Avsnitt
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When I read the latest news from the world of artificial intelligence, I am increasingly convinced that we are approaching the end of websites. People are no longer interested in the process of searching for information; they want the direct result that something like ChatGPT provides. Google has experienced a decline in the number of users using search on Apple platforms for the first time in history. Meanwhile, OpenAI is excited about potentially buying Chrome (in case Google is broken up), is piloting its own social network, and when I look around, I hardly see anyone searching for information anywhere other than in AI... This change in the way we work has been incredibly fast. The web will remain as an "internal database" of source data for AI. SEO will focus on ensuring your information is properly found and correctly interpreted by artificial intelligence. You will search, socialize, and shop through ChatGPT and similar tools.
What do you think about this? Are you looking forward to it? Or would you rather start disconnecting, buying vinyl records instead of using Spotify, and subscribing to paper newspapers?
If you don't feel like reading, don't forget that Bytes & Backpacks is also available in podcast form. Still from AI, but I think it's listenable ;-).
Business & Technology 👨💻
* Are you a bit confused about which OpenAI model to use for what?
* The most famous startup accelerator, Y Combinator, has released its traditional overview of what companies it's looking for. Unsurprisingly, they see the future in AI agents.
* Coddy is "Duolingo for programming", Manna is "Duolingo for studying the Bible".
* Even though my phone signal still drops 4 times every day on my way home from work, "the show must go on", so we're going to have a navigation system for moving on the Moon!
Travel 🧳
* Want crowds? Go to Thailand to check out the destinations from the last series of White Lotus.
* Don't want crowds? Head to Tuvalu. Only about 3,000 tourists arrive there annually, and as of last week, they have their first ATM!
* Luxury motorhomes are becoming a bit boring. How about a fire truck converted into a motorhome? (thanks, Miro)
* This might be useful when traveling. It's old, but still valid. Which countries don't get along?
Do you like Bytes & Backpacks? A lot? You can buy me a coffee! ☕️
Nature ⛰️
* Good news - we already produce almost half of the world's electricity from renewables.
* Arctic wolves cuddle up to photographers.
* A bear came to slide down a children's slide in a garden.
* A caterpillar collects and carries the bones of other animals.
* Photographer in space.
Unclassifiable 🧠
* Like dog, like owner.
* In Denmark, they're converting a non-functioning church into a swimming pool called "Holy Water".
* Are you 30 or older? Then you're currently older than the majority of the world.
* Bill Gates doesn't want to die rich. By 2045, he will have given away practically all his wealth. Much respect.
* Sir David Attenborough presents the most important film of his career at the age of 99.
Tips 💡
What I'm reading: How Innovation WorksWhat I'm listening to: Petr Kalandra - 75What I'm watching: The Studio (if this series doesn't collect a ton of awards, I don't know what will)Interesting app: Typora
Photo greetings 📷
I was in Greece again for a bit. The Peloponnese is my new love 💙.
Thank you very much for your support and have a great day!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsfromthewoods.substack.com -
It's all about artificial intelligence, data centers full of AI graphics chips, but what if all of this is already outdated and the future belongs to biological computers? Sounds like science fiction, right? But then you stumble upon an Australian startup developing something called Synthetic Biological Intelligence (SBI) - a computing platform where laboratory-grown living neurons connect with a silicon chip. Their latest commercial product, CL1, is described as "the first biological computer on the market."
Business & Technology 👨💻
* Startup IXI received investment from Amazon to develop "autofocus glasses." Anyone who struggles with both distance and near vision will love this!
* The trending app that supposedly translates what your dog is saying is very popular right now. I haven't tried it myself.
* We're running out of data for AI training. Incidentally, this is one reason why it makes sense to deploy robots into the real world as soon as possible - they can learn from actual environments instead of books. Meanwhile, they're training on Mario games.
* Get inspired by Andrej Karpathy's approaches to using AI - he's one of the biggest personalities in the AI world.
Travel 🧳
* Next time you go for a walk around your neighborhood, keep your eyes open - you might find treasure worth 8 million.
* BBC declared the Peloponnese a hidden treasure of Greece - those who've visited already know. There's also a project aiming to transform this peninsula into a paradise for hikers.
* Someone is currently crossing the largest sand desert in the world on foot. Wishing them luck!
* How about combining travel with creativity? Find your artistic residency (thanks to Michelle for the tip!)
Do you like Bytes & Backpacks? A lot? You can buy me a coffee! ☕️
Nature ⛰️
* More than 100 countries have agreed to reduce emissions at sea. That's good news.
* Almost 40 years after the Chernobyl disaster, the closed area is becoming one of the largest nature preserves in Europe.
* What does it look like when the world's smallest and largest dogs meet?
* Imagine going to a barber in LA and suddenly a coyote drops by for a drink...
Unclassifiable 🧠
* Does luck exist? Can someone be lucky and someone else simply unfortunate? Scientists rejected this idea for a long time, but then one married a woman who was completely unlucky. What do they think now?
* Learn to fold more than just one paper swallow.
* Someone bought an old reel in a secondhand shop and it turned out to be a rare Beatles recording.
* A Japanese scientist is proving that people can grow a third set of teeth.
* Czechs and Slovaks have likely discovered the oldest Mayan city in the jungle.
Tips 💡
What I'm reading: Wabi sabiWhat I'm listening to: Coastal Soundtrack (Neil Young)What I'm watching: Your Friends & NeighborsInteresting app: Napkin
Photo greetings 📷
Summer is approaching, and neighbors around us are starting to clear little paths in the meadow from cottage to cottage and especially to the pub...
Thank you very much for your support and have a great day!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsfromthewoods.substack.com -
Saknas det avsnitt?
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It's starting to get a bit cliché to begin every newsletter with artificial intelligence, but there's no way around it, I apologize. Let's skip what's new in the last 2 weeks, or we'd never get past the introduction. What's resonating most on the internet is the AI 2027 prediction, which "nicely," quite realistically and credibly depicts what Earth will look like in 2035. It will be an interesting planet where humans no longer live. The prediction comes partly from Daniel Kokotaljo, who left OpenAI last year because he stopped believing the organization cared about building safe and responsible artificial intelligence. So did he get offended and is now drawing apocalyptic forecasts as revenge? The troubling thing is that he wrote a prediction in 2021 that's turning out to be fairly accurate...
I'm more optimistic, as they say - these predictions are made so they don't become reality. But I won't lie, it's been rattling around in my head for a few days...
Business & Technology 👨💻
* Google is working on AI that aims to learn to communicate with dolphins. I'm curious what we'll discover...
* On the Go European website, you'll find alternatives to American products, from phones to software to jeans and Cola.
* What do people use AI for most frequently?
* Are we approaching a time when Apple will become a boring company again?
* Why will humanoid robots soon be in our homes? Because they can't learn anything in factories.
* China is now filing more AI patents than the USA.
Travel 🧳
* The most colorful places in the world.
* Uber released a ranking of the craziest things forgotten in taxis.
* Do your feet hurt? Get an exoskeleton for hikers and you can run through mountains like you were young again...
* Six days in the Canadian wilderness.
Do you like Bytes & Backpacks? A lot? You can buy me a coffee! ☕️
Nature ⛰️
* Brown, black, blonde. This bear family has style.
* Amazing photos of wild animals.
* Do you also ask small children how a cat goes? Do you know how it's said in other languages? And for other animals?
* Listen to an eleven-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder who has perfectly learned to mimic the sounds of 50 birds. Wow.
* Dogs have a bigger impact on the environment than we thought.
Unclassifiable 🧠
* An orchestra that plays only on vegetables.
* Japan has a new hit. A guy started creating playing cards featuring real neighbors with their abilities.
* You buy a house and after a few years you receive a letter from the previous owners... telling you where the secret passages and hidden rooms are.
* Got the worst desk at work. Sued the employer. Won.
* What is this thing?
Tips 💡
What I'm reading: Bill Gates - Source CodeWhat I'm listening to: You Are My SunshineWhat I'm watching: Another session of 1923Interesting app: Deq
Photo greetings 📷
Things are starting to get nicely green here in Bohemian Switzerland...
Thank you very much for your support and have a great day!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsfromthewoods.substack.com -
I love technology, innovation, and everything around it. When I was 13 (back in 1994), I started publishing my own magazine called Computer. I think that was the same year when the "big" Computer magazine from CPress started coming out. I bought an issue and found some inaccuracies in one of the articles. I took a piece of paper (yes, I didn't have email or internet yet) and wrote to the editorial office about their mistake. A few days later, I received a letter from the editor-in-chief saying I was right and asking if I wanted to write for them. I didn't refuse. Thanks for that, Pavel!
Why am I telling you this? Because I've been passionate about technology since my childhood, spending many (actually more and more) hours each week studying trends and innovations. Lately, I'm almost afraid to look at what's new each morning. So much is happening. AI, robotics, augmented reality, quantum computers, biological computers... I tell you, it's crazy! Exponential growth is here.
So if you feel like you can't keep up, don't worry - you're not alone!
Business & Technology 👨💻
* Robot dogs are getting a bit boring. Robot bees have been around for a while too. How about a robot horse? Or a squirrel?
* There's a great guide for startup CTOs on GitHub.
* It took me several weeks to (somewhat) understand how a quantum computer works. And now imagine that there are already computers (somewhat simplified) where one of the components is a human brain.
* Interested in what happens on the internet every single day?
* Imagine wanting to learn how to dance and all you need is for someone to show you once. That's how robots do it. I'm a bit jealous...
Travel 🧳
* Ales, a wheelchair user from Czechia, is traveling from the Czech Republic to Kyrgyzstan on a handbike, accompanied by his companion Sarka on a bicycle. Now that's what I call a trip.
* A new Camino Zadar route has been created near Zadar, and more are appearing across Croatia. Routes inspired by ancient pilgrim paths.
* Two guys in New Zealand are walking a long journey dressed as hobbits carrying the Ring and recording funny videos along the way.
* 5 train routes in Europe that The New York Times says are worth traveling.
* What was served in Wild West saloons?
Do you like Bytes & Backpacks? A lot? You can buy me a coffee! ☕️
Nature ⛰️
* Scientists are gradually discovering that animals are probably much "smarter" than we think. They likely even have a sense of humor.
* They built a retirement home for penguins in Boston. Nice, but we could use one too!
* An octopus riding on a shark's head in the ocean. Sounds like something from the next Finding Nemo movie. But it's not.
* 11 beautiful photos from the new British Wildlife Awards.
Miscellaneous 🧠
* A camera that doesn't take photos but prints a poem based on the scene it sees. The future is now!
* 25 tips for a simpler life. I don't usually like these articles, but this time there are some really interesting hints.
* Are we the last generation that needs to know how to read and write? An interesting reflection that sounds crazy, but...
* Do you love flight attendant uniforms?
Tips 💡
What I'm reading: Greek language lexiconWhat I'm listening to: Let Your Horses RunWhat I'm watching: Another session of 1923Interesting app: Deq
Photo greetings 📷
My wife ran out of spices for tzatziki, so I headed to the southeast of Peloponnese to restock. I didn't find the spices, but... you'll find out something soon! :-)
Thank you very much for your support and have a great day!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsfromthewoods.substack.com -
Two weeks ago, I sold all the stocks and crypto from my portfolio. It had quite a big response on Twitter. Why did I do it? Am I afraid of what Trump might still do? Yes. Am I afraid that Trump could eventually be the cause of bitcoin's end? A little. But the main reason is continuing to search for property abroad and my uncertainty about the future development of tech companies. I've always only invested in companies that I at least somewhat understood. In the coming years, several technologies will intersect that could fundamentally change our entire world. AI + quantum computers + robotics + vr/xr/ar (should I write more about this?). And right now, I can't bet on who will win.
So we'd rather be warming ourselves somewhere at the end of the world than stressing about American stocks and the geopolitical situation.
Business & Technology 👨💻
* Duolingo published a book - about their approach to business.
* Wifi routers can see people through walls
* Scientists have a new device that allows you to taste different flavors in virtual reality. The Matrix is here.
* BYD has a drone in the car roof that flies out to show you the way or simply record a nice road trip.
Travel 🧳
* 36 hours in Kathmandu
* Hiking and discovering original pueblo cultures (thanks for the tip, Zbyněk!)
* If Apple made a camera, I think it would look something like this.
* At New Zealand's airport, the hugging time when saying goodbye is limited to 3 minutes. Only 3 minutes?!
Nature ⛰️
* We will revive that mammoth one day. For now, we have a mammoth mouse, but that's progress too.
* An orange snowy owl appeared in Michigan.
* Dogs already have an anti-aging pill.
* Peter Ksen creates various home accessories from electronic waste. I want that.
* In Egypt, a hyena was seen again after 5000 years.
* My friend Petr Juračka went to Antarctica. And that could only turn out like this:
Miscellaneous 🧠
* Yesterday was Pi Day, so here are Pi clocks.
* Is screen time setting not enough for you? Here's an app that only lets you on social media after taking a walk.
* His Majesty published a playlist of favorite songs. And if Charles can, so can little old me!
* A new trend is trending on social media - hurkle-durkling. Or rolling around in bed in the morning and doing nothing. Finally something useful!
Tips 💡
What I'm reading: New Wired What I'm listening to: Espaňa Circo Este What I'm watching: Landman Interesting app: Superhuman AI
Photo greetings 📷
I've completed another business mission, this time to SXSW in Texas.
Thank you very much for your support and have a great day!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsfromthewoods.substack.com -
Why the American flag in the title of the last Bytes & Backpacks of 2024? Because on January 9th, I'm flying to Silicon Valley, so if you sense the aroma of sequoias in the next few issues, that's perfectly fine.
Across the pond, we want to bring our idea of transforming disabilities into superpowers, our smart Welcomo kiosk (not just) for building access, and we'll explore opportunities in energy, where in Europe we manage field technicians and underground gas storage facilities.
Do you know anyone who could help us with any of these areas? I'd greatly appreciate any connections. And if nothing else, please keep your fingers crossed for us! 🤞🙏
Business & Technology 👨💻
* European Starlink is coming! The IRIS2 project will launch 290 satellites by 2030. I'm quite happy about this because while Elon's technologies are great, they're also politically unpredictable.
* New Spectrum is also coming! And they look very interesting. If you don't know what I'm writing about, you're young.
* Remember Boston Dynamics' robodog? It cost hundreds of thousands. Well, China is now building something similar that costs thousands.
* The FBI would like to have "responsible backdoors" in encrypted apps, a mechanism to access data in "reasonable cases." Actually quite understandable, if we didn't know from history that it will be misused for other cases by the first one who can. And then only an invisibility cloak, which is in development, will help...
* Glasses are the next iPhone. For several years, I've thought that smart glasses will relatively soon change our lives. If you can't imagine how it might work, check out Google's video. And that's being very conservative.
Travel 🧳
* A guy has hidden treasures worth $2 million in several locations across the USA. And you can find them. Now that's traveling!
* Don't cycle in winter because it's cold? Check this out, you might then venture out...
* Or try crossing the Pyrenees in a camper van.
* The Balkans and its mountains. They're among the most beautiful in Europe, but still relatively uncrowded.
Nature ⛰️
* TikTok's annual carbon footprint is larger than that of all of Greece. One Bitcoin transaction consumes a pool of water, and we'd rather not even talk about the consumption of today's AI models. Still, I see it positively - major tech players and investors are starting to invest heavily in energy because they see we won't get far like this.
* In Russia, they released a tiger and tigress into the wild, almost 200 kilometers apart. They still found each other, without GPS and Google Maps...
* Ethiopian wolves are pollinating flowers.
* Cuddling polar bears.
* Photos of horses, birds, or the Moon.
Uncategorized 🧠
* Next time you're loading a corpse into a car trunk, be careful there isn't a car passing by photographing streets for map data. That's hard to explain away.
* Ever wondered where all those lost luggage pieces that never find their owners end up? And what happens to all of it?
* A great thread emerged on Reddit where people share their life hacks for various activities.
* Organizing a concert in the mountains where you have to hike 3 kilometers to get there. Shame I missed it, must have been amazing...
Tips 💡
What I'm reading: Jack Kerouac: Alone on a MountaintopWhat I'm listening to: Paul Cauthen - Black on BlackWhat I'm watching: Blitz Interesting app: Perplexity, because if you have Revolut, you get premium for free
Photo greeting 📸
I wish you a peaceful end to this year and may 2025 be as close as possible to your wishes and expectations!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsfromthewoods.substack.com -
Some of you may have noticed that one issue of Bytes & Backpacks did not arrive two weeks ago. I apologise for that, my family and I went to Greece for our fall vacation (Santorini at the end of the season and with no people was very nice!) and somehow things didn't work out. The effort was there, but the sun, views, tzatziki, octopus-
I have one big change with the new issue. I'll try to make the Bytes & Backpacks a little more concise and divide it into categories. Times are fast and even the lazy ones need help. I wonder if this is better for you or not. Please give me feedback! 🙏
Business & Technology 👨💻
* OpenAI founder Sam Altman advises how to get the first 100 users for your service.
* Years ago, Amazon counted on the Zombie Apocalypse in its operating conditions.
* Crypto has been going strong since Donald's election and probably will continue to do so. By the way, Paypal made the first b2b transaction with stablecoin.
* Iceland wants to be the first country to generate electricity in space and send it wirelessly down to itself by 2030. Yes, you read that right.
* Apple has released a new Mac Mini (among other things). In my opinion, the best desktop computer on the market. I haven't used anything else in combination with an iPad for years.
Travels ✈️
* The Croatian island of Vis, in my opinion one of the most beautiful places in Croatia with a great atmosphere, popular especially with yachtsmen, probably many of you know it. But not far from Vis is the lesser known isle of Svetac with a rather turbulent history and several settlement attempts.
* Some pictures from the flooded Sahara.
* In Japan, a brand new Nintendo Museum just opened, and in the Netherlands there is The Corpus Museum, where you can walk through a human body. I had no idea about that.
* Pack up the old Defender and head for the Georgia mountains, what a plan!
Nature ⛰️
* Greece and sustainability? You don't get it? Wrong! The island of Tilos has plans to become the world's first zero-waste island. Fingers crossed.
* It seems that alcohol isn't just the privilege of humans. According to scientists, animals also "enjoy" drinking.
* A few days ago, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) published a new report on the state of wildlife populations, the Living Planet Report. The numbers are getting scarier. Over the last 50 years, wild vertebrate populations have declined by 73 %!
* Everyone starts somehow - even wolves have to learn to howl.
Unclassifiable 🧠
* Did your dog, cat or horse die and you want it back? The rich spend a lot of money cloning their pets. Interesting and scary at the same time.
It's raining, it's pouring, it's falling, it's sh*tting, it's drizzling... We have a number of terms for rain too, but Hawaii leads the way. They have over 200.
Tips 💡
What I'm reading: Jack Kerouac - Alone on a MountaintopWhat I'm listening to: Paul Cauthen - new album Black on BlackWhat am I watching: Disclaimer
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsfromthewoods.substack.com -
Glasses, that's what this is all about. Smart glasses. There have been several failed attempts over the years - remember Microsoft Hololens or Google Glasses? But today, thanks to developments in technology, we're slowly getting to the point where it's all starting to work. I myself got a pair of smart glasses from Meta this summer (made by Rayban) and I have to say that it's probably the most usable device yet in the augmented reality field. They can even make dioptric ones, as the glasses themselves don't have any technology in them. All you need is a camera, a microphone and a speaker in the glasses. So you can shoot surprisingly good videos with them, take photos, play music or podcast... And if I hadn't drowned in September on a boat, I'd still be wearing them today :-). But of course the future is in glasses that can project something into the image. Who's working on that, for example?
* Meta Glasses
* Snapchat Spectacles
* Xreal Glasses
* Viture
* OPPO Airglass
Big things will be expected from Google, Microsoft or Apple - I see their Vision Pro as a bit of an exploration of what could be in a "few" years in "normal" glasses. I'm quite curious if we'll all be wearing glasses in 10-20 years. After my experience with Meta glasses, I have to admit that, at least for me, this could be the "next device" that changes the world (like a smart phone). Talking on the phone, listening to music and podcasts, taking photos and videos and having your hands free - it's actually very comfortable and natural. I was surprised by it.
You take a trip to the mountains in Canada like that. The locals warn you there are a lot of wolves roaming around. And the fact is. The experience of a lifetime. Except I wouldn't really go out...
Here the bears are having fun in the playground again. In Argentina, trees have been cut down and hordes of parrots have moved into the cities. And now the locals don't like it. It's a strange time.
In Texas, a new hotel is being built in the desert, completely printed on a 3D printer. In another desert, another "town" is being built. Remember the megalomaniacal Neom project in Saudi Arabia? A 170-kilometre-long noodle of a desert that will house up to 9 million people. Currently, the construction consumes over 20% of the world's steel production.
It's a similar glimpse into the future as Tesla's new robot or robotaxi. Only no one really knows how much of it is AI-driven and how much it is controlled by a bunch of Indians in a slum somewhere.
But either way, the future finally looks like the future!
On the other end of the spectrum is Stage Stoneman, who built a $200 house in California.
Maybe it's better to roam the countryside like Carey Kish, 65, who joined the Triple Crown Hiking Club after hiking 3 of the most famous long-distance trails in the U.S. - nearly 13,000 miles in all. Now that's active retirement!
2 weeks of camping in the wilderness like in the old days when the USA was first settled.
If you're heading to the US, I've got a list of the best hotels to stay in - they're haunted. Or tips on the best small chain restaurants in each state.
OpenAI has introduced new Canvas features and ChatGPT is slowly becoming an office suite for document creation. Anthropic, on the other hand, has updated its Claude apps, which work nicely with projects. I use both tools, practically on a daily basis.
Mushrooms are said to grow faster when you play noises. Scientists are on it. We have webs that work like Spider-Man's. Some people won't like this - beloved whales eat beloved dolphins.
What I'm reading right now: John Muir - My first summer in Sierra
What I'm listening to: A biography of Elon Musk
What I'm watching: Shrinking
App that caught my attention: Inbox Zero
Thank you for reading and hope you enjoy it.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsfromthewoods.substack.com -
100 issues published and soon to be 4 years of spending all day every second weekend writing Bytes & Backpacks. What was the beginning? The desire to leave social media, but also the fear of losing touch with my "network".
In these hectic times, I appreciate every time I read the Bytes & Backpacks and every e-mail you send me makes me very happy.
OpenAI has had the largest investment round in its history - not just its own, it is the largest investment round ever. It raised an additional $6.5 billion, bringing the firm's value to $157 billion. The nonprofit has become a for-profit, spending $300 million a month. Is this a bubble or truly the next industrial revolution? Sam thinks the second one, of course, and he certainly won't be alone. At the same time, OpenAI has introduced a new model that can think much better about the problem. He's just not going to start spouting off the answer right now, but he's going to try to think about everything first (just like a human).
What we know for sure is that AI eats a lot of energy. Tech companies are starting to have big problems with their carbon neutrality promises (both Google and Microsoft are pushing back their promises by many years). Big language models just eat energy. Microsoft is even going to buy its own (!) nuclear power plant on the infamous Three Miles Island (yes, the one after the accident) and rebuild it. It just seems now that anyone who doesn't have their own AI won't exist whatsoever. And anyone who wants to have their own AI needs lots of electricity to do it. I mean, a lot of it. We build the technology, provide the power, and then just hand over the reins - because AI is better at most activities than the current corporate bosses. Because some people think humanity has reached its intellectual and physical peak and we're just about to fall into the depths. So we're not starting off on a very positive note this time, are we?
Don't despair, there's new research that has found that life after death probably does exist. In fact, some cells can "detach" from a dead body and live on as a kind of "biobot". We spend our whole lives swearing at different kinds of bots, and eventually, we become them.
Now something practical. Do you have security cameras in your home? Screw security, security cameras are currently ghost hunting!
Or this: Do you still put your clothes on the chairs, too? And does it keep falling off the chair and ending up on the floor? I have a solution for you!
Let's have a little laugh about what is going on the animal kingdom. A selection of the best wildlife photos, the most interesting bird photos and the funniest animal pictures. Enjoy.
Another app that will (never) change your life (like, ever) is Birthday Weather. Yes, you type in when and where you were born and it tells you what the weather was like. Probably the most useless link in this issue of the newsletter.
Or have NASA put your name together from satellite images. As you can see, even NASA is bored...
Do you have a problem with longitudinal parking? Before your car can do it on its own, watch this video, there's no better way to explain it.
Do you dream of getting an older boat someday? And you are afraid of it? See what it's like to buy an older boat and live in it - in the Arctic Circle. Then buying an older sailboat moored in Croatia will seem like trivial.
Tired of big hotel resorts? Try eight of the world's most interesting tiny hotels or a list of great abandoned buildings.
Not adventurous enough? Then get inspired by what it's like to head out into the Canadian wilderness without food and try to simply survive.
What am I reading: Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble
What am I watching: Tulsa King
An interesting app: Midday
Thanks for scrolling down and hope you look forward to more next time.
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It's been five years since we acquired a second home by the sea. Although I live in a beautiful place in NP Czech Switzerland in a nice village with a great community, it has always been my dream to occasionally escape to the sea and live there for a while. Not to be confused with vacationing. Simply having a second home.
After five years, I'll try to write down some wisdom and, most importantly, experiences. What surprised me, both pleasantly and unpleasantly.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsfromthewoods.substack.com -
Cars, we're still dealing with cars. Gasoline? Diesel? Electric? But the much more interesting change in the whole market is happening somewhere else. Waymo's self-driving taxis (owned by Google) have driven over 35 million miles, are operating in several major US cities, and already make over 100,000 trips a week. Completely self-driving, no one sits inside except the customer in the back seat. They have become a major tourist attraction in San Francisco, but more importantly, data shows that they are much safer to ride than humans. They have 84 % fewer serious accidents than human cars. Basically all serious accidents, another (human) was at fault. So we can argue in Europe about whether internal combustion engines should be produced for another 5 years or 50, but in the whole battle we can only see the tail lights of a runaway train. Unfortunately.
Luxury is no longer in vogue with the young. The trend is to be sustainable. There are apps behind it again. How you move, how you sleep, what you eat, how you travel, to record everything and understand how to live better. Here's an overview of some sustainable fashion brands.
What do scientists say is the healthiest vegetable? Watercress!
Proof that there is still plenty of unexplored wilderness in Canada is the story of Joel. He was looking for a campsite on Google maps and came across an undiscovered asteroid crater.
Speaking of camping, how about a proper trek in the Himalayas? Or 100 kilometers through Kyrgyzstan?
Would you like to see an atom? Here are probably the best quality photos we have so far.
And you want to see what it looks like deep in the sea? Like, really deep?
Italy is full of abandoned villages. Nowadays, there are no jobs there anymore, so young people are moving to the cities. Sardinia is a great example of what can be done with an abandoned village. They have set up a training centre where they learn how to make good pasta and preserve other traditions. Well done!
China has its own AI video generator. And it works very well. You can even try to generate something for free. Just translate the prompt into Chinese. Adobe is also trying to catch this train with Firefly.
First data, then crypto, now AI. Data and computing centres are growing like mushrooms after the rain, and so is energy consumption. Recent findings show that the data centre emissions of the big tech players are much higher than reported.
Finally, I have 135 compliments for your partner. It's like something out of a Saturday tabloid magazine, but you can never have enough compliments!
In our Bohemian Switzerland we are already slowly preparing for autumn...
Wait for 100th issue.
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Yes, we’ve changed our name from “News from the woods” to “Bytes & Backpacks”. I Hope that you’ll like it! Also, we have a podcast version!
Disabled athletes get much less media attention, of course, but my admiration for them is perhaps even greater than for able-bodied men and women. Check out a selection of photos from the BBC.
Kids are back at school and parents will be dealing with "screen time" again. Half an hour a day?
An hour? Two? An endless quest to find balance. Banning kids from cell phones is a road to hell, spending 3+ hours a day on them is too. It was nothing like that for us, we ran outside and everything was so much better! It's just that the more we find out about the effect of cell phones on kids, the less we know :-). The first time humanity addressed the negative impact of frequent technology use was with books. Then it was the harmful effects of radio, then TV, the internet and now mobile screens. I've been dealing with my kids for the last few years mostly about WHAT they do on screens. Games and social media have a stop sign, education and smart games have a green light. I'll probably write a longer post about that next time, would you like it?
And once again, youth. Do you have a problem with them not answering your phone? In fact, 70% of young people aged 18-34 prefer texting to calls. 34% have never even picked up the phone. For the youngsters, the numbers are even more interesting. On the other hand, voice messaging is booming. Remember when you called someone on voicemail and it ate up your credit?
Well, okay, we're gradually getting into our more advanced years. Thinking about where to retire? Here's a thought on what countries are best for our retirement. I found a very interesting site that tells you how much longer you will live if you move to, let´s say, Greece. Or anywhere else in the world. And lots of other interesting information. Now that your kids aren't taking your phone, dig into what your old age might look like!
My favourite company 1x (OpenAI has invested in it) has launched a humanoid robot for the home. Cooking, ironing, cleaning - the real revolution is coming soon!
Have you ever wondered how small the processors in your mobile phone really are? What can you fit into a chip today thanks to technology? There's a very nice video circulating on Twitter. Yes, the line through the processor is a human hair, and then...
Photography on film is in vogue again. What's the best thing about analogue photography? That you can shoot almost anything. Like building a camera out of Legos (fingers crossed this set will officially be made) or baking yourself a camera out of gingerbread (thanks for the tip, John).
How about a week of walking in Scotland?
When all the nature around us is gone, you can download the Earth.fm app and listen to nature sounds from around the world.
In Portland, they built a new airport terminal with... a forest! Very nice.
Ahh, look - never ending problem of marital cohabitation has an app! Is this still green or already blue? Is turquoise green or blue? Take a test at home and find out how each of you perceives colors, because we all just have it differently.
"Close the window, light is on, the mosquitoes are coming!" But not at all. Mosquitoes seek out victims primarily by smell and heat (this is nothing new). Now scientists have come up with a few recommendations to avoid getting stung - like loose clothing.
There's a new Remarkable out there and it can do colors. If you like to write or draw, there's probably no better device. Also interesting is this mobile phone with an e-ink display or straight Barbie phone - without internet, of course, so Barbie can't get into the human world...
I found us a new place to live in Croatia. Peace and quiet, an island of one square kilometer. What more could you ask for! And you know what? My wife doesn't want to go there!
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