Why Microsoft Tay.Ai and Facebook chatbots are is future of Fast food and online shopping

Chatbots are now all the rage in Mobile Social Media these days.

Not surprising to me as I’d predicted this phenomenon some time and it may be coming soon if Google has their way as predicted in my blog article entitled “How Google and GSMA RCS on Telcos means Ad Chatbots to unseat WhatsApp dominance”. 

From March 2, 2016

Microsoft is no exception and is now testing out their latest chatbot, Tay.ai as reported in the article “Microsoft's AI bot wants to chat with all you young adults”, published March 23, 2016 by Mary Jo Foley, CNET News. 

As of writing this, the chatbot has been shut down as online users taught the chatbot conspiracy theories, racist concepts and yes swear words, forcing Microsoft to shut it down as reported in the article “Microsoft chatbot is taught to swear on Twitter”, published 24 March 2016 by By Jane Wakefield, BBC News.

The chatbot is aimed primarily at 18-y-o to 24-y-o in the US as they do most of the random purchases for stuff online. Tay is a lot like a real person and you can be her friend and share information with her mainly:

1.      Nickname

2.      Gender

3.      Favorite food

4.      Zip code

5.      Relationship status

Luckily, users can delete this at their behest, Tay is also super social, having several social media accounts on twitter, Snapchat, Kik and GroupMe.

Her Twitter account, by the way is @TayandYou and so far she's pretty tame albeit she still needs to get the hang of talking like a teenager.

According to Tay.ai About page, Microsoft dipped into random and anonymous Twitter data and then used comedians in tandem with the AI to develope her personality.

So why is Microsoft building a Bot and they don't even have their own Social Network?

Microsoft Tay.Ai - Why the future of Fast food and online shopping is chatbots

The idea I suspect is that Tay.ai will be made open source for developers to integrate into their Social Media messaging platforms.

This will occur in much the same way that Kik is using Blynk to talk to teenagers as noted in my blog article entitled “Kik buys Blynk - Why chatbots are the future of music and shopping”. 

Facebook already has plans to include chatbots to deliver business Ads and possibly play chess with you as predicted in my blog article entitled “How FB Messenger Ads means Chess playing Chatbots with Fast Food Coupons”. 

Still, I suspect the Facebook's basketball bot, if they plan to make it into a bot, as noted in the article “How to play Facebook Messenger's secret basketball game”, published 19 March 2016 by Jason Cipriani, CNET News will be a lot more popular and will get kids to order more KFC and pizza.

Generation Z already socialized to love Bots - Cool bot that gives out pizza coupons is ok

Microsoft known that teenagers aka Generation Z, aren't too bothered by the data sharing so long as they can get free KFC and Pizza coupons in exchange.

After all, Social Media already affords them free calling via such platforms such as WhatsApp with video calling around the corner as predicted in my blog article entitled “How WhatsApp Video Calling in 2016 is Apple's FaceTime, Microsoft's Skype and Google Hangouts competition”.

So what to worry about if you sharing with a cool bot program that gives out KFC and pizza coupons, especially as they're already being socialized to see robots as friendly. In fact, most teenagers won’t feel surprised to see robot delivery like Domino's DRU as described in my blog article entitled “How Marathon Robotics Dominoes Robotic Unit will replace Pizza Delivery in New Zealand”.   

By the time bots become mainstream, most Generation Z would have already being socialized to accept robots as friendly, even if they'll take away their future jobs. for now, she'll need some more sensitization to the “system” before she can be let out into the wild to interact with regular humans.

Here’s the link:

Tay.ai About page

@TayandYou Twitter handle: @TayandYou

How Benchmark Renewable Energy Sorghum to make Ethanol might be perfect sugar Replacement

Biofuel from sorghum is finally coming to Jamaica.

Florida-based company Benchmark Renewable Energy has plans to construct a 10 million-gallon ethanol plant in Jamaica as reported in the article “New Ethanol Plant For Jamaica”, published Wednesday March 9, 2016 by Camilo Thame, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

Their planned feedstock is sorghum, a plant that's similar to sugar but looks a lot like wheat as shown below.

 

They're planning to plant some 4,000 hectares of sorghum in the next two (2) years to yield can yield up to 400,000 tonnes of sorghum annually from two harvests. An additional 4000 hectares will make it possible for them to double the capacity of their ethanol plant to 20 million gallons.

Their business model is based on sales of ethanol to Petrojam as an additive to gasoline.

In so doing, they hope to replace some 80% of Jamaica's imported ethanol. They will also generate their own electricity by firing up a 6MW electrical generator, which will allow them to sell some electricity to the JPS Co (Jamaica Public Service Company)

Ethanol from Sorghum not a new idea – Russians floated the idea that never materialized

If this plan sounds familiar it should; some Russian investors had a similar idea back in March 2011 as reported in my blog article entitled “Russians see potential in Ethanol Fuel Plant in Jamaica – From Russia With Love for sorghum”.  .

However, for reasons unknown, the plant never materialized and I've not heard of the Russians or their plans to make ethanol from sorghum. I'm hopeful for this investment to succeed, as Benchmark Renewable Energy are awaiting several things:

1.      Lease agreement for 4,000 hectares of land

2.      Offtake agreement with the state-run refinery, Petrojam,  

3.      Power purchase agreement with the JPS co

So can this idea be duplicated through Jamaica?

Growing sorghum - The Rise of the Health conscious Sugar Market in Jamaica

Expect the company to break ground in April 2016 and developed over the next two (2) years as Growing sorghum isn't easy but fairly easy to harvest.

We might soon hear of the rise of small sugar producers who use sorghum to target a health conscious market as predicted in my blog article entitled “Why Seprod and GraceKennedy are expanding into the Branded Sugar Market in Jamaica”.

Sorghum might be a great replacement for sugar, seeing as sugar is dying as noted in “Gov't To Help Chinese-Owned Pan Caribbean Sugar Factory”, Published Tuesday March 22, 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

Care has to be taken to rest the land as sorghum mops up whatever nitrogen is in the soil. Plant rotation with mustard seed, a nitrogen fixing plant, will help to replenish the soil and produce some 500,000 gallons of aviation jet fuel aka kerosene. Despite this, sorghum is carbon negative, removing some three tonnes of Carbon dioxide for every one tonne of sorghum produced.

I expect in short order another company coming to Jamaica to grow Sorghum to supply branded healthy sugar, despite there being no such thing.

So a replacement for sugar, then!? 

How to make Glow-In-The-Dark Foska Oats, Guinness Lasco Wray and Nephew Rum Ice Cream

It's Easter Break and you'll need all the strength you can get to play Mas at Carnival Bacchanal Road March as noted in my MICO Wars blog article entitled “Bacchanal Jamaica reveals the designs for their Carnival Jamaica 2016 Costumes come Sunday April 3rd 2016”.

So I decided to make you a little nutritional Glow-In-The-Dark Foska Oats, Guinness Lasco Wray and Nephew Rum Ice Cream that's sure to put the pep in your step come the day when you're trippin’ down the road!

Here the recipe for my Glow-In-The-Dark Foska Oats, Guinness Lasco Wray and Nephew Rum Ice Cream.

1.      1 bottle Guinness

2.      1 pack Lasco Ice Dream

3.      1/2 pound of peanuts with shell

4.      1 tbsp Vanilla Essence

5.      1/2 tsp Grated Nutmeg

6.      1 cup raw Foska Oats

7.      1 cup raw or baked (unsalted) peanuts

8.      1 shot of Wray and Nephew rum

9.      1/2 Cup Schweppes Tonic water

10.  1 pack of Gelatin

With so many Millennials (ages 18 to 28) into Carnival these days as noted in my MICO Wars blog article entitled “Why Bacchanal Jamaica’s Carnival more young revellers Playin’ Mas in 2016” making the Glow-In-The-Dark Oats and Guinness Punch is easy as putting on a Carnival costume:

1.      Soak raw Foska Oats in Guinness, white rum and Schweppes Tonic water for 24 hours

2.      Blend in a blender at high RPM for 10 minutes until airy and frothy

3.      Add peanuts with shell, vanilla, supligen and grated nutmeg.

4.      Add in the pack Lasco Ice Dream

5.      Add the Gelatin

6.      Blend the ingredients until you get a smooth mixture that can pass though a fine sieve

7.      Chill in the refrigerator

Once chilled until creamy, you have the perfect serving of Glow-In-The-Dark Foska Oats, Guinness Lasco Wray and Nephew Rum Ice Cream. This is a perfect demonstration of the use of Lasco Ice Dream aside from making just plain old ice cream as noted in my blog article entitled “How JA$130 Lasco Ice Dream dessert mix will revolutionize the Jamaican Ice Cream market”. 

You can also make some chocolate Ice Cream bowls as explained in my blog article entitled “How to Make Edible Chocolate Bowls for Ice Cream – Satisfy My Bowl that’s Sweet to Eat”. 

This glows in the dark, so make sure you have your UV lamps ready after Carnival is over so as to celebrate with friends and family. Happy Easter and share the love by sharing this recipe!

How Dr. Denise Duncan Goffe makes 6 H1N1 Deaths as 69 swine flu cases before @themohgovjm

“The management and staff of the South East Regional Health Authority mourn the loss of Dr. Denise Duncan Goffe. We would like to express our heartfelt condolences to her family and our prayers are with them during this difficult time of bereavement”

Press release from SERHA with regards to the death of Dr. Denise Duncan Goffe from H1N1

H1N1 (Influenza A) is now on a killing spree that resembles a serial killer.

This time, on Saturday March 19^th 2016, it has claimed the life of Dr. Denise Duncan Goffe, a Clinical Quality Assurance Officer as reported in the article “Another doctor dies from swine flu”, published March 19, 2016, Loop News.

At over 60, she now becomes the second doctor to die from H1N1 (Influenza A) at UHWI (University Hospital of the West Indies), the first being 50-y-o Dr. Suzanna Roye as reported on Saturday February 20^th 2016 in my blog article entitled “Why Dr. Suzanna Roye died from Influenza A (H1N1) as Ministry of Health stocks up on Tamiflu”. 

This is less than four weeks ago, making the H1N1 (Influenza A) virus killing rate equivalent to the rate of road fatalities cause by motorcycles as noted in my blog article entitled “NRSC record increase in Motorcycle Deaths - Why Road Traffic Act need to license Motorized Bicycles and Electric Bikes”.

So here's an update to the tally originally posted in my blog article entitled “How 4 Jamaicans dead and 35 infected as H1N1 (Influenza A) goes on a Rampage” as the H1N1 (Influenza A) virus spreads as:

1.      187 tests done

2.      69 swine flu cases

3.      6 patients dead

4.      2 doctors

Who exactly was Dr. Denise Duncan Goffe?

Dr. Denise Duncan Goffe is the sixth H1N1 Death – How Touching Virus is ignored by the Media

Dr. Denise Duncan Goffe was employed to the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) for over a year after retiring from her post as Director of Health Service Planning and Integration in the Ministry of Health in 2014. Dr Goffe, like Dr. Suzanna Roye, was in the high risk group as she suffered from other ailments.

This put her in a vulnerable group of Jamaicans with weak immune system:

1.      Elderly

2.      Infants

3.      Persons with chronic medical conditions, such as heart, lung, kidney disease, and diabetes and Asthma

4.      Pregnant women

5.      Young children

Again, her death is being overshadowed by the media coverage as evidenced by this rather poorly written article in the Jamaica Gleaner entitled “JUST IN: Second Medical Doctor Dies From Swine Flu-Related Complications ... Overall Death Toll Now At Six”, published Saturday March 19, 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

In fact, both the Jamaica Gleaner and the Jamaica Observer are distracted by their coverage of ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletic Championships, which started on Tuesday March 15^th and is slated to end Saturday March 19^th 2016 as noted in my blog article entitled “How Ministry of Health ramping up as Chikungunya, Zika, Dengue and H1N1 attack Jamaican at Champs”.

So the elderly need to be on their guard, as H1N1 (Influenza A) is spreading, killing people with weakened immune systems.

The 411 on Swine Flu – How to protect yourself from H1N1 (Influenza A)

Luckily, the Influenza A (H1N1) virus isn't airborne.

Rather, it's spread via coming in contact with aerosolized body fluids i.e. saliva or sputum ejected from the mouth or nose of the infected patient. This should be called the Touching Virus, as once you touch a commonly used surface e.g. tables, chairs or doorknobs coated with Influenza A (H1N1) viral particles, tag, you're it!

Fortunately, Jamaica now has testing facilities for H1N1, Zika Virus, Chikungunya and Dengue as reported in the article “Jamaica Fully Equipped to Test For Zika”, published March 13, 2016 By Alecia Smith Edwards, The Jamaica Information Service.

This is thanks to the recently upgraded National Virology Reference Laboratory, which was done at a cost of $10 million. Also vaccination against H1N1 (Influenza A) is coming for doctors and nurses as reported in the article “Get Vaccinated - Senior Medical Doctor Urges Action Against H1N1”, Published Saturday March 12, 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner.

 700 health care workers are already vaccinated out of the 5000 vaccine ampoules ordered by the Ministry of Health. Those 5000 H1N1 Vaccines that Minister of Health Dr. Christopher Tufton mentioned breaks down as follows:

1.      1000 from Trinidad and Tobago

2.      3000 from PAHO (Pan American Health Organization)

3.      1000 from Belize

More may be needed as the illness spreads as noted in “Ministry Stepping Up Procurement Of Flu Vaccines For Frontline Health Workers”, Published Friday March 11, 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Hopefully, the panic will not spread with the virus, as that’s actually deadlier than the four of them combined! Doctors, Health care workers and regular Jamaicans can reduce the spread of Influenza A (H1N1) virus by doing the following:

1.      Avoid contact with persons with flu-like symptoms

2.      Avoid intimate contact including hand shaking and kissing

3.      Cover your mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing

4.      Health care workers wearing specialized masks and other PPE

5.      Wash your hands frequently and properly

98% of persons infected with Influenza A (H1N1) rarely show symptoms as noted in the article “Leicester Royal Infirmary closes wards over swine flu”, published 18 February 2016, BBC. The remaining 2% tend to have the following symptoms:

1.      Dry cough

2.      Headache

3.      High fever

4.      Muscle and joint pains

5.      Runny nose

6.      Sore throat

7.      Tiredness

8.      Unwell feeling

Doctors usually prescribe the following drugs for the above symptoms:

1.      Panadol/Tylenol

2.      DPH

3.      Claritine [loratidine]

4.      Cetirizine

5.      Fexofenadine

Good to note that these drugs do not kill the virus but merely treat the symptoms as follows:

1.      Panadol/Tylenol is an Acetaminophen and is taken to relieve the Muscle and joint pains

2.      DPH, claritine [loratidine], cetirizine, or fexofenadine with pseudoephedrine is used to reduce sneezing and the production of mucus and sputum

Still, I recommend buying Pineapples and making your own cough syrup by blending the whole pineapple as noted in my blog article entitled “Why JP Tropical Foods Pineapples will be a hit in Jamaica this Christmas”.  

Taking multivitamins such as Vitamin C and Vitamin B Complex will help to boost your immune system. Something tells me more people are slated to die as this disease spreads across Jamaica, one handshake at a time. 

Why Knockalva Enterprises Limited can solve Jamaica's Organic Waste, Bio-Fuel and Water Problem

“We are 40 per cent less expensive than imported equivalents. Even so, our margins are still good because we are in business to make satisfactory returns on our investment”

Dr Hansel Beckford commenting on their company Knockalva Enterprises Limited plans to make compost

Compost is great for growing plants. However, competition to inorganic fertilizer hasn't materialized....until now.

Enter Knockalva Enterprises Limited, why are vying to become a large scale supplier of Compost to the Bauxite industry as reported in “Start-Up Knockalva Enterprises To Make Organic Fertiliser”, Published Friday March 18, 2016 by Steven Jackson, The Jamaica Gleaner.

 

The company was started by co-chief executive officers Dr Hansel Beckford, a crop physiologist, and Max Keith, a chartered accountant, and will be selling the following organic fertilizer products:

1.      Fertiliser

2.      Potting compost

3.      Garden soil

So who is their planned market?

Knockalva Enterprises Limited Organic Fertilizer - Why Organic Fertilizer is needed to solve Organic Waste Problem

When Knockalva Enterprises Limited is up and running, they'll be selling their product under the Easi-Gro Brand in the following:

1.      10 lb and 20 lb packages for the retail trade

2.      50 lb and 100 lb bulk supplies for commercial users

The company plans to start selling their organic fertilizer by the end of May 2016 to the following interested groups:

1.      Bauxite companies

2.      Coffee farmers

3.      Sugar cane farmers

4.      Landscapers and Gardeners

Already, they've projected sales of JA$168 million. However, they do have competition from Ecowells Limited, an organic Fertilizer manufacturer as noted in the article “Waste In, Fertiliser Out - Ecowells Turns Trash Into Compost”, Published Monday May 14, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

Ecowells Limited has three different products:

1.      Compost

2.      Compost Potting Mix

3.      Worm Castings

Ecowell Limited probably uses the same techniques as Knockalva Enterprises Limited to make their compost. Locally sources organic material such as grass cuttings, fruit peelings as well as animal droppings from farmers is then heated in a process similar to making coal. However, the temperature is maintained at 110F and 150F for between six and eight weeks to kill harmful bacteria.

Then dentritovores such as worms, bugs and special bacteria decompose the remaining organic material ready to be packages in their various products. This means that the production of Organic Fertilizer is a great way to recycle organic material into agriculture instead of throwing it away in landfills being thrown into landfills or being washed into stream, causing algae to grow.

Knocklava Enterprises Limited will have to have prices cheaper than Ecowell Limited offering which are priced as follows:

1.      JA$450 and JA$480 for a 20 lb bag  

2.      JA$900 and JA$1,000 for a 60 lb bag

3.      JA$1,000 for a 100 lb bag

4.      JA$6,000 per cubic yard

However, it’s good to note that Ecowell Limited and Knockalva Enterprises Limited only recycle premium organic waste. What about recycling other types of organic waste in Jamaica?

Organic Waste Competition coming - Recycling everything organic to make fertilizer and biofuel

What has me interested is that Knockalva Enterprises Limited or other startups that are bound to come along can also recycle human waste from sewage to produce compost with drinking water as a VAP (Value Added Product) as predicted in my blog article entitled “Water Wastage at MICO - How Waste Water Recycling and Rainwater Harvesting benefits Agriculture”. 

Other startups can also recycle other types of organic waste, such as wood trimmings from bush and even waste meat and eggs like those the Downtown Vendors attempted to sell from the Riverton City Dump as pointed out in my blog article entitled “How Discarded Meat from Riverton City Dump is still being sold in Downtown Kingston”. 

Another startup can even recycle coffee grindings into fuel pellets as is the case with UK startup Bio-Bean as noted in my blog article entitled “How Bio-Bean is making Biofuel from Coffee Waste as Coruscant looms”.  

Cooking Oil can be recycled into Biofuel as HERO BX plans to do in the Caribbean as noted in my blog article entitled “HERO BX commercial-scale biodiesel plant - How Jamaica can recycle Cooking Oil to supply US$614.92 billion market”.

Hopefully, the lifelong friends who started Knockalva Enterprises Limited will get the funding they need. Organic Fertilizer can potentially break our dependence on imported fertilizer by recycling the waste that we already produce. 

In the process, as more organic fertilizer makers come into Jamaica, they might recycle human waste from sewage into drinking Water and potentially solve our drought problem. While they're at it, they can also recycle our organic Garbage, coffee waste and cooking oil waste into bio-fuel that can be used to run generators and even motor vehicles one day.