Jul 12, 2019
Amazon Fire Vs. Roku
Amazon Fire TV, the set-top-box streaming platform, now
says it has 34 million users, making it the leading OTT
platform, overtaking Roku. Roku says it has 29.1 million active
accounts. One in three smart TVs in US is a Roku.
Wordology, Balter
I can balter and know others who balter, but many never admit
it. Balter means to dance badly.
Average American and Phones
During 2019 the average American checks their
phone 52 times a day, according to a consumer survey. The
average age at which an American child receives their first
phone is now 10.3 years old.
May 31, 2019
Happy Friday
It is impossible to
fill your heart with happiness, love, and joy. There is always
room for more.
Expand your heart by celebrating a Happy Friday!
Expand your heart by celebrating a Happy Friday!
Save on Streaming
The beauty of cutting the cable habit of by-appointment-TV is
that you can cancel non-cable anytime without penalty. A good
way of finding alternatives and varying your watching is to
sample different services for a week or month.
Once you paid for a month of HBO Now, CBS All Access, or pretty much any other streaming TV service, you are entitled to that full month even after you cancelled. These companies do not do prorated refunds, which is unfortunate if you forget to cancel a free trial, but it is great for avoiding automatic renewal in the first place. With so many new services offering their own exclusive shows, subscribing in one-month increments is a great way to keep your monthly TV bill in check and finding more variety of entertainment.
Cancelling a streaming service is still much easier than shutting off cable or satellite TV, as most providers have direct links or clear instructions on how to stop service without the problem of talking to a person trying to get you to not cancel.
Once you paid for a month of HBO Now, CBS All Access, or pretty much any other streaming TV service, you are entitled to that full month even after you cancelled. These companies do not do prorated refunds, which is unfortunate if you forget to cancel a free trial, but it is great for avoiding automatic renewal in the first place. With so many new services offering their own exclusive shows, subscribing in one-month increments is a great way to keep your monthly TV bill in check and finding more variety of entertainment.
Cancelling a streaming service is still much easier than shutting off cable or satellite TV, as most providers have direct links or clear instructions on how to stop service without the problem of talking to a person trying to get you to not cancel.
Internet Update
It has been about 30 years since the beginning of the
internet. As of April 2019, an estimated 4.4 billion people
around the world use the internet. That is about 56% of the
world's population, and 81% of the developed world.
Microwave Tips
Before you chop onions, place the whole onion in the microwave
for 45 seconds. By heating the onion before cutting it, you help
break down the chemicals that cause your tears.
Peeling garlic does not have to be a daunting task. Pop a full bulb in the microwave for 20 seconds to soften it, making peeling easier. The cloves will slide right out of their skins with no mess or sticky, smelly garlic juices.
Get every last drop out of lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits. If a recipe calls for citrus juice, zap the fleshy fruit in the microwave for about 10 to 20 seconds. Then, slice it in half and squeeze.
Steam all types of vegetables, like broccoli, carrots, asparagus, green beans, and artichoke. You only need some water in a microwave-safe bowl and a microwave-safe plate to cover it.
Peeling garlic does not have to be a daunting task. Pop a full bulb in the microwave for 20 seconds to soften it, making peeling easier. The cloves will slide right out of their skins with no mess or sticky, smelly garlic juices.
Get every last drop out of lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits. If a recipe calls for citrus juice, zap the fleshy fruit in the microwave for about 10 to 20 seconds. Then, slice it in half and squeeze.
Steam all types of vegetables, like broccoli, carrots, asparagus, green beans, and artichoke. You only need some water in a microwave-safe bowl and a microwave-safe plate to cover it.
Wordology, Cataglottism
This means kissing with the tongue, or a
French Kiss. Derives from Greek cato (down) and glotta/glossa
(tongue). Sure makes it sound much less sexy.
BBC, Bombs, and Perry Como
The BBC banned a song because listeners kept
clapping to its lyrics. “Deep in the Heart of Texas” was written
by June Hershey and Don Swander. Perry Como recorded the song
two days after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The song
quickly became popular in both the US and the UK. It remained at
the top of UK charts for five weeks during 1942.
LINK
Listeners often clapped along with Como as he sang. The BBC soon realized this could become a problem, because workers in bomb-making factories might accidentally drop their bombs while clapping. So it banned its broadcasters from playing the song during work hours.
LINK
Listeners often clapped along with Como as he sang. The BBC soon realized this could become a problem, because workers in bomb-making factories might accidentally drop their bombs while clapping. So it banned its broadcasters from playing the song during work hours.
Fixed Phones Fading
Recently saw a funny video on YouTube of teenagers trying
to dial a rotary phone. LINK
Made me realize how quickly technology changes. Most of us have abandoned our home phone, the old "land line". The once staple of every home is quickly fading away. In fact, the World Bank estimates that the number of fixed telephone subscriptions in the world fell to just over 13 per 100 people during 2018.
Made me realize how quickly technology changes. Most of us have abandoned our home phone, the old "land line". The once staple of every home is quickly fading away. In fact, the World Bank estimates that the number of fixed telephone subscriptions in the world fell to just over 13 per 100 people during 2018.
Spray on Skin
Biomedical scientists have
created a device that sprays stem
cells onto wounds, helping them grow a new, healthy layer of
skin in as few as four days. Biotech firm RenovaCare recently
obtained a patent for the SkinGun and has used it to
successfully treat dozens of burn patients in trials. While the
device still needs FDA approval, it could help eliminate the
painful and scarring process of skin grafting.
May 24, 2019
Happy Friday
Some folks are not
happy that roses have thorns, but others are happy that thorns
have roses.
I am happy that happiness has no thorns, especially on a Happy Friday!
I am happy that happiness has no thorns, especially on a Happy Friday!
Robocall Blocking
I do not know of any person who does not hate them. They seem to
be sneaking into our lives more and more. Solutions are
available, or soon to be available to stem the tide, but they
will not end soon.
The Federal Communications Commission announced new rules it said would tackle the avalanche of robocalls we are receiving, but did not offer anything that is not available now. It said it would vote on a ruling that would allow phone companies to have call-blocking as a default, implement strong call-blocking services as the default setting for their customers and to make it easier for us to block unwanted calls. "That means your phone is only going to ring if the call is coming from somebody in your list of contacts," said FCC chairman Ajit Pai.
Until that is finalized, here are a few things more we can do now to eliminate the vast majority of them.
For IPhone users, in Settings, click on “Do Not Disturb” and “Allow Calls From” then “All Contacts.”
For Android, in the Phone app, click the three lines on the top right of the screen, select Settings then Block Numbers, then click on "Block Unknown Callers." Only numbers from your contacts will ring.
There does not appear a way to have phone mail blocked from anyone, but if we can at least eliminate the ring, it is a good first step to eliminate distractions and you can listen to voice mail at your convenience and add the number to contacts if it is someone you want to hear from.
The Federal Communications Commission announced new rules it said would tackle the avalanche of robocalls we are receiving, but did not offer anything that is not available now. It said it would vote on a ruling that would allow phone companies to have call-blocking as a default, implement strong call-blocking services as the default setting for their customers and to make it easier for us to block unwanted calls. "That means your phone is only going to ring if the call is coming from somebody in your list of contacts," said FCC chairman Ajit Pai.
Until that is finalized, here are a few things more we can do now to eliminate the vast majority of them.
For IPhone users, in Settings, click on “Do Not Disturb” and “Allow Calls From” then “All Contacts.”
For Android, in the Phone app, click the three lines on the top right of the screen, select Settings then Block Numbers, then click on "Block Unknown Callers." Only numbers from your contacts will ring.
There does not appear a way to have phone mail blocked from anyone, but if we can at least eliminate the ring, it is a good first step to eliminate distractions and you can listen to voice mail at your convenience and add the number to contacts if it is someone you want to hear from.
More Body Facts
The human brain uses as much power as a 10-watt light bulb.
The word “organ” comes from an old Greek word, organon, which means “tool” or “instrument.”
There are so many nerve cells in a human brain that it would take almost 3,000 years to count them.
An adult’s skin weighs between 8 and 11 pounds (3.6 to 5 kg). Its surface area is about 18-22 square feet (1.7 to 2 sq. m).
The longest bone in an adult human is the thighbone, measuring about 18 inches (46 cm). The shortest bone is in the ear and is just 0.1 inches (.25 cm) long, which is shorter than a grain of rice.
The word “organ” comes from an old Greek word, organon, which means “tool” or “instrument.”
There are so many nerve cells in a human brain that it would take almost 3,000 years to count them.
An adult’s skin weighs between 8 and 11 pounds (3.6 to 5 kg). Its surface area is about 18-22 square feet (1.7 to 2 sq. m).
The longest bone in an adult human is the thighbone, measuring about 18 inches (46 cm). The shortest bone is in the ear and is just 0.1 inches (.25 cm) long, which is shorter than a grain of rice.
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