The pre-Christmas season often isn't as magical as one might hope. When the days grow shorter, wetter, and colder, and neither a cozy feeling nor any real excitement settles in, Christmas can feel more like the next big project–just another task to prepare, execute, and check off the list. But every now and then, that special feeling sneaks up on you, catching you by surprise–like when you’re simply searching for holiday decorations.
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When managers start chatting freely, you sometimes learn interesting things. Isaac Reynolds, a product manager at Google and "head of photos," recently philosophized about the present and future of digital photography. While I thought it was about capturing the deepest night or minimizing digital noise, his thoughts went in a completely different direction. According to Reynolds, representing reality will no longer be the top priority. Instead, the aim is to create images based on customer expectations, not on the technical limitations of their cameras. With a shift from image processing to image creation, accurately depicting the moment becomes secondary–but is that really the right approach?
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At the end of October, I became very ill. It was the kind of sickness that causes sleepless nights and makes you hesitant to commit to any long-term subscriptions. Since I had to go to a specialized clinic, I was 200 km away from friends and family, and I struggled immensely with this new situation. Even my usually indestructible sense of humor failed me, and I spent days and nights brooding darkly. However, at one point, Spotify unexpectedly played a special song that changed everything – and it was partly due to Christmas.
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Picture this: As you're walking into a supermarket, you're immediately questioned about your shopping list, address, and cellphone. You answer everything faithfully and a shopping clerk bolts through the store, marking up every product ever so slightly– because you live in a wealthy neighborhood, have the latest iPhone, and are looking for a good wine to go with your dinner tonight. The clerk also makes sure to always move the most expensive items to the front of each display. Sounds weird, right? That's exactly what can happen to you when you're shopping online!
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A somewhat aged Windows PC recently fell out of favor with me. Following an update, it refused to join its designated network after each cold start, forcing me to do an additional reboot every time. That was aggravating–and prompted me to do something I hadn't done in a long time: tinker! It's what made me the PC professional I am today! Here's to blood, sweat, and tears–and modest success along the way.
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