In this week’s issue, I talk about everyone’s impending health issues with their neck. I also recap what I wrote about how human knowledge is still power, my experiments with ChatGPT Images 2.0, Google AI Studio is now “cheaper”, why I have sworn off ultraprocessed snacks, and share some nice cloud photos.
Whenever I’m walking outside, I seem to be one of the few people not looking at my phone. And increasingly, I’m seeing people permanently hunched over and cultivating their “tech neck“, which is going to give them many health problems in the future.
From ActiveSG: “On average, an adult’s head weighs around 5kg and the surrounding muscles, ligaments and tendons support it. However, when you tilt your head forward when working on a computer or look down at a mobile device, your head’s weight causes extra stress on your neck. The muscles in the back of your neck have to contract to hold your head up. This then causes pain in the back of your neck. There could be as much as 25kg of force on your neck, which it isn’t built to withstand – and certainly not for hours at a time.”
Here is a visual made by ChatGPT’s new Images 2.0 engine. It’s pretty phenomenal and surpasses Google’s Nano Banana models for text generation.
It’s not just mobile phones that cause tech necks. If you hunch over your laptop for a long time, you’re going to have the same problem too. I’ve always been puzzled why the majority of people do not know that you should use a computer monitor placed at eye level to save your neck. Computer monitors are very affordable these days, just make sure you get a good IPS model with a wide viewing angle (178 degrees). Of course, you also need to attach a keyboard and mouse, and these two peripherals vastly increase your productivity.
The next thing people are not aware of is: What content are they so consumed by that they cannot tear themselves away from the screen? And is it worth their health? I’m not trying to flex, but if I’m not listening to music, then I’m listening to podcasts or watching videos that teach me new skills or how to improve my current skills. For example, this morning I immersed myself in the Chinese-translated YouTube videos of Steven Bartlett (Diary of a CEO) so I could learn and practice AI terms for an upcoming workshop for a China audience. I’m currently learning motion graphics from YouTube videos as Canva has released Cavalry for free.
In the meantime, look out for me on the street and say hi. I refuse to get locked into the tiny Matrix display. I’m using my eyes to see the real world, and so should you.
What I wrote this week
Knowledge is still power in the age of AI.
More experiments with ChatGPT’s new imaging engine 2.0: My new hairdo and
Bible verses in Chinese
I also created this collage of photos from the latest Straits Times Gen AI Masterclasses (Fundamentals and Advanced), using a combo of ChatGPT Image 2.0 and Canva. The next classes are coming up, more details on ST Skills.
Good news! Google AI Studio can now be funded by your Google AI subscription, instead of separate credit card payments.
I don’t watch a YouTube video these days unless I can read the AI summary first.
You should try using Claude and understand why almost every tech giant is investing heavily in it.
How many human robots have you met?
My 2026 FYP teams have completed their university journey at NTU!
Here’s a side effect of the crazy hot weather – dramatic clouds.
Some more nice clouds, along with a thought about the new ChatGPT 5.5 model.
Self-improvement
I finally swore off eating ultraprocessed snacks this week, thanks to the scary videos from this content creator called Science Snitch.
I bought the MacBook Air M5, 15-inch. I think it’s great, but I think I still like my Windows laptops, out of sheer habit.
I’ve done a bit more motion graphics! See the first design and the second one.
I cleaned my most important working tool.