Merge pull request #4 from Visnalize/dev

src/blog/updates-life-inactivity-projects.md

@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+---
+layout: BlogPost
+description: Life events, reasons for my inactivity, updates on projects and some random sharing.
+sidebar: auto
+tag:
+  - sharing
+  - life
+---
+
+# Quick updates before the year ends
+
+<m-blog-meta />
+
+![A tray of traditional Vietnamese dishes](/assets/covers/updates-life-inactivity-projects.jpg)
+
+The year is coming to an end, and for the last few months I've been quite inactive on social media, my blog, and even my projects, so I thought it would be good to save some time and write a quick post to share what I've been up to, the status of my projects, and some random things I just want to write down and let out of my mind.
+
+## Fourth acquisition offer
+
+![Rounds representative reaching out for a handshake](./img/updates-life-inactivity-projects/win7-simu-acquisition-offer.jpg)
+
+In October, I received yet another acquisition offer for [Win7 Simu](../win7simu/about.md). This was the fourth one since I launched the app back in 2020. The potential buyer was a big company with a lot of experience in the product acquisition and expansion business. From their writing style and the way they approached me, I could feel the professionalism and seriousness in their offer, in addition, I was interested to see how much this little side project of mine would be valued at, so I decided to give it a shot and see what they had to offer.
+
+Since the previous post where I [disclosed the revenue](./from-side-project-to-side-hustle.md#disclosing-the-numbers) of Win7 Simu, the app has been growing steadily and at the point of the acquisition offer, it was making around $3,000/month. With all the data and information I provided, the buyer offered $80,000 for the app, I proposed a higher price of $90,000 with good reasons and they accepted it.
+
+<a-google-ad />
+
+![The agreed price for Win7 Simu](./img/updates-life-inactivity-projects/win7-simu-price.jpeg)
+
+Following their process, I granted limited access to some Win7 Simu's assets for their due diligence team to do certain verification, we had a few more discussions on the terms and a meeting was scheduled for the code review and assessment. The entire process spanned for nearly a month due to some issues in between on both sides, a [personal issue](#son-hospitalized-on-his-first-birthday) from my end and the work overload from theirs.
+
+In the end, the deal was called off due to the limited time and resources they were able to invest in the project. It was a bit disappointing to see the deal fall through, but I'm glad that I had the chance to experience the acquisition process and learn a lot from it, and the mutual understanding left a good impression on me about the company and the people behind it.
+
+## Son hospitalized on his first birthday
+
+During the time when the acquisition offer was being discussed, my son got seriously ill and had to be hospitalized right on his first birthday. He was diagnosed with a severe case of pneumonia and had to be put on a ventilator for a couple of days. It was stressful and emotional for both me and my wife, having to see our first child in such a critical condition was heartbreaking.
+
+I had to stay at the hospital for a whole month, working remotely while helping my wife take care of our son. Luckily, after several treatments and medications, he finally recovered and was discharged from the hospital. The whole experience was a wake-up call for me, reminding me of the importance of family and health, and how fragile life can be. I'm grateful that my son is now healthy and happy, and I'm cherishing every moment I have with him.
+
+## Exciting news ahead
+
+In case you're wondering, I'm still working on my projects, though at a slower pace due to the recent events (and don't worry, I don't plan to abandon them, at least not anytime soon :P). Here are some sneak peeks of what I've been up to:
+
+<a-google-ad />
+
+### A new website
+
+After more than 2 years since the [previous sharing](./building-visnalize-com.md), I decided to give my home on the internet a fresh look. Yes, this website (visnalize.com) is getting a major overhaul, with a new design, more content, and exciting new features to enhance your experience while browsing the site.
+
+It's still a work in progress, but I'm planning to launch it early next year. If you're eager to see the new site, please see the below screenshots for a sneak peek. Hope you'll like it, and don't hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback with me.
+
+<div :class="$style.grid">
+
+![Visnalize.com's new blog](./img/updates-life-inactivity-projects/new-website-blog.jpg)
+![Visnalize.com's new layout](./img/updates-life-inactivity-projects/new-website-layout.png)
+![Visnalize.com's new changelog](./img/updates-life-inactivity-projects/new-website-layout-changelog.png)
+![Visnalize.com's new apps listing](./img/updates-life-inactivity-projects/new-website-layout-apps.png)
+![Visnalize.com's new search](./img/updates-life-inactivity-projects/new-website-search.png)
+
+</div>
+
+### Win7 Simu
+
+Win7 Simu is still being actively maintained and updated in the background. There are some ongoing refactoring and optimization on the codebase to enhance the project's development speed, experience and allow early bug detection and prevention.
+
+[Thuan](https://hohaicongthuan.github.io/) also continues to work on bringing the best features out of [Windows Media Center](../win7simu/simulated/wmc.md) to Win7 Simu while exploring some cool and innovative techs for the app. Here's a sneak peek of his brilliant work on the new Chess Titans game:
+
+![Chess Titans render for Win7 Simu](./img/updates-life-inactivity-projects/chess-titans-render.jpg)
+
+### Brick 1100
+
+I have a long list of features and improvements planned for [Brick 1100](../brick1100/about.md), both internally and [externally](/brick1100/feedback). The only thing that matters now is to arrange the time and resources to work on them. But don't worry, I'm still committed to building Brick 1100 into something great, not just as an app, but a memo for everyone one of us to remember the good old days.
+
+### A third project
+
+An idea sparked in my mind when I build Win7 Simu and Brick 1100, to solve a pain point that I've been dealing with while working on these projects. I wonder if it's a common problem that many others are facing, and wish there was a simpler and more efficient solution for it. In addition, I also want to explore some new technologies, push my limits, and learn new things along the way. So I decided to start a new project, which I'm "unofficially" calling it __Cloudd__ for now.
+
+Here's a very rough sneak peek of the project:
+
+![Visnalize's new project - cloudd.cc](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ga5JK5_bAAAVedx?format=jpg&name=medium)
+
+If you're curious about the project and eager to try it out early, follow my social media accounts or the project's [Blue Sky account](https://bsky.app/profile/cloudd.cc) for the latest updates and early access.
+
+## Final words
+
+I hope this post has given you a better understanding of what I've been up to lately, and the reasons behind my inactivity. Life is surely unpredictable and challenging at times, but I choose to embrace it with a positive attitude and keep moving forward. I'm grateful for all the support and encouragement I've received from my family, friends, and the community, and I'm looking forward to sharing more exciting news and updates with you in the future.
+
+P.S. The cover image is of some traditional Vietnamese dishes that my wife made for me the other day. It's so delicious that I can't help but share it here :D
+
+<m-blog-tag-list :tags="$page.frontmatter.tag" showIcon />
+
+<style module>
+.grid p {
+  display: grid;
+  gap: 1rem;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  grid-template-areas: "a" "b" "c" "d" "e";
+}
+
+.grid img:nth-child(1) {
+  grid-area: a;
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+.grid img:nth-child(2) {
+  grid-area: b;
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+.grid img:nth-child(3) {
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+@media (min-width: 640px) {
+  .grid p {
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+</style>

src/blog/visnalize-year-in-review-2024.md

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+---
+layout: BlogPost
+description: Look back at some amazing achievements from Visnalize in 2024.
+sidebar: auto
+tag:
+  - win7-simu
+  - brick-1100
+  - review
+---
+
+# Visnalize year in review - 2024
+
+<m-blog-meta />
+
+![Ho Chi Minh city river evening](https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2021/01/27/08/24/ho-chi-minh-city-5954147_1280.jpg)
+
+_Cover image by Thuan Vo via [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/photos/ho-chi-minh-city-river-evening-5954147/)_
+
+2024 has been a year [full of challenges](./updates-life-inactivity-projects.md#son-hospitalized-on-his-first-birthday) for me personally, but for Visnalize, there have been some amazing accomplishments. I am excited to share with you some of the highlights from the past year, including the growth of this website, Visnalize.com, and the projects: [Win7 Simu](../win7simu/about.md) and [Brick 1100](../brick1100/about.md). There will be a new indicator badge that shows the comparison between this year and last year's numbers, so you can easily see how much we have grown. Let's dive in!
+
+## The amazing numbers
+
+### Visnalize(.com)
+
+![Visnalize.com's growth](./img/visnalize-year-in-review-2024/visnalize-com-growth.jpg)
+
+- __8__ new blog posts published <Badge type="tip" text="+2 vs last year" />
+- A total of __79__ sitemap entries (content pages, blog posts, etc.) <Badge type="tip" text="+40 vs last year" />
+- A total of __404K__ visitors <Badge type="tip" text="+41.9% vs last year" />
+- A total of __824K__ page views <Badge type="tip" text="+30.7% vs last year" />
+- A total of __$1,945__ in revenue (all from Adsense) <Badge type="tip" text="+104% vs last year" />
+
+### Win7 Simu
+
+![Win7 Simu's growth](./img/visnalize-year-in-review-2024/win7-simu-growth.jpg)
+
+__Android only__
+
+- __18.9M__ users downloaded the app from Google Play <Badge type="tip" text="+75% vs last year" />
+- __1.12M__ active devices that still have the app installed <Badge type="tip" text="+67.2% vs last year" />
+- __62.5K__ users gave an average rating of __4.126/5__ <Badge type="error" text="-1.29% vs last year" />
+- __27.6K__ users left a review <Badge type="tip" text="+38% vs last year" />
+
+__Both Android and Web__
+
+- An average of __76K__ daily active users <Badge type="tip" text="+52% vs last year" />
+- A user spent an average of __26.5 mins__ with the app <Badge type="tip" text="+89% vs last year" />
+- __6.4M__ accounts created in the app <Badge type="tip" text="+178% vs last year" />
+- __15__ version updates were released <Badge type="error" text="-3 vs last year" />
+- __$19.7K__ gross revenue from ads <Badge type="tip" text="+101% vs last year" />
+- __$5.5K__ gross revenue from in-app purchases <Badge type="tip" text="+77% vs last year" />
+- __$4.7K__ gross revenue from partnerships <Badge type="tip" text="+1,450% vs last year" />
+
+<SponsorAd />
+
+### Brick 1100 (Beta)
+
+![Brick 1100's growth](./img/visnalize-year-in-review-2024/brick-1100-growth.jpg)
+
+__Both Android and iOS__
+
+- __50.4K__ users downloaded the app from both App Store and Google Play <Badge type="tip" text="+444% vs last year" />
+- __3.8K__ active devices that still have the app installed <Badge type="tip" text="+111% vs last year" />
+- An average of __250__ daily active users <Badge type="tip" text="+25% vs last year" />
+- A user spent an average of __9 mins__ with the app <Badge type="tip" text="+28.6% vs last year" />
+- __1837__ accounts created in the app <Badge type="tip" text="+512% vs last year" />
+- __5__ version updates were released <Badge type="error" text="-3 vs last year" />
+- __$225__ gross revenue from both ads and in-app purchases <Badge type="tip" text="+922% vs last year" />
+
+## Reflecting on the year
+
+In general, 2024 has been a year of growth for Visnalize. The numbers show that we have made significant progress in terms of user acquisition, engagement, and revenue. I am particularly proud of Visnalize.com, which I didn't expect it to achieve such growth in a year. And the retro projects have also seen good results, especially Win7 Simu, which has been a consistent performer over the years. On a related note, here is a quick recap of the highlights and lowlights in the year.
+
+### 👍 Things went well
+
+#### Thuan, Win7 Simu collaborator is still with us
+
+If you have been following my blog for a while, you might remember that I mentioned [Thuan](https://github.com/hohaicongthuan) a few times in my previous posts, he even published [one of the posts](./win7-simu-windows-media-center.md) on this site.
+
+He [first joined](./visnalize-year-in-review-2023.md#a-new-collaborator-for-win7-simu) the Win7 Simu project as a collaborator in November 2023 and has been contributing great work to the project ever since. I expected him to leave the project after the first few months, like several others in the past, but he is still with us and has been a great help in maintaining and improving the app. I am grateful for his dedication and look forward to our continued collaboration in the future.
+
+#### Crashguard partnership
+
+On August 13, I received an email from a product manager of [Crashguard](http://crashguard.me/), asking if I would be interested in integrating their product into Win7 Simu. The crash and feedback data from Win7 Simu would help them improve their product, in exchange, they would offer a monthly stipend for the partnership. I was skeptical at first, but after some research and a few more emails back and forth, I decided to give it a try. In the end, it turned out to be a great partnership that I never expected, and I have been receiving a monthly stipend from them since then, explaining the __1,450%__ increase in revenue from partnerships above.
+
+![Crashguard partnership with Win7 Simu](./img/visnalize-year-in-review-2024/crashguard-partnership.png)
+
+<SponsorAd />
+
+#### A trending blog post brings traffic
+
+I'm not a content writer, and I'm not a content marketer either, I only share what I find interested, authentic experiences, and knowledge that I think might be useful to others, not targeting any specific audience or having a content strategy in place. One day, I wrote [a blog post](../blog/game-stick-lite-4k-adding-games.md) about a random topic of personal interest, but somehow it went viral on search engines. It has been bringing in quite a lot of traffic to the website, and is consistently claiming the top spot in the most popular content list on my site.
+
+![A blog post about a game stick guide went viral](./img/visnalize-year-in-review-2024/viral-game-stick-blog.png)
+
+#### Brick 1100 release on App Store
+
+Despite little expectation that the app would pass Apple's review process and get approved, it was finally released on the App Store on September 18. This, to me, is a big achievement that's worth celebrating, after nearly 2 months with a lot of back and forth communication with the review team, and a lot of changes to be made to comply with their guidelines.
+
+![Brick 1100 release on App Store](./img/visnalize-year-in-review-2024/brick-1100-app-store.png)
+
+The release on the App Store has granted me access to a new market, even with no marketing effort as of now, the app has been downloaded by a few hundred users, and I have received one positive review from a user, which is a good sign that the app is on the right track to a potential success.
+
+### 👎 What didn't go well
+
+#### Win7 Simu's issue dragging on
+
+There is an existing issue with the app that has been reported by users since months ago last year, but I still haven't been able to fix it due to no resources available to reproduce the issue. The issue is causing the app to crash on several devices and Android versions, leading the app to be uninstalled, and the ratings to drop. This has been giving me anxiety and the feeling of wanting to give up on the project, but I do have a responsibility to the users who have been supporting the app for years, so I will keep trying to find a solution to the issue.
+
+#### Slow progress on the projects
+
+I promised to bring Brick 1100 to production in mid-2024, but it is still in beta as of now. The progress has been slow due to the lack of time, technical skills, and real-life issues that I have been dealing with. Similarly, I have been planning to bring out more updates, fixes, and new cool features to Win7 Simu, but the progress has been rather slow, and the app has been left behind in terms of updates compared to the previous year.
+
+## Looking out to 2025
+
+2024 was pretty much a roller coaster ride for me, with a lot of ups but also a fair share of downs. I am grateful for all the achievements and lessons learned in the past year, and I am looking forward to a better year in 2025. I cannot promise that I will be able to do better in the coming year, but I will keep trying my best to keep the projects going and make them better.
+
+As always, I thank you for all your love and support so far, and I hope you will continue your support for me in the future. Happy new year and see you in 2025! 🎉
+
+<m-blog-tag-list :tags="$page.frontmatter.tag" showIcon />

src/win7simu/changelog.md

@@ -14,6 +14,14 @@ image: https://image.social/get?url=visnalize.com/win7simu/changelog.html
 
 ## 2024
 
+### 3.16.0 (Dec 28, 2024)
+
+- New features for [Windows Media Center](./simulated/wmc.md):
+  - Added Media Library settings (you can now select folders for media search, or upload files directly in the media folders)
+  - Added support for RTL languages
+  - Added First Run screen as an easter egg
+- Bug fixes and improvements
+
 ### 3.15.0 (Oct 31, 2024)
 
 - [Windows Media Center](./simulated/wmc.md) slide shows can now be paused/stopped