Voice Input

Voice input to control computers and a variety of IoT devices is becoming more prevalent and has been increasing since the technology has finally caught up with interpretation of a variety of voices, dialects, and accents.

This is a great benefit to the estimated 781 million adults over the age of 15 who are illiterate. People who cannot read finally have easier access to the internet, typing, and information through smart devices, such as Amazon's Alexa, Google, Cortanna, Siri, and Bixby. There are hundreds of apps that let users search, write emails, take notes and set appointments with their smartphone. Amazon says more than 1.8 million e-books support audio books, which automatically read aloud the words on the page.

Predictions abound -

• “50% of all searches will be voice searches by 2020” according to comscore
• “About 30% of searches will be done without a screen by 2020.” according to Mediapos
• “We estimate there will be 21.4 million smart speakers in the US by 2020” according to Activate
• “By 2019, the voice recognition market will be a $601 million industry”, according to a report from Technavio.
• “This year (2017), 25 million devices will be shipped, bringing the total number of voice-first devices to 33 million in circulation.” based on a new study by VoiceLabs
• “By the end of 2018 the Google Assistant will reach 95 percent of all eligible Android phones worldwide” according to Techcrunch.

Happy Friday

Each day is not an occurrence, it is an opportunity.

Take advantage of the opportunity to be happy on a Happy Friday!

Online Manuals

If you need a manual for almost anything in your house, you can go to https://www.manualslib.com/ and likely find it. It has manuals online that cover almost two million products with 2,832,546 pdf manuals.


Just enter the keywords in the search field and find what you are looking for. Search results include manual name, description, size and number of pages. You can either read manual online or download it to your computer.

Amazon' Choice

You may have noticed some items on Amazon have the text 'Amazon's Choice' next to the description.  It means that many buyers have purchased and were satisfied with it, as told to Amazon through reviews data, is highly rated, well-priced, and available to ship immediately. It also means the item has a low return rate and a best-seller ranking.

Reference Thesaurus

Stuck for a word that you know is on the tip of your tongue, but just won't come out. Try  http://www.onelook.com/reverse-dictionary.shtml

This site lets you describe a concept and get back a list of words and phrases related to that concept. Your description can be a single word, a few words, or a whole sentence. Type in your description and hit Enter to see the related words. You can find a word if you only know its definition.

Almond, Rice, and Soy Milk

The basic method of modern domestic almond milk production is to grind almonds in a blender with water, then strain out the almond pulp with a strainer. Although it is made of nuts and water, it is called Almond milk, because it has a milky white consistency. It contains neither cholesterol nor lactose and an eight ounce glass contains the equivalent of about 4 almonds. It has fewer calories if unsweetened and has no saturated fat.

Even though almonds are a good source of protein, almond milk is not. Almond milk is also not a good source of calcium unless supplemented with calcium as well as vitamin D. It can also be fortified with protein.
Rice Milk is made from milled rice and water. It is the least allergenic, which makes it a good choice for people with lactose or nut allergies. While rice milk can be fortified with calcium and vitamin D, it is not a natural source of either of these, just like soy and almond are also not.
Rice milk is very high in carbohydrate and very low in protein, so it is the least desirable choice for people with diabetes as well as people who want more protein.

Soy Milk is made from soybeans. It is also a popular milk alternative for vegans and people who are lactose intolerant. Since it comes from plants, it is naturally free of cholesterol, low in saturated fat, and contains no lactose or cholesterol.


Soybeans and soy milk are a good source of protein, calcium (when fortified), and potassium. Soy milk contains almost as much protein as cow’s milk, yet is lower in calories than whole milk. A 2008 Harvard study showed that higher intakes of soy-based foods caused fertility problems and lower sperm counts.

Farther vs. Further

The terms have very similar meanings, but are not interchangeable. Farther is taken more literal and refers to an actual physical distance that can be measured, while further explains a more symbolic distance that cannot be measured.

Some Examples: To further the conversation, he asked how much farther it was the beach. She studied to further her education, but she had to drive farther to get to school.

Zinc for Colds Works

Zinc is one of the only ingredients linked to shortening a cold. Unlike Vitamin C, which studies have found likely does nothing to prevent or treat the common cold, zinc may actually be worth it. The mineral seems to interfere with the replication of rhinoviruses, the bugs that cause the common cold.

In a 2011 review of studies of people who were recently sick, researchers looked at those who started taking zinc and compared them with those who took a placebo. The ones on the zinc had shorter colds and less severe symptoms.

Microwave vs. Conventional Cooking

Many are under the false claim that microwaving foods robs them of their nutrients. This is false. Microwave ovens cook food using energy waves. The waves cause molecules in food to vibrate quickly, building up their energy as heat.

It is true that some nutrients begin to disintegrate when heated, whether from a microwave, a stove. However, since microwave-cooking times are typically much shorter than oven-cooking times, microwaving often keeps vitamins more intact than other cooking methods.

Happy Friday

Smiles are free, but priceless gifts.
Share your priceless smile, especially on a Happy Friday!

More Company Name Origins

L.L.Bean is named after its founder, Leon Leonwood Bean.

FIAT originally stood for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, which translates as "Italian automobile factory of Turin."

FAO Schwarz named after Frederick August Otto Schwarz founder of the toy store

H & R block, the American tax preparation company in North America, Australia, and India was founded by brothers Henry W. Bloch and Richard Bloch. The brothers chose to spell the name "Block" with a K to ensure the name is not mispronounced "blotch."

Pam cooking spray comes from Product of Arthur Meyerhoff, the founder of PAM Products, Inc.

KLM is the abbreviation of Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij (Royal Aviation Company) Royal Dutch Airlines. During September 1919, Queen Wilhelmina awarded the yet-to-be-founded KLM its "Royal" (Koninklijke) status.



Bonus - Captcha, that code you have to type in for security purposes stands for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. Interesting that it is a computer testing us to prove we are human.

Devein Shrimp

Understanding what the 'vein' is, adds to the conversation. Vein is just a euphemism for the shrimp’s lower digestive tract, meaning it is filled with shrimp poop. It will not harm you, but it might taste a bit grainy.

Experts say you might not be able to taste the vein depending on the shrimp’s size. Small and medium shrimp tend to have smaller 'veins' and do not need deveining except for cosmetics. For larger ones it is usually a good idea to do it.

Climate Stuff

Last week the NOAA announced that April was the 400th month of warmer than average temperature (and caused by us). The NOAA has been tracking temperature since 1880 and reports it has been getting warmer. Interesting that it corresponds directly to the end of the Little Ice Age around 1860. During the Little Ice Age, average global temperatures were 1-1.5 degree Celsius (2-3 degrees Fahrenheit) cooler than they are today.

The Little Ice Age followed the Medieval Warm Period also known as the Medieval Climate Optimum, or Medieval Climatic Anomaly. Scientists believe possible causes of the Medieval Warm Period include increased solar activity, decreased volcanic activity, and changes to ocean circulation.

As late as 2012, scientists still did not agree when the Little Ice age specifically began or ended. Some believe 1300s beginning and others believe 1600s. Most agree it ended in the mid 1800s. A theory from 2012 reports that an unusual, 50-year-long episode of four massive tropical volcanic eruptions triggered the Little Ice Age. Their results are in contrast to the work of other scientists who contend that decreased radiation from the sun is what caused the Little Ice Age.

Scientists mostly agree that the warm period was caused by less volcanic activity and more solar activity. They also mostly agree it was followed by the ice age, which was caused by more volcanic activity and less solar activity.

They all agree that the earth has tilted on its axis over time and there have been many periods of colder weather and many periods of warmer weather on earth during the past millions of years.

Scientists also all agree that mankind cannot control volcanoes, the sun, or the earth tilting on its axis. What they cannot agree on is whether this time climate change is our fault, politics, or just another natural cycle of Mother Nature toying with us.

Passport vs. Visa

A passport serves two purposes: to regain entry to the country of citizenship (i.e. the United States) and is a requirement by many countries to gain entry to the country you are visiting.

A travel visa can be a stamp or sticker placed by officials of a foreign country on a passport that allows the bearer to visit that country.

Visas are obtained from the proper embassy or local consulates of the country to be visited. Visit is defined as the reason for entry, usually business, tourist or transitory. There are over 270 countries that offer travel visas and literally thousands of different types of visas available based upon country, type of visit, and length of visit. A travel visa is an official government document that temporarily authorizes you to be in the country you are visiting. There are about 185 different types of visas.


There are two main categories of US visas:  Non-immigrant visa - for temporary visits such as for tourism, business, work, visiting family, or studying. Immigrant visa - for people to immigrate to the United States.

Technologically Obsolete

One of the first things predicted with the advent of the computer age was eliminating paper. It stands out as one of the greatest prediction blunders. We continue to produce tons of paper. In fact computers created a great surge in the use of paper. Other items have come and gone in short order and many of the following items have been invented, rose, and have fallen out of widespread use during our lifetimes. Some, such as cable TV have become victims of their own success. Here are a few completely or virtually obsolete inventions many of us have known and loved - or hated:

• Backing up to floppy disk or CD
• Calculators
• Calling 411 to find a restaurant or store
• Cathode ray tube monitors and TVs
• Tethered computer terminals
• Dial up internet service
• Eight track tape
• Encyclopedia sets and dictionaries
• Fold up maps and road atlas books
• Separate GPS devices
• Movie rental stores (like Blockbuster)
• Paid e-mail accounts
• Personal digital assistant (like Palm Pilot)
• Personal online privacy
  
• Phone Books
• Non-jet commercial planes
• Punch tape, paper tape, and punched cards
• Typewriters (manual and electric)
• Black and white TV
• VCR (videocassette recorder).
  

Other items that are on the brink of going away include:

• Cable TV
• Physical cables to deliver cable TV (to be replaced by WiFi)
• Camera (non-digital)
• CDs (compact disks)
• Newspaper and magazine classified adds
• Fax Machines (except in medical field)
• Getting film developed
• Landline phones
• Tower PCs (vs laptops)
• Public pay phones and phone booths
• Record stores.
  

Other things we wish would go away include the myriad types of non-standard cables, all cables with big bricks (baluns) at the end, and sticking a needle in us to deliver medicine. Things we wish will never go away include hugs and kisses and smiles. . . oh, and bacon.

8K TV is Coming

Speaking of obsolete, even though many do not yet have 4K TVs, 8K sets are coming this year. Sharp began shipping the world's first commercially available 8K monitor, the 70-inch, 7,680 by 4,320 Aquos LV-70X500E.
85,000 8K sets are likely to be sold worldwide during 2018 compared to 98.4 million 4K sets. NHK in Japan has committed to inaugurating an 8K channel on December 1, 2018 with thousands of hours of programming. South Korea has already deployed the NextGen 4k TV over antennas in that country and produced the Olympics for the rest of the world in 4K. It was available in the US, but cable companies could not broadcast it in 4K.

The World Cup, Wimbledon, and the Premier Football League are all distributed in 4K. However, we in the US are stuck with "selected holes" at the Masters Tournament shown in 4K.

8K monitors will also be available in the US at the end of the year from a variety of other brands. TCL announced its intention to unveil its own 8K TV at the 2017 IFA show in Berlin. It is likely that all the major Chinese TV brands will show their own 8K models at IFA 2018 and at CES 2019 in January.

The US severely lags the rest of the world and US cable companies still are forcing us to show 720p pictures on our 1080p and 4K TV sets. The good news is that the newer 1080p and 4K smart TVs use software to greatly enhance the crappy 720p pictures and virtually no 720p TVs are being sold these days.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world has moved on. If it were not for Netflix, Amazon Video, Directtv, YouTube, and Blu-ray, many in the US would not even know the beauty of 4K, and the world is already moving beyond it to 8K. Maybe I need a chill pill for pixel envy.

Well, Pinch My Bum

How many names can one holiday have? Quite a few, such as Restoration Day, Oak Apple Day, or Royal Oak Day. It was an English public holiday, observed annually on 29 May, to commemorate the restoration of the English monarchy in May 1660. It is also known as Shick Shack Day, Oak and Nettle Day, Bumping Day, and Pinch-bum Day. Each group seems to have their own name and as many ways to celebrate the English monarchy.

Happy Friday

You do not need teeth to smile, just a happy thought.

It is easy to have happy thoughts, especially on a Happy Friday!

Google Tricks

Type “Do a Barrel Roll” (without quotes) in your search bar and hold your desk for a second as this will give a circular roll off your screen. A few more to try, "space", "gravity", "underwater". Fun stuff to keep you from doing your work.

Tonsils and Adenoids

Technically, there are three sets of tonsils: the pharyngeal tonsils, commonly known as adenoids, the palatine tonsils, and the lingual tonsils. People refer to tonsils usually as the palatine tonsils, which are oval, pea-sized clusters of lymph cells at the opening of either side of the throat. Their role is to filter bacteria and viruses and produce white blood cells and antibodies. Tonsils are the first line of defense as part of the immune system.

Adenoids or pharyngeal tonsils are clusters of lymphatic tissue in the back of the nose, above the roof of the mouth. They begin to shrink by age 7 or 8, are barely visible by the late teens, and completely gone by adulthood. Adenoids are covered with cilia and mucus. The small hairs wave about to spread mucus, which is carried to the stomach by swallowing. The purpose of the mucus is to capture infectious bacteria, dust, and other particles and flush them away.

Bottom line, all adenoids are tonsils, but not all tonsils are adenoids.

Wordology, Hoi Polloi

This term is used to mean two completely different things. Originally it came from the Greek and is a transliteration of the Greek for 'the many'. So, it means the masses, the ordinary folks, the general populace, and usually it is usually meant as derogatory. However, it also has a second meaning. According to Merriam Webster it also means people of distinction, or wealth, or elevated status.

I checked a few dictionaries and found the first definition, but the second seems limited to Merriam Webster. Incidentally, the hoi polloi is actually redundant, as hoi means the, so the hoi polloi literally would mean the the masses.

Top Ten Websites in US

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Skin Printer

Wow, 3D printing is getting interesting. A handheld skin printer is like a magic wand for healing flesh wounds. It acts like tape used for correcting a writing error. It can produce a sheet of skin tissue to cover a wound. University of Toronto engineers have developed a 3D skin printer that can apparently, form tissue in situ, depositing and setting in place, within two minutes or less.

This could serve as a future alternative to regular skin grafts. However, instead of first requiring that a patient has healthy skin removed to be grafted elsewhere, this device can roll out a new layer of bio ink-based, 3D-printed skin tissue.

It is portable and weighs just over 2 pounds and has already been shown to function when patching up both rats’ and pigs’ wounds. The team is currently conducting wound-healing experiments to benchmark their approach against established alternatives.

Wikipedia Hack

Enter a search for month and year and it will return world news for that month. Try it for your birthday. Try it for a family member or friend who is having a birthday, print it out and give it to them as an interesting gift.

The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, says that some years the most births occur during July or September. Worldwide birth statistics vary with climates and cultural factors that influence the timing of conceptions and births.

Incidentally, in the US, February is the month with the least births and August has the most.+

Happy Songs

Current hit songs in the UK are happier, more danceable, and more likely to be sung by women than songs which fail to make it to the charts. Songs were considered successful if they made it into Top 100 charts.

The new 2018 study, based on 500,000 songs released in Britain between 1985 and 2015, found that as happy music declined, so did the popularity of songs sung by men. The study analyzed the sound characteristics of popular tracks, but not their lyrics.

It also discovered trend that there is less happy music, while people clearly prefer happy music. "More and more unhappy songs are being released each year," a research team from the University of California Irvine reported in the journal Royal Society Open Science. Overall, they found that happiness in music has declined, while sadness increased during the last 30 years.

However, hit tunes defy the trend, and tend to be much happier than unsuccessful tunes.

Happy Friday

Desire, admire, and inspire happiness.

I always desire, admire, inspire, and require happiness, especially on a Happy Friday!

Mattress Cleaner

A quick way to clean the upper layer of your mattress is with a spray consisting of one part alcohol mixed with two parts water. Vacuum your mattress and then spray it with the alcohol solution and let it dry. The alcohol will disinfect the upper layer and kill any bacteria that are making it smell bad. If you have any essential oils handy, put a few drops in the solution to also make it smell fresher.


Incidentally, there are not pounds of dead mites and skin on the mattress. LINK

Smartphone Cell vs. WiFi Data

Many people do not know the difference between WiFi data and cell data (LTE, 4G). WiFi allows your phone or tablet to connect to the Internet via a router. You need to be to be in the range of a router and connect to the network in order to access the Internet. Cellular data allows your phone or tablet to connect to the Internet via a cell phone signal. You need to be in the range of a cell phone tower to access the Internet. When you use your phone to access the Internet without WiFi, you are using up the monthly allotment of data your cell phone plan allows. Another important distinction to know, especially for the security conscious, cell data is encrypted so it is safer than public Wi-Fi.

Think of two types of data, background data is data that is used behind the scenes by apps and the operating system (iOS, Android, etc.). This can also include data from actions you are aware of such as downloading email messages. Apps on your phone use background data even when you are not using the app. You can individually turn off background data for apps, such as Chrome, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat when you are not using them. If you do not have an unlimited plan it is very advantageous to turn off background data. It will turn back on automatically when you use the app and off again when you close it.

Foreground data is data that you deliberately use, such as streaming videos, derping the internet, downloading a new app, etc. This is where WiFi comes in handy if you do not have an unlimited data plan. Also, WiFi is often faster, under the right conditions.

However, WiFi drains the battery quicker. It works by sending and receiving a microwave radio signal through the air to a Wireless Access Point. Radio waves are essentially electricity from your battery that has been converted into a specific frequency, and pushed out of your device through an antenna. Ideally, you might set your WiFi to be off all the time, then turn it on when you are home using your WiFi, or when you are out and want to download large amounts of data, such as a movie or Facebook video.

If you spend more time connected to WiFi networks than cellular, leave your WiFi turned on. If not, it is advantageous to keep it turned off and save your battery. If you travel internationally, use WiFi to avoid expensive charges for international roaming.

Bottom line, if you have an unlimited data plan, the difference between WiFi and cell data is battery usage. If you do not have unlimited data, then the difference can be costly from overage charges, if you exceed your limit. Both are automatically available on smartphones.
Other may have caught on to this battery saver idea as OpenSignal analyzed a 90-day period beginning on Dec. 1, 2017 and found the time spent on WiFi dropped for three of the four major U.S. carriers compared to the first quarter of 2017, due to the growth in unlimited data plans.


Incidentally, on an Android phone, if you go into settings, tap “Data usage”, and then tap the Facebook app icon, you can then select “Restrict app background data.” You can also go into the settings in the actual Facebook app (found under “More” after you open Facebook), uncheck “autoplay videos” and set it to “WiFi only”. Now Facebook does not add to cell data unless you are using it. In addition, there is another data saving setting on the phone to update all apps only when connected to WiFi.

Dark Chocolate and Vizion

Good news for dark chocolate lovers. Researchers had 30 healthy adults, averaging 26 years old; eat either a 1.5-ounce Trader Joe's 72 percent Cacao Dark Chocolate bar or a similar-sized Trader Joe's Crispy Rice Milk Chocolate bar. Labels were removed from each bar so participants did not know what type of chocolate they were eating.

About two hours later, each participant underwent vision testing using standard letter-based eye charts. Compared to people who ate the milk chocolate bar, those who snacked on the dark chocolate showed "small enhancements in visual acuity and large-letter contrast" on the vision test, the researchers reported.

Heart-healthy compounds in chocolate called flavanols appeared to sharpen eyesight. The observed change in vision was small, but significant. Prior studies showed that the antioxidant flavanols in dark chocolate might help boost blood flow to the nervous system, boost heart function, and even help preserve the aging brain. The study results were published April 26, 2018 in JAMA Ophthalmology.

Hot Phone Battery Tips

Ah, summer is fast approaching and we love to get out in the sun. Did you know your smartphone does not like it as much as you do? In fact, it is adversely affected by it. The hotter outside it gets, the more it uses battery power. Heat and background apps are the quickest ways to drain your phone without you realizing it.

Phones are good for temperatures up to 95 degrees and can be stored up to about 110 degrees. Never leave a phone, tablet, or computer in a hot car, especially in direct sunlight, because temperatures in parked cars can exceed this range.

As noted above for usage charges there are other reasons for turning off apps you are not using, such as battery draining. On your smartphone, turn off WiFi, bluetooth, GPS, and other energy-draining functions if you are not using them. Another energy killer is screen brightness. Dimming brightness even just a little, can save hours of battery life.


Just because you press the Home button on your phone does not mean an app is closed. In fact, the app is still running in the background. To make sure that an app that you had opened is not sucking up your battery life press the Home button twice or the multiple apps button on some android phones, then swipe left, right, or hit the X on the app, depending on phone, to turn off apps that are currently running in background. Bottom line, if it is too hot for you, it is likely too hot for your phone.

Wordology, Halitosis

Halitosis is a word used in mouthwash commercials to describe a medical condition characterized by very bad breath. Contrary to the popular belief that Listerine coined the term halitosis, its origins date to before the product's existence.

Company owner Jordan Wheat Lambert decided to market Listerine as a cure for bad breath. To convince the public they needed Listerine, he needed something ominous sounding and came across the word halitosis. The company then ran a series of ads claiming that halitosis was a chronic problem plaguing America for which only it had the cure. In seven years, the company's revenues rose from $115,000 to more than $8 million.

This was about the same time King Gillette convinced women to shave their underarms and legs. Both men are still regarded as marketing geniuses.

Happy Friday

The beauty of a smile cannot be judged.

However, the verdict is in. Today is a Happy Friday!

Next Generation TV and 5G

Next Gen TV is an internet based system, which means it can carry internet content along with traditional over-the-air broadcast signal. It provides new services like video on demand, mobile viewing, 4K Ultra Hi-Def, enhanced emergency alerts, a high frame rate, more colorful picture, and immersive audio – all delivered free with an over-the-air antenna. It is based on the ATSC 3.0 standard. Although current over-the-air TV antennas are able to receive the new signals, there are no TVs, no converter boxes, and no DVRs on the market in North America today that support ATSC 3.0's Next Gen TV.

Next Gen TV is totally separate from 5G. Basically Next Gen TV is for free over-the-air TV and 5G is for communications. 5G will provide wireless to the house and is likely to offer the strongest competition to the world’s free, over-the-air broadcast model. Planned 5G services may offer multiple content streams, 4K, support for new video standards, mobile reception, and on multiple devices. Vendors, carriers, and broadcasters trying to be first to market are feverishly spending billions to set up new signal boxes, antennas, and repeaters for both technologies. (editorial - Cord cutters, millennial lifestyles, and people opting out due to poor service and high prices have forced vendors to find new ways to drill into our wallets.)

Next Gen TV was specifically designed to support mobile uses like rear-seat entertainment and navigation systems in vehicles, in addition to phones and other portable devices. We will be able to watch broadcast TV in a moving car with a better signal than we receive in our living room today.

Here are main points of the ATSC 3.0 Next Gen transition:

• 4K Ultra HD Video
• High dynamic range (HDR) color management
  
• 1+4 surround sound and immersive audio
• More multi-casting - over 100 sub-channels per main channel, which means potentially hundreds of over-the-air channels per market
• More reliable and robust transmissions less prone to interference
  
• Indoor reception will be much easier with an antenna
• Will allow two way communications with the broadcaster to choose viewing angle on sports, etc.
• Will allow targeted advertising to particular demographics
• More detailed show info, actor bios, etc.
  
• Immersive and Virtual Reality experience.

There is much hype with the transition, but it will be a lengthy process. Some carriers, such as AT&T, Verizon, etc., are testing now in Dallas and Phoenix. Other cities are planning to begin testing soon. There are currently no broadcasters transmitting in 3.0 (other than as tests) and they will not be until likely 2019 at the earliest. It will all depend on when a station decides to make the switch. To take advantage of this new technology, consumers will need a device with a 3.0 tuner chip set. One TV maker, LG is planning to offer TVs this year with a combination of the current 1.0 tuner and a 3.0 chip included. A tuner is a device or computer chip that provides the TV Guide capability.

Bad news is that all of the Next Gen and 5G technology deployment will cost consumers a bundle for new phones, TVs, PCs, routers, and tuners. In addition, we should be prepared to see rates go up as early as this year,because the purveyors seek to recoup their investment as soon as possible. Next gen TV will not require an internet connection, but some features will not work without one.


Good news is that there is not a hard turn off deadline for ATSC 1.0 (for TVs) or 4G LTE (for phones and other devices). There is no specific date when all of a sudden there will no longer be 1.0 or 4G and everyone will be broadcasting in 3.0 or delivering 5G as there was with the conversion from analog to digital TV. No need to put off purchases now for either, as both will be a few years from full deployment. As with all new technology, prices will fall hard and fast as widespread adoption takes place.

William Tell Overture

Continuing with the entertainment theme, here is Glen Campbell on YouTube playing the Lone Ranger Theme. Wow. LINK

Wordology, Electrolytes

After downing a generic Gatorade drink with my friend Jeff, he asked if I ever thought about electrolytes. Of course we all know electrolytes for batteries are a compound which produces ions when dissolved in a solution such as water. They can be divided into acids, bases, and salts.

However, I had not thought much about what an electrolyte means when it comes to our body, so it sent me on a search. Interesting that it has the same definition. It is basically a substance that conducts electricity when dissolved in water. We most often see the term in conjunction with sports drinks. The main reason is that bodily potassium and sodium electrolytes are lost in sweat during exercise. There are other causes for electrolyte imbalances, including vomiting, diarrhea, poor diet, dehydration, congestive heart failure, cancer treatment, and some drugs.

Electrolytes are essential for a number of bodily functions and are regulated in the body by our kidneys, along with hormones. Many automatic processes in the body rely on a small electric current to function, and electrolytes provide this charge. They regulate nerve and muscle function, hydrate the body, balance blood acidity and pressure, and help rebuild damaged tissue. In addition, heart, muscle, and nerve cells use electrolytes to carry electrical impulses to other cells.

Fruits and vegetables are good sources of electrolytes. Common electrolytes include bicarbonate, calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphate, potassium, and sodium.

Incidentally, unless you are a professional athlete or running marathons, you are probably getting a sufficient amount of electrolytes from your regular diet. Consuming sports drinks adds calories and increases levels of electrolytes you do not need.

National Nurses Day

National Nurses Day is celebrated annually on May 6 to raise awareness of the important role nurses play in society. It marks the beginning of National Nurses Week, which ends on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale and also International Nurses Day. I have a warm spot in my heart for nurses and the work they do. If you know a nurse, give him or her a hug for me.

Alarm Clock Snooze

Smart phones have a built in snooze for about nine minutes. There is an interesting reason for this. Clock experts say when snooze alarms were invented during the 1950s; the gears in alarm clocks were standardized.


When the snooze gear was introduced, its gears needed to mesh with the existing gears. The engineers needed to choose between a gear that made the snooze period nine-plus minutes or ten-plus minutes and opted for nine. There was no scientific reason for this time period. It was purely mechanical, just as it is with railroad tracks, but that is another story. There are no scientific papers published on benefits or detriments to using the snooze, but there are many opinions for and against. Fortunately modern technology allows us to use it or not and to change the snooze time as we choose.

Incidentally, snooze means sleeping for a short period of time.

Bill Nye, Not so Science Guy

Bill Nye has long been known for his children's show Bill Nye The Science Guy and recently for his views about climate change. He has a BS degree in mechanical engineering. He is an entertainer, and although known as the 'science guy' he does not claim to be a scientist. In order to earn the privilege of calling yourself a 'scientist' one normally has to have an earned PhD in the natural sciences.

Nye started doing standup comedy during 1978 while working at Boeing as an engineer. He eventually left Boeing and began writing and performing jokes and bits for a local sketch television show Almost Live!, where he would regularly conduct wacky science experiments, such as what happens when you eat a marshmallow that has been dunked in liquid nitrogen. He moved from that show to do eight segments for the Disney Channel's All-New Mickey Mouse Club.

Throughout it all, he had his eyes on bigger things and went on to star in Bill Nye Science Guy for public broadcasting station KCTS-TV in Seattle. It became part of a package of syndicated series that local stations could schedule to fulfill Children's Television Act requirements. It ended in 1998. He was also host of an eight-part Discovery Channel series called Greatest Inventions with Bill Nye and appeared in a number of other TV shows. In addition, he holds several United States patents, including one for ballet pointe shoes and an educational magnifying glass created by filling a clear plastic bag with water.

During 2012, Nye supported President Barack Obama's reelection bid and frequently consulted with Obama on science matters during his presidency. He has also received a number of honorary degrees, including one in pedagogy, although he has never contributed any research to the scientific community.

Incidentally, there are many other entertainers who have honorary degrees, including Ben Affleck, P, Diddy, Alec Baldwin, John Legend, Aretha Franklin, Kanye West, Jon Bon Jovi, Conan O'Brien, LL Cool J, and Jimmie Fallon, among others.

Happy Friday

If you are not more happy today than yesterday, you are not smiling enough.

Start your day with a smile, especially on a Happy Friday!

Funny Diet Thoughts

I bought a talking refrigerator that said “Oink” every time I opened the door. It made me hungry for pork chops.

Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.

I feel about airplanes the way I feel about diets, they are wonderful things for other people to go on.

My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. . . unless there are three other people.

Food is like sex: when you abstain, even the worst stuff begins to look good.

The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.

Soup is just a way of screwing you out of a meal.

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.

Life is too short for self-hatred and celery sticks.

Human Affect on Earth

There are many statistics about the earth, oceans, and weather. Although satellites give us a good picture of land and sea, many parts of both have not been visited or set foot on by humans. Almost all of the earth's subsurface is still unexplored. The following are closest to consensus data that I could find.

About 80% of the earth is covered in water. The other roughly 20% is surface land. NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies says urban areas currently take up less than 1 percent of earth's surface.

According to the FAO Global Land Cover SHARE database, produced in 2014, 0.6% of Earth’s land surface is defined as 'Artificial surfaces'. Artificial surfaces include any areas that have an artificial cover as a result of human activities such as construction (cities, towns, transportation), extraction (open mines and quarries) or waste disposal.
Of the 108 billion people that have ever been alive, it is estimated that 6.4 percent of them, roughly seven billion are alive now. So seven billion humans inhabit or use just .6% of 20% of the earth. Since we have yet to discover major parts of land and sea, it is difficult to project future impact, because we still do not know what we do not know.


Incidentally, to date we have explored five to ten percent of the ocean. There are around 8.7 million species on earth of which 80 percent are undiscovered. No one has been able to determine how many ocean species there might be or the percent we may have already discovered. It is estimated that approximately seven percent or more of territorial earth is yet to be discovered. Finally, we have yet been able to fully explore the human body.

Wordology, Unexplored vs. Uncharted

These two words are often used interchangeably, but do not mean the same thing. Uncharted means unmapped. For example, Canada, as recently as 1916 was about 25 percent still uncharted.


Unexplored means a geographic area where no one has explored or investigated and published their findings. There are considerable areas of the jungles in Brazil, Indonesia, and desert areas such as the Sahara, the Namib desert, central Australia, and desolate cold areas such as Siberia, northern Canada, Greenland, Antarctica, remote areas in central Asia, and central Africa that are still essentially unexplored. As recently as 2011, British researchers were using Google Earth to look around Africa when they noticed a patch of forest on and around Mozambique's Mount Mabu that they never knew existed. It was uncharted and unexplored. 

Spleen vs. No Spleen

The spleen is an organ in the upper far left part of the abdomen, to the left of the stomach. It varies in size and shape between people, but is commonly fist-shaped, purple, and about four inches long. Because the spleen is protected by the rib cage, you cannot easily feel it unless it is abnormally enlarged. About 10% of people have a small extra accessory spleen, which causes no problems and is considered normal.

The spleen plays multiple supporting roles in the body. It acts as a filter for blood as part of the immune system. Old red blood cells are recycled in the spleen, and platelets and white blood cells are stored there. It also helps fight certain kinds of bacteria that cause pneumonia and meningitis.

Bottom line, the spleen filters blood and helps the body fight infections, but it is not essential for survival. The spleen can be removed if it is damaged. However, people without a spleen are more prone to infections.

Optical Illusions

Here are three optical illusions for your viewing pleasure (3.5 minutes). LINK

Wordology, Antioxidant

Few people are aware what exactly an antioxidant is. An antioxidant is a substance that inhibits oxidation. It is a substance that removes potentially damaging oxidizing agents in a living organism.

The level of antioxidants in any substance or food is evaluated with an ORAC score, (Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity). ORAC tests the power of a plant to absorb and eliminate free radicals. These measurements were developed by the National Institute of Aging and are based on 100 grams of each food or herb. Cinnamon, clove, oregano, dark chocolate, and pecans have extremely high ORAC scores.

Antioxidants can be man-made or natural substances.  They are found in many foods. They are also available as dietary supplements. Examples of antioxidants include: Beta-carotene, Lutein, Lycopene, Selenium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E. Vegetables, fruits, and nuts are rich sources of antioxidants.

The benefit list of antioxidants is long and includes:
    Slower signs of aging, including skin, eyes, tissue, joints, heart, and brain,
    Healthier more youthful glowing skin,
    Reduced cancer risk,
    Detoxification support,
    Longer life span,
    Protection against heart disease and stroke,
    Less risk for cognitive problems, such as dementia,
    Reduced risk for vision loss, such as macular degeneration and cataracts.

Bottom line, antioxidants are generally very good for you, but high-dose supplements of antioxidants may be linked to health risks in some cases, such as high doses of beta-carotene may increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers. High doses of vitamin E may increase risks of prostate cancer and one type of stroke. As my mother used to say, "It can be too much of a good thing."

Best Road Rage Video

Funny stuff. Here is a LINK

Robo Calls are Big Business

Consumers get an estimated 98 million robocalls daily, according to the US government. Fraud from these unwanted calls amounts to about $9.5 billion annually. More than 3 billion robocalls were placed during March, 2018, according to the YouMail Robocall Index. In addition, the FCC gets about 200,000 complaints about robocalls each year, and the FTC received 4.5 million complaints about unwanted calls during 2017.

During 2017, the FCC gave phone companies the ability to block numbers they know are attempting to send spoofed calls that look as if they are local calls. And the agency also began a process to improve caller ID so calls could have "a verified digital fingerprint" to ensure a caller was legit.

Most of the big carriers offer a free call protection app, except Sprint, which costs $2.99 a month.

There are hundreds of apps such as Hiya, Nomorobo, RoboKiller, Truecaller, and YouMail that work. Look at the rating and read user comments before downloading any app. You can block numbers on your phone, but the major bad guys keep changing their number so it does not help much. However it is good for blocking local business that keep calling to sell services.

I have not found any app that blocks the call and locks the caller out of voice mail. This is the most aggravating part for me. I want one that blocks the call and blocks voice mail at the same time.

Incidentally, YouMail operates a Robocall Index that compiles the scope and location of the worst robocalling hotspots across the country by area code, and Atlanta leads the list.

Happy Friday

If you are happy and you know it clap your hands.

I always applaud a Happy Friday!

SD vs. SSD

An SD card is removable flash memory, much like a USB stick (thumb drive), it just fits into smaller slots, like in a digital camera, or phone. SD stands for secure digital.


SSD stands for solid state drive and is a hard drive based on flash memory technology just like the an SD card, except it usually holds much more data. SSD differs from a conventional hard drive. It has no moving parts, it is much faster and lighter, does not use much energy, and does not emit heat.

Google Maps Hack

Google probably knows more about where you have been than you can remember. This may be good or bad. If you are a criminal, law enforcement can use this information to place you at the scene of a crime. If you are not a criminal, it might just be interesting information. Many forget that phones have location turned on and never think about it. You mostly only need location turned on when using maps or for Lyft and Uber. Some also suggest when you go out to unsavory or unfamiliar places it is good to have it on, so you can be tracked or if worse, be found.


The link below takes you straight to your Google Maps Timeline, a record of all your movements logged in Google Maps. Just sign in to Google and it will direct you. Enjoy. LINK