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How to install Conda, Anaconda, and Spyder IDE using Homebrew on Mac OS

Today I needed to install Anaconda to install Spyder IDE so that I could work on some Python stuff. Python can get a little tricky with environments in my experience, so I wanted to document what I ended up doing in case it helps someone else.

Basically, it’s a few steps. I’m going to assume you already have Homebrew installed. If you don’t, do that first.

I’m also assuming you generally know how to navigate the terminal and edit files. I assume you know if you’re using bash or zsh. If you don’t know these things, probably just install using the normal Anaconda installer.

  1. brew cask install anaconda
  2. edit your ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc or ~/.bash_profile
  3. add /usr/local/Homebrew/anaconda3/bin to your $PATH
  4. verify install with which conda
  5. conda install spyder
  6. spyder

At this point, Spyder launched from the terminal window.

That’s what I did. Hope it helps you get your Python on.

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I got a keyboard for my iPad

I got an iPad mainly to play video games, but then I thought, “What if I could use this to do Real Computer Things too?” So I purchased a keyboard – the Logitech K480. So far, I can recommend it. In fact, I’m mainly using this blog post to test it out. In case you’re in the market for an iPad keyboard, give this one a try.

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PSA: Look out for malicious content involving iPhone “giveaways” spreading across social networks.

Stay safe out there on the web! Watch out for this particular scam. This is another case of “if it seems to good to be true, it probably is”. The company ZeroFOX says: “Most of the attacks offer a ‘giveaway’ of one of the new iPhones, encouraging victims to click a malicious link, follow a profile, like or share certain content, or submit personally identifiable information (PII).”

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TL;DR: several work notifications or ‘non-human activity’ negatively impact mood; messages from friends improve mood

This is some fairly actionable research here—turning off notifications about e.g. wifi availability, app updates, etc. may help improve your mood! Also, as much as they can be overwhelming at times, group chats create more messages from your friends, so probably go ahead and make/use these.

From the article: “It is clear that social notifications make people happy, but when they receive lots of work-related and or non-human notifications, the opposite effect occurs.”

Click through below to read the rest.

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Very relatable these days: “Facebook, You Needy Sonofabitch”

Have you felt like Facebook has become a bit too needy these days?

I’ve personally been using Facebook less in recent weeks, so I found this post particularly timely.

Of course, who knows how many people will even see *this* post because I’m sharing it from my personal site, and not paying for promotion…

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Overview of problems with new Internet filtering bill “SESTA” #battleforthenet

In a single quote, here’s the problem:

“The sad irony of SESTA is that while its supporters claim that it will fight sex trafficking, trafficking victims are likely to be among the first people it would silence.”

Learn more here, and get ready to call or fax your reps: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/09/google-will-survive-sesta-your-startup-might-not

security camera with sign reading “smile you’re on camera”
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FYI: If you see this “HoeflerText” Popup DO NOT DOWNLOAD its malware!

This is a new malware popup campaign that tricks users into installing trojans, spyware, etc. Don’t download any “Font Update” files!

Furthermore—your browser will never complain about stuff like this in this way. It will simply display another font instead. It can also download necessary font files without your help. #TheMoreYouKnow

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This is #cyberpunk AF: “Hindu Temple[s] as a Model of Fractal Cosmology – Forecasting Architecture with Recursive Instruction”

I can’t help but be reminded of Snow Crash when reading this article.

It’s not just that these temples appear to be algorithmically generated, the ancient Vastu Sustra texts provide procedural rules or recipes for their design, layout and build (including the positions of ornaments). The texts transmit recursive programs, by verbal instruction, to masons so that according to Kirti Trivedi, the Hindu Temple becomes a model of a fractal Universe.

If this brief quote interests you, click through and read the original. It’s got many more images, plenty of poetic prose, and sundry interesting references to explore.

Pirate Bay to abandon .torrent files for magnet links

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MP3 Is Dead, Long Live MP3 # ht @marcoarment

illustration of an mp3 player by https://www.flickr.com/photos/hills_alive
Illustration by Caroline — https://www.flickr.com/photos/hills_alive

Nice article here explaining how the real story is that MP3’s patent has expired, meaning that it’s now more accessible than ever.

“MP3 is supported by everything, everywhere, and is now patent-free. There has never been another audio format as widely supported as MP3, it’s good enough for almost anything, and now, over twenty years since it took the world by storm, it’s finally free.”

“MP3 is dead” missed the real, much better story – Marco.org