News from the Woods

Business & Technology 👨‍💻* Meta needs data centers to develop the AI it doesn’t have. So for now it’s building them as “tent cities”.* There’s a jacket out there that makes water. One day we’ll go on a trek and won’t have to haul water with us!* ChatGPT is losing its lead fairly fast. Will the upcoming “super-app” save it?* Midjourney, known mainly for its AI images, is now trying to move into healthcare. It’s developing a full-body ultrasound scanner meant to create a 3D image of the body within a minute. Will it be another Theranos, or a real revolution?Travel 🧳* If you’re near Los Angeles, take a look inside this abandoned hospital.* Here are the 40 best newly opened hotels in the world.* If you’re feeling the heat, take a trip to Lapland…Nature ⛰️* Scientists have discovered (or rather re-mapped) a giant hidden network of underground fungi that stretches practically beneath the entire world and is seriously long.* Beautiful photos from Antarctica.* This one is truly unbelievable - 7 kilometers below the surface of the sea, scientists found a whale graveyard that stretches an incredible 1,200 kilometers. Hundreds of skeletons and remains up to 5 million years old. We want to go to space, yet the ocean floors still hold so many secrets…Unclassifiable 🧠* You’re playing the final scene of Romeo and Juliet, except a cat walks onto the stage. And the tragedy turns into a comedy.* The pyramids are built to be earthquake-resistant.* You know how it is - a car pulls up, drops off a package, but who carries it those last few meters to the house? A dog! A real, living one! Now that’s what I call last-mile delivery.* He’s 100 and still dancing. Inactive seniors face a lonely old age.* Someone founded a new country run by AI. It reminds me of a great film with one older, similar idea…Tips 💡What I'm reading: Zorba the GreekWhat I'm listening to: the sound of the seaWhat I'm watching: mountains aroundInteresting app: Firewood splitting - I’m mentally getting ready for summer.The sailing season in our village is in full swing. So if any of you happen to be sailing by, let me know!Thank you very much for your support and have a great day! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsfromthewoods.substack.com

Jony Ive, one of the world's greatest design legends, the man behind the iPod, iPhone, iMac, and AirPods, "met with Sam Altman in a San Francisco café" (CEO of OpenAI) and they agreed to create the device of the future together. There's speculation about a smart pendant that will record what's happening around you, will always be with you, and will be your assistant. It actually makes a lot of sense - imagine having artificial intelligence with you 24/7 that hears everything happening around you, can remember it all, has access to your computer (which it can control for you), your phone... And this assistant isn't just a clever, socially adept, and pleasant lady at a desk. She's quite smart. She's actually graduated from all universities, has multiple degrees in all currently known fields, and has read everything humanity has ever written. When you think about it, we can already do 2/3 of this today, and I'm really curious if this partnership can pull off the most difficult final part. But who else, right? Apple is working on making Siri able to play a song by Pokáč, Google is working hard not to lose its search business, Microsoft is working around the clock but still somehow running and catching up to an accelerating train...What could possibly go wrong, right? Just the official photo together looks like it's from another Black Mirror episode. Sometimes I wonder if the guys in Silicon Valley are just making fun of us... Check out the video below too, it's a beautiful tech bizarre.Business & Technology 👨‍💻* Contact lenses with infrared vision.* Meta knows quite a lot about us. Meta is getting into military contracts.* Anthropic released new models that are quite interesting. They can work independently on a task for up to 7 hours. But bigger uproar was caused by mentions that the models are starting to show tendencies to report you when you're doing something illegal or refuse to shut down when you want to terminate them.* Remember the fly advising Jiřík in Goldilocks? We have it.* Google introduced Veo3, which can create videos. Nothing new? Well, Veo can do it complete with effects, dubbing, sound... Here are a few examples:Travel 🧳* He traveled to all countries in the world without boarding an airplane.* The Greek Peloponnese will become a hiker's paradise. 1,700 kilometers of trails will be created here.* Yachting isn't just yachting.* Oregon's coast is one of the most beautiful coastlines I've ever seen. Take a look.Do you like Bytes & Backpacks? A lot? You can buy me a coffee! ☕️Nature ⛰️* I've written before that I don't believe humanity will start living sustainably (unfortunately). We'd rather invent technologies that will pull us out of trouble.* How many kilometers can a butterfly migrate? Units? Tens? Hundreds? Or 15,000?* When you're rescuing a bear, you have to become...a bear.* Salmon from mushrooms.* A few great photos from the wild.Unclassifiable 🧠* First color photographs of a black hole.* LegoGPT will create a model for you on demand.* When you wake up tomorrow morning, better check out your window to see if you don't have an ocean liner in your garden.* Do you like karaoke and have no one to sing with? Try Smule.* This year's ranking of the world's happiest cities.Tips 💡What I'm reading: The Cafe on the Edge of the WorldWhat I'm listening to: Outrun by SteeldriversWhat I'm watching: What if is on Youtube!Interesting app: 0Photo greetings 📷View from my favorite "fire watchtower" in Bohemian Switzerland 💚.Thank you very much for your support and have a great day! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsfromthewoods.substack.com

It's all about artificial intelligence, data centers full of AI graphics chips, but what if all of this is already outdated and the future belongs to biological computers? Sounds like science fiction, right? But then you stumble upon an Australian startup developing something called Synthetic Biological Intelligence (SBI) - a computing platform where laboratory-grown living neurons connect with a silicon chip. Their latest commercial product, CL1, is described as "the first biological computer on the market."Business & Technology 👨‍💻* Startup IXI received investment from Amazon to develop "autofocus glasses." Anyone who struggles with both distance and near vision will love this!* The trending app that supposedly translates what your dog is saying is very popular right now. I haven't tried it myself.* We're running out of data for AI training. Incidentally, this is one reason why it makes sense to deploy robots into the real world as soon as possible - they can learn from actual environments instead of books. Meanwhile, they're training on Mario games.* Get inspired by Andrej Karpathy's approaches to using AI - he's one of the biggest personalities in the AI world.Travel 🧳* Next time you go for a walk around your neighborhood, keep your eyes open - you might find treasure worth 8 million.* BBC declared the Peloponnese a hidden treasure of Greece - those who've visited already know. There's also a project aiming to transform this peninsula into a paradise for hikers.* Someone is currently crossing the largest sand desert in the world on foot. Wishing them luck!* How about combining travel with creativity? Find your artistic residency (thanks to Michelle for the tip!)Do you like Bytes & Backpacks? A lot? You can buy me a coffee! ☕️Nature ⛰️* More than 100 countries have agreed to reduce emissions at sea. That's good news.* Almost 40 years after the Chernobyl disaster, the closed area is becoming one of the largest nature preserves in Europe.* What does it look like when the world's smallest and largest dogs meet?* Imagine going to a barber in LA and suddenly a coyote drops by for a drink...Unclassifiable 🧠* Does luck exist? Can someone be lucky and someone else simply unfortunate? Scientists rejected this idea for a long time, but then one married a woman who was completely unlucky. What do they think now?* Learn to fold more than just one paper swallow.* Someone bought an old reel in a secondhand shop and it turned out to be a rare Beatles recording.* A Japanese scientist is proving that people can grow a third set of teeth.* Czechs and Slovaks have likely discovered the oldest Mayan city in the jungle.Tips 💡What I'm reading: Wabi sabiWhat I'm listening to: Coastal Soundtrack (Neil Young)What I'm watching: Your Friends & NeighborsInteresting app: Napkin Photo greetings 📷Summer is approaching, and neighbors around us are starting to clear little paths in the meadow from cottage to cottage and especially to the pub...Thank you very much for your support and have a great day! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsfromthewoods.substack.com

I love technology, innovation, and everything around it. When I was 13 (back in 1994), I started publishing my own magazine called Computer. I think that was the same year when the "big" Computer magazine from CPress started coming out. I bought an issue and found some inaccuracies in one of the articles. I took a piece of paper (yes, I didn't have email or internet yet) and wrote to the editorial office about their mistake. A few days later, I received a letter from the editor-in-chief saying I was right and asking if I wanted to write for them. I didn't refuse. Thanks for that, Pavel!Why am I telling you this? Because I've been passionate about technology since my childhood, spending many (actually more and more) hours each week studying trends and innovations. Lately, I'm almost afraid to look at what's new each morning. So much is happening. AI, robotics, augmented reality, quantum computers, biological computers... I tell you, it's crazy! Exponential growth is here.So if you feel like you can't keep up, don't worry - you're not alone!Business & Technology 👨‍💻* Robot dogs are getting a bit boring. Robot bees have been around for a while too. How about a robot horse? Or a squirrel?* There's a great guide for startup CTOs on GitHub.* It took me several weeks to (somewhat) understand how a quantum computer works. And now imagine that there are already computers (somewhat simplified) where one of the components is a human brain.* Interested in what happens on the internet every single day?* Imagine wanting to learn how to dance and all you need is for someone to show you once. That's how robots do it. I'm a bit jealous...Travel 🧳* Ales, a wheelchair user from Czechia, is traveling from the Czech Republic to Kyrgyzstan on a handbike, accompanied by his companion Sarka on a bicycle. Now that's what I call a trip.* A new Camino Zadar route has been created near Zadar, and more are appearing across Croatia. Routes inspired by ancient pilgrim paths.* Two guys in New Zealand are walking a long journey dressed as hobbits carrying the Ring and recording funny videos along the way.* 5 train routes in Europe that The New York Times says are worth traveling. * What was served in Wild West saloons?Do you like Bytes & Backpacks? A lot? You can buy me a coffee! ☕️Nature ⛰️* Scientists are gradually discovering that animals are probably much "smarter" than we think. They likely even have a sense of humor.* They built a retirement home for penguins in Boston. Nice, but we could use one too!* An octopus riding on a shark's head in the ocean. Sounds like something from the next Finding Nemo movie. But it's not.* 11 beautiful photos from the new British Wildlife Awards.Miscellaneous 🧠* A camera that doesn't take photos but prints a poem based on the scene it sees. The future is now!* 25 tips for a simpler life. I don't usually like these articles, but this time there are some really interesting hints.* Are we the last generation that needs to know how to read and write? An interesting reflection that sounds crazy, but...* Do you love flight attendant uniforms?Tips 💡What I'm reading: Greek language lexiconWhat I'm listening to: Let Your Horses RunWhat I'm watching: Another session of 1923Interesting app: DeqPhoto greetings 📷My wife ran out of spices for tzatziki, so I headed to the southeast of Peloponnese to restock. I didn't find the spices, but... you'll find out something soon! :-)Thank you very much for your support and have a great day! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsfromthewoods.substack.com

Why the American flag in the title of the last Bytes & Backpacks of 2024? Because on January 9th, I'm flying to Silicon Valley, so if you sense the aroma of sequoias in the next few issues, that's perfectly fine.Across the pond, we want to bring our idea of transforming disabilities into superpowers, our smart Welcomo kiosk (not just) for building access, and we'll explore opportunities in energy, where in Europe we manage field technicians and underground gas storage facilities.Do you know anyone who could help us with any of these areas? I'd greatly appreciate any connections. And if nothing else, please keep your fingers crossed for us! 🤞🙏Business & Technology 👨‍💻* European Starlink is coming! The IRIS2 project will launch 290 satellites by 2030. I'm quite happy about this because while Elon's technologies are great, they're also politically unpredictable.* New Spectrum is also coming! And they look very interesting. If you don't know what I'm writing about, you're young.* Remember Boston Dynamics' robodog? It cost hundreds of thousands. Well, China is now building something similar that costs thousands.* The FBI would like to have "responsible backdoors" in encrypted apps, a mechanism to access data in "reasonable cases." Actually quite understandable, if we didn't know from history that it will be misused for other cases by the first one who can. And then only an invisibility cloak, which is in development, will help...* Glasses are the next iPhone. For several years, I've thought that smart glasses will relatively soon change our lives. If you can't imagine how it might work, check out Google's video. And that's being very conservative.Travel 🧳* A guy has hidden treasures worth $2 million in several locations across the USA. And you can find them. Now that's traveling!* Don't cycle in winter because it's cold? Check this out, you might then venture out...* Or try crossing the Pyrenees in a camper van.* The Balkans and its mountains. They're among the most beautiful in Europe, but still relatively uncrowded.Nature ⛰️* TikTok's annual carbon footprint is larger than that of all of Greece. One Bitcoin transaction consumes a pool of water, and we'd rather not even talk about the consumption of today's AI models. Still, I see it positively - major tech players and investors are starting to invest heavily in energy because they see we won't get far like this.* In Russia, they released a tiger and tigress into the wild, almost 200 kilometers apart. They still found each other, without GPS and Google Maps...* Ethiopian wolves are pollinating flowers.* Cuddling polar bears.* Photos of horses, birds, or the Moon.Uncategorized 🧠* Next time you're loading a corpse into a car trunk, be careful there isn't a car passing by photographing streets for map data. That's hard to explain away.* Ever wondered where all those lost luggage pieces that never find their owners end up? And what happens to all of it?* A great thread emerged on Reddit where people share their life hacks for various activities.* Organizing a concert in the mountains where you have to hike 3 kilometers to get there. Shame I missed it, must have been amazing...Tips 💡 What I'm reading: Jack Kerouac: Alone on a MountaintopWhat I'm listening to: Paul Cauthen - Black on BlackWhat I'm watching: Blitz Interesting app: Perplexity, because if you have Revolut, you get premium for freePhoto greeting 📸I wish you a peaceful end to this year and may 2025 be as close as possible to your wishes and expectations! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsfromthewoods.substack.com

Glasses, that's what this is all about. Smart glasses. There have been several failed attempts over the years - remember Microsoft Hololens or Google Glasses? But today, thanks to developments in technology, we're slowly getting to the point where it's all starting to work. I myself got a pair of smart glasses from Meta this summer (made by Rayban) and I have to say that it's probably the most usable device yet in the augmented reality field. They can even make dioptric ones, as the glasses themselves don't have any technology in them. All you need is a camera, a microphone and a speaker in the glasses. So you can shoot surprisingly good videos with them, take photos, play music or podcast... And if I hadn't drowned in September on a boat, I'd still be wearing them today :-). But of course the future is in glasses that can project something into the image. Who's working on that, for example?* Meta Glasses* Snapchat Spectacles* Xreal Glasses* Viture* OPPO AirglassBig things will be expected from Google, Microsoft or Apple - I see their Vision Pro as a bit of an exploration of what could be in a "few" years in "normal" glasses. I'm quite curious if we'll all be wearing glasses in 10-20 years. After my experience with Meta glasses, I have to admit that, at least for me, this could be the "next device" that changes the world (like a smart phone). Talking on the phone, listening to music and podcasts, taking photos and videos and having your hands free - it's actually very comfortable and natural. I was surprised by it.You take a trip to the mountains in Canada like that. The locals warn you there are a lot of wolves roaming around. And the fact is. The experience of a lifetime. Except I wouldn't really go out...Here the bears are having fun in the playground again. In Argentina, trees have been cut down and hordes of parrots have moved into the cities. And now the locals don't like it. It's a strange time.In Texas, a new hotel is being built in the desert, completely printed on a 3D printer. In another desert, another "town" is being built. Remember the megalomaniacal Neom project in Saudi Arabia? A 170-kilometre-long noodle of a desert that will house up to 9 million people. Currently, the construction consumes over 20% of the world's steel production.It's a similar glimpse into the future as Tesla's new robot or robotaxi. Only no one really knows how much of it is AI-driven and how much it is controlled by a bunch of Indians in a slum somewhere.But either way, the future finally looks like the future!On the other end of the spectrum is Stage Stoneman, who built a $200 house in California.Maybe it's better to roam the countryside like Carey Kish, 65, who joined the Triple Crown Hiking Club after hiking 3 of the most famous long-distance trails in the U.S. - nearly 13,000 miles in all. Now that's active retirement!2 weeks of camping in the wilderness like in the old days when the USA was first settled.If you're heading to the US, I've got a list of the best hotels to stay in - they're haunted. Or tips on the best small chain restaurants in each state.OpenAI has introduced new Canvas features and ChatGPT is slowly becoming an office suite for document creation. Anthropic, on the other hand, has updated its Claude apps, which work nicely with projects. I use both tools, practically on a daily basis.Mushrooms are said to grow faster when you play noises. Scientists are on it. We have webs that work like Spider-Man's. Some people won't like this - beloved whales eat beloved dolphins.What I'm reading right now: John Muir - My first summer in SierraWhat I'm listening to: A biography of Elon MuskWhat I'm watching: ShrinkingApp that caught my attention: Inbox ZeroThank you for reading and hope you enjoy it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsfromthewoods.substack.com

It's been five years since we acquired a second home by the sea. Although I live in a beautiful place in NP Czech Switzerland in a nice village with a great community, it has always been my dream to occasionally escape to the sea and live there for a while. Not to be confused with vacationing. Simply having a second home.After five years, I'll try to write down some wisdom and, most importantly, experiences. What surprised me, both pleasantly and unpleasantly. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsfromthewoods.substack.com

Yes, we’ve changed our name from “News from the woods” to “Bytes & Backpacks”. I Hope that you’ll like it! Also, we have a podcast version!Disabled athletes get much less media attention, of course, but my admiration for them is perhaps even greater than for able-bodied men and women. Check out a selection of photos from the BBC.Kids are back at school and parents will be dealing with "screen time" again. Half an hour a day?An hour? Two? An endless quest to find balance. Banning kids from cell phones is a road to hell, spending 3+ hours a day on them is too. It was nothing like that for us, we ran outside and everything was so much better! It's just that the more we find out about the effect of cell phones on kids, the less we know :-). The first time humanity addressed the negative impact of frequent technology use was with books. Then it was the harmful effects of radio, then TV, the internet and now mobile screens. I've been dealing with my kids for the last few years mostly about WHAT they do on screens. Games and social media have a stop sign, education and smart games have a green light. I'll probably write a longer post about that next time, would you like it?And once again, youth. Do you have a problem with them not answering your phone? In fact, 70% of young people aged 18-34 prefer texting to calls. 34% have never even picked up the phone. For the youngsters, the numbers are even more interesting. On the other hand, voice messaging is booming. Remember when you called someone on voicemail and it ate up your credit?Well, okay, we're gradually getting into our more advanced years. Thinking about where to retire? Here's a thought on what countries are best for our retirement. I found a very interesting site that tells you how much longer you will live if you move to, let´s say, Greece. Or anywhere else in the world. And lots of other interesting information. Now that your kids aren't taking your phone, dig into what your old age might look like!My favourite company 1x (OpenAI has invested in it) has launched a humanoid robot for the home. Cooking, ironing, cleaning - the real revolution is coming soon!Have you ever wondered how small the processors in your mobile phone really are? What can you fit into a chip today thanks to technology? There's a very nice video circulating on Twitter. Yes, the line through the processor is a human hair, and then...Photography on film is in vogue again. What's the best thing about analogue photography? That you can shoot almost anything. Like building a camera out of Legos (fingers crossed this set will officially be made) or baking yourself a camera out of gingerbread (thanks for the tip, John).How about a week of walking in Scotland?When all the nature around us is gone, you can download the Earth.fm app and listen to nature sounds from around the world.In Portland, they built a new airport terminal with... a forest! Very nice.Ahh, look - never ending problem of marital cohabitation has an app! Is this still green or already blue? Is turquoise green or blue? Take a test at home and find out how each of you perceives colors, because we all just have it differently."Close the window, light is on, the mosquitoes are coming!" But not at all. Mosquitoes seek out victims primarily by smell and heat (this is nothing new). Now scientists have come up with a few recommendations to avoid getting stung - like loose clothing.There's a new Remarkable out there and it can do colors. If you like to write or draw, there's probably no better device. Also interesting is this mobile phone with an e-ink display or straight Barbie phone - without internet, of course, so Barbie can't get into the human world...I found us a new place to live in Croatia. Peace and quiet, an island of one square kilometer. What more could you ask for! And you know what? My wife doesn't want to go there! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsfromthewoods.substack.com