Today was a lucky day filled with good news. I received recognition for my 230 Tips project, and my visa interview was unexpectedly approved. Back in Beijing, I found out my promotion to Senior SDE was confirmed, bringing immense joy. My colleagues’ efforts to secure my presentation slot at the developer conference also moved me greatly.

In the evening, Xiaoyan and I enjoyed a delightful vegetarian dinner. Tomorrow, I’ll travel to Hunan to bring Hamer to my hometown. Despite a busy day, I feel energized and grateful.

Our company’s year-end party on Monday and Tuesday was packed with performances, games, and activities, but the dinner felt rather dull.

The next day, we visited Longqing Gorge to see the ice lanterns, where the frozen gorge turned out to be the highlight of the day. Later, two colleagues and I traveled to Shenyang for a visa appointment.

2025-01-19 TIL: Scheduled Tasks in ChatGPT & Gaelic Football

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Scheduled tasks in ChatGPT

In this early beta feature, you can create scheduled tasks to enable ChatGPT to run automated prompts and proactively reach out to you at set times. This feature helps automate repetitive tasks and improves productivity by providing reminders or personalized interactions. Examples of Scheduled Tasks:

• “Give me a briefing on AI news each afternoon.”
• “Practice French with me daily.”

Gaelic football

Gaelic football is a fast-paced, action-packed sport that combines elements of soccer, basketball, and some of the world’s fastest sports.

• Originating in Ireland centuries ago, it’s now gaining popularity in North America.
• It features free-flowing gameplay, requiring both skill and athleticism, with players passing, kicking, and scoring in a dynamic, high-energy match.

Today was calm and uneventful. I started the morning late, tidied up the living room. Xiaoyan got up and practiced piano, where she showed noticeable improvement.

Xiaoyan spent the afternoon watching Normal People, while I napped and bought fruit and dumplings.

In the evening, I practiced driving S-curves and felt much more confident compared to before.

2025-01-18 TIL: How to Separate a Sectional Sofa & Types of Pianos

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How to Separate a Sectional Sofa

Sectional sofas are designed with hooks and latches that connect individual pieces, making them easy to detach, move, and rearrange.

• Locate the Connectors: Find the hooks, clasps, or latches that join the sofa sections. These are usually located underneath or between the sections.
• Detach the Sections: Gently lift or slide one section to unlock it from the connectors. Be careful not to force it to avoid damage.
• Move and Rearrange: Once separated, you can easily move, rearrange, or store the individual pieces as desired.

How Much Does A Piano Weigh?

There are three primary types of pianos: Grand, Upright, and Electric. The average upright piano weighs between 200-1,000 pounds.

• Grand pianos: The largest type of piano, also known as a Horizontal Piano due to its horizontal string alignment. Offers a rich, full sound but requires significant space.
• Upright pianos: The most common type of acoustic piano, also called a Vertical Piano because its strings are strung vertically. Designed to be more compact, making it ideal for smaller spaces.
• Electric pianos: Also known as Digital Pianos, they are popular among beginners and traveling performers. Lightweight and portable, making them easy to move and maintain.

Today started early as I tidied up the house and moved out the sofa. I received disappointing news that the conference schedule was refused, but my lead actively followed up.

My colleague’s gifted piano was delivered, and Xiaoyan even played a few simple tunes.

In the afternoon, Xiaoyan got a flu shot while I organized the house before joining her at our classmate’s place. We enjoyed the movie Her Story and a delicious homemade feast.

Today brought a sense of relief as everything I had worried about was finally resolved. I successfully rescheduled my visa interview and completed all the required documents.

Our show rehearsals went well, and I finished the last video, which turned out great. Unfortunately, one of my colleagues caught the flu and can’t attend the annual meeting.

In the evening, Xiaoyan and I enjoyed Luosifen at Guilin Restaurant. It had been a while, and I especially loved their crispy and flavorful Guo Shao. These past few days, Hamer has been having so much fun at hometown that we’ve had little chance to sit down and chat with her.

Did you know?

ArcGIS Earth makes it effortless to export and share your current map view as a high-quality image, a professional map layout, or a print-ready file. Whether you’re preparing a presentation, designing a poster, or sharing insights with your team, ArcGIS Earth’s export tools help you deliver visually compelling and informative maps.

🛠️ How to Export and Share Your Map Views:

1️⃣ Design a Custom Map Layout 🗺️ Click Export > Create Map Layout to generate a map with your scene view, title, north arrow, and scale bar. Add more context with a legend, descriptive text, images, or dynamic text like scale and coordinates.

2️⃣ Personalize for Any Purpose ✏️ Adjust the paper size (default A4), orientation (portrait or landscape), and margins. Use Scene Only for a minimalist view or add visual elements for more context. Double-click the scene to zoom, pan, and rotate for the perfect angle.

3️⃣ Export, Email, or Print Instantly 📤 Once complete, choose to: Export as Image for reports or presentations. Email the current view directly as an attachment. Print for meetings, displays, or field use.

🚀 Pro Tips:

1️⃣ Custom Branding: Insert local images or your company logo for a branded, professional touch.

2️⃣ Fine-Tune Your View: Double-click the scene in the layout to adjust the camera view before exporting.

Today was filled with ups and downs. After preparing visa documents and adjusting my resume, I discovered a past visa denial, forcing me to redo the DS-160 form and postpone my interview by a day.

During rehearsal, a small incident occurred because of props. Later, I practiced another dance routine and struggled with reversing during driving practice, which left me feeling frustrated.

Did you know?

ArcGIS Earth’s Viewshed Analysis tool allows you to visualize what areas are visible or hidden from a specific location. This powerful feature helps you assess line-of-sight coverage, making it essential for urban planning, security assessments, and infrastructure development.

🛠️ How to Maximize the Viewshed Tool:

Set an observer point anywhere on the map, and ArcGIS Earth will instantly generate a viewshed area, highlighting visible regions in green and obstructed areas in red. Easily adjust the observer’s height, viewing angle, and distance range to analyze how terrain, buildings, or other obstacles impact visibility. This tool is perfect for evaluating the placement of security cameras, communication towers, or scenic viewpoints.

🚀 Pro Tips:

1️⃣ Adjust Observer Height: Increase the observer’s elevation to analyze visibility from elevated structures like towers or rooftops.

2️⃣ Customize Viewing Angle: Narrow or widen the viewing angle to focus on specific areas or broaden the analysis.

2025-01-15 TIL: Placify and Artab

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Placify

At Placify, we aim to Create a truly personal map—one that lets you gather and organize all the place-related content you’ve saved across different platforms.

• The most beautiful things in life are not just things. They are people, places, memories, and pictures.

Artab

Get Inspired by the World’s Greatest Artworks in Every New Tab.

Today was mostly dedicated to handling my U.S. visa application after receiving the invitation letter. I spent the afternoon taking a visa photo, completing the DS-160 form, and scheduling an appointment for the visa interview with collegues.

In the morning, I joined our team meeting on AI topics and later brainstormed presentation ideas with the PEs. After the meeting, I rushed to meet a friend for a final frisbee game before the new year.

Did you know?

ArcGIS Earth’s Line of Sight tool allows you to instantly analyze visibility between an observer and one or more target points. This dynamic tool helps you evaluate clear and obstructed views in both 2D and 3D scenes, making it essential for security planning, infrastructure design, and environmental analysis.

🛠️ 2 Powerful Ways to Use the Line of Sight Tool:

1️⃣ From Point: Analyze Static Views📍

Quickly analyze visibility by clicking to set the observer and target points. Green lines show clear views, and red lines highlight obstructions. Drag points or edit coordinates for precision—ideal for planning camera placements, communication towers, or observation decks.

2️⃣ Animation: Simulate Moving Perspectives🚗✈️

Take visibility analysis to the next level by creating an animated line of sight. Set a moving observer along a path—like a vehicle route or a drone flight path—and analyze how visibility changes in motion. You can select predefined vehicle or aircraft models or upload custom 3D models to reflect real-world scenarios. Adjust the animation speed, model offsets, and color schemes to fine-tune your analysis. This is ideal for assessing traffic surveillance, patrol routes, or aerial monitoring.

🚀 Pro Tips:

1️⃣ Terrain Precision: Press T while placing points to snap them to the terrain surface for more accurate results.

2️⃣ Observer Perspective: Use the Apply Camera button to match the scene view with the observer’s position for a realistic perspective.

2025-01-14 TIL: WWE’s “Raw” and “SmackDown”

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WWE Raw and SmackDown

WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” and “Friday Night SmackDown” are the company’s two flagship programs, each offering unique content and styles to engage a wide audience.

• Both shows feature scripted storylines and predetermined match outcomes, which are standard in professional wrestling to enhance entertainment.
• Despite being scripted, the physical performances are very real, requiring wrestlers to undergo rigorous training to perform moves safely.

Personally, I found some segments uncomfortable to watch during last Saturday’s broadcast.

Today mirrored yesterday—busy but still leaving important tasks unfinished.

I spent much time rehearsing, especially improving the dance routine.

At lunch, Hamer video-called me in tears because her homework got wet, and she blamed Grandma. I comforted her and helped calm her down.

In the evening, I played men’s doubles with a colleague, and we had great teamwork with many exciting rallies—the best match so far. Xiaoyan unexpectedly came home early and went straight to bed, which surprised me.

Did you know? ArcGIS Earth’s Elevation Profile tool allows you to visualize elevation changes along any path, offering valuable insights for terrain analysis, route planning, and risk assessment. You can easily generate interactive profiles from drawn lines, KML paths, or by using the Measure tool, making it a powerful feature for both analysis and presentation.

🛠️ 3 Powerful Ways to Maximize the Elevation Profile Tool:

1️⃣ Visualize Terrain Changes in Real-Time 🌄 Quickly generate an elevation profile by sketching a path or right-clicking an existing drawing line or KML line and selecting Elevation Profile. Instantly see how terrain rises and falls, making this perfect for planning hiking trails, infrastructure routes, or assessing construction sites.

2️⃣ Analyze Elevation and Slope Metrics 📊 Gain immediate insights with detailed metrics like minimum, average, and maximum elevation, total elevation gain/loss, and slope percentages. This data is essential for identifying high-risk landslide zones, optimizing transportation routes, or evaluating flood-prone areas.

3️⃣ Interact with and Share Profiles 🖱️🖼️ Hover over the profile to check exact elevation, distance, and slope data or double-click to zoom directly to any point on the map. Easily export the profile as an image for reports or presentations, making it ideal for sharing insights with stakeholders and improving decision-making.

🚀 Pro Tips:

1️⃣ Flip Direction: Reverse the profile path for new insights using the Flip Direction tool.

2️⃣ Spacebar Lock: Press the Spacebar to lock onto specific points for precise elevation and slope readings.

3️⃣ Mobile to Desktop Integration: Record routes with GPS tracking on mobile and analyze elevation profiles on desktop for deeper insights.

2025-01-13 TIL: Custom URI Schemes and Standard Web Links

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Custom URI Schemes and Standard Web Links

Custom URI schemes are application-specific protocols that allow apps to communicate with each other or be launched directly. They are defined by developers to enable deep linking into specific parts of an app.

• Example: A custom URI like myapp://section/page can open the “page” in the “section” of the app named “myapp”.

Standard web links use common protocols like HTTP or HTTPS to direct users to web content. When integrated with app linking mechanisms, they can open corresponding content within an app if installed, or fallback to a web browser if not.

• Example: A link like https://www.example.com/page can open the corresponding page within an app if installed; otherwise, it opens in the browser.

Here’s how these linking mechanisms are represented across major platforms:

Key Differences:

• Security:
  • Custom URI Schemes: Less secure; any app can register the same scheme, leading to potential conflicts or malicious hijacking.
  • Standard Web Links: More secure; rely on domain verification to ensure only authorized apps handle the links.
• Fallback Behavior:
  • Custom URI Schemes: If the app isn’t installed, the system may not know how to handle the link, potentially leading to errors or no action.
  • Standard Web Links: Provide a seamless user experience by opening the app if installed or defaulting to the web browser if not.
• Implementation Complexity:
  • Custom URI Schemes: Simpler to implement but require careful management to avoid conflicts.
  • Standard Web Links: Require setting up domain associations and hosting verification files but offer a more robust solution.

Today was stressful due to unfinished tasks, especially the uncertainty around my presentation content. After discussing the AI transformation video with a colleague, she kindly took over the task. I unexpectedly spent much of the afternoon selecting photos and planning the presentation.

In the evening, Xiaoyan and I had a quick meal and practiced a challenging dance routine for over an hour.

Surprisingly, Xiaoyan’s company granted two extra days of annual leave starting on the 25th, so I quickly booked her ticket home.

Did you know?

ArcGIS Earth allows you to elevate your 3D visualizations with Atmosphere Effects and Terrain Exaggeration. These tools can bring your data to life by adding depth, realism, and emphasis to landscapes and terrain analysis.

🛠️ 2 Powerful Ways to Boost Your 3D Visualization:

1️⃣ Add Realism with Atmosphere Effects 🌫️ Switch between None, Horizon Only, and Realistic atmosphere settings to control haze and depth in your scene.

2️⃣ Amplify Terrain with Exaggeration ⛰️ Adjust the terrain scale from 0–100, or up to 1,000 with admin configuration, to highlight geological features, flood risks, or urban developments.

🚀 Pro Tip:

Pair atmosphere effects with terrain exaggeration to create stunning visuals that resemble a Chinese landscape painting, blending subtle depth and dramatic elevation for both artistic and analytical impact.

This weekend, I felt quite tired after waking up early to send Hamer and Grandma off to Hunan. Xiaoyan and I dined at the uniquely decorated Don Quixote restaurant in Guomao but found the service lacking despite the great ambiance.

I spent Sunday binge-watching Speedsters and practiced narrow-lane driving in the evening. Though my AI video for the annual meeting didn’t turn out as planned, it might bring some laughs.

I’m very grateful that my colleague offered to give me a piano and a friend’s help in organizing our insurance policies.

Today was packed with tasks. After dropping Hamer off at school for her half-day session with awards and homework, I shared Retro content at work and joined a two-hour meeting.

At noon, we rehearsed twice and spotted areas for improvement. In the afternoon, I took Hamer for a dental sealant redo, as some molars hadn’t come in yet. I also bought a Daoxiangcun gift box for Xiaoyan’s uncles.

Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to get a train ticket home, leaving me a bit stressed.

2025-01-09 TIL: WIIFM Principle & the Meaning of Level

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WIIFM

WIIFM stands for “What’s In It For Me”—a simple yet powerful question people naturally ask when facing change.

• This principle helps you understand stakeholders' needs, motivations, and expectations.
• By applying WIIFM, you can tailor communication to show how changes benefit others, making it easier to gain their support and engagement.

Level

Level has multiple meanings depending on the context:

1. To make a surface flat or even.
   • Example: Level the wet cement before it sets.
2. To completely destroy a building or area.
   • Example: Devastating wildfires in the LA area have leveled entire neighborhoods as firefighting resources are stretched thin.

Did you know that in ArcGIS Earth, bookmarks do more than save locations—they let you craft interactive, dynamic stories? By capturing specific views and scene settings, you can seamlessly revisit important locations or create stunning visual tours for presentations and analysis.

🛠️ 4 Creative Ways to Use Bookmarks in ArcGIS Earth:

1️⃣ Capture and Revisit Detailed Scenes 🎯 Bookmarks save more than just a location—they capture the entire scene, including camera position, basemaps, layer visibility, and daylight settings. Instantly return to complex views, like tracking a hurricane’s path over several days or revisiting key project stages.

2️⃣ Organize Workflows with Bookmark Groups 🗂️ Keep your projects structured by grouping bookmarks into categories based on project phases, regions, or themes. This makes navigating between analysis stages or geographic areas effortless.

3️⃣ Create Engaging Bookmark Presentations 🎬 Transform a sequence of bookmarks into an automated presentation that guides viewers through your data. Customize transitions, playback speed, and add descriptive pop-ups to tell a compelling, interactive story.

4️⃣ Export and Share Your Story 🌍 Export bookmark groups as KMZ files or images to easily share your maps with collaborators. You can even convert bookmarks into movies for polished, impactful storytelling.

🚀 Pro Tips:

1️⃣ Drag & Drop: Reorder bookmarks by simply dragging them to create smooth, logical tours.

2️⃣ Add Visuals: Customize each bookmark with images and descriptions to highlight critical insights.

Today, I worked on my presentation but felt stuck, shifting focus to data-sharing between mobile and desktop in the afternoon.

A gym session at noon helped clear my mind. In the evening, I shopped with Hamer and enjoyed a simple dinner.

Family updates included my uncle’s scooter accident, requiring surgery and rest, and my cousin’s wedding plans being canceled, which left everyone disappointed.

Hamer has been thoroughly enjoying playing the role of our barista these past mornings, taking our coffee orders with enthusiasm.

Frozen, 2013

As kids, Elas and Anna sneak into the Great Hall to play in the winter wonderland that Elas creates. Frozen filmmakers help a “Sister Summit” in which women from across the stuido were invited to share stories of their own sisterly bonds. Their stories helped inspired Elsa and Anna’s.

2025-01-09 TIL: city-roads, Earth Peel, llama-ocr & Rendezvous Meaning

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city-roads

city-roads allows you to render every road in any city at once using WebGL.

• Roads are fetched from OpenStreetMap via the Overpass API.
• To enhance download performance, ~3,000 cities with populations over 100,000 were indexed into a protobuf format.
• Name resolution is handled by Nominatim.
• You can customize the display and export visuals for further use.

Earth Peel

The Earth Peel explores how projections flatten Earth’s spherical surface into a 2D map.

• It highlights the trade-offs and distortions in flattening a round object.
• Check out The Impossible Map for a creative demonstration of projections using fruit.

llama-ocr

llama-ocr converts documents to Markdown using Llama 3.2 Vision.

• It leverages the free Llama 3.2 endpoint from Together AI to parse images into Markdown.
• Inspired by Zerox, a PDF-to-Markdown tool, this library focuses on image-based OCR for structured outputs.

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rendezvous

Rendezvous (noun) /ˈrɑːn.deɪ.vuː/

• An arranged meeting, often secret, at a specific place and time.
• A place where a particular group regularly gathers by arrangement or habit.