Breaking news from Romanian Skynet! The Alex-RO has officially now received a critical firmware update in the form of his very own wife (I know – just go with it), Diana* – who’s currently running in parallel for a limited trial period.

And clearly Diana is a woman well-acquainted with the particular quirks of the Alex-RO operating system. The very first thing she said to me – once introduced – was, “So, is he telling you all about Romanian history?” To which I diplomatically replied that yes, he certainly knows his stuff. Cue a knowing “I feel your pain” type look and a wry, “Yes. I have heard this said”.

Buoyed by the installation of a more compatible add-on, I seized the opportunity to put in a (very tactfully worded!) support request directly to the Bot for a reduced data dump overall, on the grounds that my brain had already reached max storage capacity. Not entirely sure the Alex-RO has fully processed this new input as yet, but it does at least seem that the living legend that is Diana has the enviable ability to partially adjust his settings and redirect conversation protocols – even if she can’t quite override the core programming entirely.

Anyhoo, away from the firmware and back to folklore… Yesterday I also made a day trip to the much-hyped Bran Castle – widely touted as the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’, a fact the local souvenir sellers are keen to remind you of every ten steps.

I’ve also been to the houses of Vlad Țepeș – or Vlad the Impaler – on whom the Dracula character is apparently based in the beautiful – if unpronounceable – village of Sighișoara, a UNESCO world heritage site and very lovely with it too.

So, all in all, system compatibility appears to be gradually improving, if only thanks to the temporary deployment of new third-party software. For now, the Alex-RO is visibly more relaxed in Diana’s company, and is showing much more of his human side as a result – or at least, a halfway convincing simulation of it. Turns out even the most rigid operating systems can seemingly run smoother – with the right tech support plugged in…. 🙂

* Not her real name.