As I said in my last blog post, I have a bittersweet feeling about the last semester of high school, but regardless, am still doing very cool projects. For one, in TKS, we are now moving onto our Moonshot projects, which are basically building companies/ambitious ideas that could be implementable in the next 2-5 years and can make a global impact. The reason behind this is to think about a solution or new innovation in industries such as AI, SpaceTech, Fintech, BCI's, etc. and have it implementable to the public(if you keep going and working at it), in the next few years. My group is working on the AI industry, but we are still brainstorming ideas. This challenge is for 3-4 weeks, so in my next blog post, maybe I can talk about our innovation then.
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It is a bittersweet feeling that this is my last semester of high school. Although I'm excited to move onto the next chapter of my life, it has also been an awakening in terms of realizing that this is the last time ever that I'll be in a high school class. Anyways, in Help Desk and in school, I am working with BCAT in taking B-Roll shots with the DJI Mavic Pro and other drones(in school and mine personally). It would be nice knowing that some of the shots that I was able to take would be on the BCAT YouTube channel and on their other videos. In addition, TKS has been pretty great as well. We just finished working with the United Nation by introducing girls to the Digital Economy. With this, we proposed and built UI/UX mockups to show how apps such as shopify and SMS can benefit young girls in Pakistan. It was quite amazing to see how our team could benefit thousands if not millions of people globally.So, it's the new year: 2021. I'm really excited about this year since I will be going to college, but at the same time really nervous because college decisions are a major part of who I might become in the future. Anyways, something that I was able to do, that also aligned with my passion for tech was working with Whoop, a fitness tracking company valued at $1.2 Billion. I worked with another innovator, Ankit, on this project and we attempted to solve the problem of the lack of user engagement by integrating music functions and incentive-based services such as Sweatcoin. Recently, I just submitted my practice pitch to the company. When it comes the real time, I will be pitching in front of the CFO, CEO, and the partnership team. I am super excited for that moment as it will be the first time in my life being able to talk to high-level officials from a billion dollar company. Other than that, everything is the same. I am excited for the new year and hope that there is a semi-normal graduation.Last week, I bought the iPhone 12. Here's why. First of all, I used to have the first generation iPhone SE, which worked well, but it had an extremely small screen and it also began getting really slow. Anyways, I had lost my iPhone SE in the Charles River back in August, but I didn't want to get the iPhone 11 because I knew some major updates were going to be coming to the iPhone 12. So, I waited for almost three months. Not having a phone for that much time was weird at the beginning, but as time passed, I kind of forgot about it. I was doing remote learning anyways, so a phone wasn't really a necessity. I was using imessage from my old iMac to talk to my friends and other people, which was not that bad. Here is a link for the iPhone 12: https://www.apple.com/iphone-12/. The iPhone 12 has a boxed design, a better processor, a new ceramic coating on the screen, and also has 5G. These are only some of the new features and it was definitely worth waiting. The screen also has a 2,000,000 pixel: 1 phone ratio which is literally INSANE and is nothing like an other iPhone out there on the market. So, in the end, I have to say that it is probably smart to buy the iPhone 12(if you have an outdated phone) considering that the iPhone 13 probably won't have that much of a step up. This would be because of the already new design and the 5G that won't change. The only thing that would change would be the processor, which is what they do every year.The last time I wrote a blog post was definetly a long time ago. Probably almost 4 to 5 months ago! Crazy! Well, up till then I have been doing very prominent activities in technology such as The Knowledge Society(TKS), getting a new computer, and coming very soon, a new phone. First, let's start with TKS. Right now we are in the midst of an AI Hackathon. A hackathon is basically when teams create an innovation or idea that can be better used in a problem or for convenience purposes. Along with this, we have been training strong mindsets such as being able to think unconventionally, a mindset of success much like a CEO of a large company, and also being able to work in groups discussing about different uses in certain areas of tech. Two weeks ago we had a session on how AI can positively or negatively effect or lives. We talked about certain "laws" around AI in terms of use and how robots that are very similar to humans can impact the human race centuries later. Secondly, my new computer. Last week, I bought the Lenovo Legion 5i 15 inch. A beast of a computer: https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/legion-laptops/legion-5-series/Legion-5i-15/p/81Y60041US . Some specs include a 240Hz panel, NVIDIA RTX 2060, and a 10th gen Core i7 processor. I have run games such as GTA V and Fortnite at over 80fps and the screen is super smooth and glitchless. The price and the specs change from time to time on Lenovo's website, but compared to other high end laptops out there on the market right now, $1200 for this was an absolute STEAL!! I had a 21-inch iMac for almost 7 years so it was about time before I headed off to college to get something that would last. Lastly, the iPhone 12. I had lost my phone two months back and really needed to get a new phone. The last phone I had was the iPhone SE and it was already reaching 5 years so it was about time to get a new one too. Today, October 13, 2020, the iPhone 12 was announced and if I pre-order it now, then I can get it on October 23, 2020: https://www.apple.com/iphone-12/?afid=p238%7CsjVTORUmL-dc_mtid_20925d2q39172_pcrid_472640912856_pgrid_110954125373_&cid=wwa-us-kwgo-iphone--slid---Brand-iPhone12-Announce- . One thing I was really surprised by during the launch was that for the one phone there were 2,000,000 pixels. That's literally INSANE! Something that I could fit into my pocket and go anywhere with has 2,000,000 PIXELS!! Over the past months, I am excited to be exploring the new and updated technologies and compare them to my old computer and phone and see how much better they are.So, my life is pretty awesome right now. I just completed two AP Exams: Statistics and Environmental Science, and got accepted into TKS and the UAV Drone Commercial Pilot School. Over the past few months, there was a lot of preparing for exams as well as applications for both the programs and I am relieved it is now all over. Well, it's not over, I have to begin back in a few weeks. Anyways, I found a contest called Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest that allows students either from 11-14 or 15-18 to create a song, short film, or art about anything relating to climate change and the impact it has had over the past few years on our oceans. This sounded like a great contest for me to be a part of because of my love for the environment as well as the my love for filmmaking, especially in short films. For this contest, I am planning to create a short film around 2-4 minutes as well as incorporate drone scenes from my drone. I think this will add a different perspective to the video and can make it stand out from the other entries in the contest. The program, Bow Seat, is based out of Boston and is giving prizes ranging from $1500 to $250. There are also regional prizes for entries in parts of Massachusetts as well. Other than that, everything is going well. I am glad I am using my time wisely by trying new things and getting myself into areas that I probably wouldn't have without joining Help Desk.Over the past week, all I have been basically doing is studying for my AP Exams. The format this year is a 45-minute exam that has either one prompt or is split up into a 25 minute question and a 15 minute question. I know it's weird, but we're just gonna have to do it. This year I am taking Environmental Science, Statistics, and English Language and Composition. I am doing Envi Sci and Stats in May so I can get those two out of the way and then doing the English exam in June since I still need a little more practice. Today, is my environmental science exam and I am nervous, but feel pretty confident when it comes to the actual material and questions. I'm just hoping that they don't give me questions from a harder unit! Anyways, in terms of tech, the new iPhone SE 2020 recently got released and I am planning to purchase it. Currently, I have the iPhone SE from 2016 which slow, outdated(in terms of spec), and small. The new iPhone SE has the display size from the iPhone 8(which is currently bigger than the old SE), has the processor from the iPhone 11, and has a better camera which are all amazing for a phone that only starts at $399. To be in the apple ecosystem for that cheap is crazy and is probably the main point for why people want to buy it. It's new and it's cheap. Also, you can't really find phones in that range that are good. Some weird named android phones are there on the market, but it's really not that dependable and that's why people would prefer the iPhone. Also, for the past 7 years, I have been using my 21.5-inch late 2013 iMac and it will soon be time to switch it out. I got it new in 5th grade thinking that it was something out of the future, but now, compared to other all-in-ones or PC's, it is very outdated, old, and slow. The entire computer itself is getting slower, and I would replace the processor, but tearing down an iMac is so much harder than tearing down a custom PC. Even a new 27-inch iMac has a starting price of $1799 which is kinda a ripoff since you can build a gaming PC or even just a normal and better PC for much less. Also, I would much rather prefer an AMD opposed to Intel. During the summer maybe, who know, I might be building a PC.I actually enjoy staying at home now because I can choose to do whatever I want. Well, not exactly whatever I want. AP Exams are coming up in less than 2 weeks and I am preparing for them. The subjects I am taking are Statistics, Environmental Science, and English Language and Composition. I really enjoy studying these subjects and hope to do really well. Since the COVID-19 Pandemic has affected schools around the world, CollegeBoard is deciding to make all AP Exams 45-minute exams with 2 open response questions. For Environmental Science, they are going to give a question on "designing an investigation" and "analyze and propose a solution to an environmental problem". For Statistics, they are 2 scenarios of certain problems, and English has one rhetorical analysis prompt. This is WAY easier than what it would regularly be and am excited to hopefully get a good score on these! On another note, Mr.Wong posted an announcement on Google Classroom about students interested in joining The Knowledge Society(TKS) which is a human accelerator that gathers young innovators to create optimistic plans and ideas for the future. They just don't share ideas and thoughts, but rather make that concept into an actual reality that has the possibility of affecting millions in the future. So, two weeks ago, I applied to the program through their website. The application process was: 7 essays on why you want to go/what make you different from everybody else, a 15 minute extensive interview with the city director, create a video about success, and write an article about some kind emerging technology. The application was longer than I expected, but I got it done. Today, I just received a notification that I was actually selected to join TKS Boston. On their website, they claim that the acceptance rate is only 10-20% and that they pick a maximum of a 105 students. So this is quite selective. TKS runs throughout the school year from September to June where you meet with mentors and educators on Saturdays for 3 hours and then use the week to work on your project. So, probably 10-15 hours in total per week. Unfortunately, my acceptance comes with a catch. The program costs $6,890 in total which is a WHOLE lot of money! Compared to other things, you could buy a used car or even build the best gaming PC in the world, but honestly, I would rather use that money wisely towards my education instead of spending on materialistic things. I am having trouble wrapping my head around that price-tag, but hope to find ways to work so that I could be able to pay if off. This program would also be a gamble for me because COVID-19 has the possibility of coming back in the fall or winter and I don't think that $7,000 is worth it if you aren't meeting in person opposed to zoom calls.At this point, quarantine is just normal to me. I have gone for walks with my dog, played outside, played video games, and did some homework. Life is normal now and I like it. I can focus on new hobbies and find new passions. Recently, I have continued to practice my acoustic guitar. I can play songs such as Despacito, Hotel California and more. It's fun when you play the entire song at the end, but the process of learning it is very frustrating because sometimes you play the wrong note or chord or the string plays too soft or too loud. There are all different factors in it that affect how you play. Besides this, I have been also trying to figure out Amazon Web Services. I have been really interested in the game design and build software that allow me to try and mess with different programs. I like this very much since I can basically do whatever game I want and it is easy to learn. Later on, I want to get into playing with the services in Talent Box so that I can also see if it has the same capabilities as AWS.Everyday has basically been the same for me now. I have adjusted my schedule as well as my body so that now everything seems normal. I never knew that I would say this but, staying at home is now normal. I have been doing the same things over and over again such as homework, studying, playing video games, eating, and sleeping. It repeats and somehow I never get that bored. In fact, the day goes by more quickly for me. Maybe I just sleep too long, I don't know. Anyways, Apple is going to announce and launch the new iPhone SE. I am excited for that because I have the original iPhone SE that was made in 2016 and I am looking to upgrade. What appeals me so much about this new 2020 version is that it has a really good camera, the iPhone 11 processor, and is only $400. For many, $400 seems a lot, but when comparing it to other phones in the apple line-up, it's more of a bargain. Although, I really want it to get it soon, I'd rather go in store to physically see it and try it out before I buy it. Along with other things, I have been figuring out Amazon Web Services and Talentbox. It took me some time to figure out how to use both of them, but when I did, there were different features and tools that I could play around with. Specifically, in Talentbox I went through the arhitecture track and the 3D Design and Printing track. Although, I didn't really know the logistics of everything, I hope to get familiar with everything and get to doing projects. For Amazon Web Services, I kinda did the same thing with checking everything out and picked out something interesting. Under Game Tech, I went to Amazon Lumberyard which is basically a free cross-platform 3D game engine. I am still trying to navigate around this program, but everything seems good and I am ready to keep going. |
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April 2021
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Photo used under Creative Commons from wuestenigel