The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Having been in cinema since watching ‘Gravity’, I somehow found a chance to see ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ the other day. Couldn’t find other movies that I really wanna see and somehow this one fitted my schedule and Ben Stiller is an actor that I like. So, I just went in without much expectation. Well, before I saw this movie, the only thing that I know is that this movie stars Ben Stiller and it is about a person who daydream. Since going to movie is to escape reality for 2 hours and daydreaming has similar effect, so I just go to check it out to see what is it all about.

I think this movie should be seen by adult and kids wouldn’t be able to grasp the spirit of this movie. It is to ‘break out of your own comfort zone, to ‘realize’ your dream somehow’.  It is actually very difficult to do for real, the older we are. I think this movie is a light-hearted comedy that with a meaning. Ben Stiller is doing a good job for starring in this movie which he also directs. Other supporting actors do fit their roles, especially interesting to see Sean Penn to play a low profile character who doesn’t freak out. I especially like the music and the scenery in this movie. Iceland is just beautiful.

Since I went in without much anticipation, so I’m fine with my experience watching this movie. Not great, but a decent one.  

Silence majority on social media

I login social media sites everyday. Actually, few times a day. It has become a habit since I start using it few years back. I think the social media site is a great invention. It pulls people who you can rarely meet in person together virtually, to let each other communicate through direct message or simply viewing each other’s post. Since it is very convenient with words, pics and video, its blossom is by no mean accidental. However, as a long time user with many many friends on the site, I can’t help but notice that many of my friends or acquaintances do not really post much. Well, I don’t know their reasons, but as I also behave that way, I surely know why I don’t post much or frequent as some active posters!

Checking other’s posting would seem to be a way to be informed as well as relax.  Reading others let myself stay anonymous, but posting something would mean that others would read it. Do I’ve something to say to many others often? I guess not.  I do send messages to some people, but that’s when I’ve something specific that I want to say to someone special for a purpose. On the other hand, just telling everybody the same message is a bit pointless unless I feel that there is a compelling reason to do so. Most of the time for my hectic and boring life, there rarely happens. 

Some people like to share their thoughts and experience with many people. That’s understandable, but I’m just not that kind of person. I don’t really see the point of telling other people all the time what restaurant I’m in, what dishes I’m eating and where I’m is worth anything. What exactly is the point? For some very special events either it is good or bad, like wedding, someone passed away, meeting the Pope, or witness a crime, or something like that, I do see that’s worth posting. Otherwise, many posts are quite frankly pointless. I won’t criticize what others are doing, they have the freedom and right to do so. I just don’t share that and follow myself.  Perhaps I may change in future, but at least that’s what I believe now. 

Furthermore, with the technology that I understand these days, whatever you said on the net is permanent recorded. That’s why we should be very careful of what we said. Express our own emotion is acceptable. I can say ‘Fxxk’ as many times as I want if I got really really frustrated. But, I wouldn’t say ‘Fxxk XXXXX! Go to hell!’ either in my blog or on social media. Cuz, a record is a record, you will never know when it may some days coming back to haunt you, to make you to explain something that most likely you’ve already forgot. For middle aged folk like me, I don’t think I’m going anywhere. The impact may be less, but for young people who suppose to have a bright future, could be the president of who know what, these kind of careless posting  in the past may surely be dug up by the media and be used as tool to against you. So, the bottom line is, don’t mine your own bombs!  Cuz, you may lose your job, your relationship, or God knows what because of stupid things that you posted in the past.

Just be careful.

My early iWatch predictions (further thoughts)

I have further thoughts on top of my earlier post after readings some recent posts about this alleged product.

Battery – As I said earlier, battery is gonna be the make-or-break factor for this product. Cuz, no matter how good the functions and the look of this product are, without good battery, it’s gonna be a piece of good looking junk. So, Apple has to be creative in making the iWatch battery last as long as possible and that would tie to my earlier comment that Apple would be very selective in putting functions on this device, the battery drain of those functions would probably be the deciding factor on whether they can be available in app store for the device. Some people are talking about kinetic charging, solar charging, remote charging with a pad or something. I think those are reasonable predictions. But, I think Jony Ive and the his hardware team in Apple would probably squeeze every single particle space of this device to store power and will come up with something very creative and functional at the same time. It might be in the belt, on the surface or something. Also, that would charge a premium. I think a speedy charger can only be viewed as a ‘make-up’ secondary effort, cuz a lasting battery should matter much more than asking the owner to put down the device for an hour. 24/7 on should be the goal of this portable device.

Screen – there are talks in the net about what materials are gonna be used for the screen. I can’t comment on that as it’s not what most consumer would care, instead its weight and durability from scratch matter more. Also, on whether the ‘bended’ screen technology would that be applied to iWatch, I would seriously doubt that. Just because it can be done, doesn’t make it convincing to be put in use. Bended screen could be good for a 100”screen TV to provide a surrounded visual environment to show 3D stuff. But, on our wrist is entire different matter. It may look cool for the first minute, but would that provide a good UI? I doubt it. You don’t want your left wrist to make ongoing ‘key-turning’ movement in order for your eyes to see and for your right fingers in operation.  Also, don’t forget the glaring effect of the glass surface under sunlight or indoor light which would produce a ‘bright white band’ of reflection on a bended screen. It would partially block the view of the content. Does anyone aware of that? So, I would guess a flat screen would still be applied to the 1^st gen iWatch. Also, that would drain less battery with a smaller screen and more room for battery. Last but not the least, as I said before as well, apps really matter here. There will be specific apps for the iWatch, but I would suspect that many 3^rd party app developers would intend to twist their current iPhone apps and put it on the customized screen of iWatch. I’m not sure if a bended screen with weird dimension would be more preferable and easier to work on than a flat screen. 

Functions – I think Apple would have a separate set of SDK for iWatch. At launch, only native apps from Apple and few selected 3^rd apps will be available. The scope of what apps will be available in future would be different from iPhone and iPad. Cuz, unless battery technology has a breakthrough, battery drain could well be a factor in determining either its success or its chance to be put on the app store.  I think the app for the iWatch would be a very interesting area. As many reporters or bloggers have said, multi-sensors will be in iWatch. Medical and health area would be the initial focus given the money pit in the fitness craze market. Certainly, much more can be done with the sensors. For example, besides the kinetic control of i-devices in future, providing alert for new message on notification center on iphone and the mentioned health check, it can be used for security. I.e. for verification of ID, tracking of people, making SOS request, etc., that is a big market for that.  Of course, it is all limited by the battery power.

Final thoughts for now, as the CES this year has shown, wearable tech is supposed to be huge in the next few years. But, I think only few will do well. Think about currently what portable things that we take with us: hat, bags, belt, watch, necklace, rings, glasses, earphone, ear pieces, phone, wallet, clothes, pen for few people. That’s a lot! We don’t want to take that many things everywhere we go.  Out of all those things, our wrist probably the prime real estate for exploration, so iWatch can succeed just because of where we would wear it. Based on the phone craze, many 3^rd phone cases or shells were made and that’s a billion dollar industry. I think the iWatch will create the same. Perhaps more on the fashion accessory industry which may make special belt or gloves that allow iWatch to be tied on, or with some special bracelet attached. Money, money, money for sure!

Anyway, I’m not sure how much advice or ‘blessing’ that Steve Jobs had left for this product. But this one as a new product since his death for a world-watching new product category, everybody will watch this launch closely. Tim Cook really doesn’t have choice of failing. So, stay tune for fall 2014.

Self-brainstorming with captions

As I said before, I’m not a ‘date’ or ‘time’ sensitive person. I just do when I think it is about time. Currently, I’m trying to start my ‘old engine’ for that. It’s a bit rusty, but I think I can do it. The following are some random thoughts, don’t know where they are coming from, perhaps heard or read it somewhere. They could be some great words that would inspire someone who want to read it. On the other hand, they could be just bullshit. Anyway, I’m typing these for my own brain-storming. Don’t take them seriously unless you want to….

Shouldn’t keep our mind for too long in the past or dreaming for the future, the present is all that matter! You can’t change the past and the consequence of the past is the present. You keep thinking the past would mostly take away your attention to deal with the bad consequence from the past at present. That’s not good.  Equally, the future is the consequence of the present. By doing nothing, it would not lead to what you are dreaming of. So, stay focus of the present. That’s where CHANGE can only be made!

Think outside the box is easy to say, but how to do it when you are living, breathing in the box! So, you need to do something to help you think outside the box. That something means something extraordinary! Not necessary jumping out of the plane or throwing cash on the street, it means going to places that you normally won’t go, may be just deviate from your normal path. Just walk slowly than usual, pay attention to things that you don’t see normally. They may trigger your thoughts. It’s better to do that physically, not on the web. Your senses need to be stimulated to trigger your thoughts. Smell, touch, hear something different, the combination of them would help. Don’t need to put yourself in danger and it could also be free, just spend an extra half hour on a normal day may do the trick.

It’s time to think of the ‘Half Glass Full’ theory again. The half full would make you feel how lucky you are. Not that I mean you should feel lucky enough to stop trying to improve, but try to be happy when you are down. So, you can lift your spirit up to explore and try new things. Think of life is full of opportunities. You don’t climb out of a hole if you don’t look up. See the sky, breathe the fresh air, that would make you think differently and start to make changes.

We need support. If you feel you are not loved or cared for, it is because you don’t love or care the others. Start talking to people that you haven’t talked to for a long time. Don’t be shy. If they are willing to talk, that would be enough. If they don’t wanna talk, try next time. If they don’t wanna talk again. It just means that’s time to move on. Thoughts can be created by bouncing with others’. Doesn’t mean that you need to rely on others, just talking to someone is a good thing. You will be surprised often how you feel after you talk to someone. Sometimes, you can do certain things alone, but it would be harder. Seeking someone for help should not be a shame. ‘Help’ that I mean here is not really asking for something or a favor in particular. It could really be as simple as talking to that person, so that ideas can be bounced off from his/her thought. It is more a mind-triggering process. Seek their reaction of your thoughts as a way to stimulate your own thinking process. 

Self-discipline is a very tough thing to do, even for adults. Unless our ass is on fire, we would take ‘time’ to think, to dream, to plan, before start doing anything if ever. It is hard to push oneself, because we don’t like to be pushed. So, nothing is done at the end and we feel that we are useless. That’s why self- initiated split of personality would be a way to do it. A muse or angel or devil to remind you what’s wrong with you and tell you it’s time to xyz may be a way to go. It’s kind of like a ‘self-parenting’ approach. Think of it, we learn the most when we were kids under the iron rule of our parents, we didn’t like it, but the results looking back are pretty good. So, try to implement that on ourselves when we are adults can be tried. If it doesn’t work, what is the loss? Nothing! What to do next? Try something else! I often found this ‘self-Q&A’ helpful. So, for all the ‘you’ that I mentioned above, that would actually be me. 

Hopefully, nobody would think I’m a delusional person…..