Author: makoantz
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Embracing German Precision: A Journey of Autobahns, Trains, and Unforgettable Adventures
Discovering the Joys of Punctuality and Efficiency in the Heart of Europe As I reflect on my time in Germany, I find myself longing for the exhilarating drives along the Autobahns, where speed limits were merely a suggestion and the open road beckoned with its promise of adventure. With a recommended limit of 90 km/h,…
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GenAI: What It Is and What It Is Not
Today’s post is a bit different. I’ve created a fun HTML experiment with simple animations to explain what GenAI is for me, and what it isn’t. I used Claude 3 Opus to make the HTML files outside of WordPress and then embedded them into this post using an iframe. Check out the animation below to…
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Eight Pens, Eight Stories: My Fountain Pen Journal
Hello, fellow fountain pen enthusiasts! Today, I want to share with you the first eight entries from my fountain pen journal, which I started back in January 2023. My goal was to document 88 of my pens in sequence, and although I’ve only managed to record three dozens and three so far, I’m determined to…
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My Keyboard Chronicles: A Clicky, Clacky Adventure
The Typewriter I could not really recall how I learned to type, but we had a typewriter at home because our mother would use it to type the stencils for school examination papers. Some of these were our class examinations as she was once my math teacher in elementary! But honestly, I did not even…
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From Beating Humans to Shaping Society: Key Takeaways from the AI Index 2024 Report
The Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence recently released their AI Index 2024 Annual Report, providing a comprehensive look at the rapidly evolving AI landscape over the past year. Here are some key excerpts from the report: Message From the Co-directors, Ray Perrault and Jack Clark: “A decade ago, the best AI systems in the…
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The Beautiful Game: Football and Gaming from Cleats to Controllers
As a lifelong fan of the beautiful game, my love for football has been nurtured both on the pitch and through the ever-evolving world of gaming consoles. Over the years, I have switched back and forth between lacing up my football boots and gripping a game controller, each experience uniquely enriching my passion for the…
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From Cyclist to Runner: How I Started Running in Singapore
I was very active in cycling before we moved to Singapore. I remembered waking up at 4am for a 22km round trip ride up to the famous “Magnetic Hill” at the base of Mt Makiling in Los Baños Laguna from our apartment in Calamba. I would do this almost every day before going to the…
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Retro Gaming: Game & Watch
Ah, the ’80s! A decade that marked the dawn of handheld gaming devices and home consoles. As a kid growing up during this era, I was lucky enough to experience the magic firsthand. It all started with the Game & Watch craze that swept through my elementary school like wildfire. Thanks to my well-to-do classmates,…
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The Parker Duofold International Blue Marble: A Vintage Gem
What immediately struck me about this pen was its impeccable condition. Despite being nearly three decades old, it looked as good as new—a testament to the enduring quality of well-made fountain pens. When properly cared for, these writing instruments can last a lifetime (or even several), often outperforming their modern counterparts in both form and…
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Using Prompt Templates: Supercharge Your ChatGPT Experience
Whether you’re using the paid or free version of ChatGPT, the key to getting the most out of this powerful AI tool lies in the art of crafting effective prompts. A prompt is essentially the set of instructions or text you provide to guide the chatbot’s response. These inputs serve as the foundation for the…