Category: Interesting

Why Bloggers Write?

Writing is a Solo Pastime

There are some activities that we like to do with people. And then there are some activities that we like to do on our own. Some people get energy by working with other people. They are known as extroverts. And some people recharge their energy by spending time alone. They are known as introverts. Most people have both extroversion and introversion. It is just a matter of leaning towards one side or the other.

When we are in our introversion mode, writing is the perfect activity since it is a solo activity that is best done alone.

Writing Helps Practice Communications Skills

In order to write one must exercise their communication skills. This exercise hones and maintain one’s vocabulary and effective communication. It teaches us to write succinctly. It is more difficult to write succinct and precise. Sometimes we may be in a job where we are doing manual labor, or where the topic of conversation is within a narrow range of topics. By writing we expand our topic of conversation and broaden our range of topics to talk about.

For Money

And then there is the writing for money.  Some blogger write on their site because they constantly need fresh content to generate page view.  Pageview can be monetized by advertisement on the site such as Google AdSense.

But not always

However, that is not always the case.  Some do not write for money.  Leo Babauta is a blogger on a very popular ZenHabits.net. His site has no ads.  Why does he write?

In his article, Finding Your Voice, he says that he writes a lot and that is because …

“This is almost all I need to say, as nothing else matters without the constant practice of writing a lot. Write blog posts and letters, booklets and diatribes, letters to the editor and book reviews, love poems and short stories, novellas and manifestos. The sheer mass of your writing becomes the raw matter from which to chisel your voice.”

Blue Lobster Found

A very rare blue lobster was found by a fishermen in King Edward’s Island in Canada in 2011. The rarity is about one in 2 million and some estimates say it is one out of 4 million. The blue is due to a rare gene. Due to its rarity, the lobster will be kept in an aquarium and will not be eaten. But if it were to be cooked, it would turn red just like regular lobsters.

Besides blue lobsters, there are also blue crayfishes (also rare).

See pictures in these sources: Nationalpost.com and MSNBC

iPad 2 model A1395

The iPad 2 model A1395 is the second generation iPad (or iPad 2) with WiFi-only connectivity.  The iPad 2 is a tablet device by Apple that was released in the United States on March 2011.  It was then subsequently released to other parts of the world.  The iPad 2 is lighter, thinner, and faster than the original iPad.

The iPad 2 comes in three models depending on the connectivity abilities.  

iPad 2 Model A1395: WiFi-only connectivity
iPad 2 Model A1396: Wi-Fi / GSM / A-GPS
iPad 2 Model A1397: WiFi / CDMA / A-GPS

For each model, you can have black or white color. And for each of the model, you can select the amount of memory capacity: 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. Depending on your selections, the price will vary.

The model number can be found on the back of the iPad.  Alternatively, on the iPad, you can tap on “Settings” on the Home screen and then go to “General -> About -> Regulatory”.  There you should see the model number of the device.

If your model number shows A1219 or A1337, then you do not have the iPad 2; you have the original iPad.   But an easier way to determine whether you have the iPad 2 or the original iPad is to simply look to see whether it has cameras.  The iPad 2 has two cameras, one on each side, with rear camera being able to capture HD video.   The camera would look like a tiny pinhole, so it might be hard to spot.  The original iPad does not have any camera.

Because of the added camera, the iPad 2 has FaceTime app for video calling and PhotoBooth.

iPad 2 Model A1395
iPad 2 Model A1395

The iPad 2 uses the Apple dual-core A5 chip as opposed to the A4 in the original, making it up to twice as fast.  And better graphics (especially for games).  There is even a gyroscope, so that the display can rotate as you rotate the device.  There are games that takes advantage of the tilt sensing ability of the iPad 2.  Battery life is about 10 hours.

Of course, it can surf the web and send emails, but it can do a lot more.  Watch the below video by Apple.

The Apple iPad 2 Smart Cover is sold separately. As you saw in the video, the iPad can detect when you remove and put on the cover and will wake and sleep appropriately. The cover is magnetically attached, and can be folded into a stand for typing and watching videos.

It is recommended that you purchase either a Smart Cover or a third party case to protect the touch sensitive screen during transport.

First Twitter Tweet

Linked here is a the first twitter tweet by Jack Dorsey on March 21, 2006 at 1:02PM.

This information came from a tweet by Jack linked here on March 13, 2011 which says …

“5 years ago today we started programming Twitter (“twttr” for short). 8 days later the first tweet was sent: http://t.co/Vi5ii5A #twttr”

Slippers that Cleans Floor

Here are some slippers that cleans the floor as you walk. They are more designed for cleaning hardwood floor as opposed to carpet. For carpets, you are better off using a vacuum cleaner.

They work better if you walk in a sweeping motion. And make sure you dust off the dirt afterward; otherwise you track dirt back onto the floor that you’ve just cleaned.

They come in different colors and but not sure if they come in different sizes.