Author: Munro Stewart

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Life Scholar • Play Curator
World Writer • Tech Officer
Human Advisor • Sport Analyst

Easier Life Theory (Motivation)

🌎 World • 📁 World Dreams

Theory - Does an easier life mean lower intelligence? Is it possible that the easier that life gets for humans or any species, the more likely their intelligence is to decrease?

Dogs are not very smart compared to humans obviously. They are playful and friendly. This could come from the fact that their lives have become very easy. At least most of the dogs that I mostly see, which are pets, do not have to fight for their survival, or work to get food or shelter.

If my theory is correct, then it would be unlikely that dogs which are pets would improve their intelligence, but are basically getting less intelligent as they are currently evolving. They have no need to increase their intelligence. All of their needs are taken care of. Maybe an easier life generally means that a species or animal gets friendlier and less intelligent. A harder life overall could force a species or animal to become more intelligent to survive.

I would think humans currently have an easier life now than at any time in history. I believe we also have an easier life by far than any wild animals that we don't keep as pets or keep captive for our food or other reasons. Maybe us humans as a whole could have a tough time continuing to improve our intelligence because our lives have become easier. We are possibly becoming more playful and friendly like pet dogs.

I don't think our intelligence is decreasing right now overall compared to the history of the world. It is absolutely amazing what humans have accomplished and learned in the last 200 years. I think our intelligence has increased dramatically in that time. I wonder if that will continue and if the world will keep giving us new challenges to overcome to force us to increase our intelligence.

February 13, 2014

Keep Notes In Text Files

🩷 Human • 📁 Human Notes

Why would you choose to use text files for notes and lists instead of using a notes app? There are a number of advantages to writing your notes in simple .txt files using a text editor.

Keeping notes and lists in text files might not be everyone's cup of tea. But here are a few of the key reasons why I have kept a lot of notes, lists, tasks, journals, and other information in regular old text files.

1. Open Anywhere and No Data Lock-In

What's great about using .txt files for notes and lists is that you can open the files literally on any device. You don't have to worry about having the app or web app to open your files and read your information. You don't have to worry about your information being locked into a file format, operating system, or website that you can't get it out of. With Evernote, you need to use their apps and their apps only. They hold your data hostage, and if they decided now not to offer a free version, you'd either have to pay whatever they said to pay for it or be out of luck with all of your data.

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Why The 10 Inch Tablet Could Be Dying

💻 Tech • 📁 Tech Plans

Steve Jobs was quoted as saying 'I think PCs are going to be like trucks. Fewer people will need them.' It seems to be happening. However, in my mind there has been a significant evolution of the tablet landscape in the first 4 years since the iPad's introduction. And I believe this may have a bigger impact than we currently realize on what role tablets and PCs will play for people in the future, and what other PCs or devices we may use.

It might be obvious at this point, but to me it's looking more and more like tablets that you can easily hold in one hand will become the future of tablets, while larger tablets will merge with laptops and also include a detachable or even an attached keyboard. This means tablets of about 8 or 9 inches, but not nearly as wide as the original 9.7 inch iPad. And certainly not larger screen sizes of 12 or 14 inches that are used for laptops with keyboards built-in. Instead, these larger 10 to 14 inch tablets will merge with laptops, while tablets of 8 or 9 inches will really be the largest pure tablet size. Again, phones and pure tablets will be devices you can hold comfortably in one hand. Larger "tablets" or laptops will more likely include a keyboard, unlike the original 9.7" iPad.

If this happens, it could mean that a tablet may not be as good at completely replacing a PC or laptop as some people were hoping. Basically, as smaller tablets become more popular, it becomes more likely that more people may also need a laptop or desktop PC with a keyboard, even if it also includes a touch screen like a tablet. Meaning, the small tablet may not be their only device, and may not have a large enough screen and keyboard to do everything they need their main computer to do.

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Siri Should Integrate Text Search

💻 Tech • 📁 Tech Plans

I wish that Siri and Spotlight search were integrated so that holding the home button was just "Search".

Notes

  • It would bring up a search text box at the top and Siri at the bottom so you could search by text or voice depending on what you wanted to use.
  • It would search both your device and the web when you are connected to the internet, but only search your device and use better voice control options when you aren't.

Software Updates And Google Apps

💻 Tech • 📁 Tech Plans

Even though we get used to the fast paced way that software gets updated, it can be hard to understand at times. Sometimes I look at some decisions on software support and wonder why it's so different than other industries. I wonder why it has to continue to move so quickly and not allow for standards that can be agreed upon or last long enough to become common, platforms that exist for more than about 3 years, devices that exist for more than about 2 years, or software that exists in a similar form for more than about 1 year. For instance, the following.

Google Apps has dropped support for IE9. IE 9 was released on March 14th, 2011, just 2 and a half years ago. IE9 isn't even installed on Windows 7, but is an upgrade to IE 8. And Windows 7 is the most used OS in the world and was released on October 22nd 2009, just 4 years ago. What this means is that over 90% of the people who have a PC or notebook need to update their built in web browser to run Google Apps. Forget about people on even older operating systems like Windows XP, who can't update their browser to IE 10.

I understand that software within an OS, and even an OS can often be updated easily and freely. And even operating systems are now being updated freely and somewhat easily in many cases. Both Windows Update and App Stores on mobile devices were great advances in the software industry. But why is everyone being "forced" to update so quickly?

Being a tech junkie and software developer I like new features, getting new software, and playing around with cool new apps. But even for me, the speed at which software is getting updated is now creating more negatives than positives in many cases.

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NBA Slam Dunk Competition 2013

🏀 Sport • 📁 Sport Takes

I thought the NBA slam dunk competition was excellent again this year, as long as you turned off the volume. The announcers were easily the worst part of it for me, but other than them I enjoyed it. There was a lot of great dunks even in the early rounds. And the best part was that it finished really strong which sometimes doesn't happen. The two finalists had great dunks ready to go in the final round and pretty much nailed each of them. Was a lot of fun to watch. I thought Jeremy Evans jumping over the picture was great. And Terrence Ross's final two dunks were both great, including the one off the backboard with the Vince Carter jersey. Excellent night of slam dunking again this year if you ask me.

Bill Russell Basketball Story

🏀 Sport • 📁 Sport Takes

Quick story from Bill Russell, the great NBA player who won 11 championships. He was asked by a reporter about what it would be like to play in the NBA with the current generation of players. The game has changed a lot and there are a lot of great players with great abilities. The reporter asked "If you were playing today how many points a game would you get now?" Russell replied "Probably about 10 points per game". The reporter said "Wow, just 10 points a game, because the game has changed so much and there are so many talented players now?" Russell said "Well I am 75 years old now".

Curtis Granderson Hitting 8th With 43 Homers

🏀 Sport • 📁 Sport Takes

Curtis Granderson has hit more than 40 homers in both of the last 2 years and is hitting 8th for the Yankees today in the playoffs. He finished 2nd this year in the MLB in homers and only 6 guys had more than 40 homers this year. Doesn’t seem right to have him so low in the lineup but that’s the luxury that the Yankees always seem to have with their huge payroll. You can bet he would hit cleanup or there abouts every night on pretty much any other team.

Screen Size Of iPhone 5 Is Still Too Small

💻 Tech • 📁 Tech Plans
  • I think Apple might have messed up with the new design of the iPhone 5 and iPod Touch.
  • The one thing they really needed to update after 5 years was the screen size, and I don’t think they did that correctly.
  • It should have a 1280x720 screen from 4.3 to 4.6 inches and there should be no home button on the front.
  • They needed to change the design and screen more, making the screen cover most of the device.
  • The home button could be a button on the side.
  • Yes it would hurt compatibility with old apps a bit more, but they would still run.
  • And this is finally the device they made with a bigger screen.
  • The new design feels half-hearted with just the longer 4.0 inch screen.
  • They really needed to make a bigger change.
  • And why not move to a more common resolution like 1280x720 when finally making the screen larger.
  • A much larger screen covering most of the device and no home button is what they needed to do in my opinion.

iTunes Festival Concerts

🩷 Human • 📁 Human Logs

My award for best iTunes Festival concert that I watched goes to Mumford & Sons. I have watched them 3 times so far. Sorry Jack White, you were brilliantly awesome and I especially liked the all female band but you have to settle for runner up. P!nk gets 3rd for her honest performance where she talked after every song and didn’t care if she messed up lyrics. Loved how she acknowledges everyone in her band and all of her fans. And I wouldn’t be surprised if some women would buy an Apple TV just to watch the Usher concert.

North Review

🩷 Human • 📁 Human Logs

North - Matchbox Twenty - 6/10

1. 8/10 - Parade

Great start. Feels a bit like old Matchbox Twenty songs that really make you think about something in your life even if the lyrics are slightly different. And it hits you hard emotionally like those old songs. Good to hear something more like the old Matchbox Twenty than the more pop songs on their Exile on Mainstream "short" album.

2. 3/10 - She's So Mean

Too much pop for me. Not my favorite song. Good lyrics though if it was sang with more alternative music. Even more pop than Exile on Mainstream. Actually made me laugh and reminded me of boy bands from 90s. Honestly they never would have gotten as popular if they started playing songs like this in the late 90s. But the chorus and the last part of the song does get a bit better with at least a little oomph. It could grow on me even if it's overproduced pop, but initial impression is it's too much pop and I don't really like it. And I still have to laugh a little that this is Matchbox Twenty after songs like on their first album.

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Allow Designs To Be Copied

🌎 World • 📁 World Ideas

Maybe I don't value law as much as most people do or understand how and why patent or other laws work. But all I can think about after hearing of the $1 billion verdict awarded to Apple is that I don't think Apple should have chose to sue Samsung in the first place.

It may help them to survive and prosper over the short term and allow them to feel justified that it was proven that someone copied their design. But in the end it just doesn't feel right to me how they handled it, and regardless of the law, I don't think it was the right thing to do.

They come across as a big company that is greedy and willing to criticize other companies and people who are trying to compete and create companies and products that allow people outside of Apple to earn a living. Even if everyone is stealing from them, I just don't feel that going to the extent they have will be rewarding in the long haul for them or for others. I guess, really what I'm saying is that the patent system is flawed. But even though Apple is playing by those rules, suing other companies may not be the best strategy.

You can now bet that other companies will go after Apple whenever they can. It will turn other companies and people against them and create more of a 'It's everyone against Apple' attitude. It may make other companies more likely to partner with competitors like Microsoft or Google, just when Microsoft needs a boost. It may make it harder for Apple to work with companies and get good prices on hardware.

Some good advice that I've read before is that you generally should never criticize, condemn, or complain about others, or about anything really. And even though they feel they are protecting themselves, all I can think about is it seems to me like Apple is criticizing and condemning Samsung. While that may be within the law it just doesn't feel like the way it should have been handled. And suing other companies may not be the best strategy or attitude to have for a company like Apple, or for any other company.

Samsung ordered to pay Apple $1-billion for patent violations

September 1, 2012

Thank You To Everyone

🩷 Human • 📁 Human Logs

Thank You Company Anonymous

Hey all you people from Company Anonymous. And to everyone else who might read this, hi Mom. I'll probably remove this post in a couple weeks so get it while it's still here. It has sure been a crazy, overwhelming, fun, exciting, monotonous, difficult, challenging, and rewarding experience moving to Town Anonymous and working here this past year. I really have learned a lot and I certainly didn't know what I was getting into. It was a great challenge to work here and I had a lot of great days and learned a lot of different things about people, consultant businesses, sales, GIS, and most importantly about software development. I think I probably listen and pick things up a lot more than people realize.

The most important thing I want to say to everyone is that when I was given something to do and really work on something with you or for you, I enjoyed it way more than you'd realize. I know I can seem like quite a curmudgeon sometimes, but I really am a person who likes doing things, and working together on things. I really like to try and focus on work and enjoy getting into it, whether it's working with someone or by myself. And I did have some difficulty trying to do that here sometimes with some different distractions. But honestly, the only thing I didn't like doing was when I was doing data entry and finding reports all by myself. Even making maps for a little bit was kind of fun as it felt like I was helping out, especially the one weekend to try and meet a deadline.

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Great Female Rock Singers

🩷 Human • 📁 Human Logs

Listening to the new Metric album this weekend I started thinking about some of my favorite female singers of the last twenty years. The women who’s voices are so original and unmistakeable and that I liked immediately the first time I heard them in one of their great songs. Here are ten of my favorites. For rock singers and women that are mostly in bands, five of my favorites would be Emily Haines (Metric), Florence Welch (Florence and the Machine), Tegan and Sara, Doloris O’Riordan (The Cranberries), and Left Eye Lopes (TLC). And for singer songwriter and vocalist types, five of my favorites are Joss Stone, Frazey Ford, Norah Jones, Jewel, and Natalie Merchant. Those ten cover quite a few different genres and styles of music too. Any time I hear one of these voices it generally puts me in a pretty good mood.

Ban Body Checking From Hockey

🌎 World • 📁 World Ideas

While some physical contact will always be accepted, I don't think there should be any deliberate hitting or body checking allowed at any level of hockey including the NHL, and so deliberately body checking or hitting other players should be banned.

Introduction

Being able to deliberately hit someone as hard as you can should be completely taken out of hockey at all levels. In fact I think this idea is way overdue. To me, it's almost like stating the obvious at this point. I'm surprised I haven't heard more people suggest that body checking should be completely removed from hockey. Here's why.

1. Hitting Is Barbaric

Physically hitting someone else when you can hurt them is both barbaric and cruel. I just looked up the definition for cruel and the first definition said "willfully or knowingly causing pain or distress to others." To me, it's pretty clear that you are knowingly causing distress to someone when you hit them in any way. But I don't care what the definition is, it just doesn't seem right to me to hit someone else. I don't care if it's part of a sport, or if they've agreed as part of the game to let them hit you. It's just not civilized to hit someone else in my opinion. To me, it doesn't really matter if it's your wife, a co-worker, a friend, or someone you play a game against for money. Hitting people is bad. Boxing is barbaric. Football is barbaric. Hockey is barbaric. The more we can move to a society where hurting other people for sport is not accepted, the better off we are in my opinion. In boxing and football, it's hard to get around the idea that you have to hit someone, but hockey could completely remove hitting, and still keep the main part of the game as it is. There is no reason hitting can't be completely removed from NHL hockey.

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Josh Hamilton Hits 4 Homers

🏀 Sport • 📁 Sport Takes

It’s really too bad that Josh Hamilton doesn’t know how to hit a baseball. And it’s scary how good he might have been if he didn’t have all the personal problems he has had and miss like 6 years of playing baseball because of drugs basically. He’s who I now think of when I think of a real ballplayer that I’ve watched that might be like the guy in The Natural. Him and Ken Griffey Jr.

Josh Hamilton rips 4 two-run HRs vs Orioles

Apple Hardware Predictions For 2012

💻 Tech • 📁 Tech Plans

Here are 5 predictions for Apple hardware and devices that could be released this year at various Apple events. I'm leaving out any thoughts about an Apple TV, partly because my guess is that it still might not come this year.

1. iPhone 5

Apple releases iPhone 5 in July with 4.6 inch screen and all new 1280 x 720 resolution display with new aspect ratio and curved glass. If they keep the same aspect ratio as the iPhone 4, the resolution would be something like 1200 x 800. Either resolution would have 300+ ppi display, which is similar to the iPhone 4. Previous iPhone apps would work at their original resolution covering only 3.5 inches of the screen and all new apps for iOS 6 would fill the screen. 4.0 inch display for the iPhone with the same 960 x 640 resolution is my second, more realistic guess, and much more likely.

2. iPod Touch 5G

iPod Touch released in September with same sized screen as iPhone 5 and a 3-5 megapixel camera. Possibly renamed to simply iPod. Likely won't happen but could finally get GPS and 3G version with some kind of data plan or new type of 3G plan that pleases carriers enough to make some money off iPod users while encouraging most people to still get an iPhone because of LTE or better and more powerful cell plan features.

3. iWatch 1G

iWatch 1G is released in September with iPod Nano OS and possibly a curved glass screen. It will have Bluetooth 4.0 which allows it to work with iPhone and other iOS or Mac devices in interesting ways and will focus on some built in fitness features. I've thought for years that Apple would get into the watch business and this could be the year. Good chance it may not happen until 2013 though and the Nano stays around for another year or two.

4. New iMac

The new iMac is introduced in the summer with Mountain Lion OS X and a new slimmer design similar to the Apple Thunderbolt Display. Ivy Bridge and maybe even 8 GB RAM standard. Possibly also bumped to 23.5 and 30 inch displays. Comes with no optical drive or hard drive, or even an option to install an internal hard drive. 128 GB or even just 64 GB SSD standard, especially if Apple also markets a new external drive peripheral or Time Capsule for always on networked media libraries. New Bluetooth 4.0 peripherals including keyboard with even slimmer profile, new Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad. Possibly a keyboard with integrated Magic Trackpad that will also work well as a single peripheral to have on your lap when using AirPlay Mirroring from a Mac to an Apple TV 2.

5. New Time Capsule

Though I don't think this one will happen, I wish Apple at some point would release a new external drive peripheral or new version of Time Capsule used for always on, Internet connected, networked storage. It would be a person's or household's own file storage and media library that could be connected to from their Wifi network or over the Internet from any Apple devices. If everyone had their own personal storage device that was always on at their home and Internet connected then they would only need 64 or 128 GB flash storage in all of their devices and would not need to pay for higher storage capacities on services like Dropbox, Skydrive, Google Drive, iCloud, and iTunes Match. Because of the money they can make and the investment in iCloud and iTunes Match they likely won't do this, so this is more my own vision of the way I wish things would go. But Apple could change the game if instead they switched course from everyone else and instead offered hardware for a person to host their own simple always on file library and server at their home instead of relying on pay cloud storage services like Dropbox and iCloud.

What I'll Buy

I'd probably buy an iWatch if it was made and sold for $199 or less as it would be pretty cool, though I might wait for version 2 like I did with both the iPod Touch and iPad. I also have an iPad 2 and the new Apple TV, so Apple is obviously reeling me in to buy their stuff like they are much of the population. But really what I'm excited for and really ready to buy is a new iPod Touch if it comes out this year with an all new design. I still have a 2G iPod Touch, which is the only iPod I've ever bought and of course it runs too slow and is getting old. Mobile computers dating back to the early Palm Pilots are really what has always fascinated me. Even with how common they've become as they've evolved into subsidized smartphones it is still fascinating to me to have a powerful computer in your pocket and hand, and it always will be. Before my iPod Touch I had a simple Palm Z22 that I liked just as much or more than my iPod Touch.

There is an outside chance I might spend the extra money and finally make the switch to Mac OS X from Windows 7 with the new iMac this year. I've wanted a completely silent desktop computer since only about 1992 and have been disappointed that computers have been so loud and hot in the last 20 years, and that it has taken so long for quiet and cool computers to be common. Though I know they are already very quiet, the new iMac or Mac Mini could finally offer a really silent desktop at a reasonable price if they are sold with an SSD as standard at their current price and with Ivy Bridge bringing some more improvements in thermal efficiency. That, along with so many other well known reasons that have made Macs a much better option in the last 5 years, I might finally be pursuaded to make the Switch and get my first Mac. But maybe I'll just stick with Windows 7 for a couple years until about 2014 when some new version of Mac OS or Windows 9 are running on 64 bit ARM processors, don't even need any fans, and 256 GB SSD drives are in cheap machines. But I just don't know if I can stand my current Windows machine sounding like a jet engine is on all the time under my desk now that I'm used to completely silent iPods, iPads, and Apple TVs.

Blue Jays Spring Training Record

🏀 Sport • 📁 Sport Takes

After winning yesterday here is the Blue Jays record so far in spring training. They've just won 8 in a row and have 7 games left.

  • 20-4 - .833 - TOR - 2012

Here are the 4 best records in spring since 2003. These are the only records above a .700 winning percentage. Also, the least amount of games lost by a team in spring in those years is 8.

  • 26-9 - .765 - LAA - 2009
  • 20-8 - .714 - TB - 2010
  • 24-10 - .706 - NYY - 2009
  • 19-8 - .704 - KC - 2003

Also this article says that spring can mean something, at least when you look at all the records combined. It doesn't mean the Blue Jays will have a great year but according to this article if they have the best record in spring they probably have a good chance of at least having a good season and finishing over a .500 winning percentage.

Spring training records really matter

Well, a 10-year look (it didn’t take me 10 years to do it, I just looked at numbers over a 10-year period!) at MLB’s spring training records reveals some interesting trends. You might have heard that “the numbers never lie;” the numbers I discovered should give baseball fans a little more reason to pay attention to spring training standings.

Here are some of the tidbits that I unearthed while looking at spring training records over the past 10 years:

• Out of the past 20 World Series participants since 2002, only six had a spring training record worse than one game under .500.
• Seven of the 10 teams that had the worst overall spring training record went on to finish last or next-to-last in their division that season.
• Only two of the 11 teams (two teams tied one year) with the best overall spring training record had a losing record that season.