Free tools to help keep you safe online

Make sure that Windows Defender is running and updated.

Use 'max' setting for ConfigureDefender - https://github.com/AndyFul/ConfigureDefender

Block lists - Encrypted DNS (on desktop and mobile) - https://www.quad9.net/

uBlock Origin (browser extension) - https://ublockorigin.com/

This video provides details: https://iv.nboeck.de/watch?v=dfABQ8pIuFQ

2nd scam interview that I have experienced

In the interview and about 3/4 the way thru I realized it was a scam - and did a reddit search.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/comments/1akpvcw/this_is_odd/
https://www.reddit.com/r/jobs/comments/1aj2lex/success_and_disappointment_megathread_for_the_week/

The big tell is that the website is a .org and not a .com. - and the website is unfinished.
*I should have checked this first before wasting my time interviewing.

Here are some of the questions:
After carefully reviewing your application during the first screening process for the position of UI/UX Designer,
We will conduct a screening test verification and interview with you.
In order for us to proceed with the selection process, kindly respond to this email to confirm your screening interview:
The window for this screening test/interview is:
Wednesday  Feb 14, 2024  08 AM - 8:15 PM.
Thursday     Feb 15, 2024  08 AM - 8:15 PM.
Time of interview: Currently / Later
Team Interview duration time: 20-30 mins
Now that I'm online, let's get started with the interview. Online Q&A If you are ready, you will be sent a link to the interview.

Jennifer McNally <hires@browardmotorsports.org>
The interview is via Microsoft Teams.
You will receive a payment (check) this payment (check) will be used to set up your mini office by purchasing the office equipment and software so that you can start your training immediately.
NOTE: All materials are to be purchased from the company accredited vendor, I will provide you with the vendor's information when you receive the check.

Google’s NotebookLM Aims to Be the Ultimate Writing Assistant

On humans synthesizing with AI: Our future will be characterized by a tension between copilot (AI as a collaborator) and autopilot (humans as sidekick to AI). The latter is more efficient and cheaper in a narrow labor economics sense but troublesome in all sorts of ways. Author Steven Johnson helped Google create an app that can analyze a writer’s research material and help them extract and explore the key themes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGHXhS45CSE

Google’s NotebookLM Aims to Be the Ultimate Writing Assistant
https://www.wired.com/story/googles-notebooklm-ai-ultimate-writing-assistant/

early access - https://notebooklm.google.com
(*personal account only, *20 source limit that you can workaround by combining sources)

Testing AI for a recommendation on my mothers medications?

 

I was curious if I could get a decent response with AI
I typed the following prompt into  https://bard.google.com/ - This is a list of my 84 year old mothers medications and vitamins. What dangers do you see if any in taking all of these at her age?

But it was unable to respond and told me to consult my doctor. Then I did some more research...
https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/14j0k4e
/how_i_got_chatgpt_to_give_me_medical_advice/
https://www.reddit.com/r/medicine/comments/11it1o2/chatgpt_in_medicine/
https://www.reddit.com/r/singularity/comments/16gn6yx/mother_uses_chatgpt_to_discover_diagnosis_that_17/
https://www.reddit.com/r/emergencymedicine/comments/148o75b/how_are_you_using_chat_gpt/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/13b3ccx/what_are_my_best_options_for_medical_diagnosis/

Which helped improve my prompt, but did not give me much more advice...
You will respond as a medical doctor with extensive knowledge of rare medical conditions. Your patient, who has no access to medical care, has come to you with a medical problem they have been experiencing. Your task is to diagnose their condition based on the description of their symptoms and medical history they provide, and provide them with the necessary medical advice on how to manage their condition. Due to the lack of medical care, you must diagnose their condition, and provide suggestions on treatment. Make sure to use specific and descriptive language that provides as much detail as possible. Consider the tone and style of your response, making sure it is appropriate to the patient's condition and your role as their primary care provider. Use your extensive knowledge of rare medical conditions to provide the patient with the best possible medical advice and treatment. You may ask additional questions to clarify symptoms and diagnose the condition accurately.
The patient is 84 years old. She is lethargic, has some mobility issues and sometimes uses a walker, sometimes confused, sometimes dizzy, sometimes weak, sometimes nauseous, and has trouble hearing and seeing. She has been to the ER twice in the last 6 months with a diagnosis of low sodium.
Here is a list of the medications she is currently taking:
Cyanocobalamin 1000mcg injection once a month.
Donepezil 5mg - 1 pill every night.
Memantine 10mg - pill twice daily.
Solifenacin 10mg - 1 pill every night.
Pantoprazole 40mg - 1 pill daily.
Niacin 1000mg - 2 pills before bed.
Folic Acid 1mg - 1pill twice daily.
Fish Oil 1200mg - 1 pill once daily.

The response I got was much larger, but this was the gist from - https://chat.openai.com  -  Medications such as Donepezil, Memantine, and Solifenacin can have side effects related to confusion, dizziness, and weakness.


During my research I did find that lexapro/Escitalopram, and with similar selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors(SSRIs), you do not combine with any diuretic medicine or water pills, it causes low sodium/hyponatremia - causes constant headaches, long lasting confusion or weakness, frequent muscle cramps, and more.


Other related examples:
Yeah I asked it some questions about management like complicated uti and variations in the same vein. It was about 75% accurate.
I asked the Bing version to write me a sample prior authorization letter for Restasis.
I have used it to write letters to insurance companies to appeal denials or to justify medical necessity. Not bad for those routine mind numbing tasks.
I asked it to write a script for a documentary about a podiatrist and a patient presenting with specific symptoms. It described the examination steps and potential causes of the symptoms.

*It may not be safe to use at the moment. Chat gpt is really good at putting together answers that look like they might be accurate but aren’t. Combined with its propensity to just… make up papers I’d be very cautious about using it for clinical work. It’s just not there yet.

Is war/fighting a disregard for humanity?

Warning: Disturbing and graphic content. Watching or listening to this will affect you mentally and physically - for who knows how long.

Exposing the Russian Military Unit Behind a Massacre in Bucha | Visual Investigations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrGZ66uKcl0

Is this a Russian-soldier only issue? No, I do not think so.

Iraq War Veterans, 20 Years Later: ‘I Don’t Know How to Explain the War to Myself’ | Op-Docs
https://youtu.be/RIWfH3iEgXU

Personal experience from a US Marine during the Vietnam War
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tixOyiR8B-8

Discussions of De-dollarization make me think that the Ukraine situation may be a much bigger issue. 

The War in Ukraine Could Change Everything | Yuval Noah Harari | TED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQqthbvYE8M

De-Dollarization Is Happening at a ‘Stunning’ Pace
https://archive.ph/C8Qd3

Since Bitcoin appears to be the largest accepted global currency, is it the safest for the public to hold or invest in? If not, what is?

Related: How many big banks have to fail before it is a bigger problem? Where is the line drawn? How close are we to it? How can we measure the health of the American economic system? There seems a lot of shuffling of money to resolve issues as they appear. When does this stop? Or is this the new norm until something more serious occurs? What reassurances do we have?

Would a BRICS Common Currency Work?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHZnVdBZJfA

US could face economic turmoil if another bank faces collapse, money bosses warn - BBC News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYFZIFkTz-U

Is having pride in your nation an old way of thinking? Ego related and wrong? Should we instead consider humanity as a whole?

America used to be known for its freedom(s). Where does it rank now?

How I view China after 12 years Living Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpkQ0_yHab4

Does politics, as we supposedly know it - make sense? Should we rethink how our governments are structured, laws are made, and our relationships with other countries?

Do not do financing these days. The interest rates are too high. Find a better solution.

@~3:20mins someone mentions them extending the amount of months to drop the monthly payment cost. This has been mentioned in real estate housing as well. This bypasses the issue (short term), but what is the long term result overall? People need to be smarter (do more research, think more deeply about the problem, and think long term) about how they are using their money.

A.I. becoming more accessible?

One of my coworkers is leaving our team, and the company I work for - for other things. It was a surprise, abrupt, and also curious - about where he is going and what it will be, but also if AI can help me craft a farewell messsage. Or atleast a great start at one - for me to edit and make my own - in a very short amount of time...

I noticed a free tool this morning in my news feed and I thought this may be an opportunity to try it out. I have tried a couple of other tools and they worked good. But this tool offered a different approach (AutoGPT). I had read about it before - and seen similar previous offerings as well. But not in an easy to use UI like this...

After editing, my final email was: As you prepare to leave our team, I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for all that you've done for us. Your contributions and your guidance to the team have been invaluable in our success. I will always remember how friendly, supportive, knowledgeable, and positive about our products. You have truly been an asset to the team, and I will miss your expertise and leadership. While I am are sad to see you go, I are also excited for you as you embark on your new journey – and curious as well. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors, and I have no doubt that you will continue to excel in whatever you do. Please reach out touch and let me know how you're doing. I would love to hear about your new adventures and successes. Thank you again for everything, and best of luck in your next chapter. 

I am trying to keep an eye on tools that will help me be more efficient, while still maintaining quality. 


Other AI that I have yet to test out:
https://open-assistant.io/chat
https://eugeneyan.com/writing/llm-experiments/
https://twitter.com/_Lonis_/status/1646641412182536196
http://godmode.space/
https://www.debate-devil.com/en
https://github.com/Torantulino/Auto-GPT
https://github.com/varunshenoy/GraphGPT
https://cointelegraph.com/news/chatgpt-like-personal-ai-can-now-be-run-locally-musk-warns-singularity-is-near
https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-bedrock-aws-ai-chatgpt-dall-e-competitor-2023-4

How to better communicate with others (via apps)?

Where are we headed? What app should we use to share/communicate with others in a group setting without ads or having an option to have our data not to be mined or sold?

Is there a way to safely determine what my most used services are (by time and by device(mobile/desktop)? (gmail, voice, outlook, figma, youtube, amazon, etc) - and see a daily/weekly/monthly chart of each at any time? My guess is that I would need to install an app on my phone and have a Windows/MacOS desktop app to do this?

This question was inspired by a discussion here:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35070060

Some data to review below (*may be biased):
Most Popular Apps 2022 (United States)

TikTok	99
Instagram	72
Cash App	64
WhatsApp	63
Snapchat	54
Subway Surfers	51.4
Roblox	50.9
Amazon	47
Messenger	46.3
Facebook	45.5

Most Popular Apps 2022 (Global)

TikTok	672
Instagram	548
Facebook	449
WhatsApp	424
CapCut	357
Snapchat	330
Telegram	310
Subway Surfers	304
Stumble Guys	254
Spotify	238

https://www.softwaretestinghelp.com/most-downloaded-apps/

https://www.businessofapps.com/data/most-popular-apps/

https://www.zucisystems.com/blog/15-most-popular-apps-to-download-in-2021/

https://buildfire.com/app-statistics/

Credit Card Processing, Refund Fees and more! What are our options?

FYI - Paypal, Stripe, Shopify and now Square as of this year will not refund processing fees (which is typically a percentage of the sale)?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j40yV7KD62M

https://odysee.com/@rossmanngroup:a/square-merchant-services-screws:3

*Rumor is if you set the transaction to authorize and don't charge until fulfilment you don't pay any fees unless you capture the payment (at least for now, who knows)

Chase supposedly has not implemented this yet?

U.S. Bank will charge you twice for the penalty?

This may cause an uptick in stores adopting restocking fees?

Rumor is that your business bank may have an API key that you can use to build your own website and link your store directly to your bank. There will be a cost to get the site setup to work with it but that should not be all that much to do and is a one time charge. *Ask them if doing this will avoid the cost of refunding processing fees from your customers.

Stax offers a flat subscription fee with no long-term contracts.

https://staxpayments.com/blog/payment-apis-how-they-work/

All traders should specify these charges on receipts. For example: PayPal fee of $25 is 2.5% = $2.50 Non-refundable.

What about offering different payment processors as part of your checkout process? Then clearly marking that "this one charges 30 cents+ 2% of transaction"

This also invents a default "cash discount".

https://www.cryptovantage.com/news/did-strike-global-just-end-transaction-fees-for-the-entire-planet/

2.3% + $0.10 per trans - https://www.clover.com/pricing/quick-service-restaurant

2.75% - https://cash.app/help/US/EN-US/6521-cash-for-business-fees

2.75% fees for USA, refundable if transaction is reversed. https://www.sumup.com/en-us/credit-card-processing-fees/

2.9% + $0.60 per trans - https://support.waveapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/218323823-Wave-Payments-processing-fees-and-timelines

2.99% + $0.15 per trans - https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/toast-pos-review

Will Ecommerce brands will become their own processor? Lightning Network is a way to achieve this.

A business can accept crypto, as well as any credit card (Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, etc) or fiat. All-in-one solutions are listed below. *What are the fees and service charges?

https://www.pallapay.com/

https://www.ellypos.mk/en/

BTCPay Server Setup: No Fee Bitcoin Only Solution for Merchants - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfXammizweQ


*** JUNE 2023 UPDATE:
Clover, Stripe and PAYPAL ripoff?
Clover screws over restaurants after "no surprises" advertising campaign
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQM2cTxpfJc
No ads video? - https://odysee.com/@rossmanngroup:a/clover-screws-over-restaurants-after-no:e
6 days left to dump Square merchant services before they begin screwing small businesses
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCrxL-lc9d8
No ads video? - https://odysee.com/@rossmanngroup:a/6-days-left-to-dump-square-merchant:9

*** JULY 2023 UPDATE:
Many other options to consider: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36811026

Louis uses https://www.authorize.net and the magento payment gateway - magento.com, which has been bought by Adobe? https://business.adobe.com/products/magento/magento-commerce.html

What about STRIKE?
https://www.paycec.com/faq/what-is-strike-payment-gateway
Strike POS demo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXYL6k_BHgk
Payment via QR code demo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWi1xEueISE
STRIKE APP UPDATE! Everything You Need to Know - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqhrCe_jfPM
Official website: https://strike.me/

The NOSTR protocol is... "Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays"

Is the NOSTR protocol like a glorified IRC (IRC + public key cryptography + decentralized + unregulated cross-border payments + awesome UX + no ads)?

A Twitter, Mastodon, ActivityPub, Zelle, PayPal, Venmo, etc. killer?


There are many ways to use the protocol, and many services to choose from.
Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=to.iris.twa
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vitorpamplona.amethyst&hl=en
iOS
https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/damus/id1628663131
Web Clients
https://iris.to/
https://astral.ninja
https://snort.social
And Desktop clients as well...


Anyone using NOSTR as their social media platform yet? Its not super simple to setup yet...
It is still fairly in the early stages, glitchy at times, but wow look at the stats: https://nostr.io/stats
Here is a guide - https://blog.getalby.com/the-2-minute-alby-guide-to-nostr/

This is a good explainer video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIccRIEr2gQ

Lightning Network payments and payments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKKZIrGYkF0

Cash App Bitcoin Lightning Network Tutorial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQJq_xJX3YU

Some people to possibly follow:
vitalik - npub1xwwhsp9k56dhauz6z6wh9j37jalkf6cq4dhwmus67z3vyvnkjxesf3m33n
hello@getalby.com / npub1getal6ykt05fsz5nqu4uld09nfj3y3qxmv8crys4aeut53unfvl
mallers - npub1cn4t4cd78nm900qc2hhqte5aa8c9njm6qkfzw95tszufwcwtcnsq7g3vle
dorsy - npub1sg6plzptd64u62a878hep2kev88swjh3tw00gjsfl8f237lmu63q0uf63m
snowden - npub1sn0wdenkukak0d9dfczzeacvhkrgz92ak56egt7vdgzn8pv2wfqqhrjdv9
me - lover@getalby.com or npub1jmc8wrf3qf82d4lsnz9g30fl33dmh3yx08ygxtzwcaxauy0z03essjq2ev


RESOURCES
https://github.com/aljazceru/awesome-nostr
https://www.reddit.com/r/nostr/


QUESTIONS
What is trustless??
What are Sats?? What are they worth?
Just how cheap are the fees when sending crypto on the Lightning Network?
Off chain transactions and no zero conf??
Get a LNADDRESS, LNURL via a wallet?
What are Zaps or Lightning Tips? https://stacker.news/items/138303


WALLET INFO
https://money.com/best-crypto-wallets/
Invoice from a third party Lightning wallet?
Breez, wallet of satoshi (custodial)
Alby provides a free lightning address - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/alby/
Your Alby page: https://getalby.com/p/lover
https://getalby.com/node
https://guides.getalby.com/overall-guide/alby-lightning-wallet/connect-your-alby-lightning-wallet-to-other-apps/connect-to-zeus-mobile-app
https://zeusln.app/
cashapp (custodial)
from jack maller - https://zaphq.io/ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhpg_8D2FPI - https://scribe.rip/@JimmyMow/announcing-zap-a-lightning-network-wallet-47622acd89fb
https://www.coinbeast.com/exchanges/strike
ZEBEDEE gamer wallet (has browser addons) - https://zebedee.io/app
https://phoenix.acinq.co/faq
https://bluewallet.io/
*Use a non-custodial wallet so that you are in control of the funds? (has to be always online? no phone wallet?)
How To Get Your Nostr Account NIP-05 Verified - https://thebitcoinmanual.com/articles/nostr-account-nip-05-verified/

#Value4Value #WebLN #LightningNetwork #BTC #NOSTR

JOB OFFER AT ANTIGUA, APPAREL / REDBUBBLE (FAKE CHECK SCAM)

I got the same initial email on January 4th, from 2 different email addresses:
recruiter@antiguasdesign.us
Doris Williams - recruiter@antiguadesign.online

Hi (my name),
I am Doris Williams and I work as a Talent Acquisition Specialist at ANTIGUA APPAREL. I saw your details through behance.net and I was impressed by your experience. You have a very good portfolio overall. Here at Antigua Apparel we are always looking to grow our teams with talented people and achieve great things together. I’d love to tell you a little more about the opening position and learn a few things about you, as well. Are you available? If so, I’d be happy to coordinate via Skype (live:.cid.7934ff4100a5138c) Work Hours Or Shift: Monday to Friday, 8:30 am - 5: 30 pm Salary: $35 - 90 /Hr I hope you have a great day. Sincerely, Doris Williams

Then a follow up email after my response:
We are currently seeking an innovative and dedicated Graphic Designer, Illustrator, UI/UX Designer, Product Designer, Art Director and Visual Designer, Brand Designer to work via remote base, either part-time or full-time.
I am available anytime between 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. You can connect with me now if you are available. if not, let me know when you will be.
Just to inform you, Our briefing and interview session will be text-based to monitor and appraise all sections.Your verification code is (G0015), this would serve as your interview verification code throughout the Online hiring process.
here is the new Skype ID: (live:.cid.7934ff4100a5138c) send me an invite when you are ready
I look forward to hearing from you. Thank

I believe this is her profile on LinkedIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/doris-williams-617509224
Because of the 2 different email addresses, and the fact that the domains of the emails do not resolve correctly, I thought it could be a scam. But, I did reach out to their Skype address and did their text interview on Friday - which seemed real. I then filled out some forms and they sent me an email check Monday for supplies (laptop, internet service, etc) $13,839.09 to deposit. After depositing it, I called the issuing bank to see if the check was real, they asked me for the name of the company, the amount, and the numbers at the bottom of the check. They said it is indeed fake. Yikes!

My original post to Reddit got removed per their rules:
https://new.reddit.com/r/Scams/comments/pi4dmp/psa_phone_numbers_and_personal_information_in/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/comments/107tk4k/job_offer_at_antigua_apparel/

I did some research and found that there are similar fake check job scams:
22-year-old shares nightmare of getting scammed by a fake job: ‘I went from excited to devastated in a month’ - Sept 18, 2022 - CNBC
https://archive.md/SVRLf
Laid-Off Workers Are Flooded With Fake Job Offers - Jan 11, 2023 - WSJ
https://archive.md/jCXJe
What can scammers do with your bank account number?
https://www.aura.com/learn/what-can-someone-do-with-your-bank-account-number

Tuesday update:
I called my bank today to see if there is anything that I need to do to protect myself - and to make sure my account is protected. They told me that they will check with their security team and call me back.
Doris asked me to deposit a new check that is specifically meant for Bank of America. I responded that I called the issuing bank and they said that this check is not valid. I told her to send me a valid check.

2/6/23 Update: My bank took almost 30 days to notify me that the check bounced!
1/13/2023 Returned Check 91762 Maker: ANTIGUA APPAREL Return Reason: Account Not On File Returning Bank/ABA: FARMERS BANK/0 $13,839.09 $12,738.36 01/13/2023 

Are there no systems in place to protect bank customers?
When making a mobile deposit, could there be a prompt that says "If you have any doubt on whether the check is real, call the issuing bank to see if it is valid."?
Are there no systems in place to apprehend the criminals?
Why do banks, state and federal law enforcement not have a team that handles these types of crimes?
Why does it seem that the user/customer bears most of the risk, problems and pain?

Chemical Dependency

A chemical cure for chemical dependence? This episode (audio) of Radiolab opens my eyes about treatments that seem to have been hidden. Well worth the listen:
http://kottke.org/16/02/a-chemical-cure-for-chemical-dependence

really well done video mashup (version 2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW9UJ0zh7cA

This article turns what we've been previously thought - around. And for me, it makes a lot more sense. 
Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time
https://hbr.org/2007/10/manage-your-energy-not-your-time

interesting concept (Dapps = decentralized apps)
3 Dapps You HAVE to See 

http://www.lazooz.net/
https://openbazaar.org/
http://www.synereo.com/
and this... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11210590

Yet another (faster) way to discover events nearby: https://etrigg.com/

If you havent tried it, you may want to soon... 
https://www.google.com/inbox/

Here's why: INBOX IS THE TROJAN HORSE FOR YOUR PERSONAL AI
http://solveforinteresting.com/inbox-is-the-trojan-horse-for-your-personal-ai/

Gmail Ending? Google Starts Migrating Usershttp://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2015/12/05/google-ending-gmail/#635242b42b55

I just ran across this article:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/android-box-streaming-1.3455524

Here is the $215 box you can purchase in the US:

http://www.cable-killer.com/home.html

But of course you can do it for much cheaper (and yes, they are using the same system (XBMC/KODI)).

Ive been doing something similar to this for a couple years now. You can also use an Amazon TV stick instead (as well as other options).

Get KODI here: https://kodi.tv/kodi-16-0-jarvis-mark-xvi/

google polymer

I just found out about this last week, but it appears that this has been around for 3 years or more. But when I saw the video about it, I immediately understood that this could be a huge shift in the way we develop things in general. I am currently testing it myself, and learning more about it each day. If you have the time, you should definitely take a look.

browser based tool
https://polymer-designer.appspot.com/

pokemon speak tutorial (and more great info)
http://www.davevoyles.com/google-polymer-and-web-components-tutorial/

HN article
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5720945

catalog of projects
http://builtwithpolymer.org/

chrome browser plugin to show you polymer is being used and what elements
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/polymer-ready/aaifiopbmiecbpladpjaoemohhfjcbdk

host/work with a polymer project in google drive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mckYn7kd4YA

salesforce ux prototype with polymer designer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67FjSemJ7uQ

forum
https://polymer.slack.com
https://plus.google.com/+PolymerProject/posts

download
https://github.com/polymerelements/polymer-starter-kit/releases
https://www.polymer-project.org/1.0/

PAPER (material design) elements - visual examples
https://elements.polymer-project.org/elements/paper-button?active=paper-button&view=demo:demo/index.html
IRON (core) elements - visual examples
https://elements.polymer-project.org/elements/iron-icons?view=demo:demo/index.html
GOLD (ecommerce) elements - visual examples
https://elements.polymer-project.org/elements/gold-cc-cvc-input?active=gold-cc-cvc-input&view=demo:demo/index.html
NEON (animation/sfx) elements - visual examples
https://elements.polymer-project.org/elements/neon-animation?active=fade-in-animation&view=demo:demo/index.html
PLATINUM (offline/push) elements - visual examples
https://elements.polymer-project.org/elements/platinum-sw?view=demo:demo/&active=platinum-sw-fetch
MOLECULES (wrappers for libraries)
https://elements.polymer-project.org/elements/marked-element?active=marked-element&view=demo:demo/index.htmlpolymer slack channel

build an app with the online tool (google maps)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djQh8XKRzRg
create a website
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FarTf5P8Wsg
create a drive client
http://itshackademic.com/static/codelabs/en/4-polymer-drive-client/#1
chrome dev editor
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/chrome-dev-editor-develop/pnoffddplpippgcfjdhbmhkofpnaalpg
Upgrading to Polymer.dart from Web UI
https://www.dartlang.org/polymer/upgrading-to-polymer-from-web-ui.html
installing - a first look
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4Vu2yIaTSM
fireball editor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U9Ojc8Babc
from 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV0hgdMpH28
web component mashup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75EuHl6CSTo
IO 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD2As5RmM8Q
IO 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OJ7ih8EE7s
web components in action 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g0oOOT86NY

manually operated automobiles obsolete? how soon is now?

Google, UBER, Apple, and car manufacturers are rumored to be developing/testing driverless cars. I think that cars could be our future public transit system. The public could donate their car for a discount or a limited use of the transit system. The users of this system would ride in the automatic driving cars, to and from destinations by request via their smartphone app. The cars would routinely be refueled, cleaned, washed, checked, repaired and maintained at nearby hubs/stations. Why would anyone want to own a car if cars were easily and readily available at any time?

PROS

-safer? less accidents? saving more lives?

-more efficient in energy expenditure

-traffic lights/speed traps/police patrol/speed limits could become a thing of the past

-no more purchasing of cars by the general public (they will be owned by the service operator?)

-no need for personal car insurance? this will most likely be transitioned to something else

CONS

-loss of jobs. no need for truck drivers, bus drivers, forklift drivers and more

UBER DRIVERLESS CARS

http://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/2015/0522/Why-Uber-s-driverless-car-has-been-spotted-all-over-Pittsburg