“If it isn’t broken, dont fix it.” If it is broken, fix it and upgrade it instead of buying something new. People get so caught up in continuously trying to upgrade to the newest and “best” electronics that are on the market. Why? What can it do that your older machine cant? Why cant your older machine do it? Can you upgrade the old machine to be capable of doing that thing? If so, it is definitely the more reasonable option. Most of my gear is stuff that I have gotten for free and salvaged. It’s all Frankenstein’d. But I have machines capable of compiling code, running my CAD software, and everything else I need them to do. People throw these things out left and right because one component goes bad. One. Just replace the damn component and you’re good to go. It’s crazy. Phone screen broken? Well I guess I need to get an entirely new phone. We wonder why these corporations are getting away with shittier and shittier products that have shorter and shorter lifespans. It’s because people always go and buy the new one! If something is broken, either fix it or salvage the parts to either upgrade or fix something else.
5 Valuable Skills to Learn for the Future We Face.
- Programming
- This one should really come as no surprise. The world is fueled by code at this point. Without our computers and their preloaded software, most people would be completely lost. Learn to make computers do what you want them to do. Become proficient at coding and realize the productivity enhancement that you can really get out of your devices.
- Cybersecurity best practices
- With more and more devices being connected to the internet, we need to be increasingly more aware of the inherent dangers associated with this.
- Basic electronics repair / Soldering
- While companies are purposefully choosing to create products that only last for a finite number of years in order to force consumers into buying the newest, “better”, “cooler” product from them, you should be able to combat this. Take it upon yourself to learn to simply fix (or even upgrade) what seems broken. It is astronomically cheaper and keeps these disgusting corporations from getting more than they should from such dirty practices.
- Staying in shape – physically and mentally
- It is far too easy to now spend a whole day (or week for that matter) just sitting at your desk, completely plugged into your computer browsing the web, playing games, and chatting with friends online. Sounds nice but you are sheltering your mind and your body. As human-beings we are not intended to sit all day long. We are not intended to be secluded from other real (not online) human interaction. Get outside and be active. Join a gym, go hiking, go swimming, or pickup some kettlebells and get an efficient workout in at home. Meetup with people in reality (not online) to stay mentally healthy.
- Multilingualism – especially Russian and Mandarin
- Alongside English, these will probably be the most worthwhile languages to learn for the future. Increasing the number of languages you understand increases the number of sources you can obtain new information from. Increasing the number of languages you can speak increases the number of people you can reach with the information you know.
The Hardest Part of Getting Away From Google.
Google maps is a fantastic service. That said, it’s a Google service and that means it comes with a cost of some of your privacy. Sure, you can “turn off” google services and “turn off” the options for it to track your recent trips but, there’s no way of trusting that Google is not actually still doing so just without showing you the data.
There aren’t really any great options when it comes to using a GPS navigation system because it is literally (as it is intended to be) a tracking device.
Although, when you have a gps system that isn’t connected to any other information of yours, it’s definitely a lot better than using Google maps on your phone. Having gps tracking enabled on a device that has all of your personal information on it (contacts, photos, fingerprints, conversations, bank account info, etc.), is simply thoughtless.
If you need gps to get around, have a standalone gps unit that has zero information of yours other than your location linked to it – that’s bad enough.
Cell Phone Options for Privacy/Security
Cell phones were a dream come true. They allowed us to communicate from anywhere with anyone. Then came the smart phone and it had access to all of the information in the world and it fits in your pocket. At this point though, they have become a nightmare. Now they are a tracking device. They allow companies to hear everything we say and see everything we do online. They see who we hang out with, who our family members are. They know where we go to work. They have our bank account information. They have the passwords to all of our online accounts. Now they even have our fingerprints and our retina scans. They have our voice signatures as well. These corporations with this data could literally make another copy of you with all of the information that they have. All of this as a tradeoff to being able to post selfies and call your grandma. It’s disgusting.
To get away from as much of this as possible there are a few options.
With an android device we can install a custom rom that has no connection to google whatsoever. That’s definitely a great start. Some of these such as copperhead os even use sandboxing. Make sure to also deny all ‘permissions’ for apps. No reason a calculator needs your location.
Aside from this we could just make the jump back to a non-smart phone. Sadly it is actually very hard to find a phone now that doesnt have internet connection and wifi and bluetooth (all of which are security concerns). Either way having a phone that has no ties to Google, Amazon, or Facebook is a great start.
Another thing to look for would be removable batteries. If you can find a phone with an easily removable battery, you could simply take the battery out when you aren’t using the phone to keep anyone from using it to track you or collect your data. Removable batteries would also allow you to keep extra backup batteries charged and easily swap them in when yours dies.
Privacy = Security In Our Near Future
We need to step away from sharing all of our info with the world. There are companies out there that are already storing, tracking, and manipulating this data for their own gain. They know who you are, where you are, with who and why. This will not stop. No government intervention will happen. Take it upon yourself to stay safe from the greed of these corporations.
Making The Switch To Linux
If you are thinking of switching over to a Linux operating system (and you should be), here are some things to know.
- Linux is not a single operating system. There are many different versions called distributions or “distros” that have been built by many different people and they all have their own features and styles. Think of them being called distributions because they are the groups of software packages that the developers decide to piece together and distribute as a final product.
- Two of the most popular distros for beginners are Ubuntu and Linux Mint. They are not just for beginners though. They are great distros with ample hardware support. They come preloaded with most software that you would expect to see on a computer these days such as an office suite, media players, file browser, etc. They are both very easy to install and there are how-to guides on each of their websites for every step of the way.
- Once you pick a distro that you want, you will also want to pick a desktop environment or DE. A desktop environment is how everything appears on your screen. It changes whether your desktop looks like Windows 95 or something from a sci-fi film or maybe like a Mac OS. If you are installing all of this on an older or less powerful machine, make sure to get a desktop environment that is lighter on hardware resources such as xfce or lxde. If you have a fairly modern pc and you care about the aesthetics of you desktop then go for cinnamon, gnome, or KDE.
- If you end up wanting to change your desktop environment later, you can always do so without having to completely reinstall the distro. This is nice because you can keep all of your files but still try out a few different environments to see which one you like best.
The 3 Best Resources for Learning Calculus
Never stop learning. Ever. The world is moving forward, advancing, and so should you. Calculus can be a very powerful tool. Here are the 3 greatest resources for learning calculus on your own and where to find them for free.
- Videos by Professor Leonard on YouTube – This man is hands down the greatest person to ever teach Calculus. He explains everything very thoroughly and is very easy to understand and keep up with. He has full playlists for Calculus 1, 2, and 3 along with some other mathematics courses. Start here for Calc 1: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF797E961509B4EB5
- James Stewart’s Calculus Early Transcendentals – Use this textbook for a mass of practice problems. Calculus like any mathematics course is all about practice. Make sure to grab the complete solutions manual for this as well so you can check all of your answers. Make sure the editions of the textbook and solutions manual that you get match up. If you want to keep things legal, you should purchase these items. That said, both can be downloaded for free over here: https://b-ok.cc/s/?q=stewart+early+transcendentals
- Paul’s Online Math Notes – This website has notes and practice problems from a professor over at Lamar University. The notes are great to review and it never hurts to have more practice problems. Check it out at: http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/
I have no affiliation with any of these sites/resources other than that I have used them myself and was very impressed by them.
Learn Your First Programming Language
No I am not going to teach you to program. I will however point you in the right direction.
Python is the programming language I recommend that you learn first. It is a higher level language and is a little easier to understand than languages such as c/c++. It is also well rounded in its possible applications. JavaScript, another popular language that beginners are often told to learn, is very limited. JavaScript is great if you want to be a web developer but outside of the web, there is no use for JavaScript. Python can handle almost anything, including web development and applications.
Start off by learning the syntax over at codecademy.com with their free course on Python 3. After doing this you will know how to speak Python but you still will not know how to program. Learning a language and learning how to develop and create your own programs are two very different things.
After learning the syntax, pickup the book Automate the Boring Stuff with Python (or find the pdf for free online). This book will teach you to actually use that new language you learned in some very neat applications.
If you have made it through Automate the Boring Stuff, next check out the books Impractical Python Projects and then after that Fluent Python.
All of this said, none of these books will do as great of a job teaching you to code as simply coming up with your own projects and tackling them head-on will. You will learn a lot from them but programming takes a lot of practice. It is very similar to math. You don’t learn it or get good at it by watching an instructor do it or reading a book about it, you get good by practicing it yourself – over and over again.
The Nootropic That Actually Works
Nootropics is a new buzzword going around but sadly the majority of it is all just a scam being run by people like Dave Asprey over at Bulletproof. Companies are slapping “nootropic” on any pill that doesn’t have to be regulated by a government agency. Now of course I’m not saying that all them are worthless but most of them definitely are. I am very excited by the idea of nootropics and hope that further research leads to great breakthroughs in this field. As for now though, the only cognitive enhancer that anyone should actually pay attention to is the one most of us already use – caffeine. Caffeine has repeatedly been proven by studies to enhance cognitive abilities. I personally prefer a glass of cold brew coffee each morning. It has a higher caffeine content than a hot brew and tastes much smoother. Oh and drink your coffee black – sugar is by far one of the worst things you can put in your body.
The Future We Live In
It hopefully doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone reading this that we live in a time where corruption and greed are controlling everything. The politicians of the world powers are all owned by lobbying corporations. These corporations collect every form of data imaginable on every single person on this planet. They see all. They hear all. What they want to happen – happens. We have devices that connect us all to a network where we can spread our knowledge. The ability to learn anything is at our fingertips. Most people are blind to what is going on around them. They choose not to protect themselves from the way things are unfolding. They choose to be another sheep.
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