far Cry 5 & 6. So I looked up the game engine used to build the game and it turns out it's a modified version of the Dunia engine which powers the Far Cry games.

Sadly, while this engine is good for open world game development its not quite suitable for a racing game. In Forza, when the cars go off road or on the grass you can almost feel every pebble the tires roll over. I can feel steering wheel resistance, gear changes, break feel, etc. This is what makes Forza so special. In The Crew Motorfest you can feel that the physics are only skin deep. The car bounces when off road because that what the engine interprets the car to be doing. Bobbing left and right but not going over an actual surface. Also, no reflections in the mirrors. While this is usually just a simulation in racing games, Ubisoft has been unable replicate the same. I suspect this is due to the game engine's constraints. 

Some things are done well though. The cockpit view is amazing and full reticulation of the steering wheel helps with the immersion. In addiction, Hawaii is beautiful and the drives are a much welcome respite to my recently hectic days.