Tag Archive for: How To Kill An Hour

Having a baby is a really bad for you.

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A study that was published in the journal called Demography suggests that being a new parent could make you miserable and could potentially be the worse thing to happen to you. It was undertaken by demographer Rachel Margolis and called “Parental Well-Being Surrounding First Birth as a Determinant of Further Parity Progression” The study was carried out in Germany.

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The study was complied to figure out the difference between the number of children that parent’s want vs the number of children that they actually have. German people say on average that they want two kids and end up have one and a half. Therefore you could state that German parents ideally want two but change their mind after the first. The study alleges that a “drop in well-being surrounding first birth,” also known as “unhappiness.”

The data was complied over a period of years. Asking them over a course of years about their “overall well-being”. The total number of years was 5 encompassing three years prior to the birth of their 1st child and 2 years after. Though they weren’t asked about parenting directly.

The study alleges alarmingly, that the unhappiness didn’t set in to the first and second year of a childs life.

The Washington Post also have highlighted studies where people are asked about thier happiness during a life event. This time on a scale of 1-10. Vice are reporting that an average of 0.6 decline in happiness after a divorce. A 1 point decline in experiencing unemployment or death of a spouse. A birth of a first child. An average decline of 1.6.

What did the study look at?

The study looked at a total of three categories of unhappiness. 2 categories included things like troubles conceiving, being pregnant and giving birth, fertility problems and puking. The other category looked at “continuous and intense nature of childrearing in the first year,” which includes things like “depression, domestic isolation, and relationship breakdown.”

While this may be alarming, the study does note that further research is needed to “address the ways in which parenting experiences throughout the life course affect fertility behavior upward or downward.”

They don’t look at other aspects of being a parent such as the strains of a parent on an elementary school student or an adult.

(Vice)

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Google Maps AR

Google Maps AR

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We came across the below tweet earlier on the week and we are very very impressed! Who needs Google Glasses or Apple Glasses when you have got your phone and AR! Say hello to Google Maps AR! It’s now looking like it’s starting to roll it out slowly to some users

https://twitter.com/ow/status/1106211516217470977

Google announced this feature in May of 2018 at it’s annual I/O developer conference. At the time it was called the AR Visual Positioning System. Which provided a layer of augmented reality over reality. Just raise your phone in front of your eyes and you are given directions of where to go. Whereas if you were to put your phone down it will revert back to the traditional map view.

It doesn’t look like something I’d use all the time and Rachel Inman the AR lead for the project told the Wall Street Journal that it’s not meant to be used as a primary navigation tool. Rather intended to be put to use when looking for a difficult to find specific road.

(Mashable)

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Don’t Use Condoms Twice.

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So apparently, some crazy people out there are doing something that we never thought we’d see. They are reusing and washing condoms, just look at this tweet from CDC STD!

In case people were wondering, do not re-use a condom. Nor should you wash it to use it again. Condoms are strictly a one use item. One and done. Kaput. Plus a new one should be use for every sex act!

There was a study published in 2012 it was called “Condom Use Errors and Problems: A Global View,”  and get this. Are you sitting down?

In between 1.4% and 3.3% of those surveyed admitted to reusing the same condom during intercourse, Forbes pointed out.

If you weren’t aware, washing and reusing condoms will definitely reduce their effectiveness. The oils in soaps will degrade the latex, thus causing it to fail. It may even irritate the skin.

Condoms (when correctly used) will prevent pregnancy and reduce the risk of STDS.

So don’t go reusing them!

(Insider)

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Sound Over Laser: AudioLaser?

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So, get this MIT have managed to transmit audio over laser. Somehow. So it’s AudioLaser – I guess?

Scientists over at MIT have figured out how to transmit audio over a laser beam. This is any type of audio, so that can be audio, it can be music anything at all. This is without a receiver either.

“Our system can be used from some distance away to beam information directly to someone’s ear… It is the first system that uses lasers that are fully safe for the eyes and skin to localize an audible signal to a particular person in any setting.” Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher Charles M. Wynn via a press release.

The groundbreaking discovery was published in a paper in an journal called Optics Letters. The paper goes on to describe how an MIT team developed two differing methods of transmitting audio via laser.

How?

The way that the MIT researchers managed to do this was via a photoacoustic effect. This is the formation of soundwaves as a result of a material absorbing light. In their case they used water vapour that in the air, if they ‘swept’ a laser beam at the speed of sound. By changing the length of the sweeps they were able to encode different audible pitches.

Both methods allowed them to transmit sound a total of 8.2Ft away at 60db. In comparison this is about the same level of loudness of background music. Yet in this instance only the sound maker and the sound ‘target’ were able to hear it.
On the other hand they were able to encode an audio message by adjusting the power of the laser beam, however, this resulted in a much quieter result. Yet it was a clearer result than the prior method.

AudioLaser – Safety

The MIT team want to use this tech to allow the transmission of audio in situations that can be quite dangerous. For example at a mass shooting. Authorities could beam instructions to those in trouble, without anyone else hearing.

“We hope that this will eventually become a commercial technology…There are a lot of exciting possibilities, and we want to develop the communication technology in ways that are useful.” researcher Ryan M. Sullenberger

(Futurism)

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Rate My Plate

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With over 2.1M fans on Facebook the ‘Rate My Plate’ Facebook Page is no small time gig. The comical Facebook page has been set up arguably over the huge popularity that people’s dinner plates get on Instagram and Facebook.

Now, you would be forgiven for thinking that most of the posts on this page are going to be good right? Who would put a bad plate of food on there just to be rated badly?

Well, you’d be wrong. The posts are either pictures of people’s regular every day dinner plates or just some terrible looking dinners. As a result, there’s some pretty ghastly plates on this page, so keep a sick bucket nearby! (We’re being harsh. There are some good looking dinner plates on there, but they’re few and far between!)

Check out some of the plates below:

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Netflix Keeps Your Bandersnatch Choices

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Those Bandersnatch choices you made back in December. Well those choices were kept.
Michael Veale who is a technology policy researcher over at the University College London, did a little bit of digging and found out just what Netflix keep on you. Using the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – remember all those emails you got last year. That.  To figure out that they track your choices.
According to Motherboard, Veale requested the Bandersnatch data from Netflix, to ask why: “it’s collecting data, the categories they’re sorting data into, third parties it’s sharing the data with, and other information.” Then subsequently posting it on Twitter.
Netflix told Veale that the data it collected helped them to “improve this model of storytelling in the context of a show or movie” While this seems pretty reasonable, Veale still concluded that it’s an invasion of privacy. It’s important to note that Netflix didn’t tell him how long they’d keep a hold of the data either.
We encourage you to check out Veale’s short Twitter thread by clicking here! It’s a great read! Very eye opening!

Consent

Veale told Motherboard:
“If you asked me, they should really be using consent (which you should be able to refuse) or legitimate interests (meaning you can object to it) …..It was tricky, as I had to ask these questions specifically.
It’s unclear if this is included by default in requests to get your data from Netflix or not. I can tell you often this kind of specific data is not included when you ask for ‘all your data.
Knowing what ‘all your data’ is, and what the company’s definition of ‘all your data’ does not include, is most of the challenge.”
Very interesting indeed. While it seems that it’s pretty harmless data collection. We should at least be told if we want out data collected.

(Refinery29)

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Dagsmejan High tech Pajamas

Dagsmejan High tech Pajamas

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Lately we’ve been testing tech while we sleep. Literally! We’ve been trying out the amazing Dagsmejan High Tech Pajamas! They’re a brand new range of sleepwear that’s incredibly unique. They’re designed to help wearers get incredible sleep all night, but with a twist. They have unique moisture-wicking and temperature management features to them which help sleep better. Sleep is important to becoming healthier, happier and smarter. Sleep is vital for our health and the right temperature is just as important. Dagsmejan is scientifically proven to boost sleep comfort.

The temperature in which we sleep greatly affects the comfort levels of our sleep. The fluctuations in the temperature in which we sleep can affect our sleep negatively. The Dagsmejan High Tech Pajamas are so intelligent that they can help regulate a wearers temperature to help them stay in an ideal climactic zone. If your temperature is better, you’ll sleep deeper and for longer too!

Dagsmejan High Tech Pajamas: How?

The Dagsmejan High Tech Pyjamas are made from the worlds most natural and finest natural fibres. They’re incorporated the latest sleep technology and innovative textile engineering. The materials that are used are carefully researched from the Dagsmejan team so they know what they’re providing customers is perfect.

They use Merino Wool for their pyjamas. While studies show that we can sleep for up to 15minutes longer with this type of wool. As a result falling asleep quicker and in an deeper slumber. They’ve produced an ultra light breathable version of this type of wool. Consequently keeping you warm and comfortable without becoming uncomfortable.

As Dagsmejan have produced a blend of Merino Wool and Tencel from eucalyptus. Therefore creating a fabric that is 2x as soft as cotton and 4x more breathable. Whereas we sweat as much as 1 cup of water each night, the material helps wicks the moisture away providing a comfortable sleep.

To read a much more in depth piece of how wool from Dagsmejan Pyjamas can help you sleep better, please click here!

Comfort:

Furthermore the Dagsmejan High Tech Pyjamas also have flat seams, no tags and have amazing waistbands to help provide a comfortable wear. We move up to 50 times a night, so therefore the Pyjamas have to move effortlessly with you.

Dagsmejan is a Swedish word that refers to the last days of winter when the warmth of the sunshine melts the snow even when the temperature is still below zero. It derives from two words. clag which means day and meja which means strength and power. Its the time when nature awakens after a dark and cold period. The power of nature was our inspiration for creating a high performance sleepwear range using the latest technology and all natural fibres to give you the ultimate sleeping experience. Wake up as refreshed as on the first day of spring with Dagsmejan. 

(Dagsmejan)

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Road Trip How To Kill An Hour

6 Things To Consider Before Taking A Road Trip

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Road Trip How To Kill An Hour
With the warmer weather slowly creeping closer, it’s time to starting thinking about what kind of vacation you’re going to take this year. if you’re looking for adventure and want to see a variety of different places in one go, why not consider going on a road trip? Whether it’s as a couple, as a family or with a group of friends – road trips can be incredibly affordable and a whole lot of fun. If you are considering it and you don’t know where to start when it comes to planning, here are 6 things you may want to consider beforehand:

 

– What Is Your Overall Budget?

First of all, you need to think about your overall budget for the trip. Whilst it helps to think about how much you are going to spend in total, the best way to be as accurate as you possibly can is to plan out every single aspect of the trip individually. Think about how much your gas is going to cost, how much each night in a hotel will cost and how much you’re going to spend on food, drink and activities. Once you’ve totalled all of these up you’ll have a much better picture of how much the trip is going to cost you.

 

– Who Will Be Going With You?

Now you need to think about who will be going with you. Whilst road trips are incredible no matter how many people go, you need to consider all of the logistics surrounding it. How many hotel rooms will you need to book? Do you need to take more than one car? Can you fit everything in the trunk? How long can everyone spend in the car together?

 

– What Route Will You Be Taking?

Once you have a good idea of your budget and who is going with you, you can start to think about what route you want to take. Whether you get inspiration off the internet or you plan your own customized route, you need to be sure it is something that’s going to be doable in the time frame you have. For tips and tricks on designing the perfect road trip route, you can view this guide here.

 

– Do You Need Overnight Stops?

When planning your route you need to think about any overnight stays you may have. Whether it’s a motel en route or a hotel at one of your chosen destinations, planning all of these in advance will save you a lot of money when it comes to last-minute fees.

 

– What Do You Need To Take With You? Will It All Fit?

With a solid plan in place, you can start to think about everything you’re going to take with you. Depending on who is going and where you’re going to be stopping, you will need to ensure you have enough clothes, toiletries and supplies to last you. If you don’t think you are going to fit it all in your car, you may want to consider using one of these car trailers.

 

– Do You Need To Hire A Car?

Although you may have a car of your own, some people prefer to hire a bigger car for their trip. Whether it’s for comfort, space or quality, hiring a car may be the best possible option.

 

Are you planning a road trip soon? What do you need to prepare in advance? What will you take with you? Let us know in the comments section below.

How To Kill An Hour Drone DJI

Gifts For The Tech-Lover In Your Life

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Although being able to give someone a gift – whether it’s their birthday, for another special occasion, or even if it’s simply because you feel like it, it’s often not the easiest thing in the world when you really don’t know what someone likes or if they already have everything, or even if they’re just one of those people who seem to be a bit fussy about the things they have.

However, other people do make it a bit easier, but then comes the question of what to get them within the area that you know they really like – and sometimes this can be even more difficult than not knowing what they like because that way you have more options to get it right, and this way you’re feeling overwhelmed with too many options.

So, in this post we’re going to share with you some of our top tips for gift ideas for the tech-lover in your life.

 

Drone:

Drones have become massively popular in the last few years, and we have to admit they’re seriously cool things, so why wouldn’t they be popular? However, whilst they were at first only available to the military, the government and the media, they’re now available to pretty much anyone, and although they’re not exactly the cheapest things on the planet to buy, they would make an excellent gift for someone who’s a bit on the techy side. It’s important to remember though that drones are banned in many countries, so for example if someone is planning to use one whilst traveling to take pictures with, then this is going to be something they need to check the law on before deciding to take the drone with them because otherwise they risk it being confiscated or even finding themselves faced with a fine.

 

Hoverboard:

Although the hoverboards we have nowadays aren’t exactly those we envisioned from movies like Back To The Future, they are still pretty cool and would make a really fun gift for the techy person in your life. The great thing about hoverboards is that they’re available in most price ranges so you’ll pretty much always be able to find one to suit the budget you have available, and they also have cool features such as bluetooth.

 

Car/Motorbike Accessories:

If the person you’re buying a gift for is someone who has a passion for cars or motorbikes, then a great gift for them could be something like accessories for their car or bike. You can find all kinds of techy gadgets and cool supplies both offline and online at places like Solo Moto, so you’ll be able to see a huge selection of things that they could really enjoy and would get a lot of use out of.

 

Computer/Tablet:

Gadgets like laptops and tablets may not be the cheapest items on the market in the technology space today, however, if you know a tech-lover and are looking for a great gift, then you’re going to struggle to go wrong in this area since most of the ones being made today have some seriously cool features and are extremely powerful in many ways, and although they’re not cheap, they do come in a good variety of price ranges to suit most budgets depending on the features you’re looking for and how much you’re looking to spend.

 

VR Headset:

Virtual Reality has become massive in the past 5 years and is fast becoming one of the biggest and fastest growing industries in the technology sector, so it’s definitely one that anyone who’s interested in technology will be watching with enthusiasm. One of the best things about VR, aside from how advanced it’s becoming is that it’s actually affordable to normal people, and most of the big tech giants such as Samsung are really looking to cash in on this desire for people to have VR at an accessible and affordable price point, so this could easily be one of the best gifts they ever receive if you decide to pursue this route.

 

Camera:

Although a camera may be just a camera to some people, if you know someone who loves to take photos either as a hobby or on a semi-professional level, then a good camera is something they’ll see as an investment and something they’ll truly appreciate because they know that a good camera will really enhance the photos they take. So, if you’re looking for a great gift, this is definitely one you can’t go wrong with and that will have lots of cool features.

Alfa Romeo How To Kill An Hour

Car Tech You Really Need

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The latest cars are all full of technology most of which is for safety or comfort reasons, as well as making the cars more efficient and cheaper to run. The technology has advanced at such a pace that you do not have to go back many years to find cars that have very little technology in them. You can always add some to older cars, and there are hundreds of great gadgets that could help to enhance your driving experience. However, there are also some technologies that will stay as part of newer cars only.

 

Dash Cams

Many new cars are being fitted with a dash cam, and some have a rear view facing cameras too. If you have an older car it is very simple to add a dash cam to it and then you will have a recording of the journeys you have made. These can be very useful evidence if there is a dispute with another road user.

 

Portable Jump Starter

Traditionally, car jump starters are made from a large battery that you store in your garage. Now there is one that is small enough to keep in the glove compartment of your car. It includes a USB charger that you can use for your other devices and has a built-in torch in case you need to use it in the dark.

 

300W Inverter

Most cars have USB ports these days, but what if you need to use something that needs a 3-pin socket? Then you need an inverter, which will change your cars 12V DC electricity supply to 240V AC in the UK. If you need to power anything over 150W, you have to clip the inverter directly to your battery. That will then be enough to power a laptop or a camping fridge.

 

Automatic Emergency Braking

This uses a variety of sensors to determine if a forward collision crash is about to happen and automatically applies the brakes to reduce its severity or to stop it or all together. This is going to be fitted as standard on all new cars by 2022 but would take a lot of work to install in an older car.

 

Technology Helping Maintenance

This technology might not be in your car, but the latest developments in servicing and maintenance can certainly help to keep in in a better condition at a more reasonable cost. For example, Mercedes AMG servicing & genuine parts do not have to break the bank and will prolong your car’s performance.  Technology and highly trained technicians have been combined to create the best service possible for your car maintenance and repairs.

 

Adaptive Cruise Control

Cruise control has been around for years, but now it can adapt to the speeds of the traffic around you. By using an array of sensors built into the car it will adjust the speed to suit the cars in front of you. Some of the more advanced systems will even stop and restart the car without you having to do a thing.

 

Technology and car are like everything else that is going on around us. They will continue to evolve and be very different in just a few years to how they are today.