Richart Ruddie

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Stories By Richart Ruddie

  • There isn't an app for that

    Today's society is obsessed with technology. Few people can separate themselves from their smartphones for more than a few minutes. Thanks to the numerous applications, it is possible to order food, check the weather, obtain a ride, and perform many other simple tasks from one small device. However, there are certain things that cannot be controlled by a computer chip. The New York Times took a dive trying to figure out what there wasn't an application for but came out on the other side unsuccessful. So here are certain things that require human effort and will never use an app to accomplish. There is no App to Achieve Happiness As technology grows and becomes the center of almost everything, it seems the human spirit keeps sinking. Instead of enjoying positive moods, more and more individuals are becoming anxious, depressed, and deprived of sleep. Happiness cannot be purchased or downloaded. There isn't an app for that. Recently, Pope Francis spoke to a group of teenagers and explained the true path to happiness does not begin with an inanimate object like a smartphone or tablet. Relying on a device is convenient, but it also tends to make a person complacent. It makes it easy to forget that life is not a piece of cake. Also, it makes it easier to believe a person is only worthwhile if he or she acts like popular movie characters or wears the most expensive or popular clothing seen in all the advertisements. During certain tasks, apps cannot fulfill a true sense of enjoyment. For example, if a person loves food, there are numerous applications that help him or her select dishes that fit his or her taste. However, no app exists that will prepare the recipes. Many times, this process is the most fun part of cooking. Kneading the dough for a pizza or enjoying the aroma of cookies being baked in the oven is almost as pleasing as consuming the end results. Also, if a person enjoys playing sports, there is no app that allows him or her to feel the elation of scoring a goal or learn from an upsetting defeat. There are many gaming apps, but none offer the opportunity to gain strength from a crowd of fans cheering for victory. There is No App To Make You Fall In Love Even though there are countless numbers of dating apps available, none of them provide the ability to fall in love or experience emotional intimacy. Although social media, texting, and gaming are meant to bring individuals together, they often make people feel alienated. Since these forms of communication require no face-to-face contact, people find it difficult to emotionally connect. When two people actually meet, it is difficult to maintain eye contact, read body language, and form a true relationship. Love begins as personal intimacy increases. Two people must get to know one another on a deep level and form a trusting bond, which is impossible to achieve through an app. Online dating often removes the initial excitement from meeting a potential mate. When a person swipes his or her finger across his or her device's screen and creates a match on a dating app, the experience is different than approaching or being approached by an attractive stranger at a club. Also, the image a person creates online is very different than his or her true identity. No profile can explain details that can only be learned from a short personal conversation at a party. To fall in love, it is essential to make an emotional connection. Sometimes, the sparks are not there. In these instances, no app can kindle something that does not exist. Apps Can't Do Everything Applications were developed to make life easier. For many of the tasks a person must complete, apps exists to help. ChartoLABS a San Francisco, California based mobile application developer said with the increase in Virtual Reality some of the above applications that won't be available from the phone may be possible with V.R. Unfortunately, when it comes to emotional interaction, there isn't an app for that. Love and happiness are just two examples of things that cannot be obtained through the use of a smartphone. They require a human to depend on his or her instincts. It is important for people to learn just how much life exists beyond the capabilities of computers. Perhaps someone can create an app for that.

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  • eSports are entertaining

    eSports. What is it? It's a growing phenomenon where competitive videogaming is a new reality. Two years ago a big tournament took place in Anaheim, California called Major League Gaming yes the professional designation is there for gaming now. MLG has been around for 14 years and hopes to become a household name like the NFL, MLB, MLS, and NBA one day. They even have their own version of sports center showcasing highlights and viral sharing websites like Reddit & Digg are displaying highlight reels right next to real life sports. Do we live in a virtual world now? With the coming rise of virtual reality, augmented reality, and Facebook being at the forefront of pushing for Occulus to become a household name we need to shift our focus to understand that eSPorts is here to stay and will continue with an upward trajectory of growth. The United Kingdom is looking to make an international tournament for the space and follow behind Californias tournament after seeing their massive success over the past few years. Twitch which was originally Justin.tv and later a company that sold for almost 1 Billion dollars to Amazon gave us confirmation that the eSports business is here to stay. The question we all want to know is does it really deserve an Olympic-style event with a sportscenter recap? The answer is yes if there is demand for it and the proof is in the pudding. Tournaments typically flow with 5 different video games and the best players are well versed with each and every new update and game when it is released. Odds are being released for these events and handicappers are offering eSports betting advice to those who want to wager on these games just like they would a real live Football or Basketball game. Question is will the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada start broadcasting on the big screen these matches and compete? The answer is if there is demand and enough money pouring in then yes. Big Name Investors in the Space A huge fan base following these players and competing to be the next top gamer is also a growing trend. This is not to say there isn't controversy that comes with all of this as gambling rings and match fixing will become more prevalent and big names invest in the space like Mark Cuban in companies like Unikrn in an effort to help establish it's legitimacy. Of course we don't want to see the same thing happen to the eSports market as what happened to Fan Duel and Draft Kings where they got so big that scrutiny and regulation which has now hampered its growth.

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  • Texting in the theater

    The art of silence. Did you know the first cinema films had no sound at all? Recently AMC's CEO Adam Aron did the unthinkable and said "Texting in the movie theater" would be a possibility for the worlds largest movie theater chain. Aron who has run Hotels, the NBA, Cruise Lines, and as of 5 months ago AMC has worked up a deal to purchase Carmike (Chinese Company Dalian Wanda Group is the majority owner of AMC) thus increasing their size. Aron said AMC was considering moderated cell phone use, in effect making theaters texting-friendly. "When you tell a 22-year-old to turn off the phone, don't ruin the movie, they hear please cut off your left arm above the elbow," he explained. "You can't tell a 22-year-old to turn off their cellphone. That's not how they live their life." The gadget lovers however think that the best time is when you can actually wind down from the world that has you connected 24 hours a day 7 days a week. When you sit down in the movie theater it's time to turn the phone off and ignore all messages during that 2-3 hour period. If all others abide then there is no chaos. When the Aron says it might be okay then that creates the possibility for all hell to break loose and to ruin the experience of going to the theater. We want to watch films in peace and silent without dings and alerts going off. Lets keep the announcement to "Turn Off Your Phones and be courteous to others" before the previews start please.

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