Month: February 2016

Google Maps Adds ‘Explore around you’ in 5 New Countries

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When it comes to getting around a new city or trying to find your buddy’s house in a neighborhood you have never been to before, Google Maps will perfectly direct you to the destination. Adding on to giving you step-by-step directions, Google Maps offers a feature called “Explore around you,” which gives users a list of suggested places to visit for a quick meal or drink. For some time the feature was only available to the U.S. and the UK but now Google has expanded this feature to five more countries, giving more of the world a way to discover new places. These countries include France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Japan. Looking for the perfect spot to eat and drink has never been easier.

Let’s say you are on a business trip out in Spain and the have finally let you off for a lunch break. With you being a tourist wandering around a foreign country in dire need a food, the ‘Explore around you’ feature will come in really handy. The feature can easily be access at the bottom of maps where you would simply tap the icon. From there you will be shown a quick look of what is nearby you all organized by category. As soon as you see something appealing or get tired of your stomach making weird noises in public, you can tap on it and swipe through photos and read through the rating. Maps will provide you will all the information you need to make the right choice whether is for quick bite or if you want to take the kids to a nice Italian restaurant.

The ‘Explore around you’ feature has been available to users since last year but only for US and UK residents. Now with 5 more countries added to the list, more people can enjoy this feature along with all of its latest updates that substantially improve the service. Photos and reviews were some of the updates added but a more recent one that was sent out during the holidays that allows users see when a store is really busy was added. If you plan on taking a trip to any of the 5 countries listed that have ‘Explore around you’ enabled, try it out for yourself and see what you come across on your travels.

Google Contributor Gets a Refreshed Structure

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Many of us probably have a love and hate relationship with Ads on the internet. Every so often you might come across an Ad that actually displays stuff that you’re interested in. Other times you’re forced into a choke hold on a YouTube video watching a 30 second Ad. That’s when companies like Ad-Block Plus (ABP) came into the picture to help eliminate Ads. The only problem with ABP is that since they are completely blocking Ads from your viewing, the websites that use those ads to generate revenue are now losing money. To help fund this sites and make the system look a little more supportive, Google Contributor came into the picture offering users a way to pay a monthly fee to help fund the sites they enjoy.

Google Contributor Launched back in 2014 with a set of prices users can choose from. You had the option to pay either $2, $5, or even $10 depending on how many Ads that you don’t want to see. The $2 range was the lowest tier level and it was gauged by Google that users would see 5-15% less ads. If you prefer to see less to no ads then the $10 plan was the way to go. The prices and statistics may not seem like much, which is why Google revamped Contributor. Instead of the weird price ranges, Google has set a starting price of $6.99 per month. This price range works way better than the others prior to the change simply because users will actually see the reduction in ads. Google also has done away with the percentages of ads you will not see. Instead they actually gave us numbers this time around estimating that users will see 400-2000 fewer ads clogging their webpages.

Contributor works with all web browsers and on most mobile devices. In order for that to work though you will need to be signed into your Google account. In this revamped model, ads are entirely removed or replaced with a pixelated image carrying a Thank You message. With their new set price range, users will more than likely have a more enjoyable experience with less ads and the comfy thought of support they give every month.

NEW MUSIC ALERT!

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This past weekend, specifically on Valentine’s Day I dropped an EP entitled, “Greatest Works of Art, Come From a Broken Heart.” It’s actually a quote that I came up with one day and as many of us know, the statement is surprisingly true. Just give it a listen and tell me what you think.

ps. That broken skateboard thats in fire on the cover art was the board my ex gave me. I wonder if she noticed that when I sent her the track? Who knows, I’m just happen I made some good music.

~ Keep it all smiles

Sorry Folks, Its Been a While

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I haven’t been committed to writing on my site daily as I did earlier in the year. Its not that I haven’t run out of ideas, it’s the fact that I wanted to make post that dig deeper than just me scratching the surface. Other than that, I’ve low-key been behind the scenes piecing articles about stuff I want together and have also been writing daily on AndroidHeadlines.

Other than that, here’s a quick update on my life.

I think the last time I was here I made a post about the SnowStorm that was headed our way. Since then we have run into another big snowstorm that came and went. The snow literally blanketed Louisville for a day and quickly melted and returned back to the lakes and rivers. Personally I was devastated because I wanted to go out and take photos of the snow and try to get some cool angles. But guess what? I didn’t happen.

Besides my sadness over the snow melting, I’m really hoping that we get an even BIGGER snow storm next time around. In the midst of all this madness, I’ve been working as usual, even staying up longer just so I can get in some reading time or just to record some music. See my goal is to become a much quicker reader while being able to comprehend every little bit of info I come across, and also I’m trying to make better music so of course I got to stay in the studio longer.

So that’s just a little update of what’s been keeping me away from here. I’ll talk to you guys soon… maybe sooner than you think.

~ Keep it all smiles

FUCK THE INTERNET

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The internet is full of awesome stuff. From cat videos to Mia Khalifa clips, there’s a lot out there to discover. One thing in particular are memes. I fucking hate them, but I have learned to live with them as they come and go poking fun at different people. Last night while I was at work, I saw a meme saying, “You’re soul mate is out there baning other people.” I’m not sure why but that shit kind of struck me in the heart and made me feel a little cold on the inside. Shit like that makes me want to hate the world and people that occupy it. Like fuck man, I get it, I’m single, no girlfriend or anything and you got to throw it in my GODDAMN face that whoever I’m destined to be with is taking a cum shot to the face.

As we all should know, the internet and social media sites that belong to it isn’t anything but a place where we all seek acceptance from one another. We blantely shoot out our random thoughts in hopes for likes, comments, and shares. Those are our initial and final goals when it comes to the internet. For me, its come to a hateful point. I dislike people on forums, I hate people who add me on facebook just to disagree with me, and to top it all off, I hate when people on twitter hype up the most dullest shit ever. WHO GIVES A FUCK ABOUT THAT WHITE BOY THAT WORKS AT TARGET, HE’S A FUCK BOY!

Oh, can we also talk about how the internet is not helping shape the future at all! I mean shit, you would think that people would use the internet to expand their knowledge, but no. People waste their lives reading bullshit BuzzFeed articles and jerking off to iFunny pictures. Now tell me, what have you learned at the end of this? NOTHING GODDAMN IT! This is why I fucking hate the internet. The internet is full of vile language that is intended to contradict what you say in a sloppy fashion.

But I can’t complain… I’m a damn slave to the rhythm.

~ Keep it all smiles

Reading is Power, Power is Control

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Reading daily has helped me a lot lately. My vocabulary has slightly grown and I can pay more attention when I am reading articles online or in the other books I am reading at the same time. I’ve grown to enjoy opening a book and learning what the author has to offer. Its an incredible feeling and I always ask myself why I haven’t stuck with reading in my earlier years of life. I guess you can say I was stuck on doing other “stuff” but that shouldn’t have been the case when it came to pulling a book off the shelf and actually reading it.

Since high school I’ve only really finished one book and it was this book I started reading in middle school and then stopped. That terrible right? The book was the second installment from the Maximum Ride Series and I believe there is another third book but my learning focus has shifted onto other things. Right now I’m reading the 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene which is an incredible book to read if you are interested in going into business. Its full of rich history and a lot of knowledge jam packed within.

In addition to reading Robert Greene’s book, I’m also reading a book called “Hold Me Closer,” or at least that’s what I think its called. Its an ebook that I found while searching for books in the Google Play Books store. So far I’m lost in what’s going on. We went from a kid named Sam working at some fast food joint, to a Werewolf locked inside of a cage doped up on aconitine.

I’m hoping to have 48 Laws finished by the end of this month or the middle of March so I can move on to The Prince by Machiavelli. Again, I started reading that book over the summer of 2015 and didn’t finish it, but this time I will and many other books that I shall lay my hands on.

~ Keep it all smiles

Tumblr Photo Commentary

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Here’s an excerpt from my tumblr. 

Alright so if you haven’t noticed I have been going on random tangents on all the photos I have been sharing. It’s something new I want to try since people just share photos with these itty bitty little captions on them saying this and that. Well you know what? I’m going to pioneer a new tumblr where we fucking write our hearts out becasue writing it’s a gift and we should use it until our fingers are tired and our coffee gets cold. People just need to learn how to have a little fun, there’s always sun outside but when the sun goes down what else is there to do when the temperature is below zero? Do you see where I’m going with this? Another tangent about nothing but we all strive to be something. haha.

If I am not on here making blog post I am more than likely sitting on tumblr rambling about a photo. it gets boring after a while so I usually come back here where I know intellectual post are applauded.

Alphabet is the most valuable company in the world

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For all of you Apple fanboys out there, get ready to buckle your seatbelts because the rocky slide for Apple’s decline may be starting. During Google’s earning call, the company has surpassed Apple as the most valuable company in the world. Alphabet, as the company has renamed itself, brought in 21.3 Billion in revenue. Analyst were expecting Alphabet to bring in $8.09 per share but the search giant eradicated those speculations making them the most valuable company in the world.

Apple’s decline in stock didn’t happen overnight, their numbers have been falling for quite a while. Alphabet on the other hand has slowly climbed to its peak. Many of us probably would have never guessed this day would happen but it was coming either way. Apple has a few tricks up its sleeve for the coming years, hopefully we’ll see hardware from the company that will keep its heart pumping. In the meantime Google (Alphabet) who is a software company with a little bit of hardware thrown in is still vulnerable to the foreign rate exchange and the global economy.

Via / TechCrunch