Paul's Tech Talk

Masks Everywhere : Is this a new Normal?

PaulMay 19, 2020

People are all about!

As states start to loosen their standards for people to go out and about. It has been a quite a different sight to see. We’ve seen critics speak out about herd immunity and how this will cause problems. There are many experts to novices that will talk about what herd immunity is but are they right? We can all have our own opinions about the subject but the truth of the matter is a simple one that we will never truly know how well it will work in the future.

Isolation

We’ve been in isolation for almost 2 months and I am sure everyone is just giddy to get out of the house and enjoy the outside with the sunshine. I know I am ready to enjoy the summer and get out of this self isolation. Has the self isolation stopped the virus? The answer is an emphatic no. It was never designed to stop it just slow the spread down. Just lately we’ve heard that China is starting to lock down cities again. Will that happen to the US or other countries? I’m hopefully that it will not slow or stop the economy again.

Inevitability

Is it inevitable? is useless to wait for it to become the new normal? We’ve been hearing that term for a few weeks. The new normal, is all around the media being talking about. Should we listen to them talking about it and accepting it. I don’t know about the rest of the population but I am not going to accept this new normal and I am ready for the old normal to come back. Will it? I don’t know but I am hopeful that the old normal. Are you planing to accept the new normal or do you want the old normal back? Leave a comment what you want to happen? I’d love to hear your opinions on this!

Why self isolation will change your life and your job!

PaulApril 14, 2020

Jobs are at a Stand still

If you haven’t been paying attention with the current state of the Corona Virus pandemic than you really should. Most Americans have been off their jobs and the unemployment is the highest it has been in centuries. I say that with great trepidation because my thoughts are on the economics of this this and when is it too much to force Americans to stay home? We can ask that question from the individual personal views but we should also ask that from the population? When do we consider the ramifications of the whole situation? Most Americans aren’t making that much money from work and surviving from paycheck to paycheck. This is the problem with the current situation when people can’t really afford to be off work for such a long time and not making the money they are used to be making from work. Unemployment probably isn’t paying anywhere the amount most people actually get from working.

Work from home is on the rise

Ever since the self isolation and keeping people home companies have instituted working from home. The goal of this was to keep people working and for the company to still make money. We have seen a lot of people working at home more and that is where it will probably change. The question that I am thinking is will the work? Will they keep this up when we get back to work? Will the companies allow people to work more from home? I can only suspect that companies will do this as a greater experiment and try to see what will work and what will not. We also have to consider just how well this will work and what will happen to our economy when all this is over with. Will we be bouncing back or will we have even more jobs open up due to the current pandemic?

Your job will change!

The truth of the matter is that most Americans will have a job change in the coming weeks to probably months. A lot of companies will want to change people titles or even shut down all the way. I’ve already started seeing companies such as Lone Star Restaurant declaring bankruptcy due to not being able to serve their customers. I’ve watched how companies have already started to implement this into their own situations and I am sure we will see even more companies shut down permanently and I am sure we will see an explosion people out of work. This is my real fear right now that the we are being forced to go into a recession due to this pandemic. I am sure it’s a really fear for most Americans and other nations also. We will all see this change coming in the coming months and maybe even next year. People’s lives will change in one way or another. Wee will not be back to the normalcy we are used to for quite some time.

Economics is strange!

With all that is going on we will see the economic atmosphere change in the many aspects from our personal lives to how we interact with other individual. We will see it change in how we will deal with our family members and our love lives. In every way we will see this pandemic change our lives and how we will end up in the new normal. We will see this for years to come and even then the new normal will be hard for most people. It will not be the same and we must accept that fact and move forward and try to make it the best we can.

Day 9 – Keeping sanity at home

PaulApril 1, 2020

Routines

I can say so much about the day to day routines that I go through to keep my sanity. You get up and check your email and then you start to figure out what you will be eating in the morning. Each day you are trying to find something to keep you busy while you wait the day out. Covid-19 seems to bring out the dread and fear. I still say you shouldn’t fear the pandemic but listen to what is recommended. Washing your hands and keeping away 6 feet seems to be the CDC recommendations for the time being, least we should also be socially distant. We are social animals and I know we have a really hard time doing that. I’ve read stories about that and know from first hand about people not listening and staying away 6 feet. It seems there is a debate on whether this is foolish pandemic or a much needed change!

News Media

The News media still seems to be foolishly trying to scare people and make their best known fear around the world. I still think that this pandemic will show us just how much the media controls the information and what we actually see or hear about this Covid-19. In the USA, Trump extends social distancing until April 30th , So we might just be in isolation for another month at least! The curve of this virus has not even peaked and we have yet to see a downward climb of the end. It could be weeks or months before we are back to our normal routines.

Peoples lives at risk!

With people not working, or trying to provide for there family, where is the end of this. There has to be some kind of give and take about people working and surviving this problematic issue. We all just can’t stay home and veg out. We are should always be willing to work and overcome this virus and show people just how much we value our work ethic. Are you worried about being evicted or how you feed yourselves and family in the coming weeks? Why not comment and tell me your thoughts and fears and lets start a conversation about this and others. We can be socially distance and still have a really good discussion about this and others topics!

Day 3: State issues stay at home and what you can do!

PaulMarch 25, 2020

Tech side of staying at home!

I am going to talk about the tech side of what you can do while you are bored and can’t go out. I know it is difficult for some of you even me. I tend to want to be more socialized but that isn’t good right now. It varies from person but some of us are just way to bored and want to something to do. You can only clean your house so many times a week before you just can’t do it anymore. So here’s what I’ve been doing to get over the boredom.

Minecraft

I’ve been playing a lot of Minecraft. You can play it on A lot of different platforms from PS4, Xbox, PC, Mac, And even Linux. Each platform is a little different. I personally like PC and Linux because of the controls and what your PC needs to play it. Minecraft doesn’t require much PC resources and can be played on a lot of older systems. It might not be fast or great but it will keep you busy. I am challenging myself to make the best house or something like that for my own little world.

Subnautica

I really like the games that let you build your own world and work on it on your own. It’s a Single player game and your goal is to get off the planet. It has some great story lines and you can explore this really big world. You can play it on PS4, Xbox 1, PC and Steam platforms. I won’t spoil it for you but you will need a really good graphics processing Unit to play it on your PC and I really like how it plays! It is nice way to relax at home and not have to worry about this darn Covid-19 issue. Although the game does have it’s own infection in the single player where you will need to heal yourself before you can get off the planet. You can see the video of the gameplay on YouTube if you are are really interested in finding out what this game is all about.

Subnautica : Below Zero

Is only offered on Steam and is an early access. It is also another story line from Subnautica and has new game mechanics. I’ve not delved to much into this game because I really want to finish Subnautica first before I start this exploring this game. You will also will be playing a woman this time. It can be a little different and I don’t exactly know what the story line is all about and I am guessing it is another one for survival and getting off the planet. It however is a great way to forget why you are home and can’t be out and about.

Terra Tech

Terra tech is another one where you have control over building your world. You probably get were my focus lately is due to the Covid-19. I am finding games that I can control because I don’t want to think about how I have no control over the virus or what is happening. I like this one because you can explore and upgrade your machines. You can play multiplayer with others for another goal. I usually like the single version and play by myself. TerraTech is available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Steam, and Nintendo Switch. These are the games I have been playing to keep me busy while I am having to stay home and not worry about the world.

Got your own favorite game? why not leave a comment and tell me your favorite games and tell me why you like it!

The Rise of Wearable Technology: Smartwatches

PaulMarch 16, 2020

We live in a world that is constantly being reshaped by the slew of technological innovations made available to us. Technology has come such a long way that the latest smartphones dwarf the technology used to send humanity to the moon. Not only have we made technological advancements that push the limitations of what’s possible, but we’ve also done it in a way that makes these new technologies more mobile than ever before.

One great example of this is the multitude of smartwatches available today. Companies such as Apple and Samsung have produced wearable technology that provides drastic quality of life changes by integrating the watch’s various functions into our daily lives. Indeed, these watches do way more than just tell the time.

Compact Technology

Wearable technology has been on the rise in recent years. This is due to the onset of the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT is a network of objects such as watches, televisions, and phones that are connected to the internet and to each other in hopes of making life more convenient for its users.

Now, one of the things that have paved the way for the IoT are the innovations in printed circuit board (PCB) design, which have improved features like flexibility and mobility. This is most evident in the popularity of rigid-flex PCBs, which link multiple boards together in one unit to make them more adaptable to odd packaging. This is because the rigid-flex design allows for the board to be folded which in turn allows for unorthodox board shapes that are perfect for wearable devices such as watches.

Do More Than Just Tell Time

Person wearing white silicon watch — Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

While it can still tell the time like normal watches, smartwatches can do much more. In fact, traditional watches are dropping in popularity as most people now use their smartphone to check the time. So what can these smartwatches do?

Well, one of the most common functions of a smartwatch is the fitness tracker. Most of these watches come with a pedometer that records the number of steps you’ve taken in a day along with the number of calories burnt. Some smartwatches even come with a heart rate and sleep tracker so you can have a better idea of the status of your health without a full medical check-up. You can also sync the smartwatch to your smartphone, which will then allow you to reply to messages and receive calls without having to pull out your phone.

Full Integration

Speaking of syncing it to your phone, smartwatches can also be fully integrated with your other devices and apps. Due to their growing popularity, most, if not all services that you get on a normal smartphone are also available on a smartwatch.

Various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp send notifications straight to your smartwatch so that you’ll never miss anything. This becomes especially useful during activities where you may not have your phone on you, such as when you’re in the gym or even when you’re swimming, as many smartwatches offer a waterproof variation for those of us who cannot afford to miss any messages. Indeed, the smartwatch has gone a long way to making us more connected than ever before.
Post written by Myrtis Royal