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# Arrgle Books

Better Living Through Augmented Reality

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://arrgle.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Blog

- [Blog](https://arrgle.com/blog/)
- [The Great Compression: AI & Cybersecurity](https://arrgle.com/the-great-compression-ai-cybersecurity/) - There used to be a pause in the rhythm of digital security. A software bug was found; the vendor created and tested and released a patch; and businesses had a comfortable few weeks to install it before hackers figured out how to use the flaw. In between there was time. Time for software companies to
- [Anthony Burgess & The Flatulent Poet](https://arrgle.com/anthony-burgess-the-flatulent-poet/) - Inside Mr Enderby is one of my favorite novels, written by renowned British author Joseph Kell and published in 1963. The book follows the life of F.X. Enderby, a dyspeptic poet who lives a solitary life of writing and intestinal eloquence until he is seduced by a glamorous widow who attempts to reform him. The 1960s
- [DROP Promises Privacy But The River Still Flows](https://arrgle.com/drop-promises-privacy-but-the-river-still-flows/) - California has new rules - the DROP platform - that could interfere with the money being made by California data brokers. The data brokers will find ways around the rules. The profile they put together by spying on you is a tiny twig carried in a rushing river of data. The DROP platform puts a strong iron
- [Power To The Private: California’s Data Deletion Machine](https://arrgle.com/power-to-the-private-californias-data-deletion-machine/) - If you’re a resident of California you can take control of your digital privacy. When you input some basic information about yourself into the DROP website (Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform), DROP automatically commands nearly 500 registered data brokers to permanently delete your files and stop selling your information. You’ll get less spam and you’ll attract less
- [The Circus of Dr Lao: A Small, Strange American Masterpiece](https://arrgle.com/the-circus-of-dr-lao-a-small-strange-american-masterpiece/) - Psst. Come in, come in! I’ve got a weird and wonderful book for you. There are books that feel like neatly arranged shelves. Then there are books like The Circus of Dr. Lao, which feels more like someone opened a door in the back of the room and a carnival wandered in, trailing incense and a
- [Chatting With AI: Synthetic Empathy](https://arrgle.com/chatting-with-ai-synthetic-empathy/) - A lot of people talk to their AI buddies as if they have little friends that live in their phones. It doesn’t come naturally to me. I’ve been using ChatGPT and Gemini as if they are amazing upgrades to Google search. It doesn’t occur to me to open my phone for a casual chat. But
- [Isaac Asimov Tried To Warn Us](https://arrgle.com/isaac-asimov-tried-to-warn-us/) - Isaac Asimov published the novella “The Mule” in Astounding Science Fiction magazine in 1945. A few years later it became the second half of Foundation and Empire, the second book of the Foundation trilogy. Asimov’s Foundation books are among the most celebrated works in science fiction, crowned with a special Hugo Award for Best All-Time Series. There’s a lesson
- [The Claude Crisis: AI And The Presumption Of Regularity](https://arrgle.com/the-claude-crisis-ai-and-the-presumption-of-regularity/) - It’s Anti-AI week! Protests and petitions and boycotts and resignations, oh my. OpenAI (ChatGPT) is the villain. Anthropic (Claude) is the hero, topping the download charts after a burst of headlines about AI and the Pentagon and are you kidding me, AI-controlled killer drones? It’s an interesting story but it’s 2026 so, trigger warning, it’s also a very dark story. Plus there’s a wonky
- [The $240 Question: Is Free AI Good Enough?](https://arrgle.com/the-240-question-is-free-ai-good-enough/) - In the last article I ordered you to subscribe to a $20/month plan for ChatGPT or Google Gemini. I didn’t explain why and in hindsight I shouldn’t have phrased it as “Follow and obey me, you low-bandwidth peasantry.” That was rude. Let’s talk some more about that. The premise I think you’re starting a long-term relationship with an AI
- [ChatGPT & Gemini: Field Notes From A Moving Target](https://arrgle.com/chatgpt-gemini-field-notes-from-a-moving-target/) - Remember when I wrote disparaging articles about AI hallucinations and how Perplexity was doing a better job than ChatGPT or Gemini? Forget all that. It’s ancient history. Those were written at the dawn of time, way back in (dismissive tone) 2025, and now it’s 2026, baby, and things have changed. Here are some notes for all of you who
- [Technology With Unexpected Dimensions](https://arrgle.com/technology-with-unexpected-dimensions/) - Xreal released updates for its Xreal One augmented reality glasses for realtime 3D video streaming.
- [The Renaissance Of The Physical](https://arrgle.com/the-renaissance-of-the-physical/) - Physical items - books, vinyl LPs, photos on paper - give us a way to push back against digital fatigue.
- [AI Pornography: Threat Or Menace?](https://arrgle.com/ai-pornography-threat-or-menace/) - The adult industry has provided the incentive, the funding, and the technical proving ground for every leap in mass communication for 750 years.
- [Goodbye Wintel, Hello Winsnap: The PC Industry’s New Power Couple](https://arrgle.com/goodbye-wintel-hello-winsnap-the-pc-industrys-new-power-couple/) - The history of Intel's twenty-year collapse and the end of the Wintel alliance. Microsoft is swiping right on Snapdragon processors for Windows 11 laptops.
- [Vive La Snapdragon Revolucion!](https://arrgle.com/vive-la-snapdragon-revolucion/) - Laptops with Intel processors drove me to a Macbook Air. Windows on a Snapdragon processor brought me back. Instant start, long battery life, no heat.
- [Days Of Future Passed: Bruceb Top Ten 2025](https://arrgle.com/days-of-future-passed-bruceb-top-ten-2025/) - The Bruceb Top Ten playlist: music released in 2025, but with a haunted echo of the past
- [Ace Doubles: Two Tales, One Spine](https://arrgle.com/ace-doubles-two-tales-one-spine/) - Two tales, one spine - Ace Doubles transformed the economics of publishing, helped launch Philip Dick's career, and defined a generation of science fiction.
- [Details Mattter: The Difference Between AI Hallucinations And Misinformation](https://arrgle.com/details-mattter-the-difference-between-ai-hallucinations-and-misinformation/) - AI chatbots might hallucinate - create fabricated facts. But they might also be wrong because of incorrect or incomplete online web sources.
- [Brown Stage Capitalism](https://arrgle.com/brown-stage-capitalism/) - Cory Doctorow has written the best business book of the year, Enshittification, about how and why the major platforms are breaking down.
- [AI & Society: Governance Alternatives](https://arrgle.com/ai-society-governance-alternatives/) - In the absence of federal regulations, there are complex & contradictory alternate sources of governance from states, self-regulation, and global bodies.
- [AI & Society: The Failure Of Federal Governance](https://arrgle.com/ai-society-the-failure-of-federal-governance/) - Governance is critical for AI development. There will not be any federal regulation of AI in the US in the foreseeable future.
- [AI & Society: The Case For Pessimism](https://arrgle.com/ai-society-the-case-for-pessimism/) - AI is the worst thing that mankind has ever created and there’s a good chance that Skynet will be real, R.I.P. humanity. Or not. It’s complicated.
- [AI & Society: The Case For Optimism](https://arrgle.com/ai-society-the-case-for-optimism/) - Productivity! Streamlined workflows! New jobs that don’t exist yet! Enhanced quality of life! Massive increases in global GDP! AI will make everything great.
- [AI's Impact On Society](https://arrgle.com/ais-impact-on-society/) - The impact of AI on society and the labor market - optimistic, pessimistic, and nuanced scenarios about the changes ahead.
- [AI & Society: Messy, Complicated, And Uneven](https://arrgle.com/ai-society-messy-complicated-and-uneven/) - It's hard to be optimistic about AI because it is arriving quickly & it's inscrutable to almost all of us. The future might be utopia, dystopia, or both.
- [NotebookLM: Newly Magical And Actually Useful](https://arrgle.com/notebooklm-newly-magical-and-actually-useful/) - NotebookLM is a source-grounded AI research assistant from Google. It's the most interesting & useful consumer AI product currently available.
- [Console Cowboys & Cyberspace: The Enduring Legacy Of Neuromancer](https://arrgle.com/console-cowboys-cyberspace-the-enduring-legacy-of-neuromancer/) - Neuromancer is the single most influential SF novel since George Orwell’s 1984.
- [Libby, Libraries, And The Shocking Cost Of Ebook Licenses](https://arrgle.com/libby-libraries-and-the-shocking-cost-of-ebook-licenses/) - Public libraries lend ebooks and audiobooks with the Libby app. But libraries are under pressure from predatory license pricing and federal funding cuts.
- [Emus And Piracy: The Story Behind The Lord Of The Rings](https://arrgle.com/emus-and-piracy-the-story-behind-the-lord-of-the-rings/) - The Lord Of The Rings phenomenon began with a baffling cover, a legal loophole, pirated paperbacks, and Tolkien's indignant protests.
- [More Than Half Of All Internet Traffic Is Not Human](https://arrgle.com/more-than-half-of-all-internet-traffic-is-not-human/) - Only one in five website visitors is a real human. Two-thirds of all bot activity comes from "bad bots" designed for fraud, theft, and disruption.
- [AI And The Future Of The Internet](https://arrgle.com/ai-and-the-future-of-the-internet/) - The advertising business model for the internet is collapsing. A new business model will emerge offering highly curated AIs.
- [The Secret Life Of Smart TVs: Inside Badbox 2.0](https://arrgle.com/the-secret-life-of-smart-tvs-inside-badbox-2-0/) - Google and the FBI took down Badbox 2.0 last month - ten million compromised TV streaming boxes being used by criminals.
- [Your TV Is Spying On You](https://arrgle.com/your-tv-is-spying-on-you/) - Your TV is running surveillance technology and continuously sending data about what you watch to the TV manufacturer.
- [Perplexity: From Searches To Answers](https://arrgle.com/perplexity-from-searches-to-answers/) - Perplexity is an AI powered answer engine that searches the internet in real time and incorporates the latest information into its answers.
- [The Edge Of Annoyance: Microsoft Hijacks Outlook Links](https://arrgle.com/the-edge-of-annoyance-microsoft-hijacks-outlook-links/) - Microsoft pushed an update that changes the default in Outlook to open web links in Edge - another example of good intentions turned into hostage situations.
- [How Philip K Dick's Estate Found A Loophole In A Shoebox](https://arrgle.com/philip-k-dick-how-to-get-signatures-from-dead-authors/) - Signed books by Philip Dick were released years after he died. The signatures had to come from somewhere. Here are various ways publishers have handed that.
- [Xreal One & The Future Of AR Glasses](https://arrgle.com/xreal-one-the-future-of-ar-glasses/) - Xreal One Pro glasses are a big step forward - what appears to be an IMAX-size screen seen through slightly bulky sunglasses.
- [Decoding AI Hysteria: Hallucinations, Laziness, & Corruption](https://arrgle.com/decoding-ai-hysteria-hallucinations-laziness-corruption/) - Be skeptical about reports of AI flaws - but always check your results. Blame for bad AI results should frequently rest with people, not technology.
- [Jolly Tales & Funny Pictures By Mark Twain](https://arrgle.com/jolly-tales-funny-pictures-by-mark-twain/) - Slovenly Peter was the best-known children's book in the world in the 1800s. Here's the story of Little Suck-A-Thumb and Chubby Augustus.
- [AI And The Gabbling Foreigner Illusion](https://arrgle.com/ai-and-the-gabbling-foreigner-illusion/) - People seem to speak too fast when you’re learning a foreign language, and they speak too fast for AI to keep up with translation.
- [AI Slop And The Enshittification Of Everything](https://arrgle.com/ai-slop-and-the-enshittification-of-everything/) - Low-quality AI-generated slop is flooding online platforms and crowding out genuine humans.
- [Zero Click Searches & Google AI Mode](https://arrgle.com/zero-click-searches-google-ai-mode/) - AI is taking over online searches. At the moment, that’s good news - the AI summaries are increasingly reliable and helpful. Try Google's new AI Mode!
- [From Waistline to Wallet: Weight Loss Drugs Will Slim Down Impulse Spending](https://arrgle.com/from-waistline-to-wallet-weight-loss-drugs-will-slim-down-impulse-spending/) - Weight loss drugs effectively regulate impulse control and the effects go beyond snack food. What's coming has been called a “$100 trillion dollar disruption."
- [A Trip Down The Rabbit Hole: Notes On Collecting Lewis Carroll](https://arrgle.com/a-trip-down-the-rabbit-hole-notes-on-collecting-lewis-carroll/) - Here are some notes to help understand the mentality of book collectors, and some notes about my Lewis Carroll collection.
- [The History Of The Snark: Notes On Lewis Carroll](https://arrgle.com/the-history-of-the-snark-notes-on-lewis-carroll/) - The story behind one of the greatest works of English literature that you’ve never heard of.
- [Legal Research? There’s An Algorithm For That](https://arrgle.com/legal-research-theres-an-algorithm-for-that/) - Artificial intelligence is going to reshape the legal industry again, for the first time. AI is poised to disrupt the legal profession.
- [The Unseen Battlefield: Gazing Into The Cybersecurity Abyss](https://arrgle.com/the-unseen-battlefield-gazing-into-the-cybersecurity-abyss/) - There have been credible reports of a shift in US policy – a stand-down in both offensive and defensive preparations against Russian cyberattacks.
- [21st-Century Picks and Shovels: Microsoft's AI Strategy for Businesses](https://arrgle.com/ai-will-make-microsoft-rich/) - Microsoft provides fundamental IT services - 21st century picks and shovels - to virtually every company on earth. AI will add to its dominance in enterprises.
- [AI Will Know Who You Are (And That’s A Good Thing)](https://arrgle.com/ai-will-know-who-you-are-and-thats-a-good-thing/) - AI will transform searches for employees in large companies.
- [AI Advances Are Exciting! Also Unintelligible!](https://arrgle.com/ai-advances-are-exciting-also-unintelligible/) - Psychologists use various terms to describe disorganized speech. “Word salad” - words and concepts so disconnected that there is no logical thread. “Neologisms” - made up words that have no literal meaning. “Loose association” - associations that are irrelevant or out of context. I’m going to briefly describe some of the AI updates from the
- [DeepSeek And The Business Of AI](https://arrgle.com/deepseek-and-the-business-of-ai/) - AI news is chaotic & overwhelming. Here's the simplified story of why DeepSeek caused the stock market to swoon.
- [The Return Of Bruceb News](https://arrgle.com/the-return-of-bruceb-news/) - News about AI, snarky jokes about Microsoft, obsessive coverage of AR & VR, and tech explanations for non-tech people - subscribe today.
- [Online Memorial For Jim Rowson](https://arrgle.com/online-memorial-for-jim-rowson/) - Jim Rowson passed away on December 26. There will be an online memorial for family, friends, and colleagues on Saturday, January 18 at 2:00pm.
- [“Optimize Enjoyment”: Remembering Jim Rowson](https://arrgle.com/optimize-enjoyment-remembering-jim-rowson/) - Jim Rowson passed away peacefully at home on December 26. His children were by his side. Jim was a visionary software engineer & one of the world's best people.
- [Bruce’s Top Ten 2024](https://arrgle.com/bruces-top-ten-2024/) - Spotify Wrapped, Australian band King Gizzard, and the best songs of the year according to a renowned expert.
- [The Rise And Fall Of Browser Home Pages](https://arrgle.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-browser-home-pages/) - A trip back to the early days of the internet, when investors poured money into web portal companies.
- [A Winning Combination Of Classic Noir And Hard Sci-fi](https://arrgle.com/a-winning-combination-of-classic-noir-and-hard-sci-fi/) - The Avatar Murders received a starred review from IndieReader - "enjoyable and compelling."
- [Seeing The World Through Rose-Colored Glasses (Literally)](https://arrgle.com/seeing-the-world-through-rose-colored-glasses-literally/) - These two photos look identical to me. What I see looks like the photo on the right. I have mild deuteranomaly - red-green colorblindness. Eight percent of men are red-green colorblind. (Almost no women. It’s a genetic thing.) It’s hard to describe, because my world has a full spectrum of colors – “colorblind” does not
- [Your Apartment, But Make It Game Of Thrones](https://arrgle.com/your-apartment-but-make-it-game-of-thrones/) - Here are some images & videos that make it easier to picture how technology can change reality.
- [Mixed Reality Goes Mainstream - Meta Quest 3 And Alien Puffballs](https://arrgle.com/mixed-reality-goes-mainstream-meta-quest-3-and-alien-puffballs/) - Meta Quest 3 & 3S headsets are cheaper than ever and offer great mixed reality experiences. We may be approaching a tipping point.
- [AI Glasses Might Invade Privacy (But That’s Old News)](https://arrgle.com/ai-glasses-might-invade-privacy-but-thats-old-news/) - Harvard students used Ray-Ban Meta glasses to identify people. I'm shocked, do you hear me, shocked!
- [No Human Beings Were Harmed In The Making Of These Podcasts](https://arrgle.com/no-human-beings-were-harmed-in-the-making-of-these-podcasts/) - Google NotebookLM is an AI research assistant that can generate accurate summaries without hallucinations - and now audio overviews with a single click.
- [AI Hallucinations](https://arrgle.com/ai-hallucinations-newsletter-11-28-2023/) - AI technology is in a strange place. I tried using AI for a simple task this week. I wasn’t expecting to deal with hallucinations. Let me give you some background. ChatGPT got one of the most successful product launches of all time when it became publicly available a year ago. It crystallized the hopes and
- [Dry Absurdism And Great Humanity](https://arrgle.com/dry-absurdism-and-great-humanity/) - Veilpiercer received a starred review from IndieReader. Plus, there's a ten minute podcast conversation which makes it sound serious and weighty.
- [Digital Sorcery In A Swiss Museum](https://arrgle.com/digital-sorcery-in-a-swiss-museum/) - Books with animated pictures, a granite relief map with rivers flowing off the edge - there is augmented reality magic in the Swiss National Museum.
- [What Has AI Done For You Lately?](https://arrgle.com/what-has-ai-done-for-you-lately/) - Weather forecasting & virus research - two examples of how AI is already changing the world. Plus a simple explanation of AI and machine learning.
- [Schrodinger’s AI: It’s A Bubble And Not A Bubble](https://arrgle.com/schrodingers-ai-its-a-bubble-and-not-a-bubble/) - AI appears to be a bubble combining massive investments with unrealistic hype. It's also improving your life and has the potential to change the world.
- [The Windows Laptop Mess](https://arrgle.com/the-windows-laptop-mess/) - Intel-based Windows laptops are deeply flawed. The new Snapdragon-based laptops are better but with worrying asterisks. Postpone shopping for a year or so.
- [The Scariest Cyber Security Story Of 2024](https://arrgle.com/the-scariest-cyber-security-story-of-2024/) - China has hacked into our power grid. Just mentioning it in case you weren't feeling enough gloom and despair already.
- [The Avatar Murders - Available Now](https://arrgle.com/the-avatar-murders-available-now/) - A detective in a seedy office. A femme fatale. Organized crime. High fashion. Clipped sentences. The Avatar Murders is available now!
- [Fun Things To Read On Your Summer Vacation](https://arrgle.com/fun-things-to-read-on-your-summer-vacation/) - The Avatar Murders is coming soon, Veilpiercer will be free on July 17, Uncommon Scents is RECOMMENDED by US Review of Books. Fun times at Arrgle Books!
- [Smart Glasses Get Smarter](https://arrgle.com/smart-glasses-get-smarter/) - There are two categories of smart glasses in July 2024: Glasses with AI built in to respond to questions; and glasses that display a large screen or two.
- [Veilpiercer Lives](https://arrgle.com/veilpiercer-lives/) - Your next favorite book, Veilpiercer, is now available from Amazon in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle editions. Buy a copy today!
- [AI Hype In Overdrive](https://arrgle.com/ai-hype-in-overdrive/) - Microsoft wants you to buy a new AI PC. It is impossible to tell whether the new AI features will be important to you or me or anyone. Here are the details.
- [Hot Book Gossip](https://arrgle.com/hot-book-gossip/) - Three books to add to the teetering pile of books next to your bed that you definitely no fooling plan to read.
- [Veilpiercer Now Available For Preorder](https://arrgle.com/veilpiercer-now-available-for-preorder/) - Veilpiercer, A New SF Novel by Bruce Berls Now Available For Preorder Sebastopol, CA: Today Bruce Berls announced that his new science fiction novel Veilpiercer will be released on June 18. The Kindle version can be preordered today. Hardcover and paperback copies will be available on the release date. The new novel is a standalone
- [Uncommon Scents Wins All The Awards](https://arrgle.com/uncommon-scents-wins-all-the-awards/) - Uncommon Scents was shortlisted for the prestigious Eric Hoffer Book Award Grand Prize, and earned several other Finalist and Honorable Mention awards.
- [AI And The Future Of AR Glasses](https://arrgle.com/ai-and-the-future-of-ar-glasses/) - An example of how AI might power a technical breakthrough: AI is unexpectedly accelerating development of lightweight, everyday AR glasses.
- [The Unpredictable Future of Augmented Reality](https://arrgle.com/the-unpredictable-future-of-augmented-reality-newsletter-11-14-2023/) - Tim Cook and Mark Zuckerberg believe that someday you will pick up your augmented reality glasses exactly as often as you pick up your phone today – which is to say, from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep, all day, every day, for a thousand reasons. You’ll use the glasses for
- [AI’s Acceleration To Warp Speed](https://arrgle.com/ais-acceleration-to-warp-speed/) - AI is going to change things that you use every day. The speed at which things change will be faster than anything you’ve ever lived through before. Ready?
- [When Words Collide: An Interview With Two SF Legends](https://arrgle.com/when-words-collide-an-interview-with-two-sf-legends/) - Jim Rowson & Bruce Berls in conversation - unfiltered, unreasonable, and unscented. With bonus pictures of nerds at no additional cost!
- [A Microsoft Engineer Saved The World](https://arrgle.com/a-microsoft-engineer-saved-the-world/) - An obsessive engineer found malware shortly before it was sent to the the world’s servers, including banks, hospitals, governments and Fortune 500 companies.
- [Five More Literary Novels From An Unreliable Source](https://arrgle.com/five-more-literary-novels-from-an-unreliable-source/) - Five novels spanning the period from 1989 until the early 2000s that make me swoon.
- [Ten Literary Novels To Read So Bruce Feels Validated](https://arrgle.com/ten-literary-novels-to-read-so-bruce-feels-validated/) - Quirky favorites of a 70 year old nerd. With luck, each book will stir some memory and you’ll add one to your To Be Read pile after you finish Uncommon Scents.
- [A Maze Of Twisty Little Passages](https://arrgle.com/a-maze-of-twisty-little-passages/) - The shocking truth behind the secret complex hidden under the Denver airport.
- [Editing and Revising: Even Diamonds Have To Be Polished](https://arrgle.com/editing-and-revising-even-diamonds-have-to-be-polished/) - For a moment authors believe their first draft is perfect. Here's what happens after that feeling fades - beta readers, editors and AI software tools.
- [The (Virtual) Shape Of Things To Come](https://arrgle.com/the-virtual-shape-of-things-to-come/) - Meta is continuing its work on devices that will evolve into true augmented reality glasses. Here are details of new deals and leaked prototypes.
- [Plot Holes, Procrastination, and Book Coaches](https://arrgle.com/plot-holes-procrastination-and-book-coaches/) - Here's basic info about the four stages of producing a book: writing, editing/revising, publishing, marketing. Plus some info about how book coaches can help.
- [How To Write A Bestseller](https://arrgle.com/how-to-write-a-bestseller/) - Funny stories and useful information about the state of the publishing industry in 2024.
- [Living La VR Loca](https://arrgle.com/living-la-vr-loca/) - Apple Vision Pro is here! I don't have one, you don't have one, but maybe it will help to know how I use a Quest Pro VR headset to do work.
- [The Missing Scene From Uncommon Scents](https://arrgle.com/the-missing-scene-from-uncommon-scents/) - Cut from the final draft - a scene packed with in-jokes, references to obscure conspiracy theories, Monty Python quotes, and programmer jargon.
- [Billionaires Behaving Badly](https://arrgle.com/billionaires-behaving-badly/) - The reality behind Veilpiercer’s supervillain I’m surprised by feedback about a character in Veilpiercer. Lexi Xenos is the CEO of the fictional giant tech company Arrgle, and she’s just awful. She’s obsessed with privilege. She’s rich beyond imagining and unashamed about using her wealth for selfish indulgence. She manipulates and belittles people, a high-tech version
- [Veilpiercer - Free Advance Draft](https://arrgle.com/veilpiercer-free-advance-draft/) - Bruce here. I have just finished my next novel, Veilpiercer. During the next few months I’ll be circulating it to editors and agents and possibly negotiating movie rights. If you would like to be a beta reader of Veilpiercer, send a quick email to info@arrgle.com and say “You betcha,” or “Hot diggity, free words, I’m
- [The Church Of Augmentology](https://arrgle.com/the-church-of-augmentology/) - Here’s a sample of Veilpiercer to whet your appetite. Lexi Xenos, the CEO of giant tech company Arrgle, is getting a briefing at a meeting of high level executives about the company’s plan to create a religion out of whole cloth to boost sales. Crazy, right? Completely unrelated, just a fun fact. Did you know
- [Bruce's Top Ten Playlist 2023](https://arrgle.com/bruces-top-ten-playlist-2023/) - Bruce here. Click here to listen to my annual playlist of the most interesting songs released in 2023. You’ll like it! At least listen to the first song, Wicked Mind - it’s the best new Tom Petty song in years. I started creating playlists in the 70s, handing out cassettes at Xmas to friends. In
- [Jim's Chocolate Chip Cookies](https://arrgle.com/jims-chocolate-chip-cookies/) - My mom made the best chocolate chip cookies.You can make them yourself - the recipe is below. Or drop by and we can make a batch together.Seventeen years ago I was working on a startup to help automate making videos from still photos and a soundtrack. Before writing the software, it’s always good to see
- [Why Writers Try To Save The Cat - Newsletter 12/12/2023](https://arrgle.com/why-writers-try-to-save-the-cat-newsletter-12-12-2023/)
- [Arrgle Gift Guide - Newsletter 12/05/2023](https://arrgle.com/arrgle-gift-guide-newsletter-12-05-2023/)
- [What It’s Like To Collaborate With A Jerk - Newsletter 11/21/2023](https://arrgle.com/what-its-like-to-collaborate-with-a-jerk-newsletter-11-21-2023/)
- [What Is Arrgle? - Newsletter 11/07/2023](https://arrgle.com/what-is-arrgle-newsletter-11-07-2023/)
- [Meta Quest 3: Great VR Device But Where’s The Excitement?](https://arrgle.com/meta-quest-3-great-vr-device-but-wheres-the-excitement/) - Meta Quest 3 is a great device at an affordable price. It should tip the scales for anyone curious about VR. Where's the marketing dept to create excitement?
- [Augmented Reality: The State Of The Art In 2023](https://arrgle.com/augmented-reality-the-state-of-the-art-in-2023/) - In the last article we talked about Xreal Air glasses and competitors. They look like sunglasses but when you put them on you can see a giant screen in the air a few feet in front of you, as if you’re sitting in a movie theater. As promised, Lenovo just formally announced its own AR glasses, Lenovo Legion Glasses, on
- [Augmented Reality Glasses: A Short Step Down A Long Road](https://arrgle.com/augmented-reality-glasses-a-short-step-down-a-long-road/) - You can buy glasses today that show you a huge screen hanging in the air a few feet in front of you. The display is crisp and clear. It looks like you’re watching a movie or playing a game on a 300-inch TV. Add some earbuds and the experience of sitting in a cramped airline
- [The Future Of Virtual Reality Is So Bright You Need Shades](https://arrgle.com/the-future-of-virtual-reality-is-so-bright-you-need-shades/) - VR is about to have its moment in the sun - new devices & new games at a time when Apple has made the world more aware of and curious about virtual reality.
- [More Missing Pieces From Apple’s Vision Pro Presentation](https://arrgle.com/more-missing-pieces-from-apples-vision-pro-presentation/) - Two very different approaches: Apple Vision Pro is missing shared experiences & physical activity, which are defining characteristics of Meta Quest VR devices.
- [What’s Missing From The Apple Vision Pro Headset](https://arrgle.com/whats-missing-from-the-apple-vision-pro-headset/) - Apple Vision Pro is an extraordinary technical achievement. But a few things were missing from Apple's presentation, like devices, customers, VR, and AR.
- [Privacy Is Impossible In The Metaverse (And Everywhere Else)](https://arrgle.com/privacy-is-impossible-in-the-metaverse-and-everywhere-else/) - A new study proves VR users can be uniquely identified by their head and hand movements. Interesting but not surprising - there are many ways to identify us.
- [Why Mark Zuckerberg Dreams About Roblox](https://arrgle.com/why-mark-zuckerberg-dreams-about-roblox/) - Over half of all US kids and teenagers under the age of 16 play Roblox every month. If you understand Roblox, then you'll know what Zuckerberg wants for Meta.
- [The Meta Quest Pro Is Oh So Expensive But Wonderful](https://arrgle.com/the-meta-quest-pro-is-oh-so-expensive-but-wonderful/) - Here's some context to help understand the Quest Pro's startling $1,499 price tag. I find it delightful; your mileage might vary. I'll tell you what to expect.
- [Mark Zuckerberg Is Right About The Metaverse](https://arrgle.com/mark-zuckerberg-is-right-about-the-metaverse/) - You’re convinced Mark Zuckerberg will fail, right? A little more than a year ago Zuckerberg renamed Facebook to “Meta.” He is investing billions of dollars in virtual reality and augmented reality devices with very little short-term profit potential. Meta’s VR products have been widely panned – the Quest Pro VR headset is criticized for being
- [Google Is Laying The Foundation For An Augmented Reality Future](https://arrgle.com/google-is-laying-the-foundation-for-an-augmented-reality-future/) - Google built its empire on searches that start with words typed in a box. Now it’s preparing us for a future of searching what you see using Google Lens.
- [The Next Generation Of Virtual Reality](https://arrgle.com/the-next-generation-of-virtual-reality/) - The Oculus Quest Pro is the first of a new generation of VR headsets - some affordable, all with improved specs, plus new games & apps. Here's what to expect.
- [Virtual Reality And The Input Problem](https://arrgle.com/virtual-reality-and-the-input-problem/) - We’ve been talking about new devices for AR and VR as if they’re just engineering challenges. All the companies have to do is invent some cool batteries and lenses and poof, there’s a revolution. There’s another problem and it’s just as difficult as the high tech stuff. Let’s call it the input problem. How do you
- [A Singular Road To Augmented Reality](https://arrgle.com/a-singular-road-to-augmented-reality/) - Augmented reality glasses will replace your mobile phone. Well, that’s the vision, so to speak. Don’t take my word for it. That’s what Tim Cook thinks, and I hear he’s pretty well informed. It’s not going to happen very soon. A lot of devices will come and go during the next ten years, a lot of
- [New AR/VR Products Arriving Soon](https://arrgle.com/new-ar-vr-products-arriving-soon/) - We are on the verge of marketing pushes for new AR/VR devices by two giant corporations. Later this month Facebook/Meta will introduce a new generation of its Oculus VR headsets, the enterprise-focused Oculus Quest Pro. In 2023 Apple will finally show off glasses that blend AR and VR in ways yet to be revealed.Perhaps to
- [Virtual Reality Has No Future And It’s Mark Zuckerberg’s Fault](https://arrgle.com/virtual-reality-has-no-future-and-its-mark-zuckerbergs-fault/) - Luxuriate in the awfulness of the above picture. It’s Mark Zuckerberg’s avatar in virtual reality, taking a selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower and it’s hard to be sure, maybe Sagrada Familia in Barcelona? Meta released the picture to promote the release of its VR environment Horizon Worlds in Spain and France. Within an hour
- [Google Will Try To Avoid The AR Privacy Trap](https://arrgle.com/google-will-try-to-avoid-the-ar-privacy-trap/) - Google is going to send a few of its AR glasses to the outside world to get better testing feedback. Its announcement was carefully calibrated to forestall cheap jokes about a new generation of “Google Glassholes.” Apparently the Google AR team is carefully reading Bruceb News, because Google is adopting my suggestions about how to
- [Mojo Vision Shows World’s First AR Smart Contact Lens](https://arrgle.com/mojo-vision-shows-worlds-first-ar-smart-contact-lens/) - Three weeks ago Drew Perkins, the CEO of Mojo Vision, wore a feature-complete augmented reality smart contact lens at the company’s labs in Saratoga, CA. He could “interact with a compass to find my bearings, view images, and use an on-screen teleprompter.” To be clear, that means those things were in his field of vision under his control,
- [Gaming 2019: Virtual Reality](https://arrgle.com/gaming-2019-virtual-reality/) - Oculus released two virtual reality headsets a couple of weeks ago. Doesn’t mean anything to you? Trust me – this is the most fun you can have with technology in 2019. I’ll try to describe it but more important: if you have a chance to get a demo of a VR headset, take advantage of
- [Headcrabs And The Future Of Virtual Reality](https://arrgle.com/headcrabs-and-the-future-of-virtual-reality/) - The future of virtual reality may depend on headcrab zombies. Last week, game developer Valve Corporation made a bombshell announcement: it will release a new VR game, Half-Life: Alyx, in March 2020. The gaming and virtual reality communities are going nuts – gamer forums exploding with excited comments and complaints; nonstop articles in the tech press
- [Everything You Need To Know About Gaming 2019: Casual & Mobile Games](https://arrgle.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-gaming-2019-casual-mobile-games/) - All of the interesting developments in technology in 2019 are happening in the video game industry, a result of new technologies combined with savvy marketing to draw in audiences of all ages, driven by far larger amounts of money than you realize. Everything else in technology is on autopilot. Very little has changed in the
- [There’s More To Augmented Reality Than Meets The Eye](https://arrgle.com/theres-more-to-augmented-reality-than-meets-the-eye/) - I’m curious – when I talk about “augmented reality,” do you know what that is? I feel like it might not be part of the general consciousness yet. I don’t have any new development to point to, nobody introduced new products last week or anything like that. But it’s time for you to pay attention,
- [Facebook Goes Meta](https://arrgle.com/facebook-goes-meta/) - Facebook changed its name to “Meta.” Been reading the tech news? You’ve probably seen all kinds of speculation about the reasons for the name change. Most journalists figure that Facebook is just looking for a distraction from its problems. And it has problems! Facebook is under pressure from regulators and lawmakers for all sorts of
- [Augmented Reality – The Big Picture](https://arrgle.com/augmented-reality-the-big-picture/) - Augmented reality is going to be a Really Big Deal, but not for many years. Every major tech company will spend billions of dollars in 2022 on augmented reality. This is a transition year. None of the big tech companies will have a product to buy in 2022 that will help you understand why they’re
- [Augmented Reality – The Long Road](https://arrgle.com/augmented-reality-the-long-road/) - See if I have this right. You read the last article and you agreed completely that you can ignore virtual reality, because that’s what you wanted to hear. But you can’t imagine why I say that augmented reality is going to be a big deal, so you skipped that part. Here’s the way the next few years
- [Google Wants To Play With The Other Augmented Kids](https://arrgle.com/google-wants-to-play-with-the-other-augmented-kids/) - Last fall all the cool companies started talking about their augmented reality plans and throwing around the term “metaverse” as if it meant something. (Insider tip: it doesn’t.) Journalists have been crowding around Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft on the playground to report on their secret plans. Google felt left out, so recently it started to
- [Niantic Redefines The Metaverse](https://arrgle.com/niantic-redefines-the-metaverse/) - Niantic is a tech company developing tools and games for the day when augmented reality will be widely adopted. Niantic’s founder and CEO John Hanke has strong opinions about the very different worlds of augmented reality and virtual reality, saying that the metaverse would be a “dystopian nightmare” if it is built in virtual reality. When
- [Amazon Doesn’t Want To Miss The Augmented Future](https://arrgle.com/amazon-doesnt-want-to-miss-the-augmented-future/) - Amazon is quietly doing its own research into augmented reality glasses and apps. Evidence has been uncovered that Amazon is assembling a sizable team to work on some kind of AR/VR device. And in some sense Amazon is ahead of the others, because it has already released kind-of-smart glasses with some Alexa integration. In their
- [Google Shows The Promise Of Augmented Reality](https://arrgle.com/google-shows-the-promise-of-augmented-reality/) - Google demonstrated an augmented reality product last week that may never exist. I don’t want you to look at it and decide to sit at your desk hitting refresh on the Google Store waiting for it to go on sale. It’s exciting but it’s not that kind of demo. It’s hard for most people to understand the
- [Privacy Is The Plutonium Of Augmented Reality](https://arrgle.com/privacy-is-the-plutonium-of-augmented-reality/) - Augmented reality will fail unless it comes with augmented privacy. This is completely separate from the technical difficulty of developing AR equipment. Apple decided not to talk about its AR glasses at last week’s developer conference because they need more time to work on battery life and display issues. Meta/Facebook is famously devoting vast resources to consumer AR
- [Will Augmented Reality Push Us Over A Privacy Cliff?](https://arrgle.com/will-augmented-reality-push-us-over-a-privacy-cliff/) - Ten years from now you may pick up your augmented reality glasses automatically, exactly as you pick up your phone today. The glasses will do many of the same things, plus they’ll offer new ways to communicate or obtain information or entertain yourself. They also have the potential to invade your privacy in exactly the same ways that your
- [DOPPA Is The Imaginary Law That Can Restore Our Privacy](https://arrgle.com/doppa-is-the-imaginary-law-that-can-restore-our-privacy/) - I’ve been writing about privacy for a long time. I wrote a series of articles about location tracking and a useful overview of data brokers and a long series of articles about privacy and trust. Most recently I wrote a cautionary article about why privacy concerns could doom augmented reality devices. I can tell you with confidence that personal privacy is obsolete. At

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- [The Avatar Murders](https://arrgle.com/product/the-avatar-murders/) - A Kurt Hardash Mystery By Jim Rowson "RECOMMENDED - Rendering a colorful world in noir black-and-white, Jim Rowson's THE AVATAR MURDERS successfully blends the grim charm of its genre with near-future science fiction." - IndieReader The Avatar Murders is a classic noir story in a near-future setting. A detective in a seedy office. A femme fatale whose attempts to seduce Kurt Hardash, private investigator, leave him alternately tingling and wracked with unresolved guilt about the loss of his wife. Organized crime. Corporate espionage. The unethical exploitation of cutting-edge technology. A cast of characters motivated by greed, lust, and power. A world rife with corruption. Kurt lost the love of his life to a nasty pandemic. It may be man made. He has a serious problem with that. Kurt’s long time detective friend draws him into a high profile multiple murder case to distract him from his grief. Thrust into the sleazy world of digital high fashion, he’s hired to protect the CEO of an avatar company, the biggest supplier of augmented beauty to the rich and famous. When he uncovers a complex conspiracy, Kurt becomes a target for the corrupt police force and an ambitious mob. He’s after the pandemic creator to avenge his wife, but first he has to stand up to the vicious mob that wants to control him. Or kill him. His choice. IndieReader raves: "THE AVATAR MURDERS is a winning combination of classic noir and hard sci-fi. Augmented reality is already appearing in everyday life, so its use here is surprisingly grounding; none of the uses in THE AVATAR MURDERS seem far out of reach. A society built on concealment is the perfect setting for a hard-boiled murder mystery. . . . The novel is enjoyable and compelling.” The Avatar Murders is now available on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle editions.
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- [Uncommon Scents](https://arrgle.com/product/uncommon-scents/) - By Bruce Berls & Jim Rowson "RECOMMENDED - Action-packed and deeply humorous" - The US Review of Books Eric Hoffer Book Award Grand Prize Short List • Finalist, First Horizon Award • Honorable Mention, Eric Hoffer Science Fiction Award • Finalist, Next Generation Indie Book First Novel Award Uncommon Scents is a cautionary frolic that has more humor and 80% less dystopia than the average near-future thriller. In 2053, augmented reality has become the primary source of entertainment and communication for most people, as well as cluttering the world with nonstop floating ads. Lara is not happy about this new version of reality. Worse, she and her husband Spiro are being driven apart by his all-consuming work for the largest AR tech company - work that he can’t talk to her about because it is so annoyingly secret. Lara winds up hunted by fierce security guards and a flash mob of conspiracy theorists, all trying to find out who is leaking company secrets. She has to decide what is more important: saving the world or saving her marriage. Uncommon Scents is now available on Amazon in hardcover and paperback. The Kindle version is only $3.95. Such a deal!

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