Why do you think Pokemon GO failed?

Adam Nelson, Two decades of playing Pokemon

1Initially Pokemon Go was awesome. It really brought people together—I would go take a walk on the canal in my city where there might be a couple dozen people walking at any given time. During Pokemon Go’s initial 6 months, there were hundreds of people playing, even until 3 AM. It was absolutely crazy.

For me, I think Pokemon Go lacked a couple things that die-hard Pokemon fans really needed to stick to it.

Player-to-Player Battles

I think it’s safe to say we were all disappointed with the exclusion of pvp in Pokemon Go. This IS Pokemon. Who knows what kind of greater long-term success Niantic would have had if a dynamic pvp system had been implemented.

2. Player Trading

Hard to describe the magic of hooking up with a friend’s Game Boy and negotiating trades for that last Pokemon you need for your squad. Niantic eventually added this feature but it was too little too late for a lot of players.

3. Better Gyms

I never really liked the gym system in Pokemon Go. Again, I craved the format to be similar to classic Pokemon battles. Even if it was AI-controlled opposition, it would have been better than a player-input based system. There was little strategy involved in Pokemon Go’s gym system.

I really do believe with the inclusion of just these three features, Pokemon Go would have been an even bigger hit than it has been.

As a hotel employee, what are some hotelhacks that most guests are not aware of (e.g. room upgrades, free stuff, etc.)?

LebodouSonna, Blogger at www.mystayindoha.com

I am working in this Hotel[1] as a receptionist. I would like to answer this question from myexperience. There are some manner to approach the hotel employees. Its truethat you are the guest but you should look at them like human beings.

If you want your stay to be memorable [2] you should follow this:

1 Avoid online booking: Callingthe hotel directly for your booking may be the good way.

Why? Itwill be the first contact with the reservation department and talk with theconcerned person friendly without any protocol. Ask the person name and try toget familiar. Just say that you had seen the online price maybe this much $60or 80$ and you do not want them to take any commission. So can He/She gives yousome discount?

You have 99% chance to get it[3]

2- Be simply with Hotel employees

You can be served better if you are simplyand friendly. The hotel employees like to be considered, the like guests whocall them by their name. So if you are simply you can get daily more bottle ofwater instead of the limited number. They can upgrade your room for free andthey know how the will report it. You can use the phone for free, you can getalso the late check-out without any charges.

For me the hospitality industry should bethe the place where guests and employees share value,respect and love.

What are ten bad financial decisions toavoid in your 20s?

RonLeavitt, Retired and traveling when and where Ican.

#1 do not buy a new car. Don’t pay thedepreciation.

#2 negotiate a longer term on your studentloan if you can. You will pay more over time, but your earning power is lowwhen starting out. Have loan payments take as little as possible

#3 focus on work and not on consumption.Avoid “shopping” as an activity

#4 learn to cook. This is huge. It is funto serve up a gourmet meal to friends. Cooking regular meals at home saves timeand money.

#5 avoid going out drinking regularly. Thatis a habit to avoid. Rather have friends over for a beer or two. An occasionalnight out is fine.

#6 do not try to impress women by spendingon them. A relationship is much more than that. Do not be consumed by chasingskirts.

#7 open an account at a discount broker,make a modest monthly wire transfer to it and invest or trade mutual funds andstocks.

#8 subscribe to Investor Business Daily fora while.

#9 familiarize yourself with the realestate market in and around the town you live. Watch cyclic variations overyears.

#10 do not try to “time the market” makeplans and stick to them. You will most likely never buy at the bottom nor sellat the top. Accept profit/loss and move on. Do not beat yourself up over lostopportunity.

#11 Never risk “it all”; risk what you canafford to lose.

What are some signs of a person with very high IQ?

Carolyn Hampton, works at Warner Bros. Entertainment

As a parent of a profoundly gifted child, who is friends with a lot of highly, exceptionally, and profoundly gifted young people, I have noticed the following:

There is a deep intensity in the eyes — they seem like an “old soul”.

They become obsessed with a particular topic, such as the sinking of the Titanic, or World War II, of Egyptian hieroglyphics, and will learn everything there is to know about that topic before moving on to the next obsession.

When the young ones are interested in a subject, they will “drink from the fire hose” to learn about it, but when they are not interested, they may daydream (tune out), or act out.

They have a sophisticated sense of humor that kids their age won’t really understand. There is an almost instant understanding that the high IQ kid is different, unless he/she is dumbing himself or herself down to fit in.

They only need to hear something once to learn it, whereas the average person needs to hear it 5 or 6 times. So the seemingly endless repetition of lessons without moving at a more rapid pace is mind-numbing and frustrating. A high IQ person also often seems to know or understand certain concepts without being exposed to them in school or in books. They seem to understand how the world works without being taught. Once when my husband and I were trying to figure out why a particular toy was broken, our 15 month old daughter toddled over to us and said, “maybe it needs batteries?”

They think outside the box to solve certain problems and can come up with solutions that stun or surprise their teachers.

High IQ people are intense, and are very sensitive. Sometimes this heightened sensitivity will show up in being picky about the textures of certain clothing items (always cutting out tags), or food allergies/intolerances, and not just emotions.

Unless they can find true peers who understand them on a deep level, high IQ people are lonely.

What is a good way to have a good mindset?

Ruben Kusi, INFJ Quora son here. Answers questions about life and living

NO MATTER WHAT, NEVER hate ANYONE

Always remember, NOTHING IS PERMANENT. Things WILL turn around someday. BELIEVE THAT

STOP COMPLAINING. Complaining is simply giving yourself excuses for your inaction.

STOP BLAMING EVERYONE FOR YOUR PROBLEMS. They are yourproblems for a reason. You could complain for years and no one will solve them for you or you could use a day or a week or months to take care of that issue.

BE CONTENT WITH YOURSELF AND WHATEVER YOU CURRENTLY POSSESS. Don't envy. Simply try to make your life better. ACCEPT whatever your life circumstances are currently. Then if you can change it, do so.

LET GO OFF EXPECTATIONS. Your kindness and goodness should come from a place love and abundance. Give freely and you will NEVER be disappointed.

Stop trying to change what you cannot control and take control over what you can. Stop trying to change people but instead try to influence them.

Try to live by yourself. Why? It will teach you how to take responsibility for yourself and how to be self-reliant. Plus you will appreciate people more.

NEVER QUIT whatever that makes you happy unless you are uncomfortable doing it or it goes and against your beliefs or is unhealthy for you. It is what keeps you sane. Mine is playing sports.

Help people out in the least ways possible. It doesn't matter. Helping that man out with his load wouldn't be a bad idea. Getting that kid whose mother cannot afford that toy as his Christmas present would be fantastic. If it wouldn't break the bank. BELIEVE IT OR NOT THAT KID WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER and do similar for others in the future. And that's how you make the world a better place

Be grateful.

Why are Apple devices so expensive? Are they worth it?

Ruben Decrop, CEO and owner at Chessdevil Consulting (2012-present)

As owner of an app development company, I need to have several iOS devices and a few Macs in the company. And because we are also developing for Android, I am always carrying both an iOS and an Android phone. So I can compare.

The good thing about Apple is that Apple has very decent hardware. On top of that Apple owns the full hardware and software stack, so everything works seamlessly together. And, if you are susceptible for a nice design, Apple make beautiful devices. Therefore Apple believes that it can charge a premium price for that. Of course recently there have been quality issues (battery throttling, butterfly keyboard, …)

Is it worth? Well it depends of your situation and on the product.

for an iPad it is simple. The competition is nowhere near Apple. So if you want/need a good working tablet, the iPad is the best choice. But there is a big question mark if you really need a tablet, if you are mainly checking emails, browsing websites and playing games like 80% of the owners of a tablet.

for an iPhone, we are no longer in 2015, where the iPhone 6 was the best device you could get on the market. In recent 18 months mid-range Android devices ($300 - $400) have increased enormously in quality and features. As such I am no longer convinced that an iPhone is the best buy on the market. Only for the very high end users an iPhone can be justified. But most iPhone users are just not aware of it and are still thinking that if you don’t pay $800 or more for a smartphone, you get a crappy phone.

We use Macs in the company for 2 groups of tasks: for iOS development, where it is compulsory to develop on a Mac, and for graphical design. The graphical tool chain on a Mac is superb. The whole Adobe suite and applications like Sketch, are exactly the tools we need. So in this case we make a positive choice to use Macs, and they are worth it.

For back-end development we are using Dell XPS machines that are running Linux. The premium of 30% for a Mac cannot be justified in this case. On the contrary, we need to run our software in Docker containers which run faster on Linux than on MacOS. On top of that features like the touchbar are very expensive gimmicks that have no use for back end development (the touchbar even drives productivity down in this case)

If you are a normal home user I would not advice to use Macs, they are too expensive for their value. And now that Windows is no longer a horrible beast with the much improved version 10, I would shoot for a $500 windows PC

What should absolutely not be done in Japan?

Misha Yurchenko (ユルチェンコ ミーシャ), Japan-based writer, entrepreneur, and avocado-eater

Answered Jun 12

I heard about an American executive — let’s call him Donald — who went to meet a client in Japan, but demonstrated little knowledge of local business etiquette.

No, scratch that. It was a total lack of cultural awareness.

Chewing his gum, Donald entered the room of patiently waiting executives. As the line of black-suits stood up to greet him, Donald laughed boisterously and, perhaps too firmly, grasped the hands of the Japanese businessmen, who were tiny in comparison to Donald’s broad-shouldered, 6-foot something build.

They proceeded to exchange business cards (meishi) — an act of important, symbolic function in Japan. Donald’s hands were greasy, or maybe he was just careless, and as he reached to grab one of the executive’s cards (not that you’re supposed to really grab the card), he fumbled and it fell to the ground.

Strike 1.

Not seeming to care about his massive infraction, Donald reached to pick up the card (belching in the process). He took the small paper square and swiftly, without any apology, stuffed it into his back pocket. Everyone was in shock (except Donald), and they moved to sit down in their swivly chairs.

Strike 2.

(In the eyes of Japanese people, the business card is an extension of the self. Dropping the card on the dirty ground means you are, quite literally, getting dirt on that person. Putting the card in your back pocket and then sitting down means you are squishing your ass cheeks between them and a chair).

Upon taking a seat, Donald threw all of the other business cards he had been handed on the table in a pile. While the cards are supposed to be lined up neatly to match the people sitting in front of you, in order of seniority, he of course knew nothing about that.

And then, unbuttoning his wrinkled shirt-sleeve and crossing his burly arms, Donald threw his giant feet up on the desk — he was showing the executives he was “comfortable” and “confident,” although he came off as anything but. He began to talk loudly, laugh noisily, and launched into an epic monologue about something that lasted for too long.

Strike 3- K.O.

The executives’ faces were bright red — they were fuming, ready to burst. One executive couldn’t handle the injustice any longer, so he stood up, yelled something in Japanese, and stormed out. The others remained silent, in utter disbelief.

Maintaining their politeness until the end of the meeting, they escorted Donald to the front of the elevator and bowed in unison to bid their farewells (Donald just gave them a big thumbs up as he checked his phone)

The elevator doors closed and they all let out a huge sigh of relief.

Donald managed to break a dozen or so unspoken rules and completely destroyed the social fabric of a Japanese business meeting in under 20 minutes.

Needless to say, he was never invited to a second meeting.

What are some signs that I am not intelligent even though I think I am?

Louise Williams, studies Italian Literature at University of Milan (2023)

smart people think a lot, their mind never stop talking.

they have high ambitions, are super self critical (indeed, they are often prone to develop anxiety and depression) and often see things that others are not able to see.

they understand concepts rapidly , read between the lines and think about how they think, how their mind works, the sense of existence, etc...

when they meet a problem, they find the best way to solve it. they often observe instead of judging, have a lot of interests and an open mind. they don’t spend time being jealous of others because they are aware that is useless.

if you are smart, you often know it, because you maybe sometimes question yourself ‘how do other people dont understand this?’

Why is iPhone's camera better than any Android phone camera?

Dave Haynie, Been shooting since I was a kid.... before digital, before computers...

It’s not. Not by far. Apple buys camera sensor from Sony, as do quite a few of the premium Android phone manufacturers. However, Apple has stuck to fairly small sensors, even for a smarphone. Most of Apple’s phones have used 1/3″ sensors for the main camera and 1/3.6″ sensors for the “portrait” camera, whereas the typical smartphone uses about a 1/2.6″ sensor, again, most made by Sony.

Last I checked, the best camera system in a phone today is that of the Huawei P20 Pro. This camera scored 109 on the DxO Mobile benchmark, versus 97 for the iPhone X and 92 for the iPhone 8. The P20 Pro uses a new class of phone camera sensor that’s on a 1/1.72″ chip and can be configured either as a 10 megapixel sensor or a 40 megapixel sensor. That’s the right way to enhance performance in low light as well as in daylight performance. Sony already announced a 12/48 megapixel version of the same type of sensor. The P20 Pro also has a monochrome camera, which in some cases improves the overall image produced by the phone.

Based on typical year over year improvements from Apple, this puts Huawei about 1.0–1.5 years ahead of Apple, barring any big jump in camera tech this fall, which is of course possible. Google, Xiaomi, Samsung, and HTC all have 2018 phones that rate better than any iPhone at this point in time, and quite a few more than rate better than any iPhone that’s not the iPhone X. But of course, Apple’s due to release something new next month, so maybe they will catch up bit.

As a financial advisor, what is the most common mistake you see people making with their personal finances?

Cam Rail, CFA, Founder Stackup Risk, former ETF market maker & trader

I can tell you something extremely damaging that 90% of young people do, which often affects their financial health for life.

It’s so common that when I mention it you you will probably shrug, but give me 60 seconds of your time and you’ll see why its persistent, fatal, and so commonly overlooked.

Whats a really common investment for young people? Bitcoin, crypto, marijuana companies, penny stocks… basically, whatever the next ‘big’ thing is.

What’s the problem here? 99% of these investments will end at $0. The big issue with that isn’t the loss of money - but the loss of confidence.

People lose money ‘investing’ early, then they shy away from proper investments for the rest of their lives. They persistently take too little risk because they took the wrong type of risk early. They gambled, lost, then conflated that gamble with real investing.

Responsibly and safely making money isn’t sexy. It’s not like the movies where you’re a hero who takes the ‘smart’ risk and get rewarded handsomely. It’s about taking the right risks consistently and watching your portfolio grow. The real ‘right’ risk is a diversified portfolio.

Do yourself a favour, don’t burn out. Invest early, invest smart. Don’t confuse gambling with investing.

Above all, know what risks are right for you - the worst thing you can do is take on too much risk relative to your mindset and end up burning yourself out permanently.