HED Project

Life/Tech/Ideas

Author: hedproject

  • The Future of Mobile Applications: PWAs

    The Future of Mobile Applications: PWAs

    Today, I received an email from Google stating, “2 of your apps are affected by Google Play’s target API level requirements. We’ve detected that 2 of your apps are targeting an old version of Android.” Yes, I have created some mobile apps, and this email means that if your app was built for an older Android version, you must update it to support the latest one, or it will be removed from the Google Play Store.

    So, where is the problem, you might wonder? Well, I don’t even know where the app files are located on my hard drive. Let alone to open and search what to change, into the code, so it can support the latest API, etc. As a mobile developer, this is a common headache if you publish apps on app stores (Apple or Google).

    But there is another, less painful way to create apps that avoid these problems and run smoothly on almost any mobile phone and the web.

    The Future: Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

    What are PWAs? They are essentially web applications (normal websites) that utilize some functionalities of mobile phones and can be used just like traditional mobile apps.

    Why are PWAs the future?

    1. Simplicity

    Traditional mobile apps need to be written separately for Android and iOS. Technically, you must write the app twice, once for each operating system (though some frameworks allow for cross-platform development, they still require tweaking for each OS). PWAs, on the other hand, are web applications written in JavaScript, HTML, and CSS—the heart and soul of every website.

    2. Cost Efficiency

    If your company needs cross-platform support plus web, you would need to hire multiple developers (or teams). With PWAs, one developer is sufficient to create the app for the web, significantly reducing costs.

    3. Maintenance

    Maintaining traditional apps is cumbersome. Each update requires submission to app stores, followed by a review process, leading to delays and additional costs. PWAs can be updated instantly without app store approvals. Changes made to the web application are reflected across all devices immediately.

    4. Independence from App Stores

    PWAs do not rely on app stores, meaning no ID checks, no cuts from in-app purchases, which means total freedom for developers. This autonomy is a significant advantage over traditional apps.

    The App Store Conundrum

    Why haven’t we heard more about PWAs?

    One word: Apple.

    Apple has a substantial influence on the market and technology decisions, especially in regions where it holds a significant market share (61% in the USA, over 45% in the UK). Apple’s App Store generates enormous revenue ($22 billion in 2022) by taking a 30% cut of transactions. Naturally, Apple has a interest in keeping users and developers within its ecosystem.

    While Safari, Apple’s web browser, does support PWAs to some extent, it lacks the full range of features and capabilities available in other browsers like Google Chrome. Apple has been slow to adopt advanced web technologies that power PWAs. Features like push notifications and background sync, crucial for a native app-like experience, are either limited or unavailable on iOS. This deliberate lag in support potentially steers developers back to traditional native app development.

    Embracing PWAs fully could undermine Apple’s revenue stream by enabling developers to bypass the App Store altogether.

    Conclusion

    Despite the obstacles posed by entities like Apple, the future of mobile applications is undeniably leaning towards PWAs. Their cross-platform compatibility, cost efficiency, simplified maintenance, and independence from app stores make PWAs an attractive option for developers and businesses alike.

    How to Install a Website as a Mobile App:

    1. Open the website you want in Safari (for iPhones) or Chrome (for Android phones).
    2. Click on the share button at the bottom of the browser.
    3. Press: Add to Home Screen.

    And that’s it. The website is now on your phone and can be used like any other mobile app. If the website supports real-time notifications, you will be able to receive them as well.

  • Stop paying for subscriptions

    Stop paying for subscriptions

    Do you remember the time when the internet was a free place? Information was there, and you just needed to use AltaVista or Yahoo to find it. There was Limewire, DC++ or Napster. There were free MP3s floating around the internet. There was MySpace!


    The programmes that we were using on the PC were “free” or almost free. At least there was no monthly subscription. Pay once, use it forever.


    But when MySpace disappeared and YouTube appeared, that’s when things started changing. Companies started charging for extra things and extra services. For example, Microsoft Excel was (and still is) a program that you can buy once. But fewer people buy it nowadays as a separate software. Most people use it as part of the Office suite that comes with Microsoft 365. AutoCAD, a very well-known CAD software, started the software-as-a-service charging model, without offering much of a service. What you would buy once and use forever, now became a quite expensive monthly subscription. And worth mentioning, “Photoshop” – the pioneering software for photo editing, the one and only go-to program that photographers use to edit their photos – went from a one-off program to a monthly subscription software. Music became the same way. Movies too.


    But things haven’t changed completely. There are still plenty and pretty good alternatives to the “I want you to pay us every month” model that the big players have adopted.


    LibreOffice: The open-source (and free) alternative to Microsoft Office. With this one, you can replace MS-Word, Excel, and many more. Find it here: https://www.libreoffice.org/

    Linux (Ubuntu): Microsoft Windows comes pre-installed on each laptop. But…their price is already included in the new laptop’s price tag. There are laptops out there without a pre-installed operating system that are significantly cheaper than the ones that have an OS installed. What you have to do is install a Linux distro such as Ubuntu, which is 100% free and easy to use. Especially if the computer is going to be used for online work, then why bother spending hundreds of pounds on an OS? Find it here: https://ubuntu.com/

    Affinity Photo/Designer: Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are two well-known programs that photographers and designers use. About 10 years ago, they jumped to the subscription boat, and they are quite expensive, especially if you are not a professional designer/photographer. Thankfully, there are a dozen alternatives out there that aren’t following the monthly subscription model, and they are as good as Adobe’s programs (or even better). I am using Affinity’s Photo and Designer to do creative work, and I can say I am impressed. They work amazingly well on almost all platforms, even on iPad. Affinity sells them as a one-off payment/use forever product, and you can either buy them separately or as a package for all platforms (Windows, macOS, and iPadOS) at around £100. Get them here: https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/


    ProgeCAD: The best AutoCAD alternative in the whole market. That’s it. It is a 100% AutoCAD clone (but the design engine is completely different), and it can do whatever a drafter that uses AutoCAD needs. I cannot recommend it enough! I really love this program. And not only this, it can read AutoLISP scripts that you might have! Find it at: https://www.progesoft.com/


    Stremio: An alternative to Netflix. The media center allows you to watch movies, series, YouTube channels instantly. You can watch in HD, with subtitles, and easily cast any file to TV through DLNA, Chromecast, or AppleTV! CAUTION: As it allows the user to use add-ons that have access to torrents, I would use it with a VPN, as this is considered piracy, which of course I condemn.


    Cloud storage: You can also set up your own online storage server and say goodbye to the expensive cloud storage from iDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. Although you have to buy and set up your own small file server, there are so many easy-to-use solutions out there that are user-friendly and can be set up in less than half an hour. I would recommend Synology (https://www.synology.com/en-uk) or Western Digital (https://www.westerndigital.com/solutions/network-attached-storage) because of their brands.


    One software at the time! Regain your freedom from the subscription model and control of your digital life. The options are hundreds.

  • DIY Weekend: resurrecting a dead JBL Go Bluetooth speaker

    DIY Weekend: resurrecting a dead JBL Go Bluetooth speaker

    I had this JBL Go speaker laying around and haven’t touched it since I don’t know when.

    I generally like JBL as the sound quality is amazing and the price is way lower than some super high end brands (like BOSE).

    The only problem with this Bluetooth speaker, and generally with the Bluetooth speakers is that the battery is not easily accessible. This means that when the battery is worn off, then you must replace the whole speaker and buy a new one.

    But, if you want to experiment a little bit and you are not afraid to use a soldering kit, then with less than £10 you can give a new life to your speaker.

    The process is straight forward.

    First you remove the front mesh and reveal the speaker and the screw holes.

    Secondly, you unscrew the screw holes (T6 screwdriver to remove the four 9 mm screws).

    The motherboard is revealed. Unmount the speaker cable.

    The motherboard has only 1 screw. Unscrew it.

    The battery can be seen. It is glued on the case. Inside the battery there is a small “charging circuit” which allows the electricity to pass on the opposite way, from the cable to the battery so it can be charger. Remove the battery cover so this circuit can be revealed. Remove the old battery from it but let all the other cabling as it is.

    Solder 2 cables on the new battery. Red is the positive, Black is the negative.

    Connect the Black with the Negative pole on the charging circuit and the Red with the Positive and check if everything works (you don’t need the speaker to be connected, just press the TURN ON button and the blue led should light on.

    Then solder the cables. (not the best soldering in the world…)

    Start reassembling everything back. Put on the screws, mount the speaker and that’s it! The speaker is alive!

    Disclaimer: Use tape to hide all the naked cables so they won’t touch each other and will not create a short circuit.

    Have in mind, the battery that I used has a way bigger capacity that the previous one but there is a catch. It is thicker and I cannot close the speaker completely. So before buying a new battery make sure that the speaker and the battery fit inside the speaker box.

    The battery I used is a rechargable one for an old NOKIA 3310 phone with 3.6V and 1000mAh (£7.99 from Amazon).

  • Digitalisation of the construction industry

    Digitalisation of the construction industry

    We are living in the digital age. Everything nowadays is an app and the phones we have in our pockets are multiple times faster than the processor used to get the man to the moon. And yet, thousands of small/medium businesses haven’t jumped on the digital boat. Especially in the construction sector, pen and paper is still the king, even though COVID-19 gave a boost towards digital practices.

    There are several benefits into going digital but also there are some factors that for companies, especially small, are acting as blockers to the adoption. The negative factors include: the cost, effort and the changes needed. It is also worth mentioning that there is a shortage of skilled people that are equipped with the right digital capabilities to use new technologies.

    On the other hand, the benefits are countless. Just to mention a few:

    • Efficiency improvement: project management, project scheduling and communications can become more efficient, faster and reduce the project completion time.
    • Cost reduction: using software like BIM or CAD can help to avoid potential problems in the design, save costs on paperwork, printing and record keeping.
    • Better communication: Digital tools can enable better communication and collaboration among team members, subcontractors, and clients, leading to fewer misunderstandings and improved decision making.
    • Accuracy in data: Data are easier to access using specific software. Tools like Microsoft Excel can help with data analysis and keeping data up to date.
    • Remote working: The pandemic of 2019 showed that remote collaboration is achievable and, in many cases, can lead to even greater productivity between the team members, even if they are in different locations (even countries). This also leads to employee talented employees that would be difficult or impossible to employee before.
    • Reduced waste: Going digital can contribute to a reduced carbon footprint by omitting paperwork and physical folders and be replaced with digital storage and files.

    Simple digital tools and devices to make you become fully digital:

    • Storage Server

    First and foremost, going digital means you must have somewhere to store your files. Like old time folders and drawers, a server serves the same purpose. Of course, it takes way less space and money. There are 2 different ways to store files though. One is to hire cloud space or use services like DropBox, OneDrive etc. This is a solution that doesn’t require a physical server, but it adds on your monthly budget as it requires a subscription. The other solution is to buy a server.

    Server here, doesn’t mean the big chunky rack that will occupy a whole room. It is just a small device, or a computer (or in some cases a very small rack) that is 24/7 online. All of the office computers are connected to it and the files are accessible from all the connected devices that can see it as an additional Hard Drive.

    You can also add an additional remote server (somewhere far away from the first one, in another building probably) that will have the purpose of a backup machine. In case of a disaster there will be another exact copy of all your files somewhere.

    There are quite a few advantages using a server/cloud storage for your business:

    • There is a centralised file storage that can make it easier for employees to access the files they need.
    • It facilitates the collaboration between employees. Multiple employees can work on the same files from different locations.
    • It gives employees remote access to the files. Imagine being at the construction site and needing access to some drawings. You open a tablet, you go through the server, you open the drawings and voila! No need to carry any printed drawings with you.
    • It provides access to very old files that otherwise would be submerged under a pile of folders into a basement. You remember this old project back in 2018 near Exeter? You need to find your sign-off sheets from back then? No problem. Go through your server files and they will be there.
    • Microsoft Excel

    Excel is one of my favourite tools. Maybe it is my favourite, I don’t know. The one thing I know is that Excel has saved me thousands of working hours. It has helped me in calculations, in estimations, in tender preparation, in exporting hundreds of PDF files automatically. It is THE TOOL. It is a programming language wrapped around an understandable interface with understandable and easy commands.

    Excel can be helpful to construction companies in many ways. It can create and manage budgets, track expenses, create schedules, track progress, and identify potential problems, track inventory levels, order supplies and costs.

    It is used to create estimates for projects, track changes to estimates, and generate reports.

    It can be used to create and store documents, such as contracts, and invoices.

    I really don’t know why someone wouldn’t use it.

    If you are already using it check an article I have written back in 2019 regarding Excel commands that will make your life easier.

    • iPads (with a pen)

    When I bought my first iPad I wondered: “Why I haven’t bought one earlier?”. Yes, that was my reaction. I have written my review on my blog where you can read more about it. But how can it be used in the construction sector?

    As we are turning more of our processes into digital, the replacement of the physical paper is inevitable. We need something to depict the files we are using though. The mobile phone screens are too small. A laptop is too heavy. What a better replacement than an iPad? It has a large enough quality screen that can display drawings, photos and PDFs but it is not heavy and can be carried around. Add a digital pen to it and you have a killer combination for signing files, reading files and creating new ones. Give it access to your office server and you have your whole desk in a 10-inch computer machine!

    • AutoCAD

    AutoCAD is my second love (or first). I use it in combination with Excel in my everyday working tasks anyway. I could not live without it and despite that the software is around 40+ years, it is still irreplaceable.

    I use AutoCAD in all the take-offs I have to make in order to estimate budgets or quantities.

    Do you want to measure the volume of an excavation? AutoCAD is for you.

    Do you want to create a marked up drawing? AutoCAD will do this.

    Do you want to create a tender for a housing project? AutoCAD will help you with this as well.

    Do you want to draft a drawing of how your house’s front elevation will look like? AutoCAD…

    It is quite expensive though but there are lots of alternatives or clones out in the market.

    One of them is ProgeCAD. I discovered it in 2018 and I haven’t stopped using it since then.

    I wrote about my initial impressions on my personal block and you can read it here.

    • PDF Expert

    PDF Expert is a PDF editing app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It allows users to read, annotate, edit, and sign PDFs. PDF Expert also offers features such as OCR, form filling, and password protection. In my opinion is the best PDF tool on the app store but unfortunately it is only available for Apple devices.

    There are two reasons I like this app. First of all, it allows the user to annotate anywhere on a file. It means that you don’t have to use specific software to sign a document or to keep some notes on the PDFs. The second reason is that it has direct access to a WebDAV address. If you are using a server then it probably has the ability to provide access using various protocols (like FTP ie). One of them is WebDAV. I haven’t seen any other PDF tool using WebDAV protocol to be honest!

    • Project Managing tools (Trello etc)

    Project management tools are software applications that help project managers to plan, track, and manage projects.

    They can be used to improve the efficiency, productivity and profitability. They also help to improve the communication and the scheduling between different employees working on the same project.

    The most widely used software for Project Management are:

    • Microsoft Project: Microsoft Project is a popular project management tool that is used by businesses of all sizes. It offers a wide range of features, including scheduling, budgeting, and communication.
    • Trello: Trello is a visual project management tool that uses boards, lists, and cards to organize tasks. It is a popular choice for teams that need to collaborate on projects.
    • Monday.com: Monday.com is a flexible project management tool that can be customized to meet the specific needs of the organization. It offers a variety of features, including task management, scheduling, and reporting.
    • Wrike: Wrike is a cloud-based project management tool that is easy to use and affordable. It offers a variety of features, including task management, file sharing, and collaboration.

    I personally prefer using Trello and for smaller projects I also like KanbanFlow.

    • Communication apps

    Going digital means the meeting you would do face to face can be done online. Messages can be sent and received on various devices and files can be transmitted instantly with a press of a button.

    There are several communication apps on the market that can serve various needs.

    For normal messaging there are the classic apps like WhatApp, Signal, Viber etc.

    During the COVID-19 pandemic there was the boom of the online meeting apps. The usage of software like Zoom and Team skyrocketed.

    So which ones are the most popular?

    • Microsoft Teams: Microsoft Teams is a cloud-based collaboration platform that includes features for chat, video conferencing and file sharing. It is a popular choice for businesses of all sizes.
    • Zoom: Does the same as Microsoft Teams.
    • Google Workspace: Google Workspace is a suite of cloud-based productivity tools that includes Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Calendar. It also offers features for chat, video conferencing, and file sharing. Google Workspace is a popular choice for businesses that need to collaborate on documents and spreadsheets.
    • Slack: Slack is a popular team messaging platform that allows real-time communication through channels, direct messaging, and integrations with various apps and services.

    I personally prefer Microsoft Teams. Not because is the best programme though, but because it is part of the Office365 suite.

    • Microsoft 365 Suite

    I assume that one way or another everyone uses some parts of the Microsoft 365 suite in their everyday work. Either, you login to your email account through Outlook, or you pay a monthly subscription for Excel then you are probably have access to the whole software package.

    The package includes so many programmes that can help you with productivity and digitalisation. Already mentioned, Teams and Excel are the ones that will help you a lot regarding productivity and admittedly, Outlook is a very nice email client.

    Other software included is the Microsoft Word (not much to explain here), Sharepoint, which can serve as a centralised document management and collaboration platform used for storing documents and allowing others to have access to them or create project specific sites and it also includes OneDrive which is cloud based storage.

    Overall, Microsoft 365 can improve the workflow of a business by improving collaboration, communication, file sharing and flexibility. It is definitely a must have.

    • Custom apps or specific apps for the sector

    Beside the above list, construction sector can benefit from various bespoke/sector specific apps.

    There are numerous platforms on the market that the user can build mobile/web apps with no code or low code (non or very little coding where the user uses a visual interface to build the apps by drag-n-drop).

    The most known are:

    The downside of those solutions is that the learning curve is quite steep and the monthly/yearly cost to use the platforms might be too high. The benefits of course are huge as you can build an app, that is not on the marker, as you want and make it do exactly what would help your workflow.

    On the contrary you can always hire an agency to code an application with normal code and databases that will run on a server. This is an even more costly solution but at the end you can have your own 100% bespoke app that can even scale.

    Finally, there are a handful of construction software on the market that might fit any purpose. To mention a few: COINS: an all-in-one ERP+ system that connects teams, devices, and all business processes on a single platform, On-screen Takeoff: a software that offers tools for estimating, managing bids and having project visibility, Bluebeam: a software application that allows users to markup, takeoff, organize, and collaborate with PDF files.

    Verdict

    The potential benefits in terms of efficiency, cost savings, communication, and environmental impact are undeniable. The digital era is here, and the construction sector should grab the opportunity to digitalise procedures in order to become more efficient and flexible. The benefits of going digital are numerous and compelling.

  • Things are changing. Constantly

    Things are changing. Constantly

    It has been 40 years since the first major breakthrough in construction software. It was 1982 and AutoCAD was first released. 1982 marks the beginning of construction innovation and automation.

    In the last 40 years lots of things changed.

    AutoCAD was only the beginning. Since then, we have seen the rise of the BIM software, structural calculation packages for complex construction calculations, estimating and project tracking packages and many more. And of course, the one and only Microsoft Excel that changed everything in the way we manage data. By the way, the first Excel version released in 1985.

    Even though it’s been 40 years of constant innovation, there are some sectors in the building industry that things haven’t changed much. Fieldwork has not experienced the same level of technological transformation as office-based tasks. The physical nature of the task, as well as the delayed acceptance of technology on construction sites, might explain part of the industry’s resistance to change.

    Take as an example scaffolding. In the office the workflow has changed. There are numerous software packages that can do structural calculation, can design scaffolds or manage a whole project, but on the field, the work pretty much remains the same (excluding some tools that are now working with batteries for example).

    The rise of AI

    The last decade we have seen huge steps done towards AI and automation. Especially, the last 3 years many AI products have made it to the market. Take a look at ChatGPT (the known AI chat machine) , Bard (Google’s AI chat), Stable Diffusion or Midjourney (two major tools for AI images). They didn’t even exist 5 years ago (or at least we didn’t know they existed) and now thousands of people rely their jobs on those tools.

    How this affects the construction

    Due to the complexity of the construction projects, AI is not as much of a threat to the construction (all levels) as it is to the humanity (as a whole). But, unless AI robots start designing and building other, more advanced robots (compared to them), construction is (almost) safe.

    But, there are some products that might replace some tradesmens’ work. Take a look at this robotic builder for example.

    4 days to build a 3-bedroom house. Not bad at all for the owner (that multiplies the profit margins) or the buyer that will buy a house cheaper. Bad news for the bricklayers though. Or the sculpturers (take a look at this  robotic sculpturer ).

    Even worse are the news for the setting out engineers. HP (Hewlett Packard) robots are already replacing their job.

    Things will just change.

    Even though automation is going to replace lots of humans there will be a huge shift in employment and new roles will be created. For example, the above “bricklaying” robot will need someone to feed it with material, check the setting out, feed it with designs etc. And, who you think will build those machines. The general idea that the west world has automated most of their production is of course false. The production has shifted to Asia, and it is coming to Europe/USA again.

    Conclusion?

    We are living in a very interesting era. The era that the new replaces the old, rapidly. Technologically, geopolitically, financially, and generally in every sector there are changes and transformations happening that will shape the future, which is unknown at the moment.

    From the perspective of the construction industry, innovation never stopped. Especially now automation at work is taking over every field and we should embrace this change. These technology innovations not only offer opportunities for cost-effectiveness and enhance efficiency, but also provide unreached levels of precision, safety, and sustainability in the construction industry.

  • You have been scammed

    You have been scammed

    You receive an email. It is from someone that you have exchanged some emails with, someone you know or someone that someone you know knows. It is an offer for a new project to check and price. You think “nice”! You press on the link, you go to a page that says “Microsoft OneDrive” or “Office 365”. It says, “to download the files please sign in”. You put your Office 365/Outlook password and you press download. You download something but you get a message, “Password Incorrect”. You try 2-3 times and then you give up. Or something is downloaded, you try to open it, and it says: “corrupted file”.

    You contact the sender (if it happens to know them) and ask what file they have sent. They reply: “I haven’t sent any file. What email are you talking about?”. You explain but then you start realising…

    You have been scammed

    Every month I might receive 5-6 emails like the one in the picture below (blurred the sender as it was a real person that had their email compromised). At first glance, it seems a legit email. It’s coming from a legit account after all. But if you have received lots of them then you know the sender’s account has been compromised and the email is not coming from the sender.

    If you open the link, you will be redirected to a new page. You might be tricked that this is a legit OneDrive or SharePoint (occasionally) web page. It prompts you to put you’re your Office/Outlook account credentials to download the file.

    But take a closer look. The URL is not pointing to any OneDrive, SharePoint address (or any other known file sharing provider). What it is, is a copy of those pages and what it does is that: It collects your credentials.

    Why it is very risky? Because the scammer has access to your email account. Your email account might have stored information that you don’t want to share, like personal emails, bank account access info, passwords, phone numbers etc.

    What to do when you realise that you have been scammed? Change your password immediately and activate the two-factor authentication. Also, it would be nice if you could let the sender know that they sent a phishing email and that their account has been compromised.

    How you can be protected from those phishing emails and how to recognise them?

    First of all, the email looks a bit off. The text format is not constant, the fonts might be smaller of different between parts of the email.

    It might be completely ok though. So secondly, you might press the link. This will lead you to a page that looks like the official Outlook, OneDrive, Dropbox etc pages. But the URL does not match. If you check the URL it will be something that you won’t understand or a page that is NOT the official page but probably will include the official name somewhere. Like: onedrivedownload.awebsite.com or anotherwsbsite.com/AJ34YPW09/dropbox. Those kinds of URLs are not official.

    The official URLs would be something like outlook.com/whatever or dropbox.com/whatever. Thirdly, whoever wants to share files with you will use some services like WeTransfer, or the ones mentioned that WILL NEVER ASK ANY CREDENTIALS to download files. You will just receive a link, you will press it and the files will start downloading. Finally, to protect yourself from a phishing attack of this kind, it is better to use two-factor authentication. With this, even if you get scammed, the scammer cannot use your credentials to access your accounts because you will also have to put a code that you will receive with an SMS (the majority of the times) in a 2step process, besides your credentials.

    Companies can also train their staff on cyber security. There are numerous courses out there that can be found if you google the term: “cyber security awareness training for companies”. It is interesting though that the UK Government has a training course portal as well, although it is not updated since 2019. You can find the page here.

    One Extra Step – Making fun of the scammers

    There are some more things you can do from here. One of those is to destroy the scammer’s database.

    The concept is simple. The scammer’s page doesn’t have any security to check if you send too many requests to their endpoints. It is just a form to collect credentials that you put. So, one way to destroy their database is to inject 1000s of fake emails and passwords that look like real ones. This way, even if you have inserted real credentials it will be very difficult for them to recognise and check which ones are fake and which real. Of course, it is difficult and takes time to do it manually one by one.

    For this reason, I created a script in Python (with the help of ChatGPT) that will do this job for me. If you are interested in this project take a look here!

  • Mobile apps that you should be using

    Mobile apps that you should be using

    There are several apps on my mobile phone that I use. But on the below list there are 10 apps that I cannot thing that I could use a smartphone without them.

    Firefox

    • When it comes to browser, I do not use Safari or Chrome. I prefer something that I quite more private (Chrome is made by Google and it probably tracks whatever you are browsing) and can also sync with my laptop (Safari is only for apple devices).

    Brave

    • I use Brave for one specific reason. I deleted YouTube from my device as it has become annoying to a maximum level with the ads it has added at the beginning or during their videos. I wanted something to watch YouTube videos without ads (and with a better experience compared to Firefox). The solution is Brave Browser. Not only lets you watch YouTube videos without ads, but it can also be used to watch with the phone screen turned off. Also, in terms of privacy it is the top private browser. Highly recommended.

    Google Keep

    • When it comes to note keeping, lists etc there are many choices. I prefer the Google Keep as it can sync through many devices. The interface is very simple and does the job well.

    Pocket

    • My go-to app when I need to save a page to read it later.

    Revolut

    • In my honest opinion, one of the best banking apps. It converts currency in seconds and at very good rates without taking any fees. It has vaults with good interest and can send money to your phone contacts if they have Revolut as well. Money is sent in seconds and there are no fees as well. It has really helped me when I am abroad.

    Waze

    • I was using Google Maps for navigation, but a friend introduced me to Waze. Basically, Waze is now part of Google as it was bought a couple of years ago, but it is kept the same as it was before. Once I started using it, I never went back to Maps. There are some good reasons for this. First of all, it displays various information that will save you from getting fined. It shows police on the road, cameras, speed traps, red light cameras, roadblocks, stopped cars in front of you, pot holes and so many other things. Secondly, it shows your speed while displaying the speed limit, so you know how much you are speeding. Finally, the navigation system is way better compared to what I used so far. I have noticed that Maps is telling you to turn way before the corner that you must turn with a result to take turns that you shouldn’t. This is not a thing with Waze. Notifications are always on time.

    Spotify

    • I believe this is one of the most popular apps. I cannot live without music and I also spend a good amount of time listening to podcasts.

    Dictionary

    • As I am not a native English speaker, I wanted to expand my vocabulary. This dictionary (which is called Dictionary) is one of the best I have used. Give it a try.

    Coingecko

    • I use this app to track crypto prices. Simple and easy to use interface.

    Alpha Bravo alphabet

    • Numerus times I was asked to say my name or spell my post code on the phone. Well, I didn’t know how to say the letters in Zulu Tango etc. So, I thought that it would be a good idea to create an app that does this. And voila! I coded this app! It hasn’t been that much time since I published it and it helped me a handful of times! I hope it helps you as well!

  • Don’t use VLOOKUP

    Don’t use VLOOKUP

    VLOOKUP is probably one of the mostly used Excel functions. It is used when the user needs to find things in a table or a range by row. For example, look up a price of an automotive part by the part number, or find an employee name based on their employee ID.

    Its usage is quite simple: =VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, column_index_number, [range_lookup]).

    • lookup_value is the value you are looking for in the table.
    • table_array is the range of cells that contains the table you are searching.
    • column_index_number is the column number of the value you want to return. The first column is 1, the second column is 2, and so on.
    • range_lookup is a Boolean value that tells Excel whether to do an exact match (TRUE) or an approximate match (FALSE). If you omit this argument, Excel will do an approximate match by default.

    Despite being one of the most used formulas in excel it is not wise to use it in big excel sheets that are required to produce prices, forecasts or do other serious calculations.

    The reason is simple. Referring a column without any other references leads to probles as we will see below.

    At the picture exaples let’s assume that we want to add a column next to column E and expand our table.

    What happens is that the reference still remains the 2nd column of the table which is now zero or might have other values that we would insert.

    The previous VLOOKUP formula matching will give us the below:

    That’s why it is recomended to use a more advanced combination like INDEX MATCH MATCH that it’s reference is tied to the header of the table and not by the column distance from the 1st column of the table we want to match.

    To find how INDEX MATCH MATCH works, alongside with other super userful excel formulas visit this page. It’s an absolute MUST KNOW!

  • Save And Close All Open AutoCAD Drawings

    Save And Close All Open AutoCAD Drawings

    Recently, I found myself having 10-15 AutoCAD drawings open at the same time and wanted to close them all.

    An easy way to do it is with two commands.

    To do so, first you type SAVEALL at AutoCAD’s command line and all the open documents are saved. Secondly, the CLOSEALL command follows that will close all the open drawings.

    But… I wanted something more automated. So I wrote a small script that combines those two commands into one that will automatically save and close all the drawings.

    Here’s the script:

    (defun c:SCALL ()
  (command "SAVEALL")
  (command "CLOSEALL")
  (princ)
)

    That’s all. The file is named SCALL.lsp and the command to run it is also “scall” typed at the command line of AutoCAD.

    If you want to know how to load an AutoLISP script in AutoCAD you can read this small article that teaches you step by step what you should do.

  • iPad 2021 (6 months review)

    iPad 2021 (6 months review)

    Last Autumn, I made myself a present and bought an iPad. The 2021 model which was on a very good and discounted price of £315. It seemed like a bargain back then.

    Six months later I have a good picture of how good or bad this product is and if I would buy it again. But let’s dive a little bit into its technical details first.

    This iPad retains the old curvy design with the button. I don’t know if people like it or not, but I sometimes find it handy, but the bezels are a bit annoying. Although, the 10.2-inch screen is the perfect size for a device like this. The A13 Bionic chip cannot compete with M1 or M2 newer iPads but it is not a slow one. Unless you want to do video editing or graphic design (which I will discuss later), the experience is quite smooth, to say the least.

    As for storage, 64GB is more than enough as this device primarily serves the role of entertainment, and less frequently, creativity. The screen is a typical 60Hz screen and you won’t get the 120Hz experience, but I can live with this.

    To be honest, it is a lightweight device that is ideal to use on the go, keep notes, read, or watch films. I use it while I am travelling and it’s a perfect companion.

    The Apple ecosystem is also a big plus. I can answer or make phone calls while on the iPad, and most of the messaging apps work great. Although, there is a big exception. WhatsApp doesn’t have an app for iPads, but well…

    In terms of performance, I haven’t seen any lag. I never close my apps and they are all running at the background, and I haven’t felt any RAM drainage. As for the battery, it performs very well, and I plug it every 3-4 days. Quite well for an Apple device, isn’t it?

    I have also bought a pen (not Apple original pen) to use it with Affinity Designer. First of all, the pen connects to the iPad as soon as it is turned on. Secondly, Affinity Designer runs amazingly well on iPad. I use OneDrive to keep the designs I make and in case I am sitting in front of my computer I continue working on them from there.

    iPad also offers “Sidecar” when it is next to a MacBook. Sidecar is the functionality that let’s you use the iPad as a second screen for your MacBook. There are apps that let you do the same thing with Windows machines, but I haven’t had any luck.

    If you have movie files on your PC, you can also load them to the device and watch them through VLC or similar apps. The files transfer is done by iTunes which sometimes is not that much handy.

    Since I bought it, I spend less and less time in front of my PC and frankly I use the PC only for work/coding related things. In overall, my experience so far is amazing, and I cannot recommend it enough. I even bought one for my mom and she is amazed of how easy it is to use it.

    Although besides being a superb device there are some drawbacks.

    Generally, connectivity with a PC is not as smooth as an Android device. iTunes is a cumbersome programme to use, and I wish I could just have a drag and drop functionality. Also, the price tag is higher than Android devices. Furthermore, “sidecar” doesn’t work with windows and if you want more that 64GB of storage then you must pay a significant amount.

    That being said, £315 for a 2021 iPad is still a bargain. To buy an Android tablet with the same quality you must pay almost the same amount which makes iPad a no brainer. I even take it to bed and watch movies on it. It is also a nice device to have if you are already into the Apple ecosystem. It’s a device that will replace all the other devices that you use for entertainment. I would definitely buy one again!

  • Internet is dead(?)

    Internet is dead(?)

    Black mirror [1] prepared us for what would follow. And late 2022 was the beginning. Life won’t be the same from this point. Or it has changed a long time ago without us being able to realize it?

    It is November 2022 [2]. OpenAI introduces their new application called ChatGPT. The tech world, and not only, looks with eyes and mouth open without making any sound.

    Few months later, we read articles written by AI. We read about jobs that will disappear because of the AI. New applications published almost every day, that promise they will take advantage of the AI revolution and automate things to a point where people will have as little input as possible.

    Just a prompt. They are telling us that this will be the engineer of the future. Prompt Engineer. The guy with the best prompts gets the cash. And the world keeps moving.

    The dystopic future has become present. All our devices are not just for entertainment or communication. They have become advertising billboards. All our moves, thoughts and feelings are being analysed with the ultimate target: Buy more.

    Apple, decided to restrict the tracking on their devices and Facebook’s shares dropped like a rock from a cliff. What an amazing day it was [3]. But it’s just a drop of water into the ocean. An ocean of fake smiles, fake lips, and fake asses. Now, every barbie wants their lips to get infilled. At the gym training your butt to get Kardasian like results is the main target. Onlyfans promotes “women empowerment” (getting naked at the cost of a cheeseburger?). Instagram and TikTok has become the absolute space of super happy emptiness and the biggest ad-space so you will be tempted to buy stuff that you don’t want by people called “influencers”.

    When I first heard about the “Dead Internet Theory” [4] I laughed. Then I started thinking I was like: “Wtf, it might be true”. Or at least part of it. (The theory circulating around suggesting that internet is full of bots and AI is managing them since mid-2010s and a big chunk of your online interactions is not with real people but with bots, with the target to make you buy more products.)

    And then I started looking around. And I realised we are not alone on the internet. With us are our fake digital friends. Bots that keep us company. With some search there is a huge number of articles for Big Tech vs Bots. In 2018 YouTube axed millions of bots [5]. TikTok and Instagram still have a problem being full of bots and fake user [6], [7], [8], [9], [10]. Also, not to forget how Elon Musk tried to avoid buying Twitter. He brought up the bot problem [11] [12]. And then we have LinkedIn. The most gringe social network where people (or bots) are fake on almost everything, from articles written by AI to fake happiness posts, fake love and appreciation and even fake charities. [13] [14] [15] [16]

    And, like we did not have enough, we have fake music. Spotify recently removed tens of thousands AI generated songs. [17]

    All of these might seem disconnected. Everyone knows we have a bot problem. It’s going on for years. We got used to it. And on the other hand, we have AI. A fairly new addition to our digital life. But how those things connected? Well, they are. Microsoft has big stake into OpenAI (the company behind ChatGPT) and Bard is Google’s AI. Also, Microsoft owns LinkedIn and of course google is the mother of tracking user behaviour alongside with Facebook. Facebook also owns WhatsApp and Instagram. Now you can see the pieces of the puzzle. The biggest tech companies also own the best AI machines out there. And the main purpose is? Of course to create profit. Dystopian future doesn’t seme that far away anymore. Is it?

    But what will the future bring? I don’t think it will bring much, especially with inflation near 10% (or more), a war taking place and people demanding more war instead of peace, energy prices soaring while politicians blame the war for this, but they are the ones who created the energy crisis before the war started [18]. Generally, “Black Mirror” was a very good guide that should be taken into consideration when you are questioning how bright the future will be. I would suggest though, to meet more with real people, speak more and enjoy nature as much as you can. Scrap this virtual world and that rat race. Do things that you enjoy and fulfil you and don’t consume that much. You don’t need that new phone and this new pair of headphones. The old ones still work fine.

    References:

    [1] Black mirror

    [2] ChatGPT wiki

    [3] Apple announces privacy changes affecting Facebook stock price

    [4] Dead Internet Theory Wikipedia

    [5] Youtube removed millions of bots

    [6] TikTok bot accounts

    [7] Instagram is deleting fake followers

    [8] Wired article on Instagram’s fake followers

    [9] Fake Instagram influencers

    [10] NY Times article on fake Instagram influencers

    [11] Yale Insights about twitter bot problem

    [12] RAND article about Elon Musk’s allegation regarding twitter bots

    [13] The Guardian on LinkedIn fake profiles problem

    [14] LinkedIn fake job ads

    [15] Why linkedin is so gringe?

    [16] LinkedIn seems so fake

    [17] Spotify AI songs

    [18] Energy prices soared before the war