Jan 5, 2018
A Month by any other Name
Historical names for January include its original
Roman designation, Ianuarius, the Saxon term Wulf-monath
(meaning wolf month), and Charlemagne's designation Wintarmanoth
(winter / cold month). In Finnish, the month is called tammikuu,
meaning month of the oak, but the original meaning was the month
of the heart of winter, as tammi has initially meant axis or
core. In Czech this month is called leden, meaning ice month. In
Ukrainian it is січень meaning cutting or slicing, perhaps
referring to the wind.
Purse Light Hack
For those of you who have large purses and cannot find things
at the bottom, add one of those small battery button lights that
you just tap to turn on.
Now you can reach in, turn on the light and find whatever you are looking for without dumping the contents.
Now you can reach in, turn on the light and find whatever you are looking for without dumping the contents.
Free Football Viewing
This year, you will not need Verizon Wireless
service to watch free NFL games on your phone. Instead, you can
watch in-market coverage, playoff games, and the Super Bowl for
free, regardless of carrier.
The live games this season will stream on the NFL Mobile app, Verizon's Go90 video app, and Yahoo. Starting next season, Verizon will no longer provide a free stream of the NFL Network or an optional $2-per-month stream of NFL Redzone on mobile devices. If you want to keep watching Redzone without cable, even on your phone, you will have to subscribe to an entire streaming bundle such as Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, or FuboTV, as NFL and Verizon greed kick more fans to the sidelines.
Naturally, there is a catch. As with Verizon's existing NFL streams, you will be forbidden from watching live games on your antenna-less television. The carrier will not offer full games on streaming TV devices, and will continue to block screen mirroring from your phone through Chromecast and Apple TV's AirPlay.
If you have DirecTV Now with bundled AT&T wireless service, you no longer have to miss any NFL Network games. If you have strong TV antenna coverage, you will also be able to watch many games free.
The live games this season will stream on the NFL Mobile app, Verizon's Go90 video app, and Yahoo. Starting next season, Verizon will no longer provide a free stream of the NFL Network or an optional $2-per-month stream of NFL Redzone on mobile devices. If you want to keep watching Redzone without cable, even on your phone, you will have to subscribe to an entire streaming bundle such as Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, or FuboTV, as NFL and Verizon greed kick more fans to the sidelines.
Naturally, there is a catch. As with Verizon's existing NFL streams, you will be forbidden from watching live games on your antenna-less television. The carrier will not offer full games on streaming TV devices, and will continue to block screen mirroring from your phone through Chromecast and Apple TV's AirPlay.
If you have DirecTV Now with bundled AT&T wireless service, you no longer have to miss any NFL Network games. If you have strong TV antenna coverage, you will also be able to watch many games free.
Wooden Spoon Myth Debunked
Wooden
spoons do not stop pots of water from boiling over. Placing a
wooden spoon across a pot of water to prevent the water from
spilling over may help some with a simmering pot, but not
boiling.
How Wireless Charging Works
Wireless charging, inductive
charging, or cordless charging, are all the same thing. It
uses an electromagnetic field to transfer energy between two
objects through electromagnetic induction, so it will work
with any wireless charger carrying the same standards of
technology. The Qi wireless charging standard from the
Wireless Power Consortium has been around for over five
years. The basic technology has been used for consumer
products like razors and toothbrushes, plus a variety of
non-consumer tools for a while.
Many smart phone companies use wireless charging for high end devices. In addition, a growing number of restaurants, airports, hotels, etc. now provide wired and wireless charging.
Electromagnetic fields are created and allow the current to pass between the charging and the surface of the charging pad. The charging base station needs to be connected to a power outlet. There is a transmitting coil in the charger circuit and power from the source is supplied to the coil. Phones and other devices have a receiver coil attached to the battery, which picks up the magnetic field.
Productive coupling between the coils requires accurate positional alignment. This can be accomplished in different ways. The charging pad or base station can have visual or tactile signifiers of the optimal position for the phone; this is cheap and easy, but it presents challenges when dealing with phones of different sizes and configurations. Alternatively, a charging station might have a coil that moves to align with the coil in the device, allowing you to place it wherever you want. Another way is using an array of coils, where specific coils are activated in proximity to the device’s placement.
The base station does not activate unless a compatible device has been placed on it. The station determines this by sending an intermittent test signal to check if a compliant device is present. The mobile device responds to this ping by communicating the received signal strength. When the device’s charge is complete, it tells the transmitter to go inactive.
One ongoing problem to widespread adoption is competing standards that fracture the market and make adoption less attractive for both consumers and manufacturers.
Wireless charging may be fun and whiz-bang, but it is slower than the traditional form of charging due to less energy transfer.
New technology may let you charge your devices from a distance of three feet or more without any pad involved. The Federal Communications Commission, during December 2017 approved technology from Energous using radio frequency energy to recharge multiple devices such as smartphones, tablets, smart watches, headphones, speakers, keyboards and fitness trackers from up to three feet away.
Many smart phone companies use wireless charging for high end devices. In addition, a growing number of restaurants, airports, hotels, etc. now provide wired and wireless charging.
Electromagnetic fields are created and allow the current to pass between the charging and the surface of the charging pad. The charging base station needs to be connected to a power outlet. There is a transmitting coil in the charger circuit and power from the source is supplied to the coil. Phones and other devices have a receiver coil attached to the battery, which picks up the magnetic field.
Productive coupling between the coils requires accurate positional alignment. This can be accomplished in different ways. The charging pad or base station can have visual or tactile signifiers of the optimal position for the phone; this is cheap and easy, but it presents challenges when dealing with phones of different sizes and configurations. Alternatively, a charging station might have a coil that moves to align with the coil in the device, allowing you to place it wherever you want. Another way is using an array of coils, where specific coils are activated in proximity to the device’s placement.
The base station does not activate unless a compatible device has been placed on it. The station determines this by sending an intermittent test signal to check if a compliant device is present. The mobile device responds to this ping by communicating the received signal strength. When the device’s charge is complete, it tells the transmitter to go inactive.
One ongoing problem to widespread adoption is competing standards that fracture the market and make adoption less attractive for both consumers and manufacturers.
Wireless charging may be fun and whiz-bang, but it is slower than the traditional form of charging due to less energy transfer.
New technology may let you charge your devices from a distance of three feet or more without any pad involved. The Federal Communications Commission, during December 2017 approved technology from Energous using radio frequency energy to recharge multiple devices such as smartphones, tablets, smart watches, headphones, speakers, keyboards and fitness trackers from up to three feet away.
Mattress Myth Debunked
Many have heard that a normal mattress doubles
in weight each eight to ten years, due to accumulation of
mites, dead skin, etc. It is totally false and the story was
made up long ago by a Wall Street Journal reporter.
Robo Calls Getting Worse
Does it seem like we are
getting more unwanted calls on smart phones? We are, and
they are more and more difficult to stop. We are now in
the phase where bad technology leapfrogs good technology
and until that changes again, it is something to deal
with.
US Federal Trade Commission data released during December 2017 shows a massive 4.5 million consumer complaints about robocalls in 2017, up from 2016's 3.4 million. For every single month of the year, robocalls topped the list of "Do Not Call" violations.
The six most common ones in no particular order include:
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)
Dropped call or no message
Vacation and timeshares
Warranties and protection plans
Calls pretending to be government, IRS, businesses, or family and friends
Medical and prescriptions.
In addition to all the complaints, use of the "Do Not Call" registry hosts 226 million active registrations.
The reason for the increase is the cheap new telephony equipment, ease of placing millions of calls without a person needed to do the dialing, and digital calling systems that make it simple to automatically spoof caller ID numbers. Robo calls are becoming the 'Nigerian Prince' scam for phones.
Incidentally, the worst thing you can do is respond. The bad guys have no do not call list to put you on and no reason to stop calling. Also, once you respond, your number goes into the bank of live persons and your number will be sold to other scammers. Robo call apps help blocking, but cannot keep up with the ever shifting use of numbers used, including what appear to be local numbers.
US Federal Trade Commission data released during December 2017 shows a massive 4.5 million consumer complaints about robocalls in 2017, up from 2016's 3.4 million. For every single month of the year, robocalls topped the list of "Do Not Call" violations.
The six most common ones in no particular order include:
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)
Dropped call or no message
Vacation and timeshares
Warranties and protection plans
Calls pretending to be government, IRS, businesses, or family and friends
Medical and prescriptions.
In addition to all the complaints, use of the "Do Not Call" registry hosts 226 million active registrations.
The reason for the increase is the cheap new telephony equipment, ease of placing millions of calls without a person needed to do the dialing, and digital calling systems that make it simple to automatically spoof caller ID numbers. Robo calls are becoming the 'Nigerian Prince' scam for phones.
Incidentally, the worst thing you can do is respond. The bad guys have no do not call list to put you on and no reason to stop calling. Also, once you respond, your number goes into the bank of live persons and your number will be sold to other scammers. Robo call apps help blocking, but cannot keep up with the ever shifting use of numbers used, including what appear to be local numbers.
Tongue and Taste Myth
Your tongue does not have
independent zones for different types of flavor, sweetness,
or saltiness. The confusion comes from the mis-translation
of a German study. Actually all of the tongue is more or
less equally capable of detecting different flavors,
although there are different patterns of strength.
What is generally categorized as
“taste” is basically a
bundle of different sensations. It is not only the
qualities of taste perceived
by the tongue, but also the smell, texture, and
temperature of food.
Incidentally,
“hot” or “spicy” is often described as a taste.
Technically, this is just
a pain signal sent by the nerves that transmit touch and
temperature
sensations. The substance “capsaicin” in foods seasoned
with chili causes a
sensation of pain and heat.
Do Not Recycle These
Ribbons, bows, Styrofoam and the
glue that sticks them to the gift are not to go in the recycling
bin.
You cannot recycle wrapping paper that has metallic, glossy, glitter, or velvety flocking on it.
Plastic bags, twine, and anything else that is long and stringy cannot be recycled.
Shiny Christmas cards printed on photo paper, have metallic embossing, or glitter cannot be recycled.
Disposable plates, cups, plastic tableware, napkins, and paper towels should not be recycled. Some plastic cups may be recyclable, but read the bottom for recycle symbol. (Many people think that rounded arrow symbol means it is recyclable, but that is the resin code. Different municipalities can recycle different resins, but only number one and two plastics are recyclable in most places.)
Do not recycle candy wrappers or the bags that coffee comes in.
Pizza boxes and fast food carryout bags may include the additional message, “Recycle if Clean & Dry,” since pizza boxes and bags dirtied by a significant amount of grease or food residue are often not accepted for recycling.
Chip bags cannot go into the recycle bin, since most chip bags are made from aluminum laminated with polypropylene.
The popular K-Cup® pod as a whole cannot be recycled.
All is not lost as cardboard boxes are great to recycle, even with some tape on them.
You cannot recycle wrapping paper that has metallic, glossy, glitter, or velvety flocking on it.
Plastic bags, twine, and anything else that is long and stringy cannot be recycled.
Shiny Christmas cards printed on photo paper, have metallic embossing, or glitter cannot be recycled.
Disposable plates, cups, plastic tableware, napkins, and paper towels should not be recycled. Some plastic cups may be recyclable, but read the bottom for recycle symbol. (Many people think that rounded arrow symbol means it is recyclable, but that is the resin code. Different municipalities can recycle different resins, but only number one and two plastics are recyclable in most places.)
Do not recycle candy wrappers or the bags that coffee comes in.
Pizza boxes and fast food carryout bags may include the additional message, “Recycle if Clean & Dry,” since pizza boxes and bags dirtied by a significant amount of grease or food residue are often not accepted for recycling.
Chip bags cannot go into the recycle bin, since most chip bags are made from aluminum laminated with polypropylene.
The popular K-Cup® pod as a whole cannot be recycled.
All is not lost as cardboard boxes are great to recycle, even with some tape on them.
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