Mastering Spring Boot Microservices While Revisiting Articulate Storyline

 In the past, I briefly worked as an Articulate Storyline Developer, where my role involved assembling content provided by online course consultants into Storyline, and I also did some basic photo editing in Photoshop to enhance those courses. Now, as I've mentioned several times, I'm developing a trivia application using Spring Boot. However, until now, I’ve barely touched microservices—just a little bit. For the initial version of the trivia app, there wasn’t much need to implement microservices, but I think it's time to dive into them seriously.

To get started, I bought a course on Udemy called "Spring Boot Microservices with Spring Cloud Beginner to Guru" by John Thompson (in case anyone is interested). While studying, I plan to take notes and assemble my own course on Spring Boot microservices in an e-learning format, just like I used to do. This way, I’ll achieve two goals: learning Spring Boot microservices and creating a course about it at the same time.

I also need to check if I can use the Storyline trial version to create the course for my blog or look for a free alternative if that doesn’t work out. It would be a great addition to my blog and a fresh, unique offering.

Technology Is More Than Moving Icons: China Remains a Tech Potential, Not a Leader

 In a recent post, I discussed how Xiaomi is often underappreciated in the global smartphone market. Today, I want to delve further into the broader landscape of Chinese technology.

A few years ago, Huawei was at the forefront of the smartphone industry, consistently outperforming competitors. However, their rapid rise was interrupted by allegations of corporate espionage, including the theft of intellectual property from competitors. This seriously damaged their reputation and undermined consumer trust, especially in Western markets. The introduction of Huawei’s proprietary operating system, which lacks the seamless integration and ecosystem benefits of Google’s Android and Apple's iOS, made it even harder to convince users to switch away from these established platforms.

Now, as we shift focus to Xiaomi, I believe they are currently excelling in the smartphone space, but their success is being overshadowed by a lack of significant attention online. Despite their advancements in innovation and affordability, Xiaomi devices are rarely highlighted in prominent tech reviews on platforms like YouTube. My own research into issues with Xiaomi smartphones yielded little beyond a few general concerns, mostly related to older models. While some reviews mention bugs in Xiaomi’s MIUI software, these are typically issues that can be addressed through regular software updates over time.

That being said, I believe Xiaomi needs better marketing and should focus on fixing bugs and other potential issues with their products that may not be widely known. As a smartphone, it's top-tier, but addressing these concerns could make it even better.

Throughout history, Chinese products have often been associated with lower quality, particularly in terms of the materials used in manufacturing, whether it’s cars, toys, or other items. We’ve all experienced buying something as simple as a football made in China, only to have it break quickly. While reducing costs can make products more affordable, it should never be to the extent that the product can’t serve its intended purpose.

In my opinion, Chinese technology companies should focus on creating more premium or mid-range brands using high-quality materials, while emphasizing originality instead of always imitating Western technology. It may seem challenging, but by allowing innovative thinkers with strong strategies to lead, they could enter Western markets as serious contenders. Otherwise, the perception of their products will remain unchanged.
On the other hand, even if China doesn’t act on this type of advice, Europe and America should continue focusing on developing new technologies and pushing forward in innovation to stay ahead for when China finally realizes the importance of higher-quality materials. However, let’s be clear—simply changing the position of an icon is not a technological advancement... seriously.

Failed trip to the Northern Mountains with My Bros

 I don’t know if it’s bad luck, bad timing, or just the universe conspiring against me, but here’s what happened: My friend generously lent me his car for a long-overdue trip with my brothers—a rare 2-3 day getaway we’d been planning forever. So, we set off, all excited, and after a mere 50 km... boom. The car gave up. No power, no will to move forward. We sat there, looking at each other like, "Is this happening?" Waited for about 20 minutes, and miraculously, the car came back to life. But no way was I trusting it for the remaining 500 km, especially since we had mountains ahead—actual big, intimidating mountains. So yeah, I turned around.

This trip was supposed to be special, something we never do, and there I was, heading back home. All the build-up, the anticipation… gone. I’ll get another car soon (hopefully), and maybe then, I won’t have to rely on the kindness of friends or pray that their cars don’t spontaneously decide to take a nap. Oh, and before you ask—no, it was too late to rent a car. Because, of course, everything was working against me that day.

So, what did we do after our grand return to the city? We went karting. Yes, karting. A "why not" move to salvage the day. Honestly, it was fun—and surprisingly expensive—but we liked it. Or at least I thought I was enjoying it until I saw the lap times. Someone beat me by ONE SECOND. One. I was convinced I was the fastest, like, "No one can touch me!" Fast-forward to me realizing I wasn’t. It was a humbling, painful realization.

And the worst part? I didn’t even know during the race! If I’d seen those times earlier, I would’ve turned into a karting god, overtaking every pleb in my way to claim my rightful title. But no. I found out too late. Now I’m plotting my return for a redemption lap. Because there's no way I’m letting someone else be faster than me. 

Am I a coward?

 Would you willingly abandon the comfort of an easy, calm life for something that demands a monthly price—a price that would strain your budget, pushing your lifestyle to the edge, or perhaps even beyond? This thing, whatever it may be, might offer some kind of help, but at what cost?

I find myself standing on this precipice, teetering on the brink of a decision I’m too afraid to make. I was so close to diving into this uncertainty, but the fear of losing the life I've carefully built holds me back. Does this make me a coward, clinging to what’s safe instead of risking it all for something unknown?

Is Xiaomi being downplayed?

 In the recent smartphone reviews I’ve watched on YouTube, it seems like Xiaomi phones are often dismissed right from the start. Reviewers typically focus on the top three brands—Apple, Samsung, and Google Pixel—while Xiaomi barely gets a mention. When they do talk about Xiaomi, it’s usually to say that the brand has declined in recent years, but they never explain exactly how or why. From my perspective, Xiaomi offers some of the best microprocessors on the market and provides excellent value for budget phones. I don't understand the criticism beyond the preinstalled apps, which isn't a major issue for me. I can’t help but wonder if these YouTube reviewers are being paid to downplay Xiaomi and sway public perception, because I believe Xiaomi deserves to be in the conversation as one of the top three smartphone manufacturers.

Natural Cures: Are We All Just Gullible or What?

 So, whenever I come across some ancient "natural remedy" or a plant that's supposedly going to cure my migraine or some random chronic pain, my first thought? SCAM ALERT. Seriously, who else hears "natural cure" and thinks, "Oh yeah, sure, like that’s gonna work"?

Like, back in the day, who was even doing the quality control on this stuff? Was there some ancient FDA that I didn’t learn about in history class? I bet there were a few smart folks who actually figured out some good treatments, but then you know there were also those who were just winging it. "Oh, this leaf looks cool, let’s say it cures headaches." And people were probably like, "Yeah, totally makes sense."

Maybe half of those "cures" didn’t do squat, and the only reason anyone felt better was because, well, time passed and the body did its thing.

Look, I know I’m talking out of my you-know-what here. I’m too lazy and way too busy to deep-dive into whether any of this stuff actually works. But it’s a thought that’s been hanging out in my brain for a while.

It’s probably just me being clueless, like most people, because I haven’t exactly done the homework on this. I’m just out here throwing shade from the sidelines. ✌️

This Year, I Indulged in the Finer (and Funnier) Things in Life

 This year, I decided to embrace the art of excess with the enthusiasm of a kid in a candy store—quite literally. When it came to food, desserts, or whatever edible delight crossed my path, I went all in. Picture this: I ate until walking felt like an Olympic sport (yes, I might be exaggerating a bit). I once found myself at a French fry buffet and ate until I was practically gasping for air. In a single hour, I devoured the hearts of two massive watermelons. Oh, and let’s not forget the two bags of marshmallows I inhaled. And, well... there was that one day I, um, got a bit carried away in other non-food-related activities—seven times, to be exact (oops, not really relevant here, but worth noting). I even went hiking for three days straight—again, not food-related, but somehow it felt right. And of course, I indulged in more cheesecakes, sugar donuts, and sugary treats than I can recall—probably because I was on a sugar high the whole time.

Now, looking back, I realize this binge-fest was probably my way of taming some deep-seated, primal cravings—let’s call them “cannibalistic instincts”—that were gnawing at me. But in truth, I think I was simply trying to create the perfect excuse to dive headfirst into my programming projects with zero distractions. After all, when you're stuffed to the brim with fries and marshmallows, the only thing left to do is code like your life depends on it.

Keep my posting streak alive

 This post is simply to keep my streak of consecutive blog posts going. I don't have a specific topic in mind today, but I wanted to make sure I stayed consistent. Maybe this will help the algorithm notice me more, making it easier for you to find my content.

Anti-Cyclist Chronicles: Episode 1

 Cyclists in big cities should pay a health congestion tax, just like smokers, since they’ll be filling up lung clinics down the road.I mean in Europe where health is kinda free 

I'll try out Sony's WF-C510 Earbuds

 I usually rock some no-name Chinese earbuds on my daily commute, whether it’s on the train to work or when I’m in bed trying not to disturb my family with endless TikTok scrolling. Now, I’ll be the first to admit these earbuds don’t exactly bring the bass (it’s more like a polite tap than a thump), and on the noisy train, my podcasts sound like they’re whispering from a mile away.

But then I stumbled upon some tech news: Sony has dropped these new WF-C510 earbuds. They’re supposed to be budget-friendly, come in black, blue, white, and even a bold yellow, and offer a solid 11 hours of non-stop use. Considering Sony was the king of sound quality back in the day, I might just give these a shot. Stay tuned—if I do take the plunge, I’ll drop a review once I’ve put them through their paces!

Two Key Factors Behind Pavel Durov's Arrest

 The arrest of Pavel Durov seems to stem from one of two likely reasons: either he refused to share private information about suspected terrorists, which may be legally required, or he resisted cooperating with the growing trend of surveillance and control that many believe Europe is moving toward. These are the two main concerns we really care and not that he is Russian, or  the cyberbullying in his platform or any other bullss***