Brian's
Interests & un-interests
(is there an antonym for "interest"?)
Interests
3D Printing
I think it's a canvas for engineers. It gives me so much freedom in the ways I think and approach problems because I can just create whatever I need if it doesn't exist already. I also learned so much about robotics, mechanics, and mechanical principles from fixing 3D printers, and encourages me to keep making.
VR Gaming
I can have fun, AND exercise? Sign me up!
I mostly play Recroom (Quest for the Golden Trophy, The Rise of Jumbotrion, Paintball, etc) and Beat Saber.
Material Design
I really love Google's Material You design. It creates a clean, unified look across many applications and devices and is the perfect example of "Simple is better," but not taking it too far. This website partially reflects the clean, round, and flat design principles that Google loves.
I also love Google's own Google Sans font, but unfortunately, it's strictly copyrighted :(
Glassmorphism is a trending design technique where buttons or backgrounds look similar to glass. I love the look of frosted glass, and it can help make fancy 3D backgrounds appear flat.
Also helps user focus on the content with the fancy background.
This is what Apple calls "Liquid Glass"
Drones
Spin 4 blades really fast, and it flies.
I have a couple drones myself. From super cinematic camera ones, to tiny indoor racing ones, to custom built racing drones. Why? I just like flying.
I get to experience familiar enviroments in the perspective of a small bird. I just like flying through, over, and under things. Fresh perspective!
Android
I heavily believe in having control over what I own. In my opinion, Androids are far superior to iPhones because of the flexibility we get. App not on Google Play store? Sideload it! Don't like an app? Modify it!
I hate the peeps that go "oOH wHaT aBouT seCuriTY?"
I want you to think about when was the last time you heard about a phone getting hacked. Quite rare these days. Android still has its own security features, and blocking everything is not the correct way to security.
Regardless, I think that the device's security depends heavily on the user. For elderly people who can't tell between a malicious advertisement and the download button, sure, iOS might be better for them. But if you know what you're doing, Android offers far more flexibility and options.
Plus, my Android folds. Your iPhone can do that too? Well, mine can unfold too.
Things that move
Even as a child, I was never fascinated by Legos or other static toys. I was always interested in things that moved. Things that did something.
Those things also happen to be more mechanically complex and sophisticated.
Therefore, I liked drones, RC cars, and RC airplanes. Maybe that's why I'm pursuing my career in aerospace engineering.
Metric
The metric system just makes sense. It's so interesting to see base units adding up to create another unit, and it's so straightforward. Water freezes at 0 degrees, and boils at 100 degrees Celsius. 1000 meters is 1 kilometer.
I love the company ethics. The big tech companies managed to convince us that designing for repairability / performance / portability all at once is impossible, but these guys did it. Every part they make is backwards-compatible, and a whole laptop can be disassembled using one screwdriver. All parts are designed to be repairable with detailed guidelines. Parts can be recycled easily and are available for purchase at a reasonable price. This is a company that humanity as a whole should support, whether they're profitable or not.
Un-interests (I hate these)
Writing
I used to belive I hate writing because my English was not sufficient. Recently, I discovered that is not the case. I scored higher on the English section of SAT than quite a few of my American friends. It's not the language barrier.
I especially hate it when teachers give out super-long writing assignments. I can NEVER reach the word count just by yapping all I want. I end up bringing unrelated details to meet the word count, then get points off for bringing those in.
Why don't teachers ask, "How short can you write?"
It'll take less time for us to write, so less hate on the assignment and the teacher. Teachers can grade it faster. They can ultimately test how efficient we can be with each sentence, which is what I think that matters.
Crypto
How does this thing even hold any value? If anybody can make their own coin, what gives any coin any value?
Although it started out with good intents, it's often involved in shady businesses and crimes. I don't believe it serves a good purpose in society, especially with the amount of electricity used to "mine" crypto coins. Literally, that sounds so stupid. We're spending our precious energy and computing power into….computer lottery.