The Global Jukebox 3.1.0 is now live at https://theglobaljukebox.org. The major feature this release is a tool for users to submit corrections to song cantometric coding data and song metadata, along with and admin workflow to accept changes and migrate them into the app database. There’s also a new journey about The Roots of the Blues by Lamont Pearley. And of course numerous UI, UX and usability enhancements, bug fixes, etc.
Meanwhile at my day job at Consumer Reports Innovation Lab, we just launched a beta version of AskCR, a chatbot-style application to answer user question about product comparisons, backed by our extensive databases. I’ve been enjoying taking part in testing sessions, and happy to reports so far it’s actually accurate and helpful, even if sometimes it’s just a more verbose way of finding information you could just use our search tool to find. I’ve been asking it alot about hybrid luxury SUVs and high-performance sports cars recently. I learned that there’s a hybrid Corvette out there now that has all-wheel drive with electric front wheels and can go from zero to sixty in two and a half seconds! No information, however, on the storage capacity of the frunk.
The weather had been great, warm and sunny but not yet brutally hot. I took my first longish bike ride of the season last week, going up into New Rochelle towards Larchmont. Pretty hilly, like most places around here, but still fun. Just under ten miles, just under an hour. I’ve also been having a run of good workouts, back up to nominal full weight on all my sets. Although today was kind of rough; I was tired from being up and down a ladder and swinging a chainsaw around over my head to trim the neighbor’s willow tree that hands into my hard. I ended up chopping of a pretty good branch landed my shrubbery and rolled off into my other neighbor’s yard. Talk about a bustle in your hedgerow! Unfortunately, I have not gotten around to taking the Mustang out for a drive in a few weeks. By the time I was done the yardwork yesterday the Hutch was all backed up.
My friend Nick had a barbecue party Saturday, a most excellent time. I ended up talking to his kids and Michelle at length about music, and what people are listening to these days, and how music continues to evolve. Giovani, who is a musician, has weird and interesting tastes, including jazz, prog, metal and lots of stuff I’ve never heard. He’s gotten as far as appreciating Alan Holdsworth, which is super fun.
And finally, the Spacecats album cover is complete. Now I can get on to getting CD’s made (which at this point is really just for vanity) and publishing it to the streaming services, which is more important. I actually got a check last week from people streaming my music. Less than I make in an hour of work writing software, but you know, it’s something. I also got a check from royalties from my origami book, which was more than a day’s salary. So anyway, watch this space.