Jan 19, 2018
Hurricanes
Hurricanes are not caused by global warming according to the
insurance industry, which insists they are "Acts of God."
Shade Antenna
RCA is showcasing an antenna built into a roller shade. Now not
only can your roller shade keep the sun out, but it can also
pick up free over-the-air TV.
This new antenna is not yet available for sale, but RCA won a CES 2018 Innovation Award for new products. We should see these antennas hitting stores sometime later this year.
Roller shade antennas from RCA are one more step in a rush to sell antennas that will seamlessly blend into your home surroundings. No longer is the TV antenna something that stands out, it is now something that can vanish into the backdrop of your decor.
This new antenna is not yet available for sale, but RCA won a CES 2018 Innovation Award for new products. We should see these antennas hitting stores sometime later this year.
Roller shade antennas from RCA are one more step in a rush to sell antennas that will seamlessly blend into your home surroundings. No longer is the TV antenna something that stands out, it is now something that can vanish into the backdrop of your decor.
Autonomous Cars
This is also known as a driverless car, self-driving car,
robotic car, and unmanned ground vehicle. There are six levels
from zero, which is where we currently are, to five, which is
self driving.
Level 0: This level is where we mostly are. The human driver controls everything: steering, brakes, throttle, power.
Level 1: This level means that most functions are still controlled by the driver, but a specific function, like steering or accelerating can be done automatically by the car.
Level 2: At least one driver assistance system of "both steering and acceleration/deceleration using information about the driving environment" is automated, like cruise control and lane-centering. It means that the "driver is disengaged from physically operating the vehicle by having his or her hands off the steering wheel and foot off pedal at the same time." The driver must still always be ready to take control of the vehicle.
Level 3: Drivers are able to completely shift safety-critical functions to the vehicle, under certain traffic or environmental conditions. It means the driver is still present and will intervene if necessary, but is not required to monitor the situation in the same way it does for the previous levels.
Level 4: Level 4 vehicles are "designed to perform all safety-critical driving functions and monitor roadway conditions for an entire trip." However, it is important to note that this is limited to the "operational design domain" of the vehicle, meaning it does not cover every driving scenario.
Level 5: This level refers to a fully-autonomous system that expects the vehicle's performance to equal that of a human driver, in every driving scenario, including extreme environments. It can operate without a driver or passengers.
It is important to distinguish between "autonomous" and "driverless." Driverless is a more advanced stage of autonomous.
Other considerations - car insurance business will be affected, since the number of accidents is predicted to go down 80% by 2040. The different levels are important, because they change the risk profile of the car. Other costs are more likely to go up as new technology is added to the cars.
Interesting to know the things auto manufacturers are dealing with, such as avoidance of large animals requires recognition and tracking. Volvo found that software suited to caribou, deer, and elk was ineffective with kangaroos.
Level 0: This level is where we mostly are. The human driver controls everything: steering, brakes, throttle, power.
Level 1: This level means that most functions are still controlled by the driver, but a specific function, like steering or accelerating can be done automatically by the car.
Level 2: At least one driver assistance system of "both steering and acceleration/deceleration using information about the driving environment" is automated, like cruise control and lane-centering. It means that the "driver is disengaged from physically operating the vehicle by having his or her hands off the steering wheel and foot off pedal at the same time." The driver must still always be ready to take control of the vehicle.
Level 3: Drivers are able to completely shift safety-critical functions to the vehicle, under certain traffic or environmental conditions. It means the driver is still present and will intervene if necessary, but is not required to monitor the situation in the same way it does for the previous levels.
Level 4: Level 4 vehicles are "designed to perform all safety-critical driving functions and monitor roadway conditions for an entire trip." However, it is important to note that this is limited to the "operational design domain" of the vehicle, meaning it does not cover every driving scenario.
Level 5: This level refers to a fully-autonomous system that expects the vehicle's performance to equal that of a human driver, in every driving scenario, including extreme environments. It can operate without a driver or passengers.
It is important to distinguish between "autonomous" and "driverless." Driverless is a more advanced stage of autonomous.
Other considerations - car insurance business will be affected, since the number of accidents is predicted to go down 80% by 2040. The different levels are important, because they change the risk profile of the car. Other costs are more likely to go up as new technology is added to the cars.
Interesting to know the things auto manufacturers are dealing with, such as avoidance of large animals requires recognition and tracking. Volvo found that software suited to caribou, deer, and elk was ineffective with kangaroos.
Clothes Scraps
I am sure you have noticed the little scrap of material, usually
with a button or two sewn on it that is comes with new many
clothes. The reason for that material is to wash it before you
wash that shirt or sweater, or whatever, to test how the
material holds up so that you do not ruin the whole outfit. The
buttons are replacement, in case you lose one.
What's in a Name
In the UK many names seem unfamiliar to us, but have logical
beginnings. For instance, the East Midlands were ruled by the
Danes during the ninth century. This resulted in the creation of
place names ending in "by" (a suffix thought to originate from
the Danish word for "town"), such as Thoresby and Derby. Others
end in "thorpe" (meaning "settlement"), such as Ullesthorpe.
Water vs. Soda
Bottled water took over carbonated soft drinks as
Americans' favorite drink during 2016 for the first time ever,
according to Beverage Marketing, a research and consulting
company. US consumers bought 12.8 billion gallons of bottled
water versus 12.4 billion gallons of carbonated soft drinks.
This once again shows the power of advertising.
Marketers have convinced people to purchase something that is natural, almost universally available, and mostly free vs. something that is artificially created in a lab. In some places water has a higher price than soft drinks. I have this pet rock. . .
Marketers have convinced people to purchase something that is natural, almost universally available, and mostly free vs. something that is artificially created in a lab. In some places water has a higher price than soft drinks. I have this pet rock. . .
Jan 12, 2018
Happy Friday
Impossible is just a
word. What matters is if you pronounce it with a short I or a
long I.
It is not impossible that Impossibly happiest on a Happy Friday!
It is not impossible that Impossibly happiest on a Happy Friday!
Agatha Christie
On January 12, 1976,
Agatha Christie died at age 85 at her home in Wallingford,
Oxfordshire, England. At her death, she was one of the most
popular writers of all time, the author of more than 100
novels, including a legendary collection of murder mysteries
that featured the fictional detectives Miss Jane Marple and
Hercule Poirot. Her books have been translated into more
languages than any other author in literary history,
including Shakespeare.
Christie also wrote nineteen stage plays, including The Mousetrap, a 1952 play that premiered at London's West End Theatre and is still currently being performed elsewhere. It is the longest continuously-running stage play in history, with more than 27,000 performances during 65 years. The play has such a surprising ending that, after the final curtain goes down, patrons are asked not to reveal it.
Christie also wrote nineteen stage plays, including The Mousetrap, a 1952 play that premiered at London's West End Theatre and is still currently being performed elsewhere. It is the longest continuously-running stage play in history, with more than 27,000 performances during 65 years. The play has such a surprising ending that, after the final curtain goes down, patrons are asked not to reveal it.
Interesting Tidbits
Eliminate static buildup in the dryer
by crumbling up aluminum foil into a ball, about the size of
a tennis ball and toss in with the clothes. When it wears
out, add another layer of foil.
Tear sticky notes off the pack from left to right or right to left. This will reduce the curl that happens when you pull of the paper from bottom to top.
Echo is the name of the device, but Alexa is the name for the artificial intelligence assistant that listens and speaks back to you. Amazon controls 75 percent of the AI smart speaker market.
Tear sticky notes off the pack from left to right or right to left. This will reduce the curl that happens when you pull of the paper from bottom to top.
Echo is the name of the device, but Alexa is the name for the artificial intelligence assistant that listens and speaks back to you. Amazon controls 75 percent of the AI smart speaker market.
Slowing a Windows Update
There will be no limit on
the number of times you can delay a Windows Update. Each time
you hit the Snooze button, you'll be able to push it out three
more days, until 35 days have passed. After that, you will still
be able to press a new "Remind Me Tomorrow" button to push it
out again and again, one day at a time.
Restart now, pick a time, and snooze can be accessed through the Settings > Update and Security menu to display how your device will encounter and install future updates.
Postponing the Windows 10 Creators Update requires the activation of a ‘Defer feature updates’ service. The download can then be delayed for up to 60 days, or you can pick a specific date to continue. To postpone Windows 10 Creators Update, access the Update and Security menu, then under "Update settings,” click Advanced options, then select the ‘Defer feature updates’ option.
Restart now, pick a time, and snooze can be accessed through the Settings > Update and Security menu to display how your device will encounter and install future updates.
Postponing the Windows 10 Creators Update requires the activation of a ‘Defer feature updates’ service. The download can then be delayed for up to 60 days, or you can pick a specific date to continue. To postpone Windows 10 Creators Update, access the Update and Security menu, then under "Update settings,” click Advanced options, then select the ‘Defer feature updates’ option.
New Winter Olympic Sports
Next month we will be treated to the Olympics
with four new events during this Winter Olympics: big air
snowboarding and freestyle skiing on the slopes, and mass start
speed skating and mixed doubles curling on the ice.
Artificial Sweeteners Compared
All sugar substitutes are not
created equal. Here are a few facts about the most widely known
sweeteners.
Equal (Aspartame) was discovered in 1965 and first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1981. It is the only FDA approved nutritive sweetener, meaning it adds caloric value to a meal. It loses its sweetness when heated and therefore is not used in baked goods. It is a mixture of aspartic acid and phenylalanine) that is 200 times sweeter than sugar.
Newtame - (Neotame) It was approved by the FDA during 2002 and is 7,000 to 13,000 times as sweet as table sugar.
Splenda (Sucralose) was discovered in 1976 and first approved by the FDA IN 1998. It is molecularly bonded sucrose molecules with chlorine and is 600 times as sweet as sugar by gram. It is chemically modified to have zero calories. It keeps its sweetness when heated and therefore is used in baked goods.
Sweet’N Low (saccharin) was discovered in 1879. It was removed from the FDA’s caution list in 2000. It is made from benzoic sulfimide, a coal tar derivative that is approximately 300 times sweeter than sugar and also contains dextrose and cream of tartar. It contains 4 calories per packet, but the body cannot metabolize it, so it adds no caloric or nutritional value to a meal. Cyclamate was the original ingredient in Sweet’N Low. It is a chemical 30 to 50 times sweeter than sugar. By 1963, cyclamate was America’s favorite artificial sweetener, then the sweetener was proven to cause bladder cancer in rats, resulting in an immediate ban by the FDA that is still in effect. In response, Sweet’N Low swiftly became a saccharin-based product.
Stevia is a sweetener and sugar substitute marketed most familiarly as PureVia and Truvia, extracted from the leaves of the plant species Stevia rebaudiana. The active compounds of Stevia are steviol glycosides, which have up to 150 times the sweetness of sugar. It is heat-stable, pH-stable, and not fermentable. The legal status of Stevia as a food additive or dietary supplement varies from country to country. In the United States, high-purity stevia glycoside extracts are generally recognized as safe and allowed as ingredients in food products, but stevia leaf and crude extracts do not have FDA approval for use in food. The European Union approved Stevia additives in 2011, and in Japan, Stevia has been widely used as a sweetener for decades.
Sweet One - (Sunett) was discovered during 1967 and approved in 1988. It contains Dextrose, Acesulfame-K, Cream of Tartar, Calcium Silicate (an anti-caking agent), and natural flavors and is 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is soluble in hot and cold beverages and remains stable when heated, so it can also be used in cooking and baking. It adds no caloric or nutritional value to a meal.
According to the FDA, high-intensity sweeteners add few or no calories to the foods they flavor and they generally do not raise blood sugar levels.
The FDA during 2014 approved a new high-intensity sweetener called advantame, which does not yet have a brand name. It has been approved as a new food additive for use as a sweetener and flavor enhancer in foods, except meat and poultry.
Incidentally, notice how many months/years it takes for FDA to approve.
Equal (Aspartame) was discovered in 1965 and first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1981. It is the only FDA approved nutritive sweetener, meaning it adds caloric value to a meal. It loses its sweetness when heated and therefore is not used in baked goods. It is a mixture of aspartic acid and phenylalanine) that is 200 times sweeter than sugar.
Newtame - (Neotame) It was approved by the FDA during 2002 and is 7,000 to 13,000 times as sweet as table sugar.
Splenda (Sucralose) was discovered in 1976 and first approved by the FDA IN 1998. It is molecularly bonded sucrose molecules with chlorine and is 600 times as sweet as sugar by gram. It is chemically modified to have zero calories. It keeps its sweetness when heated and therefore is used in baked goods.
Sweet’N Low (saccharin) was discovered in 1879. It was removed from the FDA’s caution list in 2000. It is made from benzoic sulfimide, a coal tar derivative that is approximately 300 times sweeter than sugar and also contains dextrose and cream of tartar. It contains 4 calories per packet, but the body cannot metabolize it, so it adds no caloric or nutritional value to a meal. Cyclamate was the original ingredient in Sweet’N Low. It is a chemical 30 to 50 times sweeter than sugar. By 1963, cyclamate was America’s favorite artificial sweetener, then the sweetener was proven to cause bladder cancer in rats, resulting in an immediate ban by the FDA that is still in effect. In response, Sweet’N Low swiftly became a saccharin-based product.
Stevia is a sweetener and sugar substitute marketed most familiarly as PureVia and Truvia, extracted from the leaves of the plant species Stevia rebaudiana. The active compounds of Stevia are steviol glycosides, which have up to 150 times the sweetness of sugar. It is heat-stable, pH-stable, and not fermentable. The legal status of Stevia as a food additive or dietary supplement varies from country to country. In the United States, high-purity stevia glycoside extracts are generally recognized as safe and allowed as ingredients in food products, but stevia leaf and crude extracts do not have FDA approval for use in food. The European Union approved Stevia additives in 2011, and in Japan, Stevia has been widely used as a sweetener for decades.
Sweet One - (Sunett) was discovered during 1967 and approved in 1988. It contains Dextrose, Acesulfame-K, Cream of Tartar, Calcium Silicate (an anti-caking agent), and natural flavors and is 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is soluble in hot and cold beverages and remains stable when heated, so it can also be used in cooking and baking. It adds no caloric or nutritional value to a meal.
According to the FDA, high-intensity sweeteners add few or no calories to the foods they flavor and they generally do not raise blood sugar levels.
The FDA during 2014 approved a new high-intensity sweetener called advantame, which does not yet have a brand name. It has been approved as a new food additive for use as a sweetener and flavor enhancer in foods, except meat and poultry.
Incidentally, notice how many months/years it takes for FDA to approve.
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