I have been experimenting with adding voice to my blog posts. This will enable readers to listen rather than read. To try it out, click the “Listen to Post” at the top of the post. The voice is supposed to be an American male. It is male for sure, but the accent is not American. I may try a female voice next week. I will continue to experiment with this technology. Feedback is welcome. Click  [email protected].

Our recent trip to Japan resulted in a lot of pictures. They are here. There are links to descriptive information after the list of albums.

My son in Newtown, CT took these pictures of the Northern Lights on Thursday night.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is really nice. Some people say it is too big. I find it just right. Until the AI enhancements arrive, perhaps later this month for some them, I believe the news and reviews will focus on the new camera control button.

The button lets you take a photo or video in record time. Camera Control gives you an easier way to quickly access camera tools. Simply slide your finger to adjust camera functions like exposure or depth of field, and toggle through each lens or use digital zoom to frame your shot just how you like it. Later this year, Camera Control will introduce a two-stage shutter that lets you automatically lock focus and exposure with a light press — so you can reframe your shot without losing focus on your subject.

Camera Control is a picture of technological innovation. On the surface, a sapphire crystal with a smooth texture is surrounded by a color-matched fine stainless steel trim. Inside, a high-precision force sensor with haptic feedback emulates the feel of a DSLR camera shutter. While a new touch sensor — the first of its kind for Apple — recognizes precise interactions like clicks and slides. It takes some getting used to in order to take advantage of the new button. I am a lousy photographer so maybe the new button will help me.

Webinars keep me up to date on things where I have an interest. This week I attended three.

• Collective [i] hosted a discussion with Jessica Rosenworcel, the first woman to head the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). There were about 60 attendees. I was quite impressed with her in depth knowledge of what is going on and strategies for land, wireless, and satellite based communications.
• The New England Journal of Medicine hosted a webinar about “AI in Health Care – Putting Patients First”. Experts in the field of AI discussed how patients are using AI tools today, and how care health care organizations can optimize the use to minimize risk while enhancing engagement and the overall patient experience. I learned a lot.
  •  Fairvote hosted Rep. Raskin. He dove deep into the Ranked Choice Voting Act, his groundbreaking piece of legislation which would implement RCV for all congressional primary and general elections. I strongly favor RCV as I wrote in Election Attitude – How Internet Voting Leads to a Stronger Democracy. The bill is bipartisan, but unfortunately I am doubtful it will pass. The webinar also included FairVote President Meredith Sumpter, Rank The Vote Deputy Director Eileen Reavey, and RepresentWomen Executive Director Cynthia Richie Terrell. It was an excellent discussion.

I finally finished Shogun. I had planned to finish it before going to Japan, but the 1,600 page book was a very long read. Shogun, by James Clavell, is an historical fiction novel set in feudal Japan during the 16th century. It follows the epic journey of a European sailor named John Blackthorne who is shipwrecked and taken prisoner by the samurai. Blackthorne must navigate the treacherous world of Japanese politics, culture, and warfare, forging alliances and enemies along the way. The novel explores themes of identity, loyalty, and the clash between Eastern and Western cultures. A great read.

I invested in Voatz in 2021 and was a pro bono adviser from time to time in the early days before that. Voatz reflects what I wrote about in Election Attitude – How Internet Voting Leads to a Stronger Democracy.

Voatz has announced the successful completion of historic elections in Mexico. Not only was this arguably the most advanced online election ever conducted anywhere, it also created a unique piece of history with Mexico electing its first woman president. It was also Voatz’s first million-dollar election contract. Voatz now holds the unique distinction of pioneering blockchain-backed digital voting for public elections in all three major countries of North America.

Voatz also announced a new win in the State of Wisconsin with an expected revenue of $250k over 5 years. Nearly 60k new voters will become eligible to use the Voatz system for the first time starting this November.

The US Commercial Service (a part of the Dept. of Commerce) has selected Voatz for the official USA Pavilion at the 2024 Africa Tech Festival. This partnership may  help provide a boost to its international expansion efforts and add credibility for larger procurement opportunities.

My YouTube channel is at http://www.youtube.com/jrpatric The oldest one on the channel was from a speech I gave in Paris in 1996. It is here.